Beginning June 2008, the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant Program (UPRSG) initiated a Caribbean-wide assessment of the research priorities and needs of marine resource managers, users, and scientists in the United States territories and adjacent countries that comprise the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME). In response to the present resource management problems that exist, UPRSG began a regional assessment to identify and prioritize critical areas of research and information associated with the sustainable use of marine resources that are applicable to the development of better management strategies. Read more...
UPR Sea Grant held its first 2012 Ocean Chat seminar titled Probing for Antibiotic Resistance Genes as Molecular Indicators of Wastewater Pollution in Coastal Habitats. This research project is of utmost importance because it concerns various areas of human health and the status of our marine and coastal ecosystems. The Ocean Chat was held in [...]
In light of the scientific concerns regarding the effects of climate change and what they entail, we conducted two sessions dedicated to this exceedingly growing topic among the scientific community. We interviewed representatives from the academic sector, which included a specialist in public health associated with environmental issues offering other possible aspects that may not have been discussed in our previous group sessions. Should climate change be centered only around science (mostly marine/coastal/terrestrial) or should public health be considered among the key concerns? Read more to find out!
The Virtual Network of Marine Resources (Red Virtual de Monitoreo de los Recursos Marinos, http://www.recursosmarinos.org) from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico (PCUPR) will be hosting a workshop in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PR-DRNA), inviting scientists, professors, and resource managers with interests in collecting and identifying ciguatoxin-producing microalgae. Read this post to find out more about it!
NOAA has recently published the February 2012 Newsletter of “NOAA in the Caribbean: Connecting NOAA & Partners across the Caribbean”. For more information, read more about it here!
Would you like to know more about what NGOs are currently doing in your area, what funds may be available, how to get in touch with an NGO?
Then, check out this “no frills” portal for resources associated with NGOs – including forums, directories, jobs, networking, and technology!
Don’t miss the great opportunity to tune into the online LIVE broadcast of Dr. John Agard (University of the West Indies) on “The Caribbean Sea as a Special Area in the Context of Sustainable Development”. Read this post for more details on this exciting activity to be held on Thursday, February 2, 2012!
Do you participate in research/studies associated with benthic ecology?
Then, don’t miss out on the 41st Benthic Ecology Meeting on March 21-24, 2012 in Norfolk, Virginia at the Waterside Marriott Hotel! This meeting is “one of the of the largest scientific meetings for marine biologists in the USA.” It will be hosted by the Old Dominion University. Read this post for more information!
Fish populations play a critical role in the feeding habits of seabirds. Healthy populations of fish provide subsistence to many species of birds, some of which are threatened, or in dire straits. Read about Dr. Valdés-Pizzini’s comments on a recent article in Science that mentions the importance of sustaining bird populations by ecosystem-based management and how a UPR Sea Grant-funded study on seabirds from the Monito Islet, Mona Channel, Puerto Rico described their foraging habits!
A federal funding announcement has been made for the NOAA Sea Grant Aquaculture Research Program 2012! It “is part of the overall plan to support the development of environmentally and economically sustainable ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes aquaculture. Aquaculture that occurs in the Great Lakes or its coastal zone is considered marine aquaculture for this competition.” Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to submit your preproposal for environmentally-friendly and sustainable aquaculture practices! Read more about it in this post!
The 2005 publication of “Caribbean Marine Biodiversity: The known and the unknown” presents a general description of the major marine ecosystems and species found (“knowns”) and the studies that must be addressed in each country (“unknowns”) to better understand the its present and future status of Caribbean marine biodiversity in order to establish better resources management practices in the region. In a more recent publication (2010) by Miloslavich and a team of 16 other experts, the regional estimates and distribution patterns of marine biodiversity were re-evaluated based on major activities conducted by the Census of Marine Life Program. Read more about whether advances in characterizing marine biodiversity has changed since 2005 and how our assessment coincides with some of their conclusions!
For a more detailed description of the objectives of our project and several key questions that we seek comment on, please read our informational brochure here. |
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