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Spring
2019
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Volume 8| Issue 2
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In this issue
-News Highlight-
-Feature Stories-
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Save the Date
The event in San Juan will be held August 19-20, 2019. The location will be announced at a later date.
The event in St. Croix will be held August 22-23, 2019. The location will be Great Hall, UVI.
Day 1 themes will be Applying Concepts of Engineering with Nature and Green Infrastructure with presentations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, City of Miami Beach, and Horsley Witten Group about regulatory considerations and engineering with nature and green infrastructure in coastal environments, and examples of engineering with nature and green infrastructure projects by professionals from the University of the West Indies, University of Puerto Rico, University of the Virgin Islands, Horsley Witten Group, and Catholic University.
Day 2 themes will be Reinsurance and Adaptation Planning with presentations from the City of Miami Beach, Willis Towers Watson, FEMA, and The Nature Conservancy.
For more information please contact [email protected] (
Chair, NOAA in the Caribbean) or [email protected]
(Vice-Chair, NOAA in the Caribbean).
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Feature Stories
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RDML Gallaudet Visits Puerto Rico
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NOAA Completes First Full Round of Socioeconomic Monitoring with Publication of US Virgin Islands Summary Findings
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(Summary findings for USVI, 2017) |
The Socioeconomic Component of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) gathers and monitors a collection of socioeconomic data in seven U.S. coral jurisdictions. The team recently released their latest report, the last of their first full round of data collection. This report outlines human dimensions information relevant to coral reef resources in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with survey results representative of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.
Household surveys from February to April of 2017 revealed that USVI residents generally support a range of potential marine management policies and regulations (such as size limits for harvesting fish, increased enforcement of wastewater and stormwater regulations, and more restrictions on construction practices), and are mostly aware of the various threats faced by coral reefs (such as hurricanes, pollution, and coastal development). Surveys also revealed that 79% of USVI residents participate in swimming, while 17% of residents participate in SCUBA diving and 45% of residents participate in snorkeling. Additionally, just over 40% of residents indicated that they participate in fishing or gathering of marine resources. When examining residents' perception of the condition of marine resources, marine debris/trash is perceived to be the most impaired, with 36% of residents indicating that the current condition is "bad." Residents of different islands differ in their perceptions of marine resource condition: On average, residents of St. John have a more positive perception of marine resource condition when compared to residents of St. Thomas.
These findings represent the baseline assessment for future socioeconomic monitoring of USVI's coral reefs, and they will feed into composite indicators that will detail the status of USVI's coral reef adjacent communities in relation to the other US coral reef jurisdictions. As this marks the completion of the first full monitoring cycle, surveys will now be repeated in each US coral reef jurisdiction over the next five to seven years.
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NOAA Hurricane Preparedness Workshop
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(Image from the workshop) |
With the official hurricane season nearing, a preparedness workshop sponsored by the NOAA Disaster Response Center was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, April 23-25, 2019. The theme was "Learning from the Past and Moving Forward: Response Challenges from Severe Weather or Tsunamis to Shared Trust Resources and Mission Responsibilities." Participating were a wide cross-section of emergency planners, responders, academics, and others. On the last day, scenarios were played out in a seminar-styled exercise format to give participants a realistic understanding of severe weather threats and just how little time you have to react if there is a tsunami warning.
For additional information, please contact Charlie Henry, Director of NOAA's Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center at [email protected].
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Development of the GPML-Caribe Marine Litter Strategic Plan
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The Global Partnership of Marine Litter (GPML)
is a multi-stakeholder partnership that provides a unique mechanism to bring together all actors working on marine litter to share knowledge and experience and to advance solutions to this global issue.
Strategic Planning Workshop
Marine Litter experts from the wider Caribbean region gathered in Miami, Florida from March 26 - 28, 2019 to develop a strategic approach for marine litter management in the wider Caribbean region. This workshop was supported by the Canadian Government's Environment and Climate Change Division and organized by the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) and the UN Caribbean Environment Programme as Secretariat to the Cartagena Convention (CEP). Participants included representatives from government agencies including NOAA, civil society organizations, private sector and regional institutions in the Caribbean region as well as others who are engaged in marine litter-related governance, monitoring and awareness-raising programs. This workshop also built on the findings of the Regional Experts Workshop on Harmonised Marine Litter Monitoring Programmes held in Miami in October 2018. This GPML-Caribe Marine Litter Management Strategy will support the continued implementation of the Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter Management in the Wider Caribbean Region (RAPMaLi).Contact Bob Glazer [email protected] for more info.
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Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
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Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) is an infectious, lethal waterborne coral disease first reported in Florida in 2014. More than 20 coral species are susceptible to SCTLD, including many critical reef-building species as well as the ESA-listed
Dendrogyra cylindrus, Orbicella annularis, Orbicella faveolata, Orbicella franksii,
and
Mycetophyllia ferox
, with coral whole colony mortality rates greater than 66% overall and as high as 99% in some species. Rapid tissue loss in very short time frames is a highly alarming characteristic of SCTLD. For example, a 1m diameter
Colpophylia natans
can escalate from the first sign of infection to total mortality in 3 weeks. Since its spread throughout the Florida Reef Tract, the first observation of SCTLD in the Caribbean was reported in Jamaica in 2018, followed by the Yucatán Peninsula, St. Maarten, US Virgin Islands (USVI), and, most recently, Dominican Republic. Due to the timeline and geographic location of disease spread, the natural hydrology and oceanography of the Atlantic-Caribbean system is not likely the driving factor for the observed spatial distribution. It is suspected that disease-carrying ballast water offloaded at major port areas is a vector for disease spread to new outbreak locations in the Caribbean. During the last week in April 2019, local and federal partners in the USVI participated in a learning exchange with disease response teams and resources managers in Florida to discuss lessons learned, data management, future research and public awareness, and to get hands on experience with intervention practices that combat disease spread.
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Sea Grant and ASLO Bring Helping Hands to Puerto Rico
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(Restoration and cleaning of corals in Reserva Marina Tres Palmas, Puerto Rico. Credit: Efra Figueroa/ Puerto Rico Sea Grant |
Scientists from 52 countries provided hands-on help in Puerto Rico to restore marine coastal resources damaged during hurricane Maria in 2017 in connection with the annual meeting of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography February 23 to March 2, 2019.
"The Puerto Rico and Minnesota Sea Grant programs are working together with Puerto Rico-based members of the ASLO meeting committee to offer educational activities and volunteer opportunities that focus on environmental and ecosystem restoration," said Puerto Rico Sea Grant Director and ASLO committee member Ruperto Chaparro Serrano. "Our intention is to use ASLO's annual scientific meeting as a means to give strong material and intellectual assistance in coastal recovery to Puerto Rico."
Scientists and meeting participants helped local organizations in their post-hurricane efforts by recovering coral reef fragments and reattaching them, collecting water samples and aquatic insects to assess water quality, cleaning up coral reefs and mangrove keys, painting houses and planting bananas, beans and cassava at a local farm. For more info contact Kelly Samek [email protected]
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Status of Island Based Fishery Management Plans for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands
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The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) has been working on the development of Fisheries Management Plans for each one of the islands under US jurisdiction since 2012. The management of the fisheries resources since the 70's has been based on the species caught in all the areas in the US Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The fishers of these areas stated that even though the species are the same, the culture and fishing practices of the fishing communities are very different from island to island. Taking this fact into consideration, the CFMC decided in December 2011 to approach the fishery management plans from an ecosystem management perspective and to develop separate plans for Puerto Rico, St. Thomas-St. John, and St. Croix. During numerous meetings, public hearings, and personal communications with the fishers and other stakeholders involved in the fishing industry, the CFMC collected the information needed for the development of the new plans. District Advisory Panels (DAPs) for each island were created, which have been essential in identifying the species to be managed, their habitats, and the impacts of the fishing practices used in each area. The new plans integrate the fishers as part of the fisheries ecosystem, which is paramount to the success of the new strategy.
(Partial view of attendants for the 165th CFMC Regular Meeting where the IBFMPs were discussed.)
At the 165
th
CFMC Regular Meeting (April 23-24, 2019), the Island-Based Fishery Management Plans (IBFMPs) for Puerto Rico, St. Thomas-St. John, and St. Croix were approved. These will be submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce for approval in 2019.
Parallel to the development of the IBFMPs, the Council, in collaboration with the DAPs, is developing a Fishery Ecosystem Plan (FEP) that will contain the most recent information on the status of the fishery ecosystem of each island. Once approved, it will be the main source of information for ensuring FMPs are relevant and up-to-date. Contact Alida Ortiz at [email protected]
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2019 Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour (CHAT)
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The 53
rd
Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the "Hurricane Hunters," came to Puerto Rico for the 2019 Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour (CHAT) on April 13,2019. They came in their WC-103J Hercules aircraft and were also joined by NOAA's Orion P-3 aircraft, which had not participated in this event since 1998. The National Weather Service, local emergency management agencies, several media outlets, families of the participants, and guests of all ages were present at this event, the purpose of which was to raise awareness of the potential impacts of tropical cyclones. This year the event took place at the Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla, PR and attracted around 18,000 visitors.
Visitors were invited to explore equipment inside the WC-103J aircraft and learn about the logistics in terms of the roles and duties of the squadron members during the different flight missions. The public had the opportunity to explore and interact with the squadron and personnel while learning about the details of the flight missions and the impacts and dangers of the tropical cyclones. The NOAA P-3 crew also explained their mission, procedures, protocols, and responsibilities during both the off-season and the tropical cyclone/hurricane season.
Some of the WFO San Juan and the National Hurricane Center staff was on-site and interacted extensively with the public. Also, local emergency agencies actively participated in this event, such as the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Agency (PREMA) and the Port Authority Emergency Management Office. The Puerto Rico Police Department's Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción (FURA; United Rapid Action Forces) aircraft crew also demonstrated their roles and duties in emergency situations induring the tour. As is always the case in these types of events, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) participated with local staff members giving an orientation about their mission. The major media outlets were present with information booths, constant live reports, and interviews throughout the event. Contact Ernesto Morales at
[email protected]
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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.
NOAA Marine Debris Program set to develop a USVI Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) is working to develop a USVI Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide. The purpose of the guide will be to improve preparedness for response and recovery operations following an acute waterway debris incident in the USVI. The term acute waterway debris incident is used to describe an incident-either natural or anthropogenic-that results in the release of large amounts of waterway debris.
The USVI Emergency Response Guide will outline existing response structures at the local and federal levels to facilitate a coordinated, well-managed, and immediate response to waterway debris incidents impacting coastal areas in USVI. It highlights individual organizations' roles and responsibilities and includes an overview of permitting and compliance requirements that must be met before waterway debris removal work begins.
The NOAA MDP plans on hosting an in-person workshop in St. Thomas later this summer to help develop this guide. Please keep an eye out for the save -the- date.
New Digital Coast Lidar for Puerto Rico.
2015 - 2017 USGS Lidar: Puerto Rico
National Academies Report on Coral Reef Interventions.
NOAA is pleased to highlight a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled
A Decision Framework for Interventions to Increase the Resilience of Coral Reefs.
NOAA commissioned the study to help focus research and manage coral recovery efforts in response to the urgent threats corals face today.
Call for pre-proposals.
The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act established a fund (known as the S-K fund) used by the Secretary of Commerce to provide grants or cooperative agreements for fisheries research and development projects addressing aspects of U.S. fisheries, including, but not limited to, harvesting, processing, marketing, and associated business infrastructures (see section IV, F; Funding Restrictions). Under this authority, grants and cooperative agreements are made on a competitive basis (subject to availability of funding) to assist in carrying out projects to expand domestic and foreign markets related to U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries. The term "fisheries" encompasses wild capture, marine aquaculture and recreational fishing. The objective of the S-K Research Program is to address the needs of the fisheries and fishing communities in optimizing economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries and practices, dealing with the impacts of conservation and management measures, and increasing other opportunities to use existing infrastructure to support keeping working waterfronts viable. U.S. fisheries include any fishery, commercial or recreational, that is, or may be, engaged in by citizens or nationals of the United States or other eligible applicants. Proposals submitted to this competition must address at least one of the following priorities: Promotion, Development, and Marketing; Science or Technology that Promotes Sustainable U.S. Seafood Production and Harvesting. This Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) includes information on application and criteria for research proposals requesting a maximum of $300,000 in Federal funding for up to a two-year period. Matching funds are not required, nor will they be considered during the evaluation process. Awards are anticipated to start no earlier than September 1, 2020.
Dates: Pre-proposals must be received at
http://www.Grants.gov
under the competition link named "PRE PROPOSALS FY20 Saltonstall-Kennedy", postmarked, or provided to a delivery service by 11:59 pm, Eastern Time, July 30, 2019, 60 days after the posting date of the Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO). Use of Grants.gov is preferred.
Eligible Applicants
1. You are a citizen or national of the United States;
2. You represent an entity that is a corporation, partnership, association, or other non-Federal entity, non-profit or otherwise (including Indian tribes), if such entity is a citizen of the United States within the meaning of section 2 of the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended (46 U.S.C. app. 802)
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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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