The BBNJ Agreement – a win for the Ocean and Multilateralism
By Dr. Kahlil Hassanali, Senior Research Officer, Institute of Marine Affairs “The ship has reached the shore.” This was how Her Excellency Rena Lee, Ambassador of Singapore and President of the Intergovernmental Conference relating to an international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (The BBNJ Agreement), announced that delegations had finally agreed on a treaty text. After nearly twenty years of talks on the matter, five years in an Intergovernmental Conference setting, two weeks into the resumed fifth session of that Conference, and thirty-eight hours over the scheduled deadline during which time delegates bunkered...
Recognising the Importance of Our Seagrass Meadows
March 1, 2023 marks the first-ever United Nations recognised World Seagrass Day. The day is being commemorated to raise public awareness on the importance of seagrass meadows and to recognise the importance of seagrasses to the health and well-being of the planet, as well as to the people, communities, flora and fauna that rely on them. Seagrasses are marine flowering plants that grow in the intertidal and subtidal zones along shallow tropical and temperate coasts. They are very productive, faunally rich and ecologically important marine resources that provide nursery habitats for several commercially important species such as conch, fish and lobster and a major food source...
PERSPECTIVES: The wonders of marine biodiversity
Vincent Van Gogh’s love for nature was no secret and the olive groves in Saint-Remy, France, were one his favourite places to paint. In a letter to his brother Theo, Van Gogh once wrote, “The murmur of an olive grove has something very intimate, immensely old about it….it’s too beautiful for me to dare paint it.” What Van Gogh captures in his words is the reverence of nature which is often quite difficult to ignore when you are working in natural settings. As a marine biologist, working in the sea allows one the good fortune of seeing many marine species living life in their natural habitat. Marine biologists like Attish...
Coral Reefs, X-MEN of the SEA
The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) recently partnered with bp Trinidad and Tobago (bpTT) and other government, private sector and community-based organizations to build its capacity in marine ecosystem rehabilitation, particularly coral reefs and seagrass beds, in a rapidly changing climate. This partnership is a significant step towards promoting wildlife conservation, especially in the Caribbean region, which has suffered greatly from the impacts of climate change and human activities. With coral reefs facing unprecedented levels of degradation, the partnership intends to deliver long-term biodiversity conservation and restoration of these ecosystems including avoided loss using a multi-pronged approach: (1) Ocean stewardship; (2) Restoration of Tobago’s...
New Fisheries Legislation Poised to Promote Sector Growth and Protection
PRESS RELEASE February 28, 2023, Port of Spain – New fisheries legislation will strengthen domestic fisheries management, giving the state agencies more responsibilities and powers to protect the industry. This from the Minister of Planning and Development, the Honourable Penelope Beckles-Robinson who delivered the feature address at a Prize Giving Ceremony on Friday 24th February 2023 to recognise eleven (11) winners of the Beyond the Blue: From the Ocean to our Tables public education challenge, an initiative of the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and Republic Bank through the Power to Make a Difference programme. Delivering the feature address, the Honourable Minister said, the domestic fisheries...
IMA first in region to earn Nitrate/Nitrite Testing laboratory accreditation
The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) has been successful in attaining ISO/IEC 17025:2017, which is an international accreditation and standard for the ‘General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories’ specific to the nitrate/ nitrite test. Notice of accreditation was issued by letter in December 2022 by the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards. The Trinidad and Tobago Laboratory Accreditation Service (TTLABS) conducted the accreditation exercise. This certification serves as the international reference for the testing and calibration laboratories, that demonstrate their capacity to deliver reliable results and is a reliable indicator of laboratory’s technical competence. Accreditation therefore enhances the public confidence in...
What are Rip Currents?
By Christopher Alexis, Researcher, Oceanography & Coastal Processes Department Rip currents usually occur in close proximity to breaking waves and are common within pocket beaches with moderate to high wave energy. In Trinidad, these beaches may be found on the north coast (e.g. Maracas and Las Cuevas) and along the unsheltered east coast (e.g. Mayaro). In Tobago, rip currents may occur on most beaches that are not protected by coral reefs. These currents are dangerous and contribute to drowning occurrences annually particularly during celebratory times of the year. Rip currentsRip currents are powerful flows of water moving seaward that can effortlessly drag unsuspecting bathers quickly out to sea....
Supporting Trinidad and Tobago’s
Transition to a Sustainable Blue Economy
The Sustainable Blue Economy Transition Framework Rapid Readiness Assessment Workshop was hostedat the Institute of Marine Affairs on October 18-19, The workshop, which was opened by the Honourable Pennelope Beckles, Minister of Planning and Development, was attended by stakeholders from across government, academia, non-governmental organisations and private sector with interest in fostering a sustainable blue economy for Trinidad and Tobago. Across the world, there is growing awareness about the blue economy as a potential source of economicdiversification and growth. The blue economy construct centres on developing ocean-based activity while emphasising improved human well-being, social justice and equity, ensuring conservation of natural resources and ecological sustainability....