Ocean Doctor » Conservation

Shark Nations Failing on Conservation Pledges

Newswire — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:04:44 +0000

By Richard Black, Environment correspondent, BBC News

The wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic and the Pew Environment Group say most of the main shark fishing nations do not manage fisheries well.

Ten years ago, governments agreed a global plan to conserve sharks.

An estimated 100 million sharks are killed each year, with nearly a third of species at risk of extinction.

Many fisheries target the fins for use in shark fin soup; and a number of countries, including the US, have recently passed measures aimed at regulating the trade.

Neither of the two countries catching the most sharks – Indonesia and India – has yet finalised national plans of action for protecting sharks.

Read the rest…

Note: Newswire stories are provided as a courtesy of OceanDoctor.org. Content of these articles is provided by external sources.

A Blueprint of Collaboration — and Friendship — with Cuba

Ocean Doctor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:18:59 +0000

Nearly 60 representatives from Cuba, Mexico and the U.S. convened in Havana in October 2009 to finalize a "Plan of Action" for future collaboration in marine research and conservation focused in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean Sea

HAVANA, Cuba — On October 25-26, 2009 the third meeting of a growing partnership of U.S, Cuban and Mexican institutions dedicated to strengthening collaboration in marine research and conservation convened in Havana, Cuba and has resulted in the near-finalization of a new five-year “Plan of Action,” a blueprint for future collaboration. The ongoing effort, led by The Ocean Foundation, the Center for International Policy, the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, and the Mexican Secretariat of the Navy has set the stage for an unprecedented level of collaboration among the three nations, including the creation of new projects and partnerships along with additional funding to support them.

The Plan of Action focuses on research and conservation priorities in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean, priorities considered nearly impossible without the concerted collaboration of all three nations. Because of the U.S. trade embargo imposed against Cuba, participation on the U.S. side has thus far been limited to nongovernmental organizations. The Havana meeting was the largest yet, bringing together a total of nearly 60 participants representing the three countries.

In November 2007, an international conference in Cancún, Mexico brought together high-level scientists and decision makers from Cuba and the United States for the first time to agree on marine research and conservation priorities. These priorities, covered in detail in the meeting proceedings and summarized below, establish a new framework for collaborative Cuba-U.S. research and conservation activities for the foreseeable future. The Cancún meeting was covered by the New York Times as the cover story in its Science section: Conserving Cuba After the Embargo and by 1planet1ocean: Historic Meeting Unites Cuba and the U.S., Taking Collaboration on Ocean Research & Conservation to a New Level.

Because of the U.S. economic embargo of Cuba, collaboration between U.S. and Cuban scientists has been difficult. Even though research is a permitted activity and U.S. scientists are allowed to travel to Cuba, the harsh logistical and political realities have prevented all but a few U.S. institutions from maintaining successful collaborative projects in Cuba. Recognizing the critical need for more scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean – and the key role that Cuban waters play in the ecosystem – the Cancún meeting brought together major institutions from both countries to establish research priorities and chart a way forward toward stronger and more comprehensive collaborative activities.

Three members of the Shark Research & Conservation Group discuss the Plan of Action: Left to right: Dra. Consuelo Aguilar Bentacourt (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de La Habana); Dr. Robert Hueter (Mote Marine Laboratory); Dr. Fabián Pina Amargós (Centro de Investigaciones Ecosistemas Costeras, Cuba)

Scientists from both countries recognize that there is a need to step up collaborative activities in order to more effectively address the growing research and conservation needs of the Gulf of Mexico and Western Caribbean. It has become especially important to study these areas with a regional perspective in order to understand biological linkages and inform sound conservation policies at a regional level. The principal goal of the November 2007 Cancún meeting was to establish a set of consensus scientific priorities that would serve as the framework for a plan of action. Six key priority areas were identified and discussed:

Research and conservation of coral reefs
Research and conservation of sharks
Research and conservation of sea turtles
Research and conservation of marine mammals
Research, conservation and management of fish resources
Strengthening of marine protected areas

Working groups were formed around each of these priorities. Recognizing that better international communications are essential to the effort’s success, a committee was also formed to address Internet and telecommunications issues.

Following the successful prioritization process at the Cancún meeting, the group committed to a follow-up meeting to build on its efforts, transforming the list of priorities into a Plan of Action to identify specific projects and activities designed to advance the priorities. Such a Plan would serve as a road map and planning document for implementing new collaborative efforts.
The follow-up meeting was held successfully in Veracruz, Mexico in March 2009 and broadened the scope of the project to include full Mexican participation. A draft Plan of Action – based on the priorities established at the Cancún meeting – was drafted at the Veracruz meeting and a third meeting would be used to finalize the Plan and begin its implementation.

Panel Discussion on funding perspectives. Left to right: Steve Cornelius (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation); Shari Sant Plummer (Code Blue Foundation; Summit Foundation; Deep Search Foundation); Tom McMurray (The Ocean Foundation); Mark Spalding (The Ocean Foundation)

The Havana meeting included the participation of members of the U.S. funding community, including the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Summit Foundation, Code Blue Foundation and The Ocean Foundation, to provide their perspectives and advice for the finalization of the Plan and ongoing efforts of the partnership. The meeting was coincident with the first-ever joint congress of the Latin American Association of Marine Sciences Investigators (ALICMAR) and the Cuban National Oceanographic Committee (NOC). This “double congress,” entitled ColacMarCuba 2009, included the 13th Latin American Congress on Marine Sciences (COLACMAR) and the 8th Cuban Congress on Marine Sciences (MarCuba 2009), held October 26-30, 2009 and included nearly 1,500 participants representing nearly 40 countries.

ColacMarCuba 2009 provided an ideal venue for the project team to meet and take the first concrete steps toward implementation of the Plan of Action by building specific projects and partnerships from the Plan’s identified prioritized actions and activities. The large, diverse audience present at COLACMAR provided an important setting to formally announce the group’s recommendations and planned activities to the international scientific community for the first time, with the hope of building additional partnerships and projects. This special session was presented by Dr. David E. Guggenheim who has organized and led the three conferences. A fourth meeting is in the planning stages for 2010, to take place in Sarasota, Florida.

Participating institutions included:

Cuba: Acuario Nacional de Cuba; Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras; Centro Nacional de Áreas Protegidas; Centro Nacional de Áreas Protegidas; Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnologia y Medio (co-organizer); Ministerio de la Pesca; Universidad de La Habana, Centro de Investigaciones Marinas; Centro de Investigaciones Ecosistemas Costeras

Mexico: Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas; Comission Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas; Instituto Nacional de Pesca; Instituto Politécnico Nacional; Secretaria de Marina (co-organizer); Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México; Universidad Veracruzana

USA: The Ocean Foundation (co-organizer); Center for International Policy (co-organizer); Environmental Defense Fund; Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies; Mote Marine Laboratory; Chicago Zoological Society; The Nature Conservancy

Recent Media Stories About the Havana Meeting:

Global Post: Can U.S. and Cuba work together to protect shared marine ecosystem?
Reuters: U.S, Cuban scientists plan joint Gulf research
NPR: Listen for a special NPR story to air in November/December 2009

Photos from the Tri-National Meeting in Havana, October 2009

Cuba Loses its Mother Ocean

Ocean Doctor — Wed, 06 May 2009 12:47:29 +0000

Cuba has lost its Mother Ocean. Dr. María Elena Ibarra Martín, director of the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, CIM) since 1981, passed away yesterday afternoon after a month-long struggle following heart surgery. CIM is the only academic institution in Cuba where marine biologists are trained, and her loss is mourned by hundreds of her students, many of whom grew up to become her colleagues — and friends. Her selfless, tireless dedication goes far beyond words, and the impact she has made on education, conservation, and her unique model of personal integrity will no doubt endure for centuries to come. When I last saw Doctora in February, she was as busy as ever, wrestling mountains of paperwork on her desk while never letting go of her visionary perspective about conservation and education. Nor did she ever let go of her special fondness for sea turtles and her love for and dedication to her students.

I first met Dr. Ibarra in 2000 while I was Vice President at Ocean Conservancy (OC), and the work we have done together has continued to blossom nearly nine years later (now under the auspices of The Ocean Foundation). During the summer of 2003, I nominated Dr. Ibarra for the “Local Hero” section of OC’s magazine, Blue Planet Quarterly to honor her many contributions to marine science and conservation. I can still remember the challenge of convincing her to allow me to write the article. She was always uncomfortable with accolades and recognition, and in this case she tried to encourage me to write about the institution and students rather than her. She complied only when I convinced her that the article could help her students by bringing recognition to her institution. And to snap the photo above required inviting her out to a local cafe for refrescos, then quietly pulling out the camera and engaging in yet more negotiations. Thankfully, she finally complied.

I managed to track down a copy of that article and I believe reprinting it here today offers the best way I could pay homage to this incredible woman:

Patience and Persistence

Despite numerous setbacks and hardships, Dr. Maria Elena Ibarra Martin has advanced marine science and conservation in Cuba with an unwavering will.

by David E. Guggenheim, Ph.D.

Originally published in Blue Planet Quarterly, Fall 2003
Download the original article (PDF)

It was called the “White Hurricane,” the “Storm of the Century.” The freak 1993 winter storm paralyzed each city it passed, from the Gulf Coast to New England. But before the first snowflake ever fell in the U.S., the storm was already well-known by Cubans. The monstrous waves of “La Tormenta del Siglo” assailed Cuba’s north-facing shoreline, destroying the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, CIM). It was a devastating loss for marine conservation since every marine scientist in Cuba is trained at the Center. Fortunately, Dr. María Elena Ibarra Martíin, CIM’s director since 1981, was not about to let a little thing like the total destruction her Center stop her from her life’s mission to train the next generation of marine scientists and advance the conservation of Cuba’s environment.

“Maybe for you in the U.S. it would be nothing to rebuild a building, but here in Cuba, it is the work of a giant,” said Dr. Gaspar González Sansón, a professor and biologist at CIM and its former vicedirector who was a student of Ibarra more than 35 years ago.

The task was indeed daunting, occurring during Cuba’s “Special Period,” the economic nightmare left in the wake of the Soviet Union’s sudden demise and withdrawl from Cuba. But thanks to Ibarra’s trademark persistence, the Center was rebuilt just a few blocks away. Together with its wellspring of students, CIM stands as a monument to a woman with a vision who simply won’t take “no” for an answer. “She built an institution that has endured the good and the bad; it is well-known, with respect from all over the country,” says Dr. Rogelio Díaz-Fernández, CIM biologist and chief biologist for its Guanahacabibes sea turtle project (see Where Conservation Meets Education, inset below).

Today, CIM teems with approximately 40 postgraduate students and more than 200 undergraduate students. Thanks to Ibarra’s leadership, the profile of marine science in Cuba has been elevated dramatically over the past 30 years. The Center maintains strong ties not only with other Cuban institutions, but has built strong international ties to universities and nonprofits abroad, including The Ocean Conservancy.

With Ibarra as its matriarch, CIM feels much more like a family than a university. Its faculty consists of many of her former students, and the next generation of students already appreciates Ibarra’s passion and selfless dedication to her students above all else. She breaks bread at the same table as her students and sleeps in the same room when in the field. She has even refused coffee if there was not enough for her students. Her students love her, admire her and draw great inspiration from her.

Daylin Muñoz Nuñez, a student of Ibarra’s who graduated in 2001, continues to take classes from the woman who is her role model. “She pays attention to everybody. You don’t have to be a doctor or an experienced person. She pays attention to young people, too.” Fellow student Julia Azanza Ricardo, who recently completed her Master’s, is equally inspired. “She’s a woman of great ideas with a lot of energia. When she has an idea she always has a way to accomplish it.”

At 70, Ibarra’s impossibly packed calendar belies that she is 15 years past the recommended retirement age for women in Cuba. Among her myriad of accomplishments, she helped found the Natural Botanical Garden of Cuba, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Havana, and was president of the Cuban Zoological Society for 16 years. She co-founded Pronaturaleza, the Cuban Society for the Protection of the Environment, and since 2000 has been its president. “Prior to its establishment in 1993, Cuba had no organization whose main goal was to address environmental issues in Cuba,” says Ibarra. Under her leadership, the organization is a major conservation force in Cuba.

Ibarra attributes her inspiration for education and biology to her parents. Her father ran two private schools in Santiago de Cuba, and her mother was a professor of natural science. Ibarra moved to Havana in 1950 to pursue her studies at the University of Havana, but the strikes against the Batista regime left the universities closed, so she returned to Santiago to teach natural science in her father’s schools. After Fidel Castro took power in 1959, she returned to Havana and worked at the Cuban Institute for Petroleum. Following the revolution, there was a severe shortage of teachers, and the government sought volunteers to teach. She jumped at the opportunity, and taught nights at Havana schools. In 1964, she joined the faculty of University of Havana, where she eventually became Dean of the Faculty of Biology, a position she held until taking the reigns at CIM in 1981.

The years have taught her that it takes more than biology to achieve conservation, and she’s intent on seeing that her students’ training reflects this. “Economic, social, cultural, and political issues are all factors. Nowadays, this information is entangled for any university graduate.” She welcomes students from other disciplines, hoping to build environmental awareness in the undergraduate students of engineering, architecture and economics who work shoulder-to-shoulder with her biology students on the Guanahacabibes sea turtle project.

In Cuba, Ibarra faces a daily fight to keep the lights on – literally. “She barely finishes one battle and another begins,” sighs Díaz. Despite the obstacles, Ibarra remains undaunted. Through her determination the Center not only endures many hardships, but continues to grow.

Ibarra is admired internationally as a leader, a director and a visionary. But she will be always be a teacher first, something her legion of loyal students feel intensely. “Sometimes I call her ‘doctora,’ but I prefer ‘profe,’ [professor]. I will always be able to learn from her,” says Muñoz, “For me she is an example…I would like to be like her some day. She is persistente. I think she’ll never give up.”

Download the original article (PDF)

Where Conservation Meets Education

Exemplifying Dr. María Elena Ibarra Martín’s vision for combining conservation and education is CIM’s sea turtle conservation project at Cuba’s Guanahacabibes Peninsula. For the past five summers, hundreds of students have participated in the grueling task of monitoring nesting beaches while working and living in stifiling heat among mosquitoes and sand fleas. Before this project there was no intensive monitoring of sea turtles on the main island of Cuba. Ibarra has built strong ties with local schools and residents, involving them in the project. With their help, she has drastically reduced poaching of turtles and their eggs. Her vision is truly farsighted. “Environmental education is about challenging minds, something that is very difficult if you don’t plant a seed early in peoples’ lives. That’s why we started the Guanahacabibes project. We are there now, but what will happen there is ultimately their responsibility.”

Post Script: Within the next few weeks, both of the students I quoted in the article will make Dr. Ibarra very proud. Julia Azanza Ricardo will receive her Doctorate from the University of Havana and she now oversees the Guanahacabibes Sea Turtle project. Daylin Muñoz Nuñez will receive her Master’s degree from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and soon begins work with Environmental Defense Fund.

A green sea turtle hatchling in Guanahacabibes Peninsula, Cuba

At her request, Dr. Ibarra’s ashes will be spread among the sands of the beaches of Cuba’s Guanahacabibes peninsula. Per her wishes, there will be no formal ceremony or funeral. If you would like to pay tribute to Dr. Ibarra’s memory, a contribution to The Ocean Foundation’s “Cuba Marine Research & Conservation Fund” will go directly to the Guanahacabibes Sea Turtle project and research expeditions to Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico Coast, both collaborative programs with CIM that are supporting the research of nearly 20 students.

Free Speech(es): 50 Years, 50 States, 50 Speeches

Ocean Doctor — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:45:33 +0000

Fresh from the Eisenhower Administration era, your friendly neighborhood Ocean Doctor turned 50 today. In doing so, I outlived my father, William L. Guggenheim, who tragically died at 49 when he was lost at sea. It was my days as a boy, fishing with my dad off of Cape May, New Jersey, that I truly inherited his passion for the sea, and I feel lucky to have been able to spend much of my life near, in, or best of all, under the water.

To celebrate my 50th, I’d like you to send me on a journey this year, a journey to visit our next generation, in their schools, and share with them some of the awe and wonder of my experiences in the sea, including the important lessons that go along with them. So I’ll be donating one speech to one school in every state and U.S. territory (accredited schools, public or private, K through college level). I’m waving my speaking fee and travel expenses. I don’t require anything except an enthusiastic audience and maybe a glass of water. (I would encourage a class project to find creative ways to offset my travel’s carbon footprint to your school.) I’ll show my videos, share my adventures, and my enthusiasm for the wonder of the deep blue part of the planet.

I’ll honor the first request I receive from each state and U.S. territory (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa) and, of course, the District of Columbia. If you or someone you know would like to take me up on this offer, just fill out the Book a Speaker Form on the 1planet1ocean web site and indicate that you’re submitting the request for the “Free Speech” project.

I look forward to this adventure and wish all of you a happy 50th, whenever it arrives, or whenever it was.

Exploring, Studying Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico

Ocean Doctor — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 14:38:30 +0000

Proyecto Costa Noroccidental research team aboard Cuban research vessel Boca del Toro, second expedition

The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the University of Havana’s Center for Marine Research (CIM) [Centro de Investigaciones Marinas] are leading a collaborative effort, Proyecto Costa Noroccidental [Project of the Northwest Coast], a comprehensive multi-year research and conservation program for Cubaâ€™s Gulf of Mexico coast. Dr. David E. Guggenheim, president of 1planet1ocean, is a member of HRI’s Advisory Council and also serves as HRI’s Cuba Programs Manager and is co-principal investigator of the project with Dr. Gaspar GonzÃ¡lez SansÃ³n of CIM.

Proyecto Costa Noroccidental is assessing northwestern Cuba’s marine habitats, identifying and describing the principal human uses and threats, providing recommendations for the conservation of the regionâ€™s ecosystems, and establishing a framework for long-term cooperative research and monitoring. The project is designed to provide fundamental data on this understudied region of Cuba while also providing new insights regarding biological connectivity and conservation in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. The project is expected to help secure science-based conservation policies in advance of the inevitable wave of development in the region.

Proyecto Costa Noroccidental is the first comprehensive study of Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico region

Cubaâ€™s northwest coast has not been comprehensively studied, and the results of this project are providing an important advance to the natural sciences in Cuba and conservation of costal ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. This research is gaining attention and participation from numerous Cuban institutions and is providing the basis for the research theses and dissertations for 16 students at the projectâ€™s lead Cuban institution, the University of Havanaâ€™s Centro de Investigaciones Marinas (CIM) [Center for Marine Research], the only Cuban institution where marine scientists are trained. Our understanding of the Gulf increasingly points toward a vast web of linkages throughout the ecosystem, linkages that span international borders. Collaborative scientific research is a permitted activity under the long-standing United Statesâ€™ economic embargo of Cuba.

CIM researcher prepares samples for reference collection during second expedition

Up until now, Cubaâ€™s northwest coast has not experienced the levels of coastal development seen elsewhere on the island, but as the country is now among the worldâ€™s fastest growing tourist destinations, there are growing pressures of tourism in the region, accompanied by accelerating impacts from fishing, agriculture, and now, offshore petroleum development.

The project is collecting data on corals and invertebrates, fish populations, and water quality. Ecotoxicological analysis is also being conducted to assess land-based pollution impacts. In 2007, a shark research component will be incorporated, including a planned October 2007 shark tagging expedition. Northwest Cuba has seen a ten-fold reduction in shark landings since the 1960s.

CIM researcher measures green sea turtle nesting at Guanahacabibes, Cuba

The project also includes a comprehensive sea turtle research and conservation component focused at Cubaâ€™s westernmost point, Guanahacabibes. Through strong community involvement and education, it has dramatically reduced turtle poaching.

In 2007, in collaboration with several Mexican institutions, the project will include a genetic analysis of Cuban sea turtle populations in order to gain new insight into population dynamics. Also planned for 2007 is a broadening dialogue with Cuban policymakers to make use of the data obtained from this project.

At the December 2006 MARCuba conference in Havana (Cubaâ€™s triennial marine research conference) a total of 22 presented papers and posters were based on the research outcomes of this project. Publication efforts will continue and intensify over the coming year.

Students from the school â€œHermanos SaÃzâ€ in the Guanahacabibes region who participate in the community outreach components of the sea turtle monitoring and conservation project.

Esperanza Sets Sail from Dutch Harbor: Bering Sea Expedition Under Way

Ocean Doctor — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 03:25:49 +0000

DeepWorker submarines aboard Esperanza as the ship heads north into the Bering Sea, leaving the Aleutians behind. (Photo by David E. Guggenheim)

The Expedition to the Bering Sea officially got under way as the M/V Esperanza departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska on Friday, July 27 at 4pm Alaska Daylight Time. The Esperanza will steam through the night — for roughly 15 hours — to its first destination, Pribolof Canyon near the Pribolof Islands in the Bering Sea. The first DeepWorker dives are scheduled for Saturday morning.

In June, an international team of researchers and conservation specialists recently completed a week of intensive training and preparations for this Greenpeace-led expedition to Alaska’s Bering sea. The Esperanza is carrying two manned submersibles, a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) and the research team to the Bering Sea for a three week survey of Zhemchug and Pribilof Canyons, specifically to map and document deepwater corals living at depths of more than 1,000 feet.

Captain Peter Wilcox gently maneuvers M/V Esperanza away from her berth in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, kicking off the Bering Sea Expedition. (Photo by David E. Guggenheim)

These corals, some nearly two thousand years old, are vital components of the Bering Sea’s rich and unique ecosystem. Unfortunately, these corals are at great risk, ending up in fish trawling nets as “bycatch” or “incidental take,” the unintentional harvest of one species while fishing for another. Many tons of corals have been destroyed by indiscriminant trawling gear which scrapes the bottom and sides of seamounts — underwater mountains — for fish.

It is hoped that the data collected during this expedition will help advance our scientific understanding of these deepwater coral communities and be helpful to policy makers as well, leading to more effective conservation measures. A Scientific Advisory Panel is advising the project, including representatives from Scripps, the Smithsonian, the St. George Island Ecosystem Office, MCBI, Oceana, Texas A&M, and Nova Southeastern. 1planet1ocean president David E. Guggenheim will be serving as a sub pilot and scientific advisor.

The expedition will be using two DeepWorker submarines, one-person mini-subs, untethered, that are capable of a depth of up to 2,000 feet. Each sub is equipped with a high-definition video camera, a manipulator arm for collecting samples, sonar for navigation and is always in contact with the surface using through-water (acoustic) communications.

DeepWorker’s cabin recirculates the air, using carbon dioxide scrubbers similar to what’s used in spacecraft, providing up to 80 hours of life support. A typical dive lasts 4-6 hours.

Track the Bering Sea Expedition: Esperanza’s Current Location, Weather & Live Webcam