Innovative Research for the Conservation of Marine Resources, Habitats, and Ecosystems in the Caribb

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Innovative Research for the Conservation of
Marine Resources, Habitats, and Ecosystems in the
Caribbean Region
Sea Grant College Program University of Puerto
Rico Mayagüez Campus
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(No Transcript)
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Objectives

• Identify stakeholders and experts in the
  Caribbean region
• Identify new areas of research
• Assess research needs relevant for resource
  managers and scientists
• Develop a blueprint for future research and
  management
• Disseminate information throughout the region
• Support new funding initiatives

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Who are we talking to?

• Local and regional government agencies
• Local and regional NGOs
• Universities and colleges
• Private sector

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Who have we talked to (so far)?

• Fisheries
• Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
• Regional Fishery Management Council (SEDAR)
• Coastal Management
• Caribbean Regional Association (CaRA-IOOS)
• Florida Shore and Beach Preservation Association
• Conservation of Coral Reefs
• Caribbean Coral Reef Institute
• Coral Reef Ecosystem Studies Program

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What did they say?

• Fisheries
• More assessments on recreation fisheries are
  needed (economical impact)
• Studies on the effect of bans, closures, and MPAs
  on species protection
• Establishing regional baselines for managers
• Studies on the effect of climate change and how
  to prepare for natural disasters
• Studies on the different factors affecting
  catches and recruitment
• Develop dialogues among local fishermen,
  managers, and scientists
• Obstacles insufficient trained personnel, lack
  of funding, unwillingness to share critical info
  about resources

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What did they say?

• Coastal Management
• Studies on long-term planning for climate change
  adaptation (e.g., beach erosion, flash flooding)
• Up-to-date information on wind, waves, and
  currents that is easily accessible and
  user-friendly
• Providing better tools (e.g., models and maps)
  that can be used by managers
• Top concern coastal ecosystem health and
  management
• Obstacles - unwillingness to share critical info
  about resources, lack of support from the
  government to implement conservation laws, lack
  of interconnectivity among divisions of federal
  departments

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What did they say?

• Conservation of Coral Reefs
• Identify fish species critical for healthy reef
  communities
• Studies on deep coral reef ecosystems to better
  understand shallow reefs
• Studies of coral reef diseases and the reduction
  of coral cover
• Ecosystem-based approach to management is
  urgently needed
• A systematic process of engaging scientists and
  managers
• Develop models and analyses that integrate social
  (economic, cultural, policy) data with
  information on the habitats and species
• Obstacles - unwillingness to share critical info
  about resources

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Literature Database

• Collection of scientific publications that are
  linked to marine resource management in the
  Caribbean
• Based on various topics pertinent to
  marine-related studies (conservation management,
  climate change, coastal development and
  management, etc.)
• Constantly updated
• 175 publications (since 1998)
• 36 regional (2 or more countries in a single
  study)

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http//blogs.uprm.edu/caribbean
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Other CLME assessments

• Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)
• Climate Change and Biodiversity in the Insular
  Caribbean (CCBIC) Technical report No. 382
  Climate change impacts on coastal and marine
  biodiversity (Dec 2008)
• Centre for Resource Management and Environment
  Studies (CERMES) University of the West Indies
  (April 2007)

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Research Team

• Manuel Valdes-Pizzini, PhD PI, Associate
  Director
• Ruperto Chaparro, M.S. Director
• Kurt Grove, PhD Research Coordinator
• Yulissa Garcia Administrative Officer
• Jasmine Seda Research Assistant (PhD candidate)
• Yarleen Irizarry Research Assistant (Undergrad)