Tobago Coastal Ecosystems Mapping

Introduction . Scholarships for T&T citizens

	Contact Expedition Leader Sarah Collinson +1868 324 0678 or The Buccoo Reef Trust
	Monthly Project Updates Bi-Annual Project Reports
	CCC/ THA/ BRT Coral Reef Ecology Scholarships for citizens of Trinidad & Tobago Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) in association with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and the Buccoo Reef Trust (BRT) offers two scholarships every month, for the duration of the expedition, to citizens of T&T 18 years of age and over, to join the Tobago expedition. Successful applicants will undergo the same training in marine science, scuba diving and underwater survey as other CCC volunteers, free of charge. Interested? Click here.
	Project Partners
	• The Tobago House of Assembly • The Buccoo Reef Trust • Coral Cay Conservation • UNDP-GEF/SGP • YEAH (Youth for Environmental Awareness of Habitats)
	On June 26th, 2007, the Buccoo Reef Trust, the Tobago House of Assembly, the United Nations Development Program Global Environment Fund Small Grants Program and Coral Cay Conservation celebrated the launch of the Tobago Coastal Ecosystem Mapping Project at Arnos Vale Hotel in Tobago. This collaborative conservation effort involving local, regional and international partners, will have tangible benefits for the people of Tobago and will help secure a future for Caribbean coral reefs.

The Tobago Coastal Ecosystem Mapping Project (TCEMP) is a two year (2007-2009) collaborative effort to develop habitat maps of invertebrate, fish, algae, marine plant and coral diversity as well as human impacts and coral diseases on Tobago’s reefs. The program also provides training and conservation education opportunities for local Tobagonians. The project is a component of the Integrated Watershed and Coastal Area Management (IWCAM) project and will help ensure the long-term protection and sustainable use of Tobago’s precious coastal ecosystem.

Outputs

• Comprehensive GIS-based marine resource assessment database leading to recommendations to competent authorities regarding the sustainable use and management of Tobago's marine resources
• Continued monitoring of coral bleaching impact
• Increased awareness amongst stakeholders of marine resource use issues
• Increased capacity within country to undertake baseline monitoring of marine resources through the one-month Coral Cay Conservation Scholarship programme

CCC Tobago Volunteers learn to identify 269 different kinds of coral, fish and invertebrates! Interested in joining the Tobago expedition? See:

• About the Tobago Expedition
• General Joining Information
• CCC Home Page
• Project Reports

CCC Volunteers receive marine science, scuba and underwater survey training and participate in ReefCheck and Baseline Surveys of Tobago's reefs.

Below: Some of the CCC Staff at the beginning of the Tobago Expedition in April 2007

Below: CCC and schoolkids after an educational puppet show at a Tobago primary school

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The project is sponsored by the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Buccoo Reef Trust.