Curbing Biodiversity Loss
If I asked you to name all the living creatures you know, I am sure it would take you a couple minutes to come up with a list of several hundred, starting with your house plants, pets, to livestock and the things you may see every day like the trees in the green areas you regularly traverse. These all make up biodiversity. But, if I were to ask how many species make up the entire planet, then the answer gets more complicated. There is no definitive answer as to the exact number of species found on planet Earth. Even the best estimates vary significantly...
Japanese Ambassador, H.E. Dr. Akima Umezawa pays Courtesy Call on the IMA
Chaguaramas, Trinidad, April 25, 2025 – The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) welcomed His Excellency Dr. Akima Umezawa, Ambassador of the Embassy of Japan to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Institute’s Research Facility on Friday, April 25, 2025. Ambassador Dr. Umezawa, accompanied by Mr. Saga Atsushi, First Secretary and Ms. Danielle Mangray, Economic Cooperation and Programme Coordinator of the Embassy of Japan to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, paid a courtesy call on Dr. Ava Maxam, Director of the Institute of Marine Affairs on Friday 25th April 2025. Extending a warm welcome to His Excellency Dr. Akima Umezawa and his delegates,...
Dr. Rahanna Juman elected Vice Chair to the IOCARIBE Board
Dr. Rahanna Juman, Deputy Director of Research of the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and well-known Wetlands Ecologist, has been elected Vice Chair of the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) IOCARRIBE Board. Dr. Juman was elected to this position on April 25th, 2025, during the Eighteenth Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (SC-IOCARIBE-XVIII), held in Brazil from 23rd to the 25th of April, 2025. The IOCARIBE Board, which was established in November 1982, is the Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions under the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Operating within the framework of the General Policy of the IOC, the...
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease: An Imminent Threat to our Coral Reefs
Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is wreaking havoc on coral reefs in the Caribbean. First observed in Florida in 2014, SCTLD has since spread to 32 other countries in the region. The SCTLD pathogen is highly transmissible and is spread through water currents, direct contact with infected corals and ballast water from ships. It has been found that ports are often an early site of infection. SCTLD appears as lesions of dead tissue on the coral. As the infection spreads, these lesions get bigger as more tissue sloughs off of the coral. While other coral diseases exist, the high virulence of SCTLD results in...
Opening Young Minds to Marine Careers at St. Augustine Girls’ High School
The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) participated in a Career Day at St. Augustine Girls' High School (SAGHS) on April 7, 2025. Students were introduced to the diverse and exciting fields within marine environmental science. The Institute’s Information Officer, Ms. Ganaselal, provided information on the wide range of careers available in the field, while Research Officer, Ms. Jute, shared insights on and showcased fascinating specimens from the Institute's Marine Reference Collection. Research Officer, Ms Alana Jute engages students on marine careers at the St. Augustine Girls' High School. Photo credit: Ms Ganaselal. Engaging over 100 students, the Institute’s participation provided the students with the opportunity to not...
IMA Extends Condolences on the Passing of Mr. Mark Loquan
A recipient of the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT) and former President of the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC), Mr. Loquan championed environmental conservation, evident through his visionary leadership in successfully leading the NGC to collaborate with the IMA on a landmark project to rehabilitate mangrove forests in the Couva/Point Lisas area. A project, which to this day, continues unabated where both the collaborative partnership between the IMA and NGC has led to community engagement, a beach clean-up and ongoing community school awareness and outreach campaigns in an attempt to promote mangrove conservation. He was equally known for his...
Leading the Blue Carbon Revolution in T&T
Combatting climate change is at the top of Dr. Rahanna Juman’s agenda. The Deputy Director of Research Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) is the technical lead on piloting a Blue Carbon Credit Scheme for T&T. The collaborative project between the IMA and Inter-American Development Bank aims to design a high-quality blue carbon credit scheme to improve the digital mapping, monitoring, reporting, and verification of ecosystem services, promote management and ownership of natural capital, and create a practical opportunity for livelihoods enhancements and revenue generation. Marine ecosystems, particularly tidal marshes, seagrass beds, and mangroves forests, absorb (sequester) and store carbon within biomass and soils. Photo courtesy: Unsplash Commonly referred to...
Dr. Rahanna Juman Honoured as One of 30 Eminent Women for Environmental Leadership
Dr. Rahanna Juman, Deputy Director of Research, Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), was one of 30 eminent women honoured by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) during EMA’s 30th anniversary celebrations, and in acknowledgement of International Women’s Day, which is observed annually on the 8th March. In addition to her leadership role as Deputy Director of the Research at the IMA, Dr. Juman serves as Deputy Chair of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Inter-Ministerial Committee and as Chair of the National Sargassum Task Force, two significant Cabinet-appointed Committees, and is leading efforts to develop a Marine Spatial Plan for the Gulf of Paria. She...