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Rushing towards Collapse

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Dr. Anjani Ganase shares key findings from the WWF Living Planet Report 2024 which warns of dire consequences from failure to protect biodiversity on land and in the ocean.   Our planet has suffered major biodiversity loss – an average of 73 % - by every metric over the last 50 years. This is the global average based on over 35,000 populations of monitored wildlife consisting of about 5000 species in marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. The average decline is even more shocking at the regional level with Latin America and Caribbean region showing 95 % decline in biodiversity, the highest level compared to other regions. This is based on just under 4000 monitored populations, made up of 1362 species in the region. Compared to Africa which has 76 % decline, while Asia and the Pacific have an average of 60 % decline. Other regions, such as North America and Europe show lower declines in the past 50 years, though much biodiversity loss occurred in previous ye
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The Impossible Swim

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John Procope talks with Anjani Ganase about his relationship with the ocean. In early October, he completed the swim from Scarborough to Toco; and has become one of a few people in the world to swim without stopping for over 24 hours.   John Procope swam from southwest Tobago to the rocky northeast coast of Trinidad. Photo by Anjani Ganase “I’d been swimming for several hours now, and the sun was setting. I saw Matelot in the distance and knew I was close. Throughout the swim, the support crew gave regular updates of the distance left to Trinidad.   Six miles to go, was the last I heard but more than three hours have passed with encouragement but no progress on distance. Turns out the current was, once again, pushing against me and I was no closer than a couple hours ago.   I was angry, I was crying. I wanted to quit! My supporters yell, ‘If you get in this boat, you will regret this for the rest of your life! Keep swimming!’ My eyes welled up with tears and my g
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Flowers for a Trinidad Wedding

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  Rheanna Chen details her expedition to find flowers and decorate a wedding venue. She tells her story to Pat Ganase. Photos courtesy Rheanna Chen     A forest of locally grown tropical blooms was the brief from the bride’s mother: foliage and flowers everywhere at the venue, as well as bouquets for the bridal party. For the ceremony, we would build and decorate a bamboo arch as the focal point for the exchange of vows.   Flowers don’t last well if they aren’t cut and treated with respect. The challenge was to select, transport and create the floral ambience within the hours before the wedding on Sunday. My expedition started on Friday.   Rheanna Chen transporting flowers to preserve their freshness. Grosvenor Horticultural is a family farm south of Sangre Grande that specializes in flower production .   I arranged to pick up their blooms in Diego Martin: sexy pinks ( Heliconia chartacea ), red comb or shampoo ginger ( Zingiber zerumbet ), Jungle Kin
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Green Spaces in the City

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  Joanne Husain points out the value of parks in cities and communities. Natural spaces should be planned in urban developments, and maintained for trees and birds as well as for human health and well-being. (Photos by Joanne Husain)   Urban parks are oases of green amid concrete landscapes. Tucked into bustling cities and densely populated neighbourhoods, these are designated spaces for recreation. An urban park is a mediated form of nature with purposeful landscaping bridging the urban and the untamed. The aesthetics of the space is important, providing visual relief from the mass of manmade structures. Typically, these parks feature walking paths through landscaped gardens with an assortment of flowering shrubs and shady trees, with playing fields and scenic open areas. Think of our Botanical Gardens and the Savannah, and hope that they continue to be maintained for the trees: a place to find respite from the high octane life in the city.   Nature is the source of wellbeing,
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News from the Ocean

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Scientists are finding out more about the creatures in the ocean even as they continue to be threatened by human-induced global warming, Dr Anjani Ganase looks at recent research on coral reefs, dolphins, whale sharks and jellyfish. How will they survive human traffic and warmer oceans?   Sharks thrive in the Marine Protected Area off Cuba, Jardines de la Reina. Credit: Philip Hamilton / Ocean Image Bank Protected coral reefs mean more fish Marine Protected Areas (MPA), according to scientific studies, account for about 10% of global fish stocks. Existing MPAs make up just 8.4% of the ocean and merely 3% are fully protected and equivalent to 1244 reefs around the world. A study led by the University of Sydney in Australia has estimated the amount of fish biomass in the world’s ocean that results from the presence of no-take, marine protected areas. The study reveals the importance of MPAs to boosting fish productivity especially when associated with coral re
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For the Future of Buccoo Reef

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Dr Shivonne Peters- McPherson proposes Marine Spatial Planning techniques and programmes for all coastal and oceanic areas around Trinidad and Tobago   Our twin-island nation Trinidad and Tobago is considered a small island developing state (SIDS) whose future will surely rest heavily on development of its blue economy. Trinidad’s aspiration is supported by a long history in the oil and gas industry, while Tobago’s economy has been tourism-based. Scientific advancements in the blue economy sectors, such as blue biotechnology and ocean energy are making changes across the globe, but to date have to be fully understood and explored in Trinidad and Tobago whose ocean territory is about 15 times its land. The potential for development and the benefits can be tremendous, even as we struggle to manage land-based pollution, unsustainable harvesting, habitat destruction and climate change. The development of the blue economy should facilitate the transition to renewa
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