The MAP News
493rd Edition April 25, 2020 |
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FEATURE Cayman Environmental Education Focus Group Established CAYMAN ISLANDS - A range of Cayman-based environmental organisations have joined forces to provide an integrated and exciting spectrum of curriculum-linked outdoor teaching activities for the local community starting with a strong focus in Cayman’s primary schools. This group is currently made up of representatives from the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, Reef Environmental Educational Foundation, Mangrove Education Project, Central Caribbean Marine Institute, Sea Elements, together with the Energy Policy Coordinator from the CPI and representatives from the DoE, DES and MEYSAL. By working together, participating organisations hope to increase access and utilisation of supplementary materials and activities developed by these organisations to aid teachers and parents. In addition, teachers will be provided with outdoor field trips to explore Cayman’s unique natural resources both on and offshore. In class activities will provide supporting resources to highlight the knowledge acquired during the field trips. READ MORE GLOBAL Pandemic Side-Effects Show Us a Glimpse of an Alternative Future on Earth Day 2020 EARTH - The skies are clearing of pollution, wildlife is returning to newly clear waters, a host of flights have been scrapped and crude oil is so worthless that the industry would have to pay you to take it off their hands – a few months ago, environmentalists could only dream of such a scenario as the 50th anniversary of Earth Day hove into view. But this disorientingly green new reality is causing little cheer given the cause is the coronavirus pandemic that has ravaged much of the world. "This isn't the way we would've wanted things to happen, God no," said Gina McCarthy, former head of the US Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama administration. "This is just a disaster that pointed out the underlying challenges we face. It's not something to celebrate." Wednesday's annual Earth Day event, this year largely taking place online, comes as public health restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in a sharp dip in air pollution across China, Europe and the US, with carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels heading for a record 5 percent annual drop. READ MORE Mass mangrove restoration: Driven by good intentions but offering limited results GLOBAL - There is an urgent need to address the global degradation of coastal ecosystems, but are mass mangrove planting initiatives sustainable? In recent years, hundreds and sometimes thousands of volunteers have been involved in mass mangrove planting efforts, gaining media recognition and even earning entries into the Guinness Book of World Records. This has drawn attention to the urgent need to address the global degradation of coastal ecosystems. But are these planting initiatives sustainable? Do they have the desired impact? In short, do they work? Coastal communities are first to face the impacts of coastal degradation – reduced flood protection, decreased water quality, extreme soil erosion and a rapid decline in the variety and abundance of food sources (many of which come from mangroves in the tropics). Mass mangrove plantings should help address these challenges in certain areas, but instead many restoration efforts worldwide (for example, in the Philippines) are failing. READ MORE AFRICA Clean energy, mangroves and fish stocks: How is the UAE preserving its nature? UAE - The woody mangroves of Jubail Island in Abu Dhabi have become a hub for biodiversity along the UAE’s coastline. The project, which is continuation of the ecological vision of the country’s late founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, is a playground for gazelle and flamingos. “The vision extends to the entire 32 square kilometer island. And our vision is to create a very low-density development in harmony with the surrounding protected and environmental areas,” says Richard Russell, COO of the Jubail Island Investment Company.“We have probably over 80 species of birds, 13 species of crabs and mollusks and a myriad of varying fish species.” A report by the World Wildlife Fund states that the Earth’s ecosystems are in steep decline and this could ultimately put global economies at risk. Heeding this, is the Environmental Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), which launched in 1996 to become the largest environmental regulator in the Middle East. READ MORE AMERICA Advocate for coastal wetlands USA - Alma Vázquez-Lule grew up in Mexico City with few parks. She got hooked on mangrove forests, a type of tropical coastal wetland, as soon as she saw one on a field trip in college. She continued to work on mangroves throughout her undergraduate years as she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and then during her master’s degree in geomatics from the Research Center of Geography and Geomatics in Mexico. She then worked for eight years for the Mexican government studying mangrove forests. Vázquez-Lule is a coauthor on a guide to Mexico’s mangrove forests published in 2018. “The guide includes different laboratory and fieldwork methods to characterize the forest structure of mangroves and to identify environmental variables that can help to explain and understand the high structural diversity of this ecosystem in Mexico,” she said. READ MORE The effect of mangrove restoration on avian assemblages of a coastal lagoon in southern Mexico MEXICO - Mangrove forests provide many ecosystem services, including the provision of habitat that supports avian biodiversity. However, hurricanes can knock down trees, alter hydrologic connectivity, and affect avian habitat. In 1995, Hurricanes Opal and Roxanne destroyed approximately 1,700 ha of mangrove forest in Laguna de Términos, Mexico. Since then, hydrological restoration has been implemented to protect the mangrove forest and its biodiversity. Since avian communities are often considered biological indicators of ecosystem quality, avian diversity and species relative abundance were evaluated as indicators of mangrove restoration success by comparing undisturbed mangrove patches with those affected by the hurricanes. Using bird surveys, similarity analyses, and generalized linear models, we evaluated the effects of water quality variables and forest structure on the relative abundance and diversity of the avian community in disturbed, restored, and undisturbed mangrove patches. Collectively, our results strongly suggest that hydrologic restoration helps to enhance niche availability for different bird guilds, including water and canopy bird species. Our work can help inform management strategies that benefit avian communities in mangrove forests and wetland systems. READ MORE Water, Trees And Optical Illusions Inspire Earth Day 2020 Art USA – This week is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but the fIrst year that it takes place entirely online. Without events and demonstrations, this is a clear departure from previous years, but one thing hasn’t changed. Ever since the first protest in 1970, Earth Day has worked closely with both scientists and artists to draw awareness to the planet. Mira Lehr was one of the artists involved in the very first Earth Day. To mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the now 85-year-old artist has an exhibit at the Mennello Museum of American Art in Orlando, Florida. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the museum has had to close, but Lehr’s exhibit can be viewed as a virtual tour on her website. The exhibit includes the work “The Protectors”, inspired by a mangrove forest. In Florida and other areas, mangrove trees play an important role in protecting coastal areas from erosion. Lehr paid homage to these trees by recreating their root system in the gallery space. READ MORE The Power of Trees USA - Climate change is making the impact of hurricanes and other storms more dangerous — and more expensive. As the costs loom over coastlines across the globe, vulnerable communities are looking for new ways to mitigate the economic impact. Alejandro Del Valle and Mathilda Eriksson of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business recently found that mangrove trees, which grow in coastal waters and have dense and stable root structures, may be one useful tool. In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a group of researchers led by Del Valle and Eriksson documented how the presence of mangroves alters the relationship between hurricane strength (wind speed) and human-made light patterns as observed from space. “Because the consumption of artificial light during the night time increases with income, the amount of human-made lights present after a storm tells us how quickly areas are recovering,” says Del Valle, assistant professor of risk management and insurance, who worked with researchers at Georgia State and the World Bank. READ MORE ASIA A vital mangrove forest hidden in Vietnam’s largest city could be at risk VIETNAM - As the largest urban area in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City is known for its kinetic pace of life, rivers of motorbike traffic, and relentless construction. With an official population of 9 million and a booming economy based on manufacturing, real estate and tourism, there is often little space for nature. It may come as a surprise, even to many who live in Ho Chi Minh City, that one of the world’s great restored mangroves forests lies within the city’s borders. The Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve covers 75,740 hectares (187,160 acres), and encompasses all of Can Gio district, the largest and one of the least populated of Ho Chi Minh City’s 24 districts. Can Gio sits between the central districts and the South China Sea, called the East Sea by Vietnam. From above, it’s a surprisingly green stretch of land, especially compared to the gray tentacles of concrete that spread out farther from the city every day. While Can Gio’s core is very well-protected, there are areas of concern on its fringes. Earth sciences professor Marchand saw the impact of shrimp farming in the reserve’s outer areas, where trees are cleared and the ground is drained to create shrimp ponds. “What I observed is that the core of the mangroves is really protected,” he said. “But on the edge, each time I went there were new projects, and I saw some mangroves which were destroyed.” READ MORE Stopping floods, protecting lives, and saving money? Mangroves do it all for free auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=faces&fit=crop&fm=jpg&h=1600&q=70&w=2400 PHILIPPINES - Our ever-growing human population is increasing demand for development and urbanization of coastal areas that are close to trade routes, food resources, and recreation. As a result, governments are now confronting the risks of flooding to coastal economies and populations. For example, in the Philippines, one of the top three countries at risk from severe weather and flooding events, devastating routine flooding in urban areas forced the government to enact a drastic flood protection plan that is expected to cost $500 million USD. The proposal calls for the construction of man-made barriers like dams, improvement to drainage systems, and relocation for people living in flood plains. Even these efforts will not eliminate flood risks, and they require future investments into the maintenance of man-made infrastructure. But the Philippines and many coastal areas in the tropics and sub-tropics already have a natural defense against storms, flooding, and coastal erosion: mangroves. READ MORE Two New Papers on Mangrove Ecosystems in India’s Sundarbans Biosphere INDIA - Qi Zhang, a post-doctoral associate at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, recently published two papers on the mangrove ecosystems in India’s Sundarbans Biosphere Region (SBR), a biodiversity hotspot that is acutely susceptible to the impacts of climate change. The region makes up nearly 3 percent of the Earth’s total area of mangroves, and has been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site for its profound social-ecological and biodiversity importance. In the first paper, published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, the authors identified and examined natural and human forces that affect the dynamics of the region’s mangrove ecosystems, and found that climate change is the most dominant driver of the degradation of ecosystem services in the SBR. In the second paper, published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, the authors quantified the biophysical and economic values of key ecosystem services, based mainly on net primary productivity (NPP) models. They found that NPP increased from 1982-1999, but declined significantly from 2000-2017, suggesting that the effects of climate change and land-use dynamics on ecosystem services were significant over the past two decades. READ MORE LAST WORD The world recently celebrated International Day of Forests (March 21) and World Water Day (March 22) and Earth Day (Apr 22) in a very low key manner due to the spread of the coronavirus. But let's look at it from another perspective. The decision by governments to impose lockdowns and movement control actually puts less pressure and disturbance on the environment. But once these measures are lifted, will the air and water be as clean? Or will the impact be worse than before? Surely there are a lot of things that can be learned from this pandemic, and one of them is realising that we can take stern actions to resolve issues that compromise our health and survival. Let us take this time to also reflect on the impact on mangroves and the environment. Dr A. Aldrie Amir Coordinator The Malaysian Mangrove Research Alliance and Network (MyMangrove) READ THE FULL LETTER |
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Saturday, April 25, 2020
MAP News Issue 493, April 25, 2020
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
EARTH DAY SPECIAL - Cayman Environmental Education Focus Group Established
Cayman Environmental Education Focus Group Established
Local environmental and educational agencies come together to strengthen our
connection with the environment as a central tenet of Cayman culture through
enhanced and accessible local environmental education for all.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
MAP News Issue #492, April 11, 2020
The MAP News
492nd Edition April 11, 2020 |
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FEATURE The Upside of Upside-Down Jellyfish AUSTRALIA - The unexpected engineer of mangrove ecosystems is a jellyfish that swims the wrong way. At first glance, Cassiopea jellyfish may seem like ridiculous failures. Unlike most jellyfish that swim with their bells pointed up, these so-called upside-down jellyfish spend most of their time with their bells resting on the seafloor of shallow, still coastal waters. There, they persistently pulse as if on a Sisyphean quest to burrow through the planet. Now, new research suggests these creatures’ flailing may play an important role in flooded mangrove forests. The results of research published as a pre-print study show that the jellies’ pulsing causes a surprising amount of mixing in the water. An average-sized Cassiopea can send a water jet several meters upward, and at median densities on the seafloor, a group of jellies can mix a one-meter column of water every 15 minutes. Cassiopea move an order of magnitude more water than filter-feeding animals such as oysters and mussels, even when accounting for the size differences between species. The research suggests these jellyfish may be indirectly reshaping their habitats through nutrient and gas mixing, making them ecosystem engineers similar to dam-building beavers or hole-drilling woodpeckers. “It’s quite clear that there are no other species that create as much turbulence in the mangroves,” says Eric Wolanski, a coastal oceanographer at James Cook University in Australia who was not involved in the research. READ MORE GLOBAL The economics of mangroves through nighttime satellite photos GLOBAL - Mangroves are pretty incredible. They are the only type of trees capable of living in saltwater and perform a ton of beneficial services for the environment and humans like providing critical habitat to important fish species and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Now, thanks to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we can add “protecting coastal economies” to the list. Coastal mangrove forests serve as a barrier between oceans and human settlements on land. In the midst of tropical storms, mangroves buffer shorelines from damage by reducing wave action and storm surges. As the strength and frequency of hurricanes increases as a result of climate change, scientists and economists have been wondering just how much economic value these barrier forests provide as they protect us from storms. To find out, researchers studied how coastal areas in Central America fared during hurricanes from 2000 – 2013. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get a full picture of the economic impacts of storms so researchers relied on an interesting indicator of economic activity: the appearance and amount of lights visible in an area in satellite imagery at night. More lights in an area equates to more infrastructure and activity, which tends to correlate to higher income and economic activity. By comparing the images of lights in an area before and after storms, scientists were able to judge just how much damage the area had sustained and how long the area was likely facing an economic downturn post-hurricane. READ MORE AMERICA Amber light turns green for Pemex to plow through protected mangroves MEXICO - In southern Mexico, as in other similar climatic zones throughout the tropics, an extraordinary feature of the environment works tirelessly away upon the coast. Across countless marine shorelines and river estuaries you’ll find them doing what they can to reverse man-made climate damage. Here are the world’s greatest carbon scrubbers; their value, until recently, has been unquestionable. The mangroves that exist in the tropical climes of the Caribbean and Central America are a vital feature of the region’s natural arsenal against carbon — aquatic trees that are adapted to harsh coastal conditions and absorb carbon dioxide for long-term storage, a unique process that makes them some of the most valuable resources in tackling the carbon crisis. Their ability to effectively filter polluted seawater as well as oxygenate the air led to them being declared a protected entity, beyond the reach of large-scale companies capable of mass deforestation of areas heavily populated by mangroves. Since then however, the conversation around the preservation of these sites has begun to regress, the tipping point being when President López Obrador offered the green light to Pemex to begin construction on a US $8-billion oil refinery over mangroves in Dos Bocas, Tabasco. READ MORE Keep Mangrove Forests to Prevent Flooding, Soil Loss USA - Disappearing natural resources like mangrove forests are important to reduce flooding in low-lying coastal areas like southern Florida, scientists say. Mangrove trees grow in coastal wetlands. Unlike other trees, they can grow in salty seawater. Their roots form a dense barrier that helps prevent erosion and controls the force of incoming water from tides and ocean storms. Scientific studies do not agree on how high tides and rising seas linked to climate change will affect Florida. However, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, or NOAA, predicts that the sea level could rise by as much as two meters by the year 2100. If that happens, large areas of Florida would be underwater. Environmental scientist Margarita Kruyff is trying to develop ways to limit the damage from flooding and rising seas. She said, “We’re trying to project how fast we’re expecting them to rise so we can plan how we’re going to protect our communities for the future.” Laura Geselbracht is a marine scientist in Florida. She works for the environmental group Nature Conservancy. She says mangrove forests like the ones in Oleta River State Park near Miami Beach provide protection against flooding. “Even though this area is surrounded by a lot of high development, the mangroves will help reduce flooding,” she said. READ MORE New Hope for Migratory Shorebirds GUATEMALA - Up and down the Pacific Coast of Guatemala, the sea's edge gives way to volcanic sand, and zones of life that change with the tides and currents. Come dawn, at a low ebb; the receding water exposes mudflats like clay tablets dimpled with the zigzagging footprints of shorebirds. Sandpipers scurry across the soft earth by mangroves, flying in from their high-tide roosts to feed. Pelicans huddle by the dozens, commanding the scene with their iconic bills and gregarious nature. We glide through the estuary in our slender wooden boat to survey the waves of morning birds and drift close to flocks before they flush—the sky a commotion of wings and wails. In our day-to-day lives, we see birds as a mere detail in our scenery, in our backyards, in our parks, backdrop. But here, in the tidal flats and mangrove forests, their presence is commanding. We are the visitors. This protected estuary and lagoon of El Paredón, a small beach town with a trickling of tourism, sits in the middle of Sipacate-Naranjo National Park. It offers sanctuary to local and migratory shorebirds who depend on the refuge of mudflats, mangroves and estuaries, and the bounty of fish, crustaceans and other critters. Local species use this habitat year-round; travelers stop over to recuperate. READ MORE Mangrove Forests Protect Miami From Rising Tides USA - It’s a sunny day in Miami, Florida with no chance of rain. But according to environmental scientist Margarita Kruyff, even on days like this, low-lying coastal communities like Miami and nearby Miami Beach may experience periodic flooding because of the porous bedrock underground that leaks water. “On the roads it means water could be coming up our drainage systems,” said the City of Miami Beach environmental scientist, who explained that the annual seasonal King Tides, or very high tides, also take their toll. “Water may be coming up over seawalls for our residents, causing flooding in their homes and back yards,” she said. WATCH VIDEO ASIA Bucking global trends, Southeast Asian mangrove destruction is rampant MYANMAR -Southeast Asia’s aggressive development to spur economic growth and feed its growing populations is stripping the region’s coasts of mangrove forests at rates faster than anywhere, new research shows. Although the rates of their loss are in decline globally, mangroves in Southeast Asia today continue to face persistent man-made threats, experiencing loss rates twice the global average, an international team of researchers has found. Driving such rapid deforestation are the mangrove-rich region’s rising aquaculture, rice and palm oil farming, industrial activity and coastal development, reads the study, led by National University of Singapore (NUS). Early twenty-first-century global mangrove destruction rates have been almost 10 times lower than those reported for previous decades due to better protection and shrinking forest areas available for conversion. But the future of mangroves in Southeast Asia, home to almost one third of the planet’s mangroves, is uncertain, with coasts still being stripped of these salt-tolerant forests in nations such as Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. READ MORE Five trees or a latte? Coastal communities seek crowdfunding for mangroves MALASIA - Would you forgo a cup of coffee to plant mangroves aimed at helping coastal communities fend off climate change? A Singapore-based online platform is counting on crowdsourcing donations for projects to add 1 billion mangrove trees by 2025. The Global Mangrove Trust plans to launch an app and website in the next six months using blockchain technology to fund mangrove restoration projects across India and Southeast Asia. Users will be able to select a project and, once the funding target is met, track its progress through video, photograph and data updates, and monitor forest growth drawing on satellite images and algorithms. “We provide an opportunity for people all over the world who have excess money (to) lay off one $5 latte and plant five mangrove trees with a coastal community,” said Ryan Merrill, the trust’s managing director. The trees, together with related employment and conservation efforts, offer an opportunity to provide “a disproportionate benefit for the most vulnerable”, he added. Mangroves make up less than 1% of tropical forests worldwide but are vital for the well-being, food security and protection of coastal communities, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). READ MORE Mangroves could turn tide on carbon output INDONESIA - Research has found that changes in current land management practices in the mangrove forests of West Papua Province, Indonesia could have significant impacts on the country's future emission reduction targets. The research published in Global Change Biology found that future escalation of land-use change in Papua mangroves could have implications for Indonesia's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement of 2015. Charles Darwin University's Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods Ph.D. candidate Sigit D. Sasmito said current land management practices in Papua's mangroves reduced carbon stocks substantially. "Our evaluation of blue carbon stocks and their potential emissions and removals suggest that current land management practices in Papua's mangroves, such as forest harvesting and small-scale aquaculture, reduced carbon stocks substantially," Sigit said. "Given the Papua mangrove estate accounts for 50% of Indonesia's 2.9 million hectares of mangrove area, the region is clearly an important asset for nature-based climate change mitigation policy." READ MORE How Asia’s megacities can benefit from mangroves and other natural climate solutions SINGAPORE - The loss of mangroves and other coastal habitats has been linked to more frequent and severe flooding in adjacent villages and cities. What can urban dwellers, local governments and businesses do to support nature-based solutions? Cities, even those sited away from coastal areas, can benefit from nature-based solutions such as the restoration of mangroves and coral reefs to combat rising sea levels and global warming. But what measures should communities roll out for the best outcomes and greatest return on investment? As the man tasked to set up the new Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions at the National University of Singapore (NUS), these are some of the questions that conservation scientist Koh Lian Pin aims to help governments and corporate leaders in the Asia Pacific address. The centre is expected to be operational by the end of this year. READ MORE |
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The community of adults and youth in Cayman Islands has come together recently to release a series of educational videos. Each is geared to...
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By: Isabel Robinson, MAP Volunteer Intern Some months ago I decided to come to Thailand and do an internship in mangrove conservation, ...
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J.H. Primavera, Ph.D. Among others, Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami have highlighted the importance of m...
MAP News Issue 593, March 9, 2024
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