Times of the Islands Spring 2024

green pages newsletter of the department of environment & coastal resources
This drone shot illustrates another iconic species that utilizes the RAMSAR site—the West Indian Flamingo.
CHRISTOPHER MAY
The Darwin Plus Project 129, entitled “Understanding
Ramsar Wetland Dynamics for Marine Conservation
and Environmental Resilience,” is funded by the UK
Government under the Darwin Initiative, and aims to furnish
evidence showcasing the value of the Caicos Islands’
wetlands. It considers how these ecosystems contribute to
biodiversity, coastal protection, and natural capital, while
also evaluating the potential impact of future climates
on the wetlands. Led by Environment Systems Limited
(ESL) in the UK, this project uses satellite imagery indices
which are being developed to help establish a monitoring
framework and build capacity amongst technical and
scientific staff of the Department of Environment and
Coastal Resources (DECR).
The Turks & Caicos Islands’ wetlands in the Ramsar
Site constitute a rich tapestry of habitats, including coral
reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, salinas, blue
holes, and pine forests, spanning over 58,000 hectares.
The ecosystems form a series of interconnected and interdependent
networks which support biodiversity, carbon
storage, and hydrodynamics within the North, Middle,
and East Caicos Nature Reserve. The environments often
border one another and form intricate connections, especially
with regards to water movement and retention.
Many migratory species such as the Green Sea
Turtle (Chelonia mydas), the West Indian Whistling Duck
(Dendrocygna arborea), and the West Indian Flamingo
(Phoenicopterus ruber) traverse great distances to the isolated
and sheltered wetlands of the RAMSAR site, which
they heavily depend on for nesting and shelter. Five of
the eight endemic species of plants within the Turks &
Caicos, such as Caroline’s Rock Pink (Stenandrium carolinae),
Bahama Broombush (Evolvulus bahamensis),
and Bahama Hatpin Sedge (Eleocharis bahamensis) are
confirmed to have been found within the RAMSAR site’s
borders.
In addition to their biological and ecological significances,
these wetlands and other ecosystems are culturally
important, with local communities benefiting from both
an aesthetic standpoint as well as a gain of resources.
One such cultural event is the annual “Crabbin’” season,
which sees locals and visitors take part in the excited
gathering of Blue Land Crabs (Cardisoma guanhumi) as
the crabs emerge from their burrows at the start of the
rainy season. Iconographic flora such as the Turk’s Head
Cactus (Melocactus intortus), Caicos Pine (Pinus caribaea
var. bahamensis) give the Islands’ hillsides and low-land
forests their respective significant identities. The national
Times of the Islands Spring 2024 37