News
2008 . 2007
Dec 17, 2007 - New Study Warns Warmer, More Acidic Oceans Will Kill Coral Reefs.
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World Water Monitoring Day Nov 7, 2007 - BRT/IWCAM Launches World Water Monitoring Day and Public Awareness Project
On Wed 7 November, 2007 the Buccoo Reef Trust and the Integrated Watershed and Coastal Areas Management (GEF-IWCAM) presented secondary schools in Tobago with water testing kits as part of its World Water Monitoring and Public Awareness Project. This took place at the spacious Goodwood High School auditorium at Goodwood, Tobago.
World Water Monitoring Day, a first of its kind on the island of Tobago, is a worldwide activity to create participation and awareness among citizens. Internationally, the programme is coordinated by the International Water Association and Water Environment Federation.
Approximately one hundred and fifty enthusiastic science students and their teachers from all of the secondary schools in Tobago participated in the launch. Supporting the venture were Water and Sewage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, the Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport, and the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Tobago House of Assembly.
Secretary for Education, Youth Affairs and Sport in the Tobago House of Assembly, the Honorable Mrs. Claudia Groome-Duke affirmed her support for the programme when she agreed to be the keynote speaker. In her speech she stressed the importance of youth involvement in monitoring water quality; and the need for them to become aware of their environment, since they are today and tomorrow’s users, decision makers and advocates. She further implored them to understand that poor water quality will impact human health and the natural biodiversity. Remarks were also delivered by Mr. Andrew Daniel, Quality Control Manager - Water and Sewage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago; Mrs. Michelle Stanislaus - Environmental Officer II, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, THA. Ms. Sandra Timothy, GEF-IWCAM Project Manager at the Buccoo Reef Trust presented an overview of the project. The programme was chaired by the illustrious Mr. Gerald MacFarlane – Director, Buccoo Reef Trust.
After the official ceremony Mrs. Stanislaus and Mr. Daniel lead the students in a one-on-one break-out session. In that session students were informed about the environment and the role watersheds and waterways play in their daily lives. This was followed by hands-on demonstration on the use of the test kits. The parameters measured were pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and temperature.
The data collected from these assessments would become part of the world water monitoring database, and a key component of the BRT/ GEF-IWCAM overall land-base database. The information gleaned will provide a snapshot of the fresh water quality which can be illustrated on GIS maps. It will also provide a source of reference for school based assessment projects. Apart from creating awareness and practical experience, the data gathered will provide timely information that could be used for decision making regarding watershed management.
Aug 31, 2007 - Give the Buccoo Reef a 'Rest'. .
Aug 31, 2007 - Conserving Tobago's Coral. .
Aug 24, 2007 - The UK Deputy High Commissioner to Trinidad & Tobago, Geoff Patton, paid a visit to the BRT today. The BRT was pleased to meet with Mr. Patton and to brief him on issues regarding Tobago's coral reefs and coastal areas, and on the work of the BRT.
July 7, 2007 - The Buccoo Reef Trust (BRT) GIS Specialist attended two IWCAM meetings that were held in Roseau, Dominica - the Regional Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) Meeting and a Regional GIS Workshop. The GIS Workshop discussed a Roadmap for mainstreaming GIS in watershed management in the Caribbean. The BRT recognised the support that IWCAM is providing for the adoption of better technology within the Caribbean, and offered its skills and experience with GIS to assist stakeholders in Trinidad & Tobago and the wider Caribbean with implementing the technology. [Update: RTAG Report]
July 4, 2007 - The US Embassy, Trinidad & Tobago, donated two computers to the Buccoo Reef Trust (BRT) in support of the Tobago Coastal Ecosystem Mapping Project. This two-year project, which is being overseen by Coral Cay Conservation, will generate information on Tobago’s coral reef habitats and incorporate the results into maps as part of a Geographic Information System (GIS) database, which will be available to resource managers. Coral Cay Conservation will provide training and conservation education opportunities for Tobagonians and offer scholarships to citizens of T&T that will support their involvement in the mapping project and help them learn more about the island’s reefs. This mapping programme is jointly sponsored by the Tobago House of Assembly, the United Nations Development Programme and the Buccoo Reef Trust. Contact the BRT for further information and scholarship details.
June 27, 2007 - A class of students from the Santa Rosa Government Primary School of Arima, Trinidad, paid a visit to the BRT today. The students and their teachers were given a brief lecture on Tobago and it's marine enviroment by Rich Langton, and the teachers were provided with copies of the 'People & Corals' education pack for Caribbean primary schools (Tilling & Pickard, 2001). The visitors were also treated to an educational puppet show dealing with reefs and man-made pollution by Coral Cay Conservation volunteers.
(L-R) Owen Day, a Director of the BRT; Jan Van Bochove, CCC Team Leader; Pete Raines, CCC CEO; Hilton Sandy, THA Secretary for Agriculture, Marine Affairs & the Environment and Eric Jenkinson, the British High Commissioner to Trinidad & Tobago. June 26, 2007 - The Tobago Coastal Ecosystems Mapping Project (TCEMP) was formally launched today. The event was attended by the THA Secretary for Agriculture, Marine Affairs & the Environment Hilton Sandy, the British High Commissioner Eric Jenkinson, the CEO of Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) Pete Raines, the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Unit Trust Corporation (UTC), CCC volunteers including the first CCC Tobago Scholarship awardee Owen Washington, BRT staff and well wishers. The project is being executed by CCC with the financial support of the THA, UNEP and the BRT. The Secretary commended the BRT and pledged continued support for the project's success.
June 5, 2007 - The Trinidad & Tobago Environmental Management Authority (EMA) awarded the Buccoo Reef Trust the Green Leaf Award for 2007. This is the second time that the BRT has won this award from amongst a field of national contenders. The BRT is very pleased and honoured to have been recognised for its 'contribution to environmental conservation and protection', and overall to the better management of Trinidad & Tobago's natural resources.
June 5, 2007 - The IWCAM National Demonstration Project for Trinidad and Tobago: Land-Use Planning and Watershed Restoration in the Courland Watershed and Buccoo Reef Area, on the island of Tobago, is one of the more advanced GEF-IWCAM demonstration projects.
May 27, 2007 - Fading Beauty Under the Sea. Would tourism in Tobago be the same without the Buccoo Reef? It's not that far-fetched a question, considering the fact that scientists are worry about the possible extinction of coral species in 50-60 years.
May 17, 2007 - The Trinidad & Tobago Environmental Management Authority (EMA) paid a visit to the BRT today. The visit was an assessment related to the upcoming observance of World Environment Day 2007 in Trinidad & Tobago. The BRT were pleased to brief the evaluation team on the work of the BRT, including the Tobago IWCAM Project, the recently launched documentary In Hot Water, and the incipient GIS Unit.
May 16, 2007 - Premiere of In Hot Water, a documentary of the 2005 coral bleaching phenomenon in the Caribbean, as experienced in Tobago. The event at the Mount Irvine Bay Hotel was attended by the Tobago House of Assembly (Chief Administrator Jerome Keens Dumas), Marine Resources & Fisheries Department (Kenneth Caesar), Division of Settlements & Labour (Erol Caesar), Trinidad & Tobago Environmental Management Authority (Dr. Yvette Guy), Tobago Diving Association (Derek Chung), the IADB (Brian McNish) and other invited guests. The video was produced in High Definition by the BRT Multimedia Unit with funding from the IADB and CL Financial. [Update: Speech by BRT Director Owen Day (25KB)]
May 9, 2007 - The UNDP Resident Representative to Trinidad & Tobago, Dr. Marcia De Castro, paid a courtesy visit to the BRT today. The BRT was very honoured to meet with Dr. De Castro and to brief her and her team on Tobago's coral reefs and coastal areas, and on the work of the BRT in this regard.
May 8, 2007 - Study ties coral disease to warmer oceans
February 6, 2007 - Coral Reef Bleaching, Coral Cay & Buccoo Reef Trust (video)
