Wild Tobago

In the Lesser Antilles, there are three designated UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserves, St Kitts and Nevis, Tobago and Martinique. Joanne Husain looks at how the UNESCO designation is being used to define Martinique’s land and ocean territory.    In the heart of the eastern Caribbean between the islands of Dominica and St. Lucia, lies the French island of Martinique. Known as “The Island of Flowers,” Martinique boasts a unique combination of breathtaking landscapes, marine marvels, exceptional biodiversity and rich culture alongside a commitment to sustainable economic and social development. On September 15, 2021 Martinique was inducted into UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme. This is the island’s second major UNESCO recognition after the inclusion of Martinique’s traditional Yole Sailboat on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List in December 2020.   A group of birders along one of the beautifully maintained forest trails in the Pitons du Carbet, the oldest mounta...

Hannah Lochan is looking for an advocate in government that will lead with science and empathy, and develop ecological citizenship. At the end of COVID-19 as announced by the World Health Organisation, we acknowledge and pay respect to the lives lost during those difficult years. We thank the first responders and all those involved to control and assist during the pandemic. I would like to highlight the role the government played in allowing science and scientific data to guide the decision-making process through those tumultuous times; and wonder how this might be the norm. According to Prime Minister The Honourable Dr. Keith Rowley during one of his press conferences: “We had within T&T, a population of public servants and their associates who were able to give us the appropriate advice and the government took the position that we will make our decisions based on the science and trust the professionalism of our healthcare professionals, and I must say it has...

Faraaz Abdool writes about the birds that you might see in wetlands all around Tobago. Let’s learn to recognize them and allow them to co-exist in our space. All photos by Faraaz Abdool   On an island as small as Tobago, inland bodies of water are not exactly common. It seems like somewhat of a reversal for a land mass wholly surrounded by water to then encase other bodies   of water. Whether there is a connection to the surrounding ocean or not, inland waterways support unique and essential ecosystems. The gentle topography of southwest Tobago allows water rushing down from the central hills to come to a relaxed pace, depositing sediment and widening passages en route to the ocean. While we tend to associate webbed feet with water – ducks, gulls, and terns – there are countless other species that rely heavily on the presence and flow of water through the land.    After spearing a fish, an Anhinga tosses it into the air to position it for swa...

  When last did you see black sea urchins on Tobago reefs? Anjani Ganase reports on the fate of sea urchins in the Red Sea following fatal disease in the Caribbean   Scientists are in shock after discovering a mass die off event of the black sea urchin (Diadema setosum) in the Gulf of Eilat in the Red Sea over the last couple of months. On reefs that were covered in these urchins, they now encounter dead skeletons and spines on the bottom. This black urchin, which is native to the Red Sea, invaded the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal many years ago. The population which occurred in the thousands on the reefs in the Mediterranean were wiped out in July and August 2022. The first reports of the sea urchin mortality came from Greece and Turkia and was originally thought to be a localised event. While that die off did not seem a threat to the species that is invasive in the Mediterranean Sea, the rapid spread of the disease across thousands of kilometres in the Eastern...

  Dr Anjani Ganase, coral reef ecologist, discusses little known facts of the undersea animals that are indicators of healthy oceans and coast   Mysteries of coral reproduction Not much is known about coral reproduction. Most coral species synchronise mass spawning releasing sperm and eggs into the water column. This event would be timed to seasonal and lunar cycles for optimal fertilisation. However, little is known about dynamics of the sperm and eggs when they are released into the water column.   How does a sperm increase its chances of finding a suitable egg to fertilise in a sea of 100 million eggs and sperm of many different species of corals and other organisms? Turns out there are universal strategies that coral gametes may use to find their mate. Eggs release unique chemical signals that trigger sperms to become motile. Echinoids (sea urchin and sea star eggs) are known to release calcium ions into the water to trigger sperm motility and a similar method i...