Wild Tobago

One does not exist without the other it seems. Dr Anjani Ganase reminds us of the special relationship that comes with being small islands in the vast oceans that generate these storms. The Bahamas sits in the hurricane belt and has one of the highest, if not the highest, history of hurricane for the Caribbean. Its infrastructure and society is adapted for hurricanes. Yet, the devastation that Dorian has left is another reminder of how much we underestimate the impacts of climate change and how much we (humans) are lagging in preparing ourselves for the future of a changed climate. The only other Category 5 hurricane to pass directly over in the Bahamas in recent times was Hurricane Andrew, which had maximum wind speed of 265 km/hour and passed over Bahamas within 12 hours. Dorian, on the other hand, had maximum wind speed of 295 km/hour and sat over the Bahamas for over two days! The destructive winds, rainfall and storm surge devastated communities and this is only the most obviou...

Anjani Ganase, Trinbagonian marine biologist, continues her exploration of marine Tobago. In this issue, she considers three islands with coral reef ecosystems: Tobago, Curaçao and Heron Island. This feature was first published in the Tobago Newsday on Thursday, September 8, 2016. Follow Anjani Ganase on twitter: @AnjGanase Between 2009 and 2012, I worked and lived on three islands doing research in marine ecology. Each island had very different marine, terrestrial and social landscapes. Working on these islands taught me the importance of understanding all three aspects in order to implement environmental management and protection. Let’s have a look at these different islands with coral reef ecosystems, and peek into what makes each so special. TOBAGO In the summer of 2009, after graduating with a first degree in marine biology, my first job was in Tobago diving and collecting information on the juvenile turtles that lived on Tobago coral reefs. This was my...