BBNJ Agreement Now a Legally Binding Agreement: Enforcement Effective January 17, 2026
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty, formally known as the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, has officially been ratified! On September 19, 2025, the BBNJ Treaty, also referred to as the High Seas Treaty, surpassed the required sixty (60) state ratifications to become a legally binding treaty. United Nations Secretary-General of António Guterres welcomed the historic achievement and remarked, “As we confront the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, this agreement is a lifeline for the ocean and humanity.” What this...
Emerging Skillsets and Career Paths in Marine Science in Support of the Blue Economy
The blue economy, which refers to the traditional sectors of fisheries, coastal tourism and shipping, is rapidly expanding to include emerging industries such as marine aquaculture, sustainable renewable ocean energy and marine biotechnology (medicine, cosmetics and marine agro-products). According to a recent OECD Ocean Economic outlook, the blue economy is forecast to generate as much as US 3trillion dollars by 2030. What does this mean for our current workforce in Trinidad and Tobago...
Submersible Drones are Crucial for Marine Research
Submersible drones, also referred to as Unmanned Underwater Vehicles or UUVs are significant to marine scientific research and environmental monitoring. These sophisticated devices can greatly contribute to fisheries management, ecosystem-based management and water quality management. Reliance on submersible drones significantly reduces risk to research divers who would have had to go to great depths to collect data. Additionally, these devices provide extended range and duration, operating for hours or days collecting continuous high-resolution data. Benefits of submersible drones for marine scientific research Accessing extreme depths, drones can reach inaccessible underwater regions such as abyssal plains and hydrothermal vents, where no human can dare to go; Equipped with...
Republic Bank and IMA Partner to Launch Blue Technologies Awareness Project to Advance the Blue Economy
On 30 September 2025, Republic Bank Limited (RBL), through its Power-to-Make-A-Difference Initiative, partnered with the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) in finalising a significant partnership marked by a ceremonial signing of the Blue Technologies Awareness Project. The ceremonial signing highlighted a high-level seminar themed, ‘Ocean-Based Climate Action in Support of Blue Economy Advancement in Trinidad and Tobago and the Wider Caribbean Region – 2025’, which was held at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, Mount Hope. The Blue Technologies Awareness Project theme, ‘Empowering the Blue Economy with Smart Technologies’, aims to expose the national community to the integral role of smart technologies in...
Increased sightings of Waterspouts – is there a link to climate change?
We are noticing increased sightings of waterspouts in Trinidad and Tobago. Within the past forty days, there have been reports supplemented with video evidence of three waterspouts recorded – two in Trinidad and one in Tobago. A mini tornado that ripped through a section of Westmoorings, Trinidad, migrated in-shore to form a waterspout. This was followed two days later by another waterspout spotted off the coast of Lambeau, Tobago on Thursday 9th October 2025. On Sunday 11th September 2025, at 1:30 PM, a pair of waterspouts were spotted east of Manzanilla coast, possibly formed from a weak line of showers that weakened as it approached land. While...
ICC 2025: Together We Cleared Over 3,700 Pounds of Garbage at Foreshore Lookout
On Saturday 20th September, the Foreshore Lookout along the Audrey Jeffers Highway, Port of Spain, came alive with action as leaders, partners and volunteers, united for the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) 2025. The Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development (MPEAD), through PROMAR, the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), the Environmental Policy & Planning Division (EPPD), and the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), in collaboration with the Caribbean Network for Integrated Rural Development (CNIRD) and partners, came together for this global movement to protect our oceans. Senator Dr. The Honourable Kennedy Swaratsingh, Minister of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development, and Dr. Ava Maxam, Director of the Institute of Marine Affairs, lent...
Caribbean Seminar Charts Ocean-Based Climate Action
On 30 September 2025, the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business in Mount Hope became the centre of regional collaboration and forward-thinking innovation. Experts from across the Caribbean and Latin America gathered for a one-day high-level seminar titled “Ocean-based Climate Action in Support of Blue Economy Advancement in Trinidad and Tobago and the Wider Caribbean Region - 2025.” The seminar, hosted by the Institute of Marine Affairs in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, subregional headquarters for the Caribbean (ECLAC), explored pathways to strengthen climate resilience, drive economic diversification, and sustainably harness...
Blue Carbon Market – a solution to TT’s Export Tax?
Can Blue Carbon MRV be a Solution to the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) On August 21, 2025 the British High Commission in Port of Spain launched its report titled, “The UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: Implications for Trinidad and Tobago”, in collaboration with The University of the West Indies, St Augustine. A panel discussion followed bringing together representatives from the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, civil society, private sector, and academia to explore and discuss the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and its potential impact on Trinidad and Tobago. Mangrove trees with prop roots or stilt roots that appear as...