Wild Tobago

Dr Anjani Ganase reviews the film Angel Azul (Blue Angel), part of the Green Screen events of  Sustain TT.  The documentary was made to provide key messages of the work of underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor; and is instructive for any other attempts to mitigate coral reef stress with underwater sculpture. Follow Anjani Ganase on Twitter ( @AnjGanase ) and follow Wild Tobago on Instagram ( @WildTobago )      The journey begins in Grenada where English artist, Jason deCaires Taylor, fell in love with the Caribbean and its wonders above and below the water. When the island was devastated by hurricane Ivan in 2004, Taylor (then 30 years) began work to create underwater sculptures near a damaged coral reef marine park. Sculptures were strategically placed on the sandy patches between the reef structure. The purpose of this was twofold; to relocate the diving stressors away from the natural reef allowing it to recover and regrow after the hurricane; and ...

Jahson Alemu, Marine Biologist, talks about coral reef health, and the important balance that some species contribute in unimagined ways. This feature was first published in the Tobago Newsday on Thursday, 19th January 2017. It’s relatively common knowledge that beautiful white sand beaches and reefs of tropical areas around the world exist largely thanks to parrotfish droppings. But fish urine is also important for maintaining a healthy reef. Corals thrive in low nutrient environments and the conservation of these globally imperilled ecosystems is largely dependent on mitigating the effects of anthropogenic nutrient enrichment. A recent study published in Nature Communications provides a novel perspective on the connectivity between corals and reef fish, where reef fish act as suppliers of key nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to corals. When fish urinate, they release phosphorus and nitrogen into the water (both of which are crucial to the survival and growth of coral reefs)...