Summer 2016
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Volume 5| Issue 1
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2016 NOAA in the Caribbean Partners Meeting
F
rom left to right: Jeff Payne, Director of NOAA's Office for Coastal Management; Antares Ramos, NOAA
Coral Management Liaison; Carmen
Guerrero Pérez, former PR DNER Secretary; and Bill O'Beirne, NOAA Southeast and Caribbean Region Lead and NOAA in the Caribbean Steering Committee Chair.
The third NOAA in the Caribbean Partners Meeting was held on May 9th to 11th, 2016, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The meeting brought together over 120 people from across the Caribbean to network, discuss recent activities in the region, and identify priority areas for future research and collaboration. Carmen Guerrero Pérez, former Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and current Director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Caribbean Division, gave the keynote address.
The meeting focused on two of NOAA in the Caribbean's three goal areas: 1) Enhanced Multi-Hazard Monitoring, Forecasting, and Risk Management; and 2) Improved Conservation and Management of Ocean and Coastal Ecosystems. The last day of the conference was spent discussing these goal areas in breakout groups, where participants identified priority topics for future research and collaboration. The identified priorities will help direct NOAA and partners' planning of future activities. In addition to the breakout discussions, NOAA staff and partners gave presentations and panel discussions, and full-day trainings were offered on grant writing and coastal community resilience. Finally, an evening poster session highlighted the research and programs of over 20 groups in the region. Meeting resources, including presentations, posters, and a final write-up of the breakout group activity, will be posted on the event website,
here.
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Feature Stories
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Are Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems Lifeboats for Shallow Reefs?
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An aggregation of Schoolmaster Snappers (Lutjanus apodus) at Bajo de Sico, Puerto Rico, observed at 50 m depth. Spawning aggregations of Schoolmaster Snappers in this area are known to consist of over 500 individuals (photo credit: Héctor Ruiz, HJR Reefscaping).
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On May 24, 2016, the United Nations Environment Programme released a new report on mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) during a coral reef media roundtable at the second session of the United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-2) in Nairobi, Kenya. The document, "Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems: A lifeboat for coral reefs?", was edited by GRID-Arendal and NOAA, and represents contributions from 35 scientists. MCEs are light-dependent reefs that exist between depths of 30-40 m, and up to 150 m in clear water. Shallow reefs, above 30-40 m, are likened to the tip of an iceberg; they are the more visible part of an extensive coral ecosystem, with MCEs at their base. MCEs are widespread and diverse; however, they remain largely unexplored. As a result, MCEs are often not considered in marine spatial planning. The report aims to raise awareness among policy makers and resource managers by providing an accessible summary of MCEs, including a discussion of the ecosystem services they provide, the threats they face, and gaps in our understanding. Specific MCEs in USVI and Puerto Rico are highlighted in the report. The report can be accessed online here, or for more information, contact [email protected].
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RAE Hosts Blue Carbon Workshop in Puerto Rico
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Restoration of mangrove forests at Jobos Bay NERR, which participants visited during the workshop.
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Restore America's Estuaries (RAE), along with Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, led a two-day workshop and field session focused on blue carbon conservation and restoration in Puerto Rico on July 13-14, 2016. The workshop included one day of presentations at the USDA International Institute of Tropical Forestry in San Juan, followed by a field trip to Jobos Bay NERR to see mangrove restoration and conservation efforts.
The workshop aimed to increase local knowledge of blue carbon concepts and market opportunities, and provided a forum for networking and sharing knowledge about Puerto Rican mangrove habitat threats and carbon storage potential. Thirty-eight participants attended, representing federal and local government, non-profit organizations, consulting firms, and academia. Discussion focused on science gaps and management applications in Puerto Rico, including the potential for blue carbon to be incorporated into a net carbon neutrality objective recently adopted by some local agencies, and the need to for long term monitoring, technology, and transfer of knowledge for monitoring and research to be performed by local agencies and organizations. Blue carbon was recognized as a useful tool to help improve Puerto Rico's resilience.
Coming out of the workshop, a local working group will be formed to continue discussions about barriers and opportunities for using blue carbon to drive habitat restoration and conservation in Puerto Rico, determine next steps, and identify new funding opportunities for collaboration. This workshop was the 8th in a series of blue carbon workshops taking place in the Gulf and Caribbean region to build capacity and momentum for blue carbon. Funding for the meeting was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Coastal Program, with support from NOAA, National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) Science Collaborative, EPA-National Estuary Program, and the Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative. For more information, please contact S
tefanie Simpson (
[email protected]
).
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VIMAS Engages Volunteers in Coastal Restoration
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Volunteers planting mangrove seedlings on Range Cay, St. Thomas, USVI.
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To celebrate the 2016 Earth Day theme of tree planting, the Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service (VIMAS), in collaboration with Coral World Ocean Park, facilitated a red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) planting project in St. Thomas, USVI. During the activity, red mangrove seedlings were planted in Range Cay, in an area where forestation activities have been ongoing. Approximately 25 volunteers from St. Thomas and St. John participated, planting seedlings and simultaneously learning about mangroves' role in providing habitat for juvenile fish, filtering water, and protecting shorelines from storm surges.
In addition to the Earth Day activity, VIMAS participates in the International Coastal Cleanup annually from mid-September to October. During this time, VIMAS volunteers assist with beach clean-ups and record the amount of trash collected. In 2015, volunteers from non-profit groups, governmental agencies, and schools participated, in total cleaning up over 3,000 pounds of waste across all three islands. VIMAS will use funds from NOAA's Marine Debris Prevention Through Education program to continue similar efforts in the future. These VIMAS initiatives are part of a continued effort to raise awareness within the Virgin Islands community about the importance of our natural resources. To learn more about VIMAS activities, contact Howard Forbes Jr. ([email protected]).
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NCRMP Studies Coastal Communities in Puerto Rico
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The National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) is an ongoing monitoring effort that tracks the health of US coral reefs, and the wellbeing of coastal communities dependent on those reefs. The socioeconomic component of NCRMP is administered every 5-7 years in each jurisdiction, and is supplemented with ongoing secondary data collection. In the Caribbean, the first round of monitoring surveys were administered in Puerto Rico in 2015, and 2,503 Puerto Rican residents provided responses to questions on topics such as participation in coral reef activities, perceptions of resource conditions, and support for management. The results indicate that there is widespread support for coral reef management in Puerto Rico. For example, over 90% of those surveyed support stricter control of pollution sources, increased law enforcement, and size and bag limits for certain fish species. Respondents also have a slightly above average familiarity with coral reef threats such as pollution and development, and they largely believe the condition of marine resources has worsened over the last decade. Furthermore, when asked about marine protected areas (MPAs), over 85% of respondents agree that there should be more MPAs in Puerto Rico. Finally, the study also found that swimming and beach recreation are the most commonly engaged in activities, with only 14% participating in fishing. More information about the study is available
here.
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Excerpt from an infographic made for the Puerto Rico Socioeconomic Component of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Plan (NCRMP).
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The first NCRMP socioeconomic survey for the US Virgin Islands is set to be administered in 2017 and will provide baseline data for the socioeconomic monitoring of communities adjacent to coral reefs in the USVI. This summer, the project team will be reaching out to territorial partners for input on the survey. For more information about this research, contact
Maria Dillard ([email protected]) or Peter Edwards ([email protected]).
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GCFI Hosts Caribbean-wide Training for Marine Protected Area Managers
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Last March, twenty-five staff members from
marine parks
across the Caribbean gathered in Cancun, Mexico for a workshop on improving communication and education skills. Participants came from all corners of the Caribbean, including Mexico, Belize, Honduras, the
Bahamas, the Turks & Caicos Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Bonaire, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. The meeting was organized by the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI), and hosted by Parque Nacional Costa Occidental de Isla Mujeres, Cancun y Punta Nizuc. The activity was made possible with support from NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, and with the participation of experts from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Sustainable Grenadines Inc., the Grenada Broadcasting Network, and STINAPA Bonaire.
The meeting focused on media, innovations, and communications strategies, and sought to enhance support for coral reef conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources. The participants identified priority areas for communications training, and the week's activities were tailored accordingly, including sharing best practices among all participants. The Junior Rangers of Bonaire National Marine Park in the Netherlands Caribbean were among the participants, on their first international exchange visit as guest speakers, and they offered suggestions on how to develop appealing programs for youth. Mrs. Celia Mahung of TIDE Belize explained that, "communicating effectively is essential in a job where we often have to tell a fisher that they can't fish in a certain place or at a certain time; we have to explain to a tourist why it costs money to visit a protected site; or justify why the ma
rine environment merits public funding. We are tasked with being spokespersons for the marine environment, but too often we learn through trial and error." She further commented that, "keeping pace with the how to involve young people in marine conservation is another challenge." For more information on the workshop, contact Emma Doyle ([email protected]).
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Park managers discussing communication and education strategies (photo credit: Paul Etienne, TIDE Belize). |
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CCMI Hosts NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program
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For the past three summers, the Central Caribbean
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REU students Mandy Camp (rear) and Abby Treadwell (front) collect reef transect data as part of their field experience at CCMI.
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Marine Institute (CCMI) on Little Cayman Island has hosted a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program to provide unique opportunities for exceptional rising senior undergraduates. The participating students design and conduct field research projects on topics related to coral reef and tropical island ecosystems, under the guidance of a professional mentor with expertise in the student's field of interest. Dr. Karsten Shein, a marine climatologist from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information has been an REU mentor for the past two years, working with students Mandy Camp (Stetson Uuniversity, Florida), and Melissa Jaffe (Knox College, Illinois) on connecting climate with coral morphologies and geographies to understand patterns of ecological resilience on the reefs of Little Cayman. Ms. Camp recently presented her work at both the Ocean Sciences meeting and at the International Coral Reef Symposium. CCMI has partnered with NOAA on a variety of projects, including CCMI's purchase and installation of a CREWS buoy in 2013 to replace a NOAA ICON pylon that had been monitoring conditions near the island since 2009. More information on the CCMI NSF REU can be found
here.
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NOAA Conducts
Larval Parrotfish Research in U.S. Virgin Islands
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In June 2016, scientists from NOAA's Southeast
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Larvae collected during the 2016 cruise included two genera of parrotfish, Sparisoma (top), and Scarus (bottom). Larvae are approximately 8 mm in length.
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Fisherie
s
Scienc
e Center (SEFSC) travele
d to the U.S. Virgin Islands aboard the NOAA ship Nancy Foster as part of th
e Coral Reef Ec
osystem Research (CRER) Cruise. Scientists collected plankton samples specifically targeting larval parrot
fish, which are not only commercially valuable species for local fishermen, but also herbivorous grazers that contribute to the health of coral reefs. Samples were collected via neuston and MOCNESS nets, both within and outside marine reserves in the area. Plankton samples were inspected live on board, and parrotfish larvae removed and preserved for later analysis, including DNA analysis for species-specific identification and isotope analyses. The cruise partnered with NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), the University of the Virgin Islands, and the USVI Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information on the CRER project, contact [email protected] (SEFSC) or [email protected] (AOML).
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Florida and Puerto Rico Sea Grant Build Partnerships to Manage Shared Gulf and Caribbean Fishery Resources
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Florida Sea Grant and Puerto Rico Sea Grant have partnered with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute to support a training program at the University of Florida for Caribbean-based fisheries professionals. Training topics include stock assessment, data analysis, geospatial technologies and fisheries policy and management. The program aims to promote greater collaboration, synergy and the sharing of knowledge among organizations that promote the sustainability of Gulf and Caribbean fishery and marine resources.
Successful candidates are matched with faculty members at the University of Florida whose expertise aligns with their professional interests. Mrs. Rosemarie Kishore, a senior fisheries biologist with the Institute of Marine Affairs in Trinidad and Tobago, is the 2016 program recipient. Mrs. Kishore will work with Dr. Debra Murie, a fish ecology and physiology specialist with the University of Florida's Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Department, on a project to improve growth modelling and otolith processing and imaging of Wahoo and Spanish mackerel. This training will increase Trinidad and Tobago's Institute of Marine Affairs' ability to collaborate regionally on efforts to assess stocks and manage these commercially important fish.
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Upcoming Events
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Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Meeting
November 7-11, 2016
T
he 69th GCFI meeting will be held in Grand Cayman, and will focus on practical, interdisciplinary, and ecosystem-based approaches to managing recreational fisheries and marine protected areas (MPAs). For more information, see the GCFI website,
here
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Announcements
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Jobs and Funding Opportunities. We regularly update the NOAA in the Caribbean website with new jobs and funding opportunities. Check out the current list
here.
Project completed: Characterizing Recreational Shore-based Fishers and Fishing on St. Croix
NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) recently completed a study of shore-based recreational fishing on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
The study characterized the community of shore-based, non-commercial fishers in terms of fishing patterns over space and time, as well as demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. More details about the study and the full report can be found here.
NOAA Fisheries Announcements
NOAA Fisheries Lists Nassau Grouper as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Effective July 29, 2016, Nassau grouper will be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to a decline in its population. More information is available on the NOAA Fisheries website,
here
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NMFS Funding Opportunities and Resources. Requests for Proposals for NMFS funding through Cooperative Research (CRP), Saltonstall-Kennedy (SK), and MARFIN programs are currently open (or will be soon). Please visit the Jobs and Funding Opportunities tab on the NOAACarib website for Federal Funding Opportunity details, as well as guiding documents on writing successful grant applications.
Pre-Proposals Now Being Accepted for the Saltonstall-Kennedy Grants Program. Approximately $10 million in funding is available for projects that address the needs of fishing communities, working waterfronts, and sustainable fisheries. A new focus area for the 2017 round aims at improving the quality and quantity of fishery information from the U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. Solicitation for pre-proposals is open now through September 20, 2016. More info can be found here.
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NOAA in the Caribbean Newsletter
Please e-mail us at [email protected] to subscribe or unsubscribe to the newsletter or to submit any questions, comments, story ideas, artwork or photographs.
NOAA in the Caribbean Newsletter is produced by the NOAA in the Caribbean Steering Committee, including support from NOAA's Office of International Affairs,
Southeast And Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team, Office for Coastal Management, National Marine Fisheries Service SE Regional Office, Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
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