Times of the Islands Summer 2023

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green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources Protecting, Preserving, and Restoring the Coral Reefs of the TCI Come visit our Coral Growing Facility and get your TCRF merchandise! Located at South Bank Marina. We are open 1-5pm Monday - Friday Rashguards, Stickers, BCD tags and more! All proceeds go to our environmental projects in TCI. Firstly, work has been completed to understand the current “health” of coral reefs, seagrass, and sand habitats, and to identify which areas may be particularly vulnerable to increasing pressure from human activities and climate change. This information is useful now, but it is equally important to understand how the situation may change as time progresses. Checking and monitoring every species, area, and habitat across the waters of the TCI is costly and expensive, but researchers can instead focus on specific elements that act as indicators to understand changes to the health of the environment. The second tool being developed are marine indicators reflecting key aspects of these environments, such as the extent of seagrass areas. Incorporating indicators into environmental management is important for informing management decisions, evaluating the impact of decisions, and tracking progress towards objectives. The third aspect of this project researched and catalogued information about the benefits provided by key habitats and species, and mapped where these benefits are likely being delivered. Understanding which places are most important for different benefits helps TCI make informed decisions about sustainably managing marine areas and reduces the risk of these valuable benefits being overexploited in the future. For example, it was found that the seagrass beds are important for the storage of carbon, and for protection against erosion and flooding. They also provide critical habitats for juvenile grouper fish, supporting populations to the benefit of divers, fishers, and restaurant patrons into the future. These techniques are only useful if they are used in the long term to monitor the coastline and oceans. To support the work that has already been done, a series of events to share knowledge on these tools and techniques will take place in June, 2023. The event will bring together marine resource managers and other key stakeholders from across TCI to explore how to apply and expand these techniques to inform management decisions. However, the findings of this project remain relevant to the entire community of the Turks & Caicos through safeguarding the environment that provides livelihoods, nutrition, and enjoyment to all. a For more information, please visit the project website: https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/turks-caicos-islands-marine-coastal-management/. 36 www.timespub.tc
green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources SHUTTERSTOCK A red snapping shrimp (Alpheus armatus) lives inside its corkscrew anemone (Bartholomea annulata) “host.” Finding A(Nemo)ne: The fascinating relationship between red snapping shrimp and corkscrew anemones. By Charlotte Kratovil-Lavelle (Dickinson College) and Clara Masseau (University of Colorado) ~ Edited by C.E. O’Brien, Ph.D. (The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos, Turks & Caicos Islands) Courtesy of Disney’s Finding Nemo (2003), many of us are familiar with the way clownfish make their homes in sea anemones, having adapted to the anemone’s sting. What is relatively less known among the general public is the relationship between the red snapping shrimp (Alpheus armatus) and the corkscrew anemone (Bartholomea annulata). Native to the Western Atlantic, these species have been found to coexist in a way that benefits both, a relationship known as obligatory mutualism. Times of the Islands Summer 2023 37
Page 1 and 2: TIMES OF THE SAMPLING THE SOUL OF T
Page 4 and 5: contents Departments 6 From the Edi
Page 6 and 7: from the editor MARTA MORTON—WWW.
Page 9 and 10: Everything’s Included For Everyon
Page 11: Building Your Vision, Delivering Ex
Page 18 and 19: TIMES OF THE ISLANDS MANAGING EDITO
Page 20 and 21: South Caicos, if you haven’t been
Page 22 and 23: MARTA MORTON—WWW.HARBOURCLUBVILLA
Page 24 and 25: Seasonal predictions are influenced
Page 26 and 27: SHUTTERSTOCK
Page 28 and 29: KELLY CURRINGTON Spiny lobster are
Page 30 and 31: making a difference ATTIMI PHOTOGRA
Page 32 and 33: LEMENS WELCH—CAYA HICO MEDIA This
Page 34 and 35: green pages newsletter of the depar
Page 38 and 39: This relationship is, of course, no
Page 44 and 45: SHUTTERSTOCK
Page 46 and 47: Some think the perfect dive vacatio
Page 48 and 49: SHUTTERSTOCK ©AQUA TCI—WWW.AQUAT
Page 50 and 51: FLAMINGO DIVERS—WWW.FLAMINGODIVER
Page 53 and 54: new development Opposite page: Niv
Page 55 and 56: Nivå villas 1 through 5 offer over
Page 57 and 58: Above: Outdoor pools and fire pits
Page 59 and 60: food for thought Opposite page: Ind
Page 61 and 62: CHRISTINE MORDEN—PARADISE PHOTOGR
Page 63 and 64: SHUTTERSTOCK Graceway Gourmet offer
Page 65 and 66: astrolabe newsletter of the Turks &
Page 77 and 78: Time zone Eastern Standard Time (ES
Page 79 and 80: imaging, maternity suites, dialysis
Page 81 and 82: Other land-based activities include
Page 83 and 84: WE ARE LEADING THE WAY TO A CLEANER

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