Tobago: research-based marine tourism centre

Small efforts in coral reef research and management taking place in Tobago give Shivonne M. Peters hope. Is it possible to combine conservation and research-based tourism for Tobago, she asks. Peters is Managing Director of Seven Environmental- a consultancy company for the marine sector – and a PhD candidate at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Contact her at sevenenvironmental@hotmail.com

Coral reefs in Tobago cover an area of about thirty square kilometres, and are found on both the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean coasts. In fact, several dive sites in the Columbus Passage (Flying and Cove Reefs, Diver’s Thirst and Diver’s Dream) are rated as some of the best drift dive sites in the Caribbean. While importance to the ecosystem services they provide - shoreline protection, fish nurseries and erosion regulation - cannot be understated, the significance to research-based tourism industry is a compelling developing sector.

This habitat for organisms from megafauna (sharks and rays) to microscopic organisms (phytoplankton and zooplankton) is facing countless threats from a host of natural and anthropogenic causes, many of which have been exacerbated in recent years. Land-based pollution from run-off and untreated sewage is especially dangerous to coral reef environments. Excessive nutrients stimulate algal growth and heavy sediment loads reduce light penetration and ultimately the coral’s ability to produce its food through photosynthesis. Along Tobago’s highly developed south-west coast, fertilizer from agricultural production has been identified as one of the major factors contributing to the recorded decline in productivity at Buccoo Reef. Marine invasive species such as the Lionfish are also leaving their mark on Tobago reefs. These voracious predators have the ability to reduce juvenile fish populations if they are not actively removed from coral reef habitats.

Healthy Elkhorn Coral in the Buccoo Reef. Photo credit: Shivonne Peters

The impacts of coral bleaching on reefs around Tobago were most evident in 2010/ 2011 when reports indicated that over sixty percent of corals in Speyside were bleached. This phenomenon occurs as result of global warming, attributed to human-related activities.  As ocean temperatures increase, even by a few degrees, the coral expels the algae or zooxanthellae which live symbiotically within the cells of the organism.  Although at this point the coral is still alive, mortality is especially common in stressed environments. Science further suggests that global warming contributes to coral disease. As with any other organism, pathogens (bacteria and viruses) affect living tissue and often result in the death of corals.  The white band coral disease that was observed locally after the 2011 bleaching event was therefore not completely unexpected.

Since then, several initiatives have been introduced to address some of the threats facing reefs around the island, with varying levels of success. In 2013, two Coral Reef Early Warning Systems (CREWS) were stationed at the Buccoo and Speyside Reefs. These systems are equipped with sensors that capture various atmospheric and oceanic conditions such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH. When conditions are recorded as ‘above normal’, this usually indicates impending events such as coral bleaching. Naturally, consistent physical monitoring is required to supplement data captured by these systems. Efforts to control the invasive lionfish have been ongoing as early as 2014. Several workshops, aimed at training divers in the capture and safe handling of this venomous fish, along with lionfish-catching tournaments have been held in north-east and south-west Tobago. 

The The Shackleton Initiative Marine Research Centre on Miller Street, Buccoo. Photo credit: Shivonne Peters

The overabundance of threats facing coral reefs is not unique to the island of Tobago. However, we are more dependent on our coral reef ecosystems since our tourism industry is a major driver of economic growth. Around the world, scientists are developing and refining methods to regrow and rehabilitate degraded reefs, and in some cases, starting ‘new’ or ‘artificial’ ones. In north-east Tobago, this initiative is spearheaded by the Environmental Research Institute Charlotteville (ERIC) through the coral garden and reef restoration project which has been ongoing since 2016. The project has been quite successful as new corals, which were replanted at new sites in Charlotteville, are now incorporated into the existing environment. 

But what about reefs in south-west Tobago? In 2019, a new hub for scientific research focused on coral reefs in Tobago is set to be launched. The Shackleton Initiative Marine Research Centre (SIMRC), a local  not-for-profit organisation located in the picturesque village of Buccoo, promises to advance coral reef conservation and restoration efforts in Tobago. Utilizing scientific innovations, researchers will be able to experiment with various methods to propagate corals in controlled environments. The SIMRC’s focus will be primarily Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) corals, listed as critically endangered under the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).  Coral fragments from nearby healthy reefs will be grown in specially designed incubators and subjected to various conditions. Such critical research can determine the most suitable methods for coral growth given our local environmental conditions. Ultimately, it is hoped that larger scale replantation efforts can be facilitated over shorter periods of time. 

Another key focus of the SIMRC is science and research based tourism in Tobago. The facility also provides housing, both dormitory style and executive suites,  so that researchers, divers and students from international and local institutions, such as collaborators at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, may be exposed to residential programs on coral reef ecology, research and restoration activities. It is expected that best practices developed by SIMRC and its local and international partners, will encourage similar research throughout Tobago. On a national level, research of this nature can influence the decision-making process as it relates to the development of policies geared toward the protection of marine habitats. This shift in the narrative is needed more than ever in Tobago’s changing environment since such research has the potential for giving our coral reefs a new lease on life.

Coral incubator at SIMRC with Executive Director, Charlton Shackleton

Sources:

Alemu, Jahson (2012). Impact of the 2010 mass coral bleaching event on Tobago’s reefs. Institute of Marine Affairs Research Symposium. Crowne Plaza, Port-of-Spain. 

Environmental Research Institute Centre Charlotteville (2018). Charlotteville Coral Garden and Reef Restoration Project. Available at: www.erictobago.org 

Shackleton Initiative Marine Research Centre (2018). Available at: www.simrc.org