Connections 12 April2006

An electronic bulletin about interdisciplinary research, teaching and outreach at the
Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES)
Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus

The second semester will soon be at an end but what a
New CERMES flyer
busy semester it has been! Our students will shortly
At CERMES we are always striving to promote our
embark on their research projects and internships and
department and programme, and as such we have
we will begin to prepare for the next round of students.
designed a two-page flyer for distribution to attract
Our outreach work at CERMES continues to increase
students from within the region and beyond.
and our staff is ever busy. All the best for a peaceful

Easter season.

CERMES at Green Expo

From 9 - 11 March 2006, CERMES participated in the

Sci-Tech Green Expo held at the Sherbourne
Conference Centre. The rationale for the Expo was to

promote science and technology in Barbados and to

increase the environmental awareness of Barbadian
society. The Faculty of Pure & Applied Sciences booth

was designed and arranged by Natasha Corbin (Pure

and Applied Sciences), Maria Pena, Katherine

Blackman, Renata Goodridge and Dale Benskin
(CERMES) and Colin Depradine (Computer Science

and Mathematics). The exhibit incorporated posters

from CERMES and

the other science
Caribbean Regional Fisheries
departments with a
focus on our
Mechanism meetings
students' research
Patrick McConney participated in the `Meeting of the ad
projects such as
hoc working group on the social, economic and linkage
Alexcia Cooke's
issues that could impact on the establishment of a
Livelihood Analysis
common fisheries policy and regime' on 19 March 2006
of Water Taxi
in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He also
Operators in the
represented CERMES at the plenary sessions of the
Grenadines and Bertha Simmons' Meeting Conditions
`Second annual CRFM scientific meeting' in Port of
for Successful Co-Management of the Tobago Cays
Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, 13-22 March 2006.
Marine Park. This year's booth was very interactive.

Secondary and primary school students viewed

dolphinfish otoliths

under the

microscope and

things became a

little technical as

they used the

refractometer and

turbidimeter for

testing the quality
In the photo Randolph Walters of the FAO and
of various water types found around the island. For
Terrence Phillips of the CRFM Secretariat peruse the
most, the fun was the experience of writing underwater
recently released CERMES flyer, copies of which were
like a diver. In the end, we even found some who were
distributed at the scientific meeting.
interested in the CERMES programme.

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Caribbean Sponges
`Jambo' from Nairobi
Congratulations to our very own Renata Goodridge,
(`Jambo'= `hello' in Swahili)
Marine Technician, who has been accepted to attend
Project Officer, Maria Pena, recently returned from the
the 2006 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
GEO- 4 (Global Environment Outlook) Second
(STRI) Short Course in Taxonomy and Ecology of
Production and Authors' Meeting from 3-10 March at
Caribbean Sponges from 17-28 July in Bocas, Panama. the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
headquarters in Nairobi. GEO Fellows were briefed
Grenadines Marine Space Use
from 3-4 March on:
Information System (MarSIS)
· The Pilot GEO Fellowship programme and its
CERMES PhD student, Kim Baldwin, recently
objectives
announced the launch of her research project entitled
· Assessments: what they are; why they are
'Grenadines Marine Space Use Information System
needed; how they have been used; and
(MarSIS)'. This project is co-supervised by Dr. Robin
challenges on writing an assessment
Mahon and Dr. Hazel Oxenford of CERMES.
· An overview of the GEO process including the
The Grenadine Bank (within the countries of Grenada
impact of GEO reports, the fourth GEO report
and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) has been chosen
(GEO-4), regional activities and the working
as a site for development of an integrated marine space
groups that support the GEO process.
use information system (MarSIS). This GIS information
During the very productive authors' meeting from 6-10
system will aid numerous marine management
March, the zero draft of the GEO-4 report was revised
initiatives by integrating and compiling a variety of
based on comments and recommendations obtained
information on marine resources and its uses,
from UNEP internal review and the resulting Draft 1 was
highlighting the importance of marine resources to the
completed. This draft is now out for external review.
livelihoods of the people of the Grenadines. The

integrated MarSIS will be used to identify areas for

special attention such as: critical habitats (essential fish
habitats, spawning aggregations sites, reef resilience,

endangered species); areas of highest biodiversity;

representative
marine ecosystems;

areas of high

aesthetic value and

cultural importance;
important fishing
GCFI call for papers
grounds (including
The First Announcement and Call for Papers of the 59th
fishing pressure and
Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) to be held
gear used); areas
from 6 ­ 10 November 2006 at the Princess Hotel,
important for
Belize City, Belize has just been sent out. As usual,
marine-based
CERMES is deeply involved in GCFI and urges our
tourism; safe anchorages and shipping lanes; areas of
partners interested in fisheries and
highest human threat; as well as areas which currently
marine protected areas to attend this
or potentially are locations of space use conflict.
important regional meeting. The one-
day symposium on "Large Pelagic
For the successful development of the Grenadines
Fishes in the Caribbean Sea and the
MarSIS the participation of a variety of stakeholders is
Gulf of Mexico: Current Status"
essential throughout the project. Proposal meetings for
consists of scientific presentations and
relevant government agency stakeholders (of both
discussions on the biology and
countries) were held in March allowing for sectoral
management of large pelagic fishes in the region, and
input, approval and information collection on marine
the development of recommendations for future
resources. During May, community meetings will be
research and management related to critical issues of
held in each island to inform and encourage marine
regional concern. CERMES researchers (Drs. Mahon,
resources users to participate in the Grenadines
McConney and Oxenford) are expected to participate in
MarSIS project. This summer, research activities will
the symposium. A workshop of the CERMES regional
include marine resource user socio-economic surveys
MPA management effectiveness project is to be held
to be conducted with the assistance of two CERMES
just before the GCFI meeting where side sessions to
MSc Coastal Management students.
share project outputs will take place. Visit the GCFI web

site www.gfci.org for more information, to submit your
abstract and to register for the conference.

CERMES Phone (246)-417-4316; Fax (246)-424-4204; cermes@uwichill.edu.bb; www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes
Mailing address: CERMES, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, St. Michael, Barbados

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