Caribbean Compass Sailing Magazine

— Continued from previous page
Sea Turtle Surveyors Taught in Antigua
As reported at www.caribbeantimes.com, after a
week on the water and with the expert assistance of
two marine biologists of Sea Turtle Conservation
Bonaire, ten volunteers have now been trained in
methods for surveying turtle populations in their
marine habitats around Antigua & Barbuda. The first
survey of sea turtles within the Cades Bay Marine
Reserve on the southwest coast of Antigua was also
conducted. The effort was a collaboration of the
Antigua Sea Turtle Project (ASTP) of the Environmental
Awareness Group and the Jumby Bay Hawksbill
Project, who have been working to expand their
research program from studying turtles on nesting
beaches on Antigua and Long Island, to include studies
of turtles in key marine habitats. Thanks to the
Sandals Foundation, the first steps have been made
towards the development of an ongoing in-water monitoring
program on Antigua’s endangered sea turtles.
The surveys identified a number of endangered green
and hawksbill sea turtles at various life stages from
juvenile to adult, using sea grass and coral reef habitats
within the Cades Bay Marine Reserve. Turtle mating
was also observed in the area.
The training course involved extensive practice in
snorkel survey techniques, turtle spotting, capture,
and recording of essential data on size, health, identification
of individuals, and mapping locations of sea
turtle sightings and habitats. Turtles were tagged and
safely released to the same area of initial capture. All
work was done with the permission of the Fisheries
Division of Antigua & Barbuda, and under strict
adherence to best practices and protocols for the
safety of the animals. The Coordinator of the ASTP,
Mykl Clovis Fuller, noted that “in general handling of
turtles is strictly prohibited, so all our researchers are
trained in specific handling methods for the purpose of
the study, and every effort is made to minimize stress
to the animals and return them to the water as quickly
as possible.”
The public is encouraged to report sightings of nesting
turtles, fresh turtle tracks, or hatchings on beaches
around the island to the ASTP hotline at (268) 720-
6955. For more information contact the Antigua Sea
Turtle Project at abseaturtles@gmail.com.
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire Report
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) was founded
in the early 1990s to protect the island’s marine
turtle populations. Their current research and monitoring
efforts, which were standardized more than a
decade ago, include monitoring important nesting
beaches around Bonaire, conducting intensive inwater
netting and snorkel surveys (capture-markrecapture),
and tracking post-breeding turtle migration
using satellite telemetry. These techniques provide
us with a better understanding of Bonaire sea
turtles’ breeding success, abundance, health, residency
duration, habitat quality, growth rates, migratory
paths, distant feeding grounds, and threats.
The 2013 STCB Research & Monitoring Report is now
online. Download the full report at www.bonaireturtles.
org/explore/publications/files/STCB%202013%20
Annual%20Report.pdf.
Coral Reef Health Measured Across the Grenadines
Park rangers and wardens from Grenada and St.
Vincent & the Grenadines have taken part in joint
training on monitoring coral reef health. A team of
rangers and wardens then travelled to each other’s
parks to help complete underwater surveying work.
Organized by Sustainable Grenadines Inc., this was
the first Grenadines-wide fieldwork expedition by and
for members of the Grenadines Network of Marine
Protected Areas. Six rangers and wardens representing
the six marine protected areas took part in the expedition,
together with expert trainers.
“The participants spent the first four days in
Grenada where they learned how to survey fish, corals
and the sea bottom, using a well-recognized scientific
method to gather information,” explained Myles
Phillips, of Sustainable Grenadines Inc. “Following
the training, we established permanent monitoring
sites and did surveys in the six member marine protected
areas, from land and over the course of a fiveday
sailing expedition.”
The work covered Grenada’s Moliniere-Beausejour
Marine Protected Area, Woburn/Clarke’s Court Marine
Protected Area, and Sandy Island/Oyster Bed Marine
Protected Area, and in St. Vincent & the Grenadines,
Tobago Cays Marine Park, Mustique Marine Conservation
Area and the South Coast Marine Conservation Area.
Since 2011 these six sites have shared information and
collaborated to promote the conservation and sustainable
use of marine resources that are so important to
local communities and to local livelihoods. Now the
network is actively monitoring the health of coastal and
marine resources in the Grenadines.
“This is a milestone achievement for the marine protected
areas and can yield far-reaching benefits for the
effective management of these national reserves,” commented
Orisha Joseph, Programme and
Communications Officer of Sustainable Grenadines
Inc. “It has equipped the members of the Grenadines
Network of Marine Protected Areas with trained staff
who will be able to recognize and track changes on the
reefs as they occur.”
The next stage of the work is to analyze the findings,
compare them with past surveys and report back to
coastal managers, local fishers and communities.
Sustainable Grenadines Inc. will continue to work
with the marine protected areas and local communities
as they consider appropriate actions based on the
findings of the research.
The research was
made possible through
sponsorship from the
US National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation to
strengthen coral reef
management practices
on the Grenada Bank.
Scientific expertise was
provided by the Atlantic
and Gulf Rapid Reef
Assessment (AGRRA)
Program, an international
collaboration of
scientists and managers
aimed at determining
the regional condition
of reefs in the
Western Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico.
For more information
contact susgrenpm@
vincysurf.com.
Seabird
Tracking Map
Check out the
Caribbean seabird
tracking at http://
www.atlanticseabirds.
org/mafr-maps.
NOVEMBER 2014 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 21
Mini Mart
Laundry Service
Book Exchange
Sail Loft/Canvas Shop
Black Pearl Restaurant
Beach Bar & Restaurant
Taxi Service
Bathrooms / Showers
Charter Services
Free Open Wifi
Fuel Dock
Car Rental Service
24hrs security
A/C Power 110/220
Provisioning Services
Free Rum Punch for all arriving boats!
Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina
(Formerly Sunsail Marine Center)
Nestled in the quiet waters
of Blue Lagoon in Ratho Mill,
St. Vincent & the Grenadines
Tel: 1 784 458 4308 | VHF: 16 / 68
bluelagoon@k-group.vc
MARINA RATES:
Dockage per foot per day:
Monohull $0.77 Catamaran US$1.15
Gasoline and Diesel are available dockside
at the government regulated price
St. Vincent & the Grenadines