Connections 13 February 2006

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 has started and with it has come
Sustainable Grenadines Project
a flurry of activity and events connected to a number of
The third meeting of the Steering Committee for the
projects. CERMES regional presence is reflected in the
Sustainable Grenadines Project was held in Carriacou,
geographic scope of our outreach and applied research
Grenada, on 2 December 2005. The project achieved
initiatives. Our participation in international meetings
quite a bit in 2005, its first full year of operation in
was also prominent as we shared a SIDS perspective
Phase 2, and is on its way to do even more in 2006.
on issues such as the governance of marine resources.
· To find out what was done in 2005, check out our
MPA management effectiveness
Sustainable Grenadines Project Annual Report for
inception training workshops
2005.
The CERMES project on "Enhancing management
· To find out what is planned for 2006, check out our
effectiveness (ME) at three marine protected areas
Sustainable Grenadines Project Workplan for 2006.
(MPAs) in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and
Also available is a brief overview of the project, what it
Belize" held its three inception training workshops from
hopes to achieve in its five-year lifetime and its strategy
mid-December to early February. Lead author of the
for achieving it. See the Sustainable Grenadines Project
guidebook "How is your MPA doing?", and long time
Overview. These documents are available from us or
research collaborator, Dr. Robert Pomeroy now at the
the Project Office (susgrenpa@vincysurf.com) as
University of Connecticut, was the trainer at workshops
PDF files by email, or by regular mail as paper copies
along with project manager Dr. Patrick McConney.
(but we prefer to send you email).
The workshop for the Tobago Cays Marine Park, St.
The PADI AWARE Reef Check
Vincent and the Grenadines was in Union Island from
Implementation Grant 2 is a go!
19-20 December. See them working hard below.
A second grant was awarded to Kim Baldwin of
This was followed be an
CERMES from the NGO PADI Project AWARE to
information meeting on
continue the implementation of Reef Check in the
the project and sharing
Grenadines during 2006. Last year PADI Project
workshop results in
AWARE awarded a grant to begin the implementation
Kingstown on 21 Dec
of Reef Check in the Grenadines.
2005. The results of
Bertha Simmons (a
In 2005, 7 teams were
CERMES MSc student)
mobilised in 5 islands.
who researched the
Under this grant, a
conditions for co-managing the marine park were also
technical planning
presented to Union Island and Kingstown audiences.
committee formed in
St Vincent. Volunteers
The inception training workshop for the Negril Marine
were educated on
Park, Jamaica, took place in Negril from 26-27 January
basic marine ecology;
2006. It was closely followed by one in Punta Gorda,
marine organism
Belize, for the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve. Nearly
identification, Reef
60 people in total attended these workshops, doubling
Check techniques and
the number set out as the target for this training. Teams
data management. All survey supplies were provided
were formed to undertake the evaluations which start
free of charge to newly formed teams and initial surveys
this month and continue until September in the field.
were conducted in St. Vincent, Bequia, Mustique, Union
Tobago Marine Park office in Union Island, the Negril
Island and the Tobago Cays Marine Park.
Coral Reef Preservation Society in Negril and Toledo
This year, additional training and surveys will be
Association for Sustainable Tourism and Empowerment
conducted for local communities in the remaining
in Punta Gorda are managing partners on this project.
islands of the Grenadines and Grenada in order to
complete the monitoring network for the Grenadine

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Bank. Establishment of a Grenadian Technical Planning
Counterpart Caribbean 4Cs Project
Committee will be a priority in order to allow for the
The 4Cs Project for which CERMES was the primary
utilisation of data collected for local management
technical implementer in Barbados, Jamaica and the
decisions and help ensure the long-term sustainability
Grenadines on behalf of Counterpart Caribbean came
of the project.
to a close in January with its `Terminal Workshop' at
The Sustainable Grenadines Project will collaborate
The Future Centre on 11-12 January. CERMES staff
again with Reef Check to improve environmental
involved in this included Robin Mahon, Hazel Oxenford,
education within the Grenadines, solicit local interest in
Patrick McConney, Renata Goodridge, Maria Pena, and
the project and disseminate monitoring results.
Katherine Blackman.

Third Global Conference on Oceans,
Colleagues from all
Coasts discusses capacity issues
three project sites
Dr. Robin Mahon attended the Third Global Conference
shared their many
on Oceans, Coasts, 'Moving the Global Oceans Agenda
experiences and the
Forward', 23-28 January at UNESCO, Paris.
lessons that were
learned. The final
He was a member of a
project documents are
task group and panel
in preparation. The
on 'Capacity Development
workshop was run by
for Ocean and Coastal
Susan Mahon of 4Cs.
Management: Mobilizing
to Address Needs'. The
Canadian connection
role of indigenous tertiary
Dr. Robin Mahon participated in the `International
educational institutions,
Marine Ecological Experts Workshop' at Department of
such as UWI, in general,
Fisheries and Oceans, Canada, which took place from
and SIDS Consortium of
6 to 8 December 2005 in Ottawa. The meeting reviewed
Universities in particular were prominent in discussions.
criteria for designation of Ecologically and Biologically
Significant Areas on the High Seas, for adoption by
While in Europe Dr. Mahon also met with Fisheries
IUCN/CBD/FAO.
Governance Network (FishGovNet) partners in
Amsterdam, January 21-22, to work on a cluster of
A research agenda for Caribbean
papers on governability to be submitted to the journal
Ocean and Coastal Management.
SIDS, marine resource governance
On 8 February CERMES and CANARI hosted a forum
On-Line with WebCT at UWI
at Cave Hill to examine research, teaching and projects
The UWI Educational Media Services hosted a two day
connected to the SIDS strategy and marine resource
WebCT Seminar in January 2006. The purpose of the
governance. Attending were colleagues from the host
seminar was to educate WebCT users about on-line
institutions, Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA),
Assignments, Tests and Surveys. Our IT Technician,
the Caribbean Regional Environmental Proggramme
Dale Benskin, attended and experienced first hand the
(CREP) and Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and
creation and delivery of online Tests and Surveys.
Economic Studies (SALISES).

Participants shared information on the current post-
For a lecturer, the creation
Mauritius initiatives at all UWI campuses and avenues
of the online WebCT
to improve collaboration at several levels. There was
tests/surveys may be a bit
consensus on the need to conduct research on marine
tedious, but they simplify
governance issues as a critical aspect of development.
the grading process, the
computation of results and
Other outreach and internal events
virtually eliminate human
Neetha Selliah attended a meeting entitled "From Sea
error once the test and its
to Table: Project Concept Development" hosted by the
pre-programmed answers have been validated by its
Ministry of Housing, Lands and Environment and Policy
creator. This facility also makes the distribution of
Network International Inc. at the Fisheries Complex,
grades/results extremely simple and gives lecturers the
Bridgetown, on 15 December 2005.
control to release results immediately or any other time.
From the student perspective, the on-line tests give
Dale Benskin provided support to facilitate the launch of
students the flexibility to schedule their tests at any time
the Solid Waste, Composition and Collection WebCT
specified by the lecturer anywhere they are in the world.
course on 23 January 2006. Support for this course will
be continued for its duration.

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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