Barbados Fringing Reefs & Seagrass Beds

“Extremely Dangerous Hurricane Beryl in the Southern Caribbean” 1Jul2024

Posted on July 1, 2024 by David Patriquin

“Extremely Dangerous” Hurricane Beryl in the Southern Caribbean
In www.caribjournal.com, by Caribbean Journal Staff – June 30, 2024

“A “major” hurricane is at the edge of the Southern Caribbean right now: Hurricane Beryl. The storm was an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane when it reached the southeastern Caribbean Monday morning {July 1] , according to the NOAA…

“Right now, a Hurricane Warning is in effect for Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Tobago.”

View List of Barbados hurricanes (1950 to present), on Wikipedia

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Barbados Marine Spatial Plan process (BMSP) seeking feedback 22Jun2024

Posted on June 22, 2024 by David Patriquin

On the Barbados Marine Spatial Plan Facebook Page, posted June 18, 2024:

Barbados, we’d love your feedback!

We’re calling on you to add your voice to the marine spatial planning process by taking our brief survey, which will help us to chart a sustainable course for the future management of our marine space.
Continue reading →

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CERMES: Sargassum outlook moderate 1 June – 1 September 2024

Posted on June 7, 2024 by David Patriquin

“Middle islands: Moderate influxes are expected to continue during June with a reduction in July and August.” That is a bit of a downgrade from the previous forecast.
Continue reading →

Posted in Sargassum weed | Comments Off

New initiative to preserve and protect island’s coral reefs 6Jun2024

Posted on June 6, 2024 by David Patriquin

The Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve hosted an Open Day Wednesday, June 5, in celebration of World Environment Day and Oceans Day.

View YouTube Video: Push to preserve and protect island’s coral reefs in which Acting Manager of Folkestone Marine Park and Reserve Carlos Gilkes tells CBC News about an initiative in the works to help preserve and restore the island’s coral reefs and improve fish stocks. Also view article “Restore” in Barbados Today.

Posted in Acroporoids, Barbados | Comments Off

Recent AGRRA Webinars examine Coral Bleaching, Invasive Soft Coral, Restoration Efforts, Acropora Heat Mortality 6Jun2024

Posted on June 6, 2024 by David Patriquin

The Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) website at www.agrra.org offers a large suite of educational materials and regional databases/interactive maps related to coral reefs in the Caribbean. A few of the resources are highlighted below.

Cited as New Webinars at aggra.org/RESOURCES/webinars:

– Lessons Learned from the 2023 Caribbean Bleaching Event and Preparing for 2024 – CCT May 13, 2024
On YouTube | Presentation Slide Deck (PDF)
“As NOAA announces the fourth global bleaching event, restoration practitioners, scientists and reef managers across the Caribbean and Florida are assessing the actions they took to respond to the 2023 thermal event and planning for the possibility of similar conditions in 2024. On May 13th from Noon-1:30 pm EST, practitioners across the region discussed actions that were implemented, and the lessons learned that could help inform future responses…”
Continue reading →

Posted in Acroporoids, Extreme Warming/Coral Bleaching, Invasive Species, Reef Health, Reef restoration | Comments Off

CERMES: Sargassum outlook severe 29Apr to 30Jul2024

Posted on June 2, 2024 by David Patriquin

“Middle islands: Moderate to severe influxes are expected over the next 2 months with severe accumulations in July.”

Read more in the Sargassum Sub-regional Outlook Bulletin by the Sargassum Team at The Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) at the Cave Hill Campus of The University of the West Indies, Barbados.

The “Middle Islands” include Barbados.

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“TRADEWINDS: Canadian Navy goes underwater in reef research dive” – Barbados Today 12May2024

Posted on May 13, 2024 by David Patriquin

Elon Cadogon photographs a bleaching survivor on Vauxhall Reef on Mar 2, 2024 (a CORALL exercise)

An article in Barbados Today highlights “a joint exercise between the non-profit Coral Reef Restoration Alliance (CORALL) Barbados and the Canadian Armed Forces” to map coral reefs on the West Coast of Barbabdos. Dr Elon Cadogan is the scientific leader for the “Tradewinds Dive Track exercise”. Read more on Barbados today.

UPDATE May 14, 2024. There was also an item in the Nation News, print ed. for May 12, 204: “Official eyeing coral bleaching”. From the text:

Concerned environmental specialists, researchers and military officials are keeping a close eye on the magnitude of coral bleaching in Barbados. They are encouraging locals and tourism stakeholders to join in te fight to protect and preserve marine life. During the Descend to defend our Reefs dive exercise at Vauxhall beach, St. James Friday, field lead with Coral Reef restoration Alliance (CORALL) Dr. Elon Cadogan explained how coral bleaching, a world wide issue, could impact the island…Descent to Defend Our Reefs is a two-day collaborative climate change effort which saw the participants cover 400,000 square meters from Vauxhall to Folkestone Beach…

What a great initiative!

UPDATE May 19, 2024: View some posters and photos from the day on CORALL Facebook page

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AGRRA on New Caribbean Coral Restoration Efforts 3May2024

Posted on May 3, 2024 by David Patriquin

“New Caribbean Coral Restoration Efforts” was the subject of the Caribbean Cooperation Team Network Meeting on April 8, 2024.

A webinar recording of the full proceedings is now available, courtesy of AGRRA (Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment).

From a notice just received:

The focus of the April Caribbean Cooperation Team (CCT) meeting was to share updates on new coral reef rescue and recovery efforts in the Caribbean with funding from the G20’s new Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP). After an introduction to CORDAP, representatives described the Caribbean programs funded by CORDAP grants this year. Continue reading →

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“Corals in danger, coastal protection chief warns” – Barbados Today 17Apr2024

Posted on April 19, 2024 by David Patriquin

“Barbados’ coral reefs are in serious trouble, even as officials try to restore their health and protect them from a deadly heat wave that has decimated them worldwide.

“Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU) Leo Brewster said his department in collaboration with the University of the West Indies has been closely monitoring the situation through a just-ended five-year coral reef survey.”

Coral bleaching, stony coral tissue loss disease, and groundwater pollution are cited as factors threatening coral health in Barbados.

Brain corals at Bath on Barbados east coast appear free of disease 31Mar2024

Posted on March 31, 2024 by David Patriquin

Brain coral, Pseudodiploria clivosa, in the “Platform Lagoon” at Bath on Mar 28, 2024

With the collaboration of Dr. Elon Cadogan of CORALL Barbados, on Mar 28, 2024, I made a brief visit to Bath around the Low Tide when wave action is minimal and underwater visibility highest. One objective I had was to examine the large brain corals in the “Platform Lagoon” to see if they had been affected by Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease which ravaged corals on the west coast beginning circa Nov 2022.

I postulated that as this site is flushed continuously with Atlantic ocean water coming from the east and should be comparatively free of water from other islands*, the corals would be SCTLD-free.
*While the general circulation is east to west, there is much greater chance of mixing with Caribbean water in the lee of the island, e.g., from flushing of bilges of large vessels in Bridgetown harbour – see Rosenau et al., 2021 – than on the east, Atlantic coast.

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