Wild Tobago

Jahson Alemu discusses the phenomenon known as bioluminescence, and conditions where it thrives: the protected Bon Accord Lagoon in Tobago is one of these rare spots.. Jahson is a marine biologist completing his PhD study on Buccoo Reef and its value in the ecosystem of south-west Tobago. This feature was first published in Tobago Newsday on Thursday, December 8, 2016.  Follow Jahson on twitter: @jahson_alemu. Imagine a world without light! That may seem difficult to imagine and it is likely you don’t think about it often! But for several animals part of their lives are spent in absolute darkness (such as at night or in the deep sea), and as such, they have evolved to cope with life in darkness by producing their own light, much like fireflies. This ability is called bioluminescence and simply put, it is the production of light due to an internal chemical reaction. More technically, it is the light energy produced as a result of the interaction of the compound luciferin wi...

One of the more pristine coral ecosystems in the New World, the Jardines de la Reina, south of Cuba, was named by Christopher Columbus for Queen Isabella. This week, Anjani Ganase, marine biologist, wonders how the opening up of Cuban-US relations will affect the protected marine park that was once Fidel Castro’s favourite fishing ground.  This feature was first published in the Tobago Newsday on Thursday, November 24, 2016 Follow Anjani on twitter @AnjGanase Recent discussions between the USA and Cuba have begun to open up relations between the two countries. For the first time in over forty years, we consider the question how opening Cuba’s market might affect the rest of the Caribbean with respect to economic competition and trade deals. For others, there is concern that this dramatic shift in Cuba’s economy will impact its natural environment. Will Cuba be precipitated into the development faux pas experienced by the rest of the Caribbean? Or will Cuba, an obs...

Anjani Ganase, Trinbagonian marine biologist, begins a weekly column on the value of coral reefs to our islands and people, and especially Tobago. This, the first of her series, was published in the Tobago Newsday on Thursday, July 14, 2016 Anjani Ganase is completing her PhD in Coral Reef surveys The Buccoo reef is considered a national and natural icon by Trinbagonians. Yet few of us have had the luxury of exploring beyond the upper edges of the reef, barely a couple metres below the sea surface. To fully understand the true beauty and importance of the Buccoo reef, you need to dive deeper in order to discover and understand how the reef functions.   The Buccoo reef, like many other reefs around the world, is a metropolis for marine life, where corals – stationary animals that grow by building a limestone skeleton – create homes for animals, such as fish, lobster and other invertebrates, sponges, anemones, and plants that live and grow on and among the cora...