Our Mangrove Forests: Protecting our islands, providing foods and livelihood opportunities
Prepared by Rahanna Juman, Director (Ag) / Wetland Ecologist On July 26, 2026, we will join the rest of the world in observance of International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. This day, declared in 2015 by the General Conference of UNESCO, is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem" and promote solutions for their sustainable management, conservation and uses. Do we know how blessed we are to have mangrove forests on our islands? Mangrove forests are one of the world’s most productive ecosystems in the tropic and sub-tropics as they enrich coastal waters and...
Grande Riviere Beach Shifting – A dynamic coastline that requires coastal zone planning
By: Christopher Alexis and Isabelle Chen Grande Riviere Beach is located on the scenic north coast of Trinidad and gets its name from the large river that empties into the Caribbean Sea at the eastern end of the beach. It spans approximately 1.2 km in length and is curved with varying beach widths (Figure 1). This Beach provides an important habitat for marine and coastal wildlife. It is one of the most important nesting sites for the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), which has been declared vulnerable on a global scale by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and World Wildlife Fund...