Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - February 2020

Caribbean Eco-News
OECS Joins Global Green Growth Institute
In November 2019, the Organisation of Eastern
Caribbean States became the 34th Member of the
Global Green Growth Institute. The OECS (Antigua &
Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St Kitts &
Nevis, St. Lucia and St Vincent & the Grenadines,
with the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Martinique
and Guadeloupe as associate members) is the first
regional integration organisation to become a member
of GGGI.
The GGGI is a treaty-based international, intergovernmental
organisation dedicated to supporting
and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth in developing countries and
emerging economies. It has operations in over 30
developing countries.
The threats of climate change have severely affected
Caribbean states with rising sea levels, food insecurity
due to lower yields in agricultural production, and
strengthened weather systems such as hurricanes.
The combined work of the OECS Commission and
GGGI helps to identify and develop projects that support
countries with the adoption of green growth policies,
gaining access to climate finance and promoting
sustainability in the region, particularly in the areas
of renewable energy and sustainable transportation.
The OECS and GGGI have worked jointly to review
insurance mechanisms for solar photovoltaic installations,
and to investigate incorporating standards for
rooftop solar photovoltaic installations into the OECS
building code.
Visit www.gggi.org for more information.
Trinidad’s Toco Reef Demonstrates Resilience
As reported by Stephon Nicholas on January 3rd at
https://newsday.co.tt, Toco’s patchy coral reefs,
extending from Grande L’Anse to Salybia Bay in
Trinidad, demonstrate the persistence of reef communities
in marginal environmental conditions.
While the coral reefs of neighboring Tobago thrive in
relatively calm and clear waters that are conducive
to coral reef development, the marine conditions
around Toco are turbulent, turbid and flushed by
nutrient-rich Orinoco River waters. Nevertheless, in
these extreme conditions there is evidence of historical
reef development and a persistent reef community.
To scientists, these marginal environments give
insight into coral survival in sub-optimal or even
challenging conditions.
These environments are a treasure trove for scientists
who are interested in the adaptation of traits
and even evolutionary changes of coral reef communities.
This emerging type of research on coral reefs
is invaluable, especially as humans continue to compromise
the conditions of once-thriving ecosystems
as we alter coastal environments and contribute to
climate change. Persistence in extreme environments
over time may result in genetic adaptation, which
may lead to the evolution of coral species with newly
specialized traits that may no longer consider the
environment marginal.
Dr. Stanton Belford of Trinidad’s Martin Methodist
College, in collaboration with the late Dr. Dawn Phillip
from the University of the West Indies, found that the
coral reefs of Toco consisted of a subset of Caribbean
coral species, including finger corals (Porites porites)
and encrusting corals, such as the starlet coral
(Siderastrea radians) and fire coral (Millepora alcicornis),
with rare occurrences of other reef-building
coral species. These corals are capable of surviving
exposed environments because they have fast growth
and reproductive rates. The corals contribute to a reef
capable of providing homes to over 200 marine species,
including crustaceans, sponges, sea urchins, soft
coral, algae and fish.
Read the full story at https://newsday.co.
tt/2020/01/02/protect-toco-reefs-too.
Bonaire Coral Nurseries Raise More Species
As reported by Mark Evans on January 10th at www.
scubadivermag.com, the Reef Renewal Foundation
Bonaire has started growing three species of boulder
corals in its nurseries. These species are among the
most common reef-builders that make up Bonaire’s
reefs – lobed star coral (Orbicella annularis), mountainous
star coral (Orbicella faveolata), and great star coral
(Montastraea cavernosa).
Since 2013, RRFB has primarily focused its restoration
work on two branching coral species — elkhorn
(Acropora palmata) and staghorn (Acropora cervicornis)
— as these corals have experienced a drastic decline in
population since the 1970s. However, over the last
decade, in Bonaire as well as throughout the greater
Caribbean region, other coral species, including large
reef-building coral species like boulder corals, have
experienced a significant loss in cover and abundance
on coral reefs.
After recent developments in Florida led to breakthrough
methods of propagating boulder corals via
fragmentation, RRFB incorporated these techniques to
expand its restoration effort with a focus on the importance
of species diversity. Using a modified coral tree
nursery, RRFB has populated the four trees with 300
coral fragments. These fragments came from a few
initial parent colonies that were collected by RRFB
staff, under the supervision of the Bonaire National
Marine Park, from four dive sites around Bonaire and
Klein Bonaire.
“These new species are a key part to our broader,
more inclusive reef restoration approach. Through the
addition of these species to our restoration program,
we will be better suited to accelerate the recovery of
damaged reefs by increasing the diversity and complexity
of coral communities,” said Francesca Virdis,
Project Coordinator.
Over the coming years, Reef Renewal Bonaire will
continue growing and propagating these boulder corals
in their coral nursery. The goal is to scale up production
until they can produce thousands of fragments
a year. These fragments will be outplanted back
onto the reefs at new and existing restoration sites
around Bonaire as a part of the ongoing coral restoration
effort.
Read the full story at www.scubadiverdestinations.
com/news/reef-renewal-foundation-bonaire-a-boulderapproach-to-reef-restoration.
Loggerhead Released in Grenada
Darryl Brathwaite reports: A Carriacou fishing vessel
arrived in Grenada in mid-December with a live loggerhead
turtle (Caretta caretta) on board. All loggerhead
turtle populations are listed as endangered or
threatened. Dario Sandrini of YWF KIDO Foundation
in Carriacou has been campaigning for years among
the fishermen to release the turtles for free. The fishermen
quickly agreed to give us the turtle, which we
brought to Grand Anse beach where personnel from
Native Spirit Scuba and the Grenada National Trust
examined it for injuries and tracking tags before
releasing it into the sea. Many local people and visitors
enjoying a day at the beach observed the loggerhead
returning to the water. The event highlighted the destination
as “Pure Grenada” — environmentally conscious
and protecting our natural assets.
Editor’s note: Congratulations to the fishermen who
relinquished their catch and those who released the
turtle! Turtle researchers warn that paying fishermen for
live turtles can cause more fishers to catch sea turtles,
thinking that they can make quick money from sales for
release. See “Sea Turtles for Ransom” by Emma Doyle
on page 41 at www.caribbeancompass.com/online/
april19compass_online.pdf.
SVG Bans More Single-Use Plastics
By the end of January 2021, St. Vincent & the
Grenadines will have banned the importation, distribution
and sale of single-use plastic shopping bags
and certain plastic food containers. The ban on importation
of disposable plastic shopping bags is set to
take place next month, and the distribution and sale
of disposable plastic shopping bags will be prohibited
from August. The ban on certain disposable plastic
food service containers will begin next January.
The timeline is intended to allow importers to complete
existing contracts, to provide local suppliers time
to exhaust existing stocks, to afford local manufacturers
the opportunity to retool to produce environmentally
friendly alternatives, and to sensitize the public
about the changes. Some plastic bags, such as those
used to sell bread, fish, plant seedlings and medicinal
products, will continue to be allowed.
Minister of Health and the Environment Luke
Browne said, “We will revisit these regulations with
a view to further restricting types of disposable
plastic products,” adding that disposable beverage
bottles and their plastic caps were the largest
remaining challenge.
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