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FEATURE STORY
MAP’s mangrove conservation and restoration project at Thung Yor, Thailand
THAILAND - Thung Yor is a small village located in Krabi Province, southern of Thailand. Some of the village area is mangrove forest which is connected to the Andaman Sea by tidal streams. Most of the villager’s main occupation is in agriculture with a supplementary livelihood from coastal small-scale fisheries. So, due to their dependence on the fishing the villagers have placed a priority on the conservation and restoration of mangroves. The community joined MAP to undertake a CBEMR project with the objective to restore 2 hectares of abandoned shrimp ponds back to mangroves. The site consists of 3 ponds as seen in the Google Earth image above with little or no tidal exchange, especially pond #2 and #3 which was were waterlogged with few mangrove seeds entering the ponds and the condition was not suitable for mangrove growth. Pond #1 remained very wet as the pond drained through the sluice gate and by the time the pond was drained the tidal starting to come back up due the semidurnal tides. ( 2 high & 2 low tides in 24 hr) Under CBEMR the priority is to restore normal tidal flushing. The community wanted to rehabilitate the mangroves but the traditional planting method would not work in this situation due to the disturbed hydrology. MAP introduced the concept of Community-based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) which was a completely new approach for the community but they trusted MAP and are determined to learn. READ MORE AFRICA Tens of thousands of mangroves to be planted across the UAE UAE - Tens of thousands of mangroves will be planted and coral gardens cultivated in a bid to reduce the impact of climate change. Some 30,000 mangrove trees will be planted to develop the marine areas of the UAE, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said on Wednesday. The mangroves will help prevent erosion in coastal areas and the corals will serve as an incubator for marine species as part of the ministry’s objectives for the Year of Zayed. “Mangrove trees play an effective role in reducing carbon emissions and contribute to minimizing the impacts of marine natural disasters. They are also incubators for many marine species, and help maintain the ecological balance, while protecting species from the risk of extinction, in addition to supporting and encouraging ecotourism,” said Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment. “Coral gardens provide a natural habitat and an incubator for several marine species, and the ministry has succeeded in cultivating 24 species of corals.” READ MORE ASIA Forest Department plans to regenerate 200 acres of mangrove wetlands MYANMAR - The Forest Department is planning to revive 200 acres of depleted mangrove forests over 1500 acres of abandoned prawn-breeding wetlands in the Ayeyarwady Delta region, said Forest Department Director Nyi Nyi Kyaw. The project, called Integrated Planning and Practices for Mangrove Management Associated with Agriculture and Aquaculture in Myanmar, will be implemented in partnership with Queensland University in Australia and APFNet. It would last for three years and cost US$547,070 (K736.90 million). “Mangrove forests, fish and prawns depend on one another,” he said at an international workshop in the project in Yangon. “Mangrove forests not only help people’s welfare but also protect from climate changes, so we need mangrove forests. This project will simultaneously carry out both protection of mangrove forests and local development,” he added. The project aims to improve the capacity for reestablishment and management of mangrove forests in the area and develop agriculture and aquaculture related professions which are connected to the area. READ MORE She uses fashion to conserve mangrove forests INDIA - Keziah Oloo says modelling and design have to change lives, beyond the usual glamour. Ms Oloo, 26, is a fashion designer, entrepreneur and a model who uses her art to conserve the environment. She leads a team of 12 models in Mombasa in a mangrove conservation cause. “We use sports, film and photography to send the message to the community and other relevant stakeholders.” They are focused on conserving the mangrove forest along the Tudor Creek, one of the two main water bodies separating Mombasa Island from the mainland. A recent study carried out shows that more than 80 per cent of mangroves along the Indian Ocean coast in the area have been wiped out. “As models we realised we can use the platform to speak up. If the creek is invested in, it can be an attraction to tourists.” When she was tasked to design the outfit befitting the cause, Ms Oloo opted for sisal sacks. READ MORE Lost mangrove diversity CHINA - Zixiao Guo, of Sun Yat-Sen University, China, and colleagues wondered whether living mangroves are genetically diverse enough to withstand current global change and whether past sea-level changes have influenced this diversity. They surveyed 26 populations of six mangrove species on the Indo-Malayan coast. Genetic diversity was surprisingly low, mirroring levels typical of much smaller populations. The lowest levels were from areas of rapid past sea-level rise, reflecting erosion of diversity as populations shrank. Complementing this spatial assessment, they found similar losses of genetic diversity over time as sea-level rose between 2010 and 2012 in China’s Yalong Bay. To return a historic favour, designing reserves with buffer zones between mangroves and nearby development will give them a chance to colonize inward as sea levels rise again. READ MORE Suspicious lorry leads to seizure of 725 mangrove poles INDONESIA - Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) seized 725 pieces of mangrove and jungle poles after a lorry transporting the commodity drove past its corporate office near Jalan Sungai Tapang here on Monday. A statement received from SFC yesterday said its enforcers, upon noticing the suspicious lorry, trailed it to a construction site. “Upon checking the lorry, SFC enforcers found 500 pieces of mangrove and jungle poles inside. An extended search of the area revealed another 225 poles on the ground,” it said. The contractor and driver also failed to produce any documents on the poles, added the statement. In a separate case, the statement revealed that a joint operation between SFC Sibu and the Forest Department in Sengayan, Kanowit on Jan 16 uncovered 37 pieces of illegal logs of various sizes and species. The team also raided a separate location in Kanowit, near Ulu Tuah, Jalan Nibong Tada, and found 81 pieces of illegal logs stacked in piles. The logs were found adjacent to a forested area and did not have any official markings. READ MORE AMERICAS Quinnipiac University group restoring mangrove forest in Puerto Rico PUERTO RICO - Months after Hurricane Maria hit the island, Puerto Rico is still recovering from the storm’s devastating aftermath and continues to need help. Quinnipiac University recently sent the first academic group to aid the relief effort in Cataño, where eight students and three professors have been helping restore the mangrove forest and seeing firsthand the effects of the disaster. The group is there working with CARAS de las Américas, a nonprofit organization that works on environmental and educational efforts in San Juan, Cataño and Guaynabo. They landed on the island Jan. 10. “Mangroves are important to the environment here,” Margarita Diaz, associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac, said from the island where she’s a native. “It’s a plant designed to survive coastal water and provides habitat for wildlife, birds, fish and crustaceans that rely on mangroves. It’s a really strong resilient plant.” Mangroves are trees and shrubs that live in coastal intertidal zones and help stabilize the coastline by reducing erosion from storm surges, waves, tides and currents. Their roots, which can often be recognized by their dense tangles, allow the trees to handle the daily rise and fall of tides and also makes them a natural habitat for wildlife. READ MORE Miami power couple ordered to replace illegally chopped mangroves USA - A Miami power couple under fire for chopping down mangroves blocking their million-dollar bay view in the wake of Hurricane Irma have been cited for illegally removing the protected trees and ordered to replace them. Miami-Dade County environmental regulators, who enforce state mangrove laws, found that architects Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear, who is also a landscape architect, removed the trees and filled wetlands despite numerous past warnings and citations for illegally cutting the mangroves. A legal settlement, which had been reached after a previous violation, specifically spelled out rules for cutting and removing the trees. Regulators plan to visit the Coconut Grove property next week to survey the damage before signing off on a plan to replant trees and restore the wetlands, said Division of Environmental Resources Management code enforcement officer JoAnne Clingerman. READ MORE Sail shade would help Environmental Studies Center mangrove display keep its cool USA - For their "12 Days of Christmas" wish, folks at the Environmental Studies Center want to throw shade on their outdoor mangrove display. And that's "throw shade" literally, not in hipster lingo. The center, a division of the Martin County School District on Indian River Drive in Jensen Beach, teaches students about and how to appreciate the Indian River Lagoon, and mangroves are an important part of the lagoon ecosystem. (It's so important, a mangrove is featured on the logo of TCPalm's Indian River Lagoon coverage.) Mangrove leaves that fall into the water and rot form the bottom of the lagoon food chain, and the "walk-on-the-water" roots are nurseries for small fish and keep the shoreline from washing away. The center's staffers are growing their own mangroves in what used to be the sea turtle tank so kids can get an up-close look at these stalwarts of the lagoon. The display is "a great educational tool," said center executive coordinator Marilyn Gavitt. "It's really beautiful, but in the afternoon it gets a lot of sun and gets really hot." READ MORE LAST WORD All, I would appreciate it very much if you can inform students about availability of travel awards from the FUCOBI Foundation of Ecuador, to attend ‘The Shrimp Epigenome (ShrimpENCODE) Project’ Session and ‘ONE HEALTH Epigenomics and Microbiomes: From Soil to People’ Workshop I will chair during the 119th National Shellfisheries Association Annual Meeting at The Renaissance Hotel, Seattle, WA USA, March 18-22, 2018 (http://www.shellfish.org/). Please share the attached announcement with your colleagues and friends in Africa. These sessions focus on the application of the holistic concept of ONE HEALTH to conserve healthy ecosystems (agricultural soil, sediment of mangroves forests and wetlands), to maintain healthy animals (shrimp/shellfish, fish), to protect human health long-term (antibiotic resistance, zoonoses, obesity, diabetes, microcephaly and other neural tube defects, cancer, among others). The invited speakers for ‘The Shrimp Epigenome (ShrimpENCODE) Project’ session will address the following topics: * ShrimpENCODE (2017-2027) – towards understanding the epigenetic mechanisms and transgenerational inheritance associated with exposure of Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei to acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND)-causing Vibrio spp. and microbial transgene Bacillus thuringiensis. * Epigenetic re-programming upon foreign (viral) DNA invasion into cells. * Understanding the molecular basis of pathogenesis of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in using comparative transcriptomics in the Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) and European shore crab (Carcinus maenas). * WSSV-like element, DNAV-1_LVa, in SPF L. vannamei domesticated in the United States. * Polymorphisms in the RTE-3_LVa non-LTR retrotransposon of SPF L. vannamei: its association with Penaeus monodon endogenous virus IHHNV (infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus) from Africa and Australia. * The PirAB toxin-producing genes of Vibrio spp. have a function similar to the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry proteins. * Transposase DDE domains and N-6 DNA Methylase family proteins as potential epigenetic marks of pathogenic AHPND-causing Vibrios from Asia (China, Vietnam, Thailand) and Latin America (Mexico, Ecuador). * The core and accessory genome of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a pathogen of penaeid shrimp (Philippines). * Defining the microbiome of Litopenaeus vannamei in wild, aquacultured and AHPND/EMS outbreak conditions (Mexico). * Evaluation of marine bacteria and their potential use as feed additive and probiotic agent against pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus (AHPND) in white shrimp L. vannamei; * Digital Pathogen Surveillance: a One Health approach to preventing infectious diseases in humans and animals. The invited speakers for ‘ONE HEALTH Epigenomics and Microbiomes: From Soil to People’ Workshop will address the following: * Present status of mangrove ecosystems in Mexico, with notes on their knowledge and conservation challenges, regarding natural and anthropogenic impacts. * MangroveENCODE (2017-2027): developing technologies for assessment of CO2, microbiome, endocrine disrupting chemicals (Glyphosate, metals) and microbial transgene Bacillus thuringiensis in mangroves sediments and agricultural soil of selected countries. * The exceptionally high carbon stocks of mangroves and their potential for the global market of carbon - A mini review of CO2 levels in three geographic regions of Ecuador. * ShrimpENCODE (2017-2027): Transposable elements of first SPF Litopenaeus vannamei from the United States: horizontal transfer of transposons associated with shrimp diseases. * The NonLTR-1_LVa non-LTR retrotransposon of SPF shrimp, L. vannamei, from the United States is homologous to the NLRS non-LTR retrotranspon associated with abdominal segment deformity disease (ASDD) of cultivated shrimp from Thailand. * Oligomerization patterns of PirA and PirB causing AHPND and its interaction with the membrane components of the epithelial cells of the shrimp hepatopancreas. * Sublethal exposure to commercial formulations of the herbicides Dicamba, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and Glyphosate cause changes in antibiotic susceptibility in Escherichia coli AND Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. * Shrimp Scampi: A Citizens Science Project to examine levels of Glyphosate and other EDCs (metals, Bisphenol A) in frozen shrimp sold at US supermarket chains. * Who will save the wild L. vannamei? * Seafood Safety and Food Security: who is in charge? * ChildrenENCODE (2017-2027): Review of epigenetic mechanisms associated with EDCs (Glyphosate, metals, Bisphenol A) in shellfish and people from estuaries: A case study of metals associated with congenital malformations of children of the Santa Elena peninsula of Ecuador. * Basic research needed to produce healthy shrimp: a publicly available, fully-assembled, reference genome from the first specific pathogen-free (SPF) domesticated stocks of Litopenaeus vannamei is a priority. Interested students should request a travel application form from the sponsor (fucobi@gmail.com), or contact me directly (environmentalgenomics.warren@gmail.com) if need additional information. If approved, foreign students will receive a letter from the meeting organizers to secure the visa to enter the US. Best regards, Acacia --- Acacia Alcivar Warren, DVM, MSc, PhD ONE HEALTH Epigenomics - A Global Educational Initiative Environmental Genomics Inc., P.O. Box 196, Southborough, MA 01772-1801 USA |
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Thursday, January 18, 2018
MAP News Issue - 434 Jan. 20, 2018
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
MAP’s mangrove conservation and restoration project at Thung Yor, Thailand
By: Udomsak Pariwatpan, MAP Field Officer, (9 Jan. 2018)
Thung Yor is a small village located in Krabi Province, southern of Thailand. Some of the village area is mangrove forest which is connected to the Andaman Sea by tidal streams. Most of the villager’s main occupation is in agriculture with a supplementary livelihood from coastal small-scale fisheries. So, due to their dependence on the fishing the villagers have placed a priority on the conservation and restoration of mangroves.
The community joined MAP to undertake a CBEMR project with the objective to restore 2 hectares of abandoned shrimp ponds back to mangroves. The site consists of 3 ponds as seen in the Google Earth image above with little or no tidal exchange, especially pond #2 and #3 which was were waterlogged with few mangrove seeds entering the ponds and the condition was not suitable for mangrove growth. Pond #1 remained very wet as the pond drained through the sluice gate and by the time the pond was drained the tidal starting to come back up due the semidurnal tides. ( 2 high & 2 low tides in 24 hr)
Under CBEMR the priority is to restore normal tidal flushing. The community wanted to rehabilitate the mangroves but the traditional planting method would not work in this situation due to the disturbed hydrology. MAP introduced the concept of Community-based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) which was a completely new approach for the community but they trusted MAP and are determined to learn.
The result was good tidal exchange which allowed mangrove seeds to enter into the site with each tide. Mother nature facilitates mangrove seeds to be dispersed everywhere in the ponds and the species start growing in the zone which is best suited for them. Seeds that end up in an in appropriate location do not fair well, die, or are out-competed by more favourable species for that location. This is a process of natural selection and results in a natural mangrove ecosystem rather than an even aged man-made plantation.
Following just two months of normal hydrology exchange we undertook our first monitoring using time-lapse photos and the results were fantastic with many volunteer seedlings growing on the restoration site. Moreover, there are many different species of seedlings such as Rhizophora apiculata, Xylocarpus sp., Avicennia sp., Acanthus sp., Ceriops sp., Bruguiera sp. etc.
Note: The Thung Yor CBEMR project supported by
Synchronicity Earth and MAP is part of
SE’s Regeneration Portfolio. http://syncmain.wpengine.com/?post_type=partner&p=14495
Thung Yor is a small village located in Krabi Province, southern of Thailand. Some of the village area is mangrove forest which is connected to the Andaman Sea by tidal streams. Most of the villager’s main occupation is in agriculture with a supplementary livelihood from coastal small-scale fisheries. So, due to their dependence on the fishing the villagers have placed a priority on the conservation and restoration of mangroves.
Photos showing abandoned
shrimp ponds before hydrological restoration.
Pond #3 above is holding mostly rainwater.
The community joined MAP to undertake a CBEMR project with the objective to restore 2 hectares of abandoned shrimp ponds back to mangroves. The site consists of 3 ponds as seen in the Google Earth image above with little or no tidal exchange, especially pond #2 and #3 which was were waterlogged with few mangrove seeds entering the ponds and the condition was not suitable for mangrove growth. Pond #1 remained very wet as the pond drained through the sluice gate and by the time the pond was drained the tidal starting to come back up due the semidurnal tides. ( 2 high & 2 low tides in 24 hr)
Under CBEMR the priority is to restore normal tidal flushing. The community wanted to rehabilitate the mangroves but the traditional planting method would not work in this situation due to the disturbed hydrology. MAP introduced the concept of Community-based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) which was a completely new approach for the community but they trusted MAP and are determined to learn.
On 8-9 March 2017 mangrove study tour to learn about CBEMR at Lang Da, Nai Nang and Thale Nok villages.
On 19-20 August 2017 a
backhoe was used to reconnect the 3 abandoned shrimp ponds together and then to
a tidal stream
according to restoration plan developed.
Some members of Thung Yor took part in a CBEMR training
workshop and field study tour (8-9 March 2017) to visit other CBEMR sites to learn the theory of this
new restoration process. A restoration plan was developed for the site,
following a full field survey including measuring the surface strata height of the
pond bottoms using an auto-level. The hydrology
improvement started by using a backhoe to make a drainage channel in pond #1 and
breaching the earthen dyke for better drainage at the old sluice gate location
(lowest point). The objective is to have rapid drain down of the pond similar to the nearby mangrove. The channel dug within the pond followed
the water drainage pattern looking much like a natural winding stream rather a straight canal.
The result was good tidal exchange which allowed mangrove seeds to enter into the site with each tide. Mother nature facilitates mangrove seeds to be dispersed everywhere in the ponds and the species start growing in the zone which is best suited for them. Seeds that end up in an in appropriate location do not fair well, die, or are out-competed by more favourable species for that location. This is a process of natural selection and results in a natural mangrove ecosystem rather than an even aged man-made plantation.
Volunteer seedlings appear on site 2 months after hydrological restoration. No planting needed.
Following just two months of normal hydrology exchange we undertook our first monitoring using time-lapse photos and the results were fantastic with many volunteer seedlings growing on the restoration site. Moreover, there are many different species of seedlings such as Rhizophora apiculata, Xylocarpus sp., Avicennia sp., Acanthus sp., Ceriops sp., Bruguiera sp. etc.
The
chief of village, Mr. Raksa Kohmodkan stated: “We would like to restore the
mangrove forest back to its original condition and allow people in this community
to use it as a source of livelihood. This site can also be a showcase model for other
communities to follow.”
The
future of mangrove depends on you so please help nature to regenerate the mangrove.
SE’s Regeneration Portfolio. http://syncmain.wpengine.com/?post_type=partner&p=14495
Thursday, January 4, 2018
MAP News Issue 433 - Jan 6, 2018
The MAP News |
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FEATURE STORY
Have you gotten your 2018 International Children’s Art Calendar yet?
Our 17th edition, the 2018 calendar is our most beautiful to date, and celebrates MAP's 25th Anniversary! This colorful calendar has increased in popularity since its first publication in 2002. Children from 14 nations entered our contest by answering a simple, but intriguing question: “What do the mangroves mean to my community and myself?” The contest is paired with field trips and lessons, encouraging students to explore the mangroves. You can make an investment in the future of these children – every penny counts. Your contribution will help students become stewards of their precious coastal resources, and to pass their knowledge on to others. The calendar gives voice to the children who will become environmentalists, leaders, and mangrove conservationists. You can also purchase the calendar directly from our online store for $15*, or by sending a check to MAP at 606 Maynard Ave S Ste 102, Seattle, WA 98104.Will you help these children share how important mangroves are? ORDER NOW FREE WITH DONATION OF $35 OR MORE AFRICA Tanzania hastens plans for power plant in Selous game reserve TANZANIA - In June 2017, Tanzanian president John Pombe Magufuli rekindled plans to construct a huge hydropower plant in the Selous Game Reserve that he said will boost the country’s energy outlook. Conservationists are opposed to this project saying it threatens the endangered animal species in the area especially the black rhinoceros and elephants. “Over 200,000 people face a threat to their livelihoods downstream of the dam, in areas with high poverty where people rely on fish for their protein. Tanzania has to make wise and, informed choices about its development trajectory to ensure that these people will not suffer,” says Dr Amani Ngusaru, WWF Tanzania Country Director. According to WWF downstream changes to the Rufiji river flow and loss of sediment it carries could see the Rufiji Delta along with East Africa’s largest mangrove forest shrink, and the offshore fishery, reputedly Tanzania’s richest fishery, contract reveals the report. The 50,000 km2 Selous Game Reserve (SGR) is one of the most important protected areas in Africa, and has been recognized as a World Heritage Site since 1982. READ MORE Why Sierra Leone is running out of fish SIERRA LEON - Foreign trawlers are plundering unguarded West African waters. One evening in Tombo, as fish buyers throng the seafront, an argument erupts at the far end of the harbour. Angry voices waft through the air, as Pa Seaport, the master fisherman of Sierra Leone, tries to solve a heated dispute between local fishermen and a South Korean man. They accuse him of damaging their nets with his trawler, which, they say, was heading to an area where fishing is banned. This squabble points to a much bigger problem. In Sierra Leone nearly half the population does not have enough to eat, and fish make up most of what little protein people get. But the country’s once-plentiful shoals, combined with its weak government, have lured a flotilla of unscrupulous foreign trawlers to its waters. Most of the trawlers fly Chinese flags, though dozens also sail from South Korea, Italy, Guinea and Russia. Their combined catch is pushing Sierra Leone’s fisheries to the brink of collapse. READ MORE ASIA Villages like Nai Nang and Ta Sanook need your partnership Four years ago the community of Nai Nang in Thailand started producing honey made from the mangroves flowers surrounding the village. Nai Nang villagers had already been involved in apiculture for some time but MAP helped provide material, technical training, develop labels, marketing and equipment support to take this project to the next level. The hives were incredibly successful, and the community sells around 300 kilos of honey each year! The story doesn’t end there! A nearby village, Ta-Sanook, showed keen interest in beekeeping as an alternative livelihood. When members of each community met, it became evident that something exciting could begin here. Soon, villagers from Ta-Sanook undertook a day-long training under the supervision of the experienced leaders from Nai-Nang village. They demonstrated beekeeping techniques, shared beehive construction methods and gave important recommendations for producing honey. At a second training, the women of Nai Nang taught their sisters at Ta Sanook the craft of making value added products such as shampoo, conditioner and hand soap. Your $50 gift will get them the tools they need to successfully restore their mangroves. Chainsaws imperil an old-growth mangrove stronghold MYANMAR - When viewed from the bow of a boat, the shoreline near the city of Myeik in southern Myanmar is all green. In every direction, low-slung mangroves blanket the horizon, their trunks submerged under several feet of water at high tide. The trees anchor a sprawling landscape that supports village life and a booming fishing industry up and down the shoreline of Tanintharyi, Myanmar’s southernmost state. But in many places, what appears green and lush from a distance disguises a landscape in peril. Christoph Zockler, an ornithologist with the German foundation Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection, has seen this up close. He first traveled through this labyrinth of coastal islands and mudflats in 2013 in search of shorebirds. In November of 2016, in collaboration with the U.K.-based NGO Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Zockler and a team of researchers from Myeik launched a 12-day expedition of coastal Tanintharyi by boat, sleeping on board and, when the tides allowed, camping on shore. The team cataloged otters, dolphins, vast swarms of crabs at low tide, a wide variety of fish and more than 200 species of birds, including the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea), of which no more than 600 likely remain on Earth. But among the marine wildlife and endangered bird sightings, the team also observed human activity that is putting the future of the mangroves in jeopardy. READ MORE Industrial pollution ravaging Sg Chalok's once vibrant ecosystem SINGAPORE - Sungai Chalok in Penarik used to be a national hotspot for shrimp (udang galah) anglers, as it allowed them to snag as many as five kilogrammes of the crustaceans within less than half a day. But four years ago, the shrimp started to disappear and today, anglers would be lucky to capture three shrimps after a day’s-worth of fishing. Even the popular baung catfish and ‘udang gantung’ (small shrimp) are now missing from fish traps. The problem began when one of the country’s largest shrimp farms, run by Blue Archipelago Sdn Bhd, started discharging sea water contaminated with chemicals into Sungai Chalok, which affected the ecosystem, especially the shrimps which are sensitive to pollution. Stopa Sulong, 66, said shrimps are a barometer of the health of a river system. READ MORE AMERICAS At age 16, A Maryland student is working with NASA on mangrove problem USA - In spring 2016, Liza Goldberg asked scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., if she could do research there. But there was a problem: She was 14, and the agency's internship program accepts students starting at 16. As luck would have it, two NASA satellite experts — David Lagomasino and Temilola Fatoyinbo — saw the request. Lagomasino and Fatoyinbo thought Goldberg could help them use satellite data to map mangroves — muddy, tangled-trunk forests that fringe the coastlines of dozens of tropical countries and as far north as St. Augustine, Fla. Mangroves are critical ecosystems: They store huge amounts of carbon and nurture fish and shrimp species that millions of people depend on for food. But much about them remains mysterious. Less than two years later, Goldberg has developed what might be the world's first satellite-based early warning system to determine where mangroves are threatened. The work incorporates data from four satellites on mangrove growth and loss, rainfall, agriculture, and urban growth. Green, yellow and red pixels on a Google Earth base map indicate threat levels ranging from low to high. READ MORE The turtle liberation in El Salvador EL SALVADOR - The Mangrove Association and its allies in El Salvador are showing that conservation works best if it has grassroots organizing behind it. These infant turtles are lucky to be alive. They're olive ridleys, and, like the six other sea turtle species still alive on Earth, they face harrowing threats to their survival. From the destruction of their coastal habitat, climate change, and entanglement in marine debris, their numbers have declined by at least 30 percent in recent decades, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature declares them vulnerable to extinction on its Red List of Threatened Species. They face extra peril in El Salvador, where the consumption of turtle eggs is a long-time culinary tradition and people comb the beach collecting eggs to sell at market. In this part of the country, though, baby turtles have bodyguards. Isla Montecristo is just one of hundreds of small Salvadoran communities that rely on the mangrove forest and its riches for their survival. Without the trees and their enormous root systems, the ocean would wash the town and its turtle hatchery away READ MORE EUROPE New coral sowing method could inspire large-scale reef restoration GERMANY - Researchers with the nonprofit SECORE International have developed a new technique for planting coral. The method could enable reef restoration efforts at larger scales. Currently, the process of replanting reefs is labor-intensive. Divers plant coral larvae or coral fragments individually. Often, such restoration efforts occur across a region no larger than 10,000 square feet. Meanwhile, coral degradation is occurring across thousands of square miles. The new technique involves the stabilization of coral larvae in a specially-designed substrate. Instead of being individually planted by hand, the larvae-lined substrate attaches naturally to the reef. The substrate looks like a small, star-like anchor. It is wedged into crevices in the reef, allowing the corals to naturally sows themselves into the reef structure. Using previous methods, the planting of 10,000 individual corals inside a 10,000 square-foot plot requires anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand person-hours of labor. "Sowing the same number of corals could be achieved in less than 50 person-hours, a time saving of over 90 percent," Margaret Miller, research director for SECORE, said in a news release. READ MORE OCEANA Ready the cocktail sauce: mega prawn farm gets go ahead for shrimp nursery AUSTRALIA - Australia’s biggest producer of farmed prawns is set to become even bigger. Seafarms (ASX:SFG) this week got the tick of approval for its Sea Dragon shrimp project in the Northern Territory. Known for its operation of premium Crystal Bay prawns, the shrimp producer is developing a large-scale land-based project which aims to produce reliable volumes all year round, with potential to net the company in excess of $3 billion in export revenue. On Monday Seafarms was granted an aquaculture licence for its breeding and maturation centre near Darwin, where top quality prawns will roost before they move to the grow-out facility in East Kimberly. At full production Project Sea Dragon (PSD) will produce up to 150,000 tonnes a year of black tiger shrimp, in 10,000 hectares of production ponds. READ MORE Dear colleagues, The World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity has good momentum and is reaching millions of people. We are getting several thousand visitors a day on our Scientists’ Warning project website http://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/ In addition to English, the Warning is now available in 14 additional languages. These include Dutch, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish, Telugu, and Turkish. These translations are available at http://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/ Any scientist that did not sign the article before the BioScience publication deadline, is invited to endorse it by visiting (scientists.forestry.oregonstate.edu). Please invite any of your scientist contacts to endorse the article. Your tweets have been very effective in keeping the momentum going, please continue this in the New Year with tweets such as: The #ScientistsWarningtoHumanity https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix125 is now available in 14 new languages from several continents. View here: http://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/ or I signed the #ScientistsWarningtoHumanity and now all can show your support by sharing the following link: https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix125 or I signed the #ScientistsWarningtoHumanity https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix125 and other scientists can still help by endorsing the article here: http://scientistswarning.forestry.oregonstate.edu/ Thanks again for signing the article, William (Bill) J. Ripple, Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Oregon State University Ps. The concern for a liveable world has become a global movement as we can see with the nomination of three environmental pioneers for the Nobel Peace Prize. Check out this website NP4SD.org if you wish to endorse-nominate awarding the Nobel Peace Prize (themed for Sustainable Development) jointly to the Club of Rome, Dr. Herman Daly and Pope Francis. |
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The community of adults and youth in Cayman Islands has come together recently to release a series of educational videos. Each is geared to...
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By: Isabel Robinson, MAP Volunteer Intern Some months ago I decided to come to Thailand and do an internship in mangrove conservation, ...
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J.H. Primavera, Ph.D. Among others, Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami have highlighted the importance of m...
MAP News Issue 593, March 9, 2024
MAP News Issue #593 - March 9, 2024 Nigeria has Commenced Large-Scale Mangrove Restoraion in Ogoniland Eastern Niger Delta NIGERIA - The...