Connections 27 January2005

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 is well under way at CERMES.
sustainable development of the Grenadines with its rich
Students are taking their last few courses before going
natural and cultural heritage. For more details on the
on overseas field trips and starting their own research
project visit its web page on the CERMES web site
projects. The Climate Change group will be making a
(www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes).
trip to Belize thanks to collaboration with the Climate

Change Centre there, while the Coastal and Marine
CORECOMP extended to end of 2005
Management class will go to the Grenadines islands.
The Oak Foundation has granted a one-year no-cost
The field trips have become an important part of the
extension to the Coastal Resources Co-management
learning process in which students have the opportunity
Project (CORECOMP) to December 2005. One of the
to ground their knowledge through practical experience.
groups that has already benefited from this extension is

the Toledo Association for Sustainable Tourism and
Sustainable Grenadines Project is
Empowerment (TASTE) that co-manages the Sapodilla
launched
Cayes Marine Reserve (SCMR) in southern Belize.
On 23 November 2004 the Sustainable Grenadines

Project was launched in Union Island. The launch was
On 19 January 2005 TASTE-SCMR hosted a one-day
preceded by a project Steering Committee meeting at
workshop for its funding agencies and collaborators to
which the annual workplan for the first year was
bring them up to date with the NGO's accomplishments
reviewed and endorsed. Mr. Casper Smith, the Project
and its remaining needs. Among the participants were
Manager and a graduate of CERMES, was master of
Dr. Patrick McConney of CERMES, Ms Leslie Harroun
ceremonies at the launch which was attended by
of Oak Foundation and Ms Imani Morrison, the new
stakeholders from throughout the Grenadines.
Oak Foundation project officer based in Belize.
Speeches by Senator Edwin Snagg, Parliamentary

Secretary for the Grenadines in the Office of the Prime
Minister, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mr. Dennis
Gay, representing the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite
Martinique Affairs, Grenada, and Mr. Terrence
Ollivierre, MP for the Southern Grenadines indicated a
high degree of Government support for the project.





Senator Edwin Snagg unveils the office sign (left) while
The workshop was organised by Mr. Jack Nightingale
Mr. Dennis Gay (right) cuts the ribbon to open the office

(above). TASTE-SCMR received useful suggestions
Mr. Jens Ambsdorf, CEO of The Lighthouse Foundation
and funding commitments from those participating.
that is funding the project expressed his enthusiasm for

what he referred to as '... a very ambitious but exciting
and well conceived project'. Dr. Robin Mahon said that
Coral restoration and regeneration
the UWI in general and CERMES in particular were
Ms Renata Goodridge of CERMES attended a follow-up
extremely pleased to be able to work with partners from
Coral Restoration and Regeneration Workshop at
Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines on the
Discovery Bay Marine lab, Jamaica from 28 November -

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4 December 2004. Mr. David Gill of the Barbados
Environmental impact assessment
Marine Trust (BMT) and Ms Susan Mahon from
From 8 -10 December 2004 Ms Renata Goodridge and
Counterpart Caribbean also attended. Daily snorkel and
Ms Kimberly Baldwin went to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, in
dive trips were made to assess the growth of the corals
order to compile a detailed description of the physical
on `cookies' and on strings as part of the experiments
and biological marine environment south of the Pigeon
started in June 2004. With the knowledge gained from
Island Causeway. This was a technical service done in
these workshops (participation funded by Counterpart
association with Smith Warner International Ltd., who
Caribbean), the participants are now better equipped to
are compiling information for the environmental impact
participate in local efforts to restore corals impacted by
assessment (EIA) needed for the marina planned for
storms, boats, anchors or other sources of damage.
this location by `The Landing' at Rodney Bay.


CERMES Policy Perspectives
Recent articles by CERMES faculty
CERMES implements interdisciplinary applied research
A considerable quantity of applied interdisciplinary
projects on coastal co-management and related topics
coastal research is published in the peer-reviewed
that emphasise learning-by-doing through partnerships
journal Ocean and Coastal Management. In the 47th
of researchers and other interested parties. We recently
issue there are two articles by CERMES faculty and an
put out the first four policy briefs of a new series entitled
associate. The full citations are:
CERMES Policy Perspectives. It is an outreach product
Pomeroy, R., P. McConney and R. Mahon. 2004.
that will be used to share policy-oriented lessons learnt
Comparative analysis of coastal resource co-
from our research initiatives and other experiences.
management in the Caribbean. Ocean and Coastal

Management 47: 429-447.
We anticipate that policy-makers and advisers will use
Mahon, R. and P. McConney. 2004. Managing the
the information in these policy briefs to strengthen the
managers: improving the structure and operation of
linkages between research outputs and policy in the
fisheries departments in SIDS. Ocean and Coastal
Caribbean. This connection is often weak in the area of
Management 47: 529-535.
natural resource management and it is essential that it

be strengthened, especially for new or emerging issues. Many organisations in the Caribbean cannot afford

journal subscriptions, but they can get the free on-line
The first CERMES Policy Perspectives comprised four
abstracts and request copies from authors of articles.
parts addressing coastal resource co-management. It

will soon be available via the UWI Coastal Management
Research Network (COMARE Net) project page on the
Web site update
CERMES web site. Printed copies will be distributed.
Over the past couple of months the CERMES web site

has been overhauled and updated by our information
CARICOMP meeting in Panama
technologist, Mr. Winfield Alleyne. Some new pages
have been added and the MSc course information now
Dr. Hazel Oxenford of CERMES went to Panama from
reflects recent changes. If you miss any issues of these
18-22 October. She first visited Panama City and then
CERMES Connections you can still download them
went to the Bocos del Toro islands off the Caribbean
from the site www.cavehill.uwi.edu/cermes.
coast for a 5-day meeting of the CARICOMP group

(Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity programme).
The objective of the meeting was to review the last 10
Stress relief for the environment
years of CARICOMP activities and to decide where the
How many PET and other plastic bottles per month can
group is going with its regional monitoring programme
be discarded by one department comprising 10 staff
over the next decade. The group will produce a few key
and about 25 students? The answer is, on average, 85!
publications. These are now in preparation. Monitoring
In our March 2004 issue of the Connections we first told
will continue with some changes to existing protocols.
you of our vow to become more environmentally

conscious. Since the launch of the "CERMES in the
Pelagic Fishes Research Programme green" initiative on 14 April 2004, staff and students
have remained committed to this effort. Up to the end of
The 29 November ­ 1 December meeting of the Pelagic
November last year, we managed to recycle 600 plastic
Fishes Research Programme (PFRP) took place at the
bottles! The bottle returns have allowed us to mail 23
University of Hawaii. Dr. Hazel Oxenford was an invited
used printer ink cartridges to Hewlett Packard for
speaker on "Flyingfish predators, prey and research
recycling. We are a fairly small department in the
methods: experiences from the eastern Caribbean"
University of the West Indies, so just think of how much
under the conference theme 'ecosystem management'.
plastic and other items could be recycled if the entire
Her research on Caribbean pelagic fisheries continues.
campus was to join in recycling. Why not do that? Help

to reduce the amount of waste going to our landfills.

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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