Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network Holds Regional Training Workshop at Port Royal Marine Laboratory

Our coral reefs are amazing, precious ecosystems. But in the face of all the ongoing conservation challenges, how can we do a better job of  monitoring the health of our reefs, while continuing to raise awareness of their tremendous value to the region?

The Biodiversity Centre at the Port Royal Marine Lab, funded by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica. (My photo)

This workshop will address some of these issues at the Port Royal Marine Lab. I hope to return to the Lab later this week, to learn more.

Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network for the Caribbean hosts Coral Reef Training Workshop in Jamaica

The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN)-Caribbean is organizing a regional training workshop entitled “GCRMN-Caribbean Capacity Building for Coral Reef and Human Dimensions Monitoring within the Wider Caribbean”. This takes place at the Port Royal Marine Laboratory, The University of West Indies, Jamaica, from 10 to 14 October 2017. The workshop will be opened by an official of the UN Environment Cartagena Convention Secretariat, based in Kingston, Jamaica.

The event is organized within the framework of the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) to the Cartagena Convention with the support of the Regional Activity Centre for this Protocol (SPAW-RAC), based in Guadeloupe, and in partnership with the University of the West Indies, Mona, and the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).  Partial sponsorship has been generously provided by The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), USA.

The aim of the Workshop is to build capacity for improving coral reef monitoring andimprove regional cooperation and information sharing across the region.The training will be divided into two main components reflecting – 1) the current status and future trends for coral reefs in the Caribbean; and 2) the social and economic value of coral reefs to improve their future management, and decisions on the use of coastal areas.

The workshop will also raise awareness of the importance of coral reef conservation to the fisheries and tourism sectors in Jamaica and the Wider Caribbean region.

With 26,000 km of coral reefs, the Caribbean region represents 7% of the world total coral reef ecosystems and includes the 2nd and 3rd barrier reefs in the world (Belize and S. Andres Archipelago). The shallow marine environment contains 25 coral genera, 117 sponges, 633 molluscs, over 1400 fishes, 76 sharks, 45 shrimps, and 23 seabirds species. (Photo: European Commission BEST Initiative)

For more information on the event and GCRMN-Caribbean, you can contact the following –

Event Contact

Marcia Creary Ford, Environmental Data Manager, Caribbean Coastal Data Centre, Centre for Marine Sciences, UWI, Mona Campus, Kingston 7, Jamaica WI

Tel: 876 935 8444  Cell: 876 376 1006  SKYPE: marcia.creary

GCRMN Contact/SPAW-RAC Contact

Sophie Mjati, Project coordinator, Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife, Parc national de la Guadeloupe, 97120 Saint-Claude – Guadeloupe

Tél : +590 (0)5 90 41 55 84    sophie.mjati.carspaw@guadeloupe-parcnational.fr