Connected by the ocean
Water, the ocean, the medium for life, connects us all. Let it not divide us. Dr Anjani Ganase, marine scientist, looks into appreciating water connectivity for maintaining healthy reefs around Tobago in the International Year of the Reef 2018. (Follow her on Twitter: @AnjGanase ). First published in the Tobago Newsday, Thursday 12th April, 2018 The connectivity of the ocean facilitates processes such as exchange and transport of essential material (nutrients, oxygen and carbon dioxide), the migration of organisms and the dispersal of seeds and offspring between habitats. It allows marine turtles that hatch on our shores to hang out on reefs on other islands and to travel to other oceans. Whales, which prefer to raise their pups in warm waters, may grace us with Caribbean visits. Ocean connectivity allows coral reefs to be repopulated by fish and invertebrates from neighbouring reefs and from other habitats such as mangrove nurseries and seagrass beds. Reef views of Angel re...