The Central Caribbean
Marine Institute was established to create a regional centre for excellence in
coral reef science. With a programme of continuing education and outreach to
schoolchildren, students and coral scientists, it offers a base for the study
and monitoring of reef biology on Little Cayman Island. Donations such as ours
enable CCMI to run the research centre with its dormitories, canteen, wet
laboratory and study centre as well as contributing to the publication and
research of publications aimed at furthering knowledge on the plight of the
fragile reef ecosystem. The past six months have seen the publication of 'Our
Ocean Planet' - a comprehensive teacher's handbook which is introducing the
concept of 'ocean literacy' as established by NOAA to schools in Cayman with
the cooperation of the Dept of Education. In addition, 2009 has already seen
the production of the Green Guide to Cayman Islands (Special Publication No.2,
by Dr. Carrie Manfrino) which is distributed to all households in the islands.
CCMi also hosts weekend
residencies for schoolchildren and older pupils where coral reef science and
the principles of marine ecology are taught with practical study of the nearby
Marine Park. Tertiary level students, post-graduates and academic visitors make
up the bulk of the researchers using the laboratory facilities at CCMI and we
regularly host high level programmes by NOAA scientists and coral scientists
from around the world who value the unique location and facilities offered at
the institute.
The Global Ocean Environmental Awareness Raising Workshops proposal was to raise awareness for the importance of the conservation of seas and oceans among students of public schools located close to the sea. Participation was one of the objectives of the workshop and also has based its methodological process. The aim was to bring out the students feelings related to the beach, the sea and the ocean and to raise their prior knowledge on the themes presented. Then the aim was to build new ideas collectively based on their knowledge and on new information, contextualized to their reality. In the end the students should reflect on the subjects discussed, create conservation proposals for the seas and oceans and create artistic drawing panels, fomenting their imagination and creativity about the oceans.
The lack of previous bond with
the classes was a challenge. It was necessary to build a trusting
relationship right in the workshop beginning, in a few minutes, and
attain the students’ interest and attention. Another challenge was to
register the workshops, while facilitating it. The need to play the
facilitator and the photographer role at the same time was a hard task,
however the registration was possible and everything worked out well.
The articulation with the schools
was also a challenge. Many schools visited did not attend the targeted
public of the workshops, for being too distant from the sea or for
attending students of ages different from the pre-established for the
workshop. Many times the reality of the public schools in Bahia makes
the classrooms heterogenic in terms of age, as many students get late
to school and others “repeat” the school year, becoming also “late” in
relation to the school grade ideal age. Some schools visited were not
very receptive to workshop proposal, however all schools we worked
with, were receptive to the Global Ocean project immediately, and have
facilitated its development.
The Global Ocean Environmental
Awareness Raising Workshops 2008 were developed during three
consecutive days in October, in six different schools, located along
the Salvador City seashore.
The workshops were successful,
attaining and even overcoming its proposed goals. Most of the
collaborative institutions had shown interest in the continuation of
this type of initiative, as every extra incentive for the students
learning is welcome, especially when this impacts directly on their
environment and daily lives. It is clear however, that continuous
action and learning is necessary for the internalization of the ideas
discussed. Some of these ideas were: the human need for oceans and seas
conservation; the right for living creatures and species to survive;
the need to keep biodiversity; and everyone’s responsibility for marine
conservation. Continuous action is also necessary for the empowerment
of these students (and school community) to think and act for marine
conservation.
An exciting time for Ocean Alliance, close to releasing the preliminary results from the Voyage of the Odyssey with an 88 page report that will be circulated worldwide.
Ocean Alliance was founded in 1971 by biologist Roger Payne. Led by Dr Payne and Chief Executive Officer Iaian Kerr, Ocean Alliance collects a broad spectrum of data on whales relating particularly to toxicology, bioacoustics, behaviour and genetics.
Working with that data we give information to policy makers, politicians, non-governmental organizations, educators and students about ocean pollution and the health of sea life, especially marine mammal populations. Our data is the basis of many conservation success stories.
Our longstanding scientific partner is the Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology who conduct state-of-the-art research aimed at understanding how environmental toxicants affect the health of humans and marine animals.
This mission is accomplished through the pursuit of a number of key objectives, including conducting innovative and multidisciplinary research in toxicology and molecular epidemiology to further our understanding of disease in humans and marine organisms, particularly as they relate to cancer, asthma and reproductive / developmental effects.
A key component to this work is the development of ‘Cell lines’ from different species we encounter. To develop a cell line one needs the freshest sample possible – ie the sample needs to be taken from the animal and put into culture within 24 hours. In most cases the Odyssey is more than 24 hours from a cell line laboratory, and this is often compounded by delays created by new international regulations involving the transportation of living cells across international borders.
To solve this problem the Ocean Alliance is building what might be the first ever cell line laboratory at sea. With this floating laboratory samples can be collected and put into culture within hours. “The opportunities presented by this laboratory are enormous”, say Dr Wise.
The first comprehensive report from the Voyage will soon be sent to over 2,500 people and all those involved with the voyage. While the Odyssey visited over 120 ports and 22 countries - many of these countries / people do not know how the work that they did fits into the bigger picture.
Global Ocean is funding 2 satellite tags to go on basking sharks to be tagged in the waters around the Isle of Man, organised by The Manx Wildlife Trust. Weather permitting the sharks will be tagged in late June/early July as they inhabit the waters around the Isle of Man during summer.
Following the Manx Wildlife Trust’s research tagging work on basking sharks last year, it has been concluded that transoceanic migration is a normal feature of basking shark biology; that their genetic diversity is low and that their small estimate population size of 8200 individuals worldwide, demands moves to put in place a global conservation strategy.
Some years ago Deborah Burton's father, former-whaler John Burton, developed a relationship with the Lamalerans, the last remaining whalers who hunt sperm whales by hand. Their conversations were focussed on exploring ways to help the community develop and John offered to help in this effort. Deborah visited Lamalera in July 2007 to raise the possibility of whale and dolphin watching, and to that end, the community supported the idea to bring a whale-watch workshop to the island.
Deborah joined with Erich Hoyt, a world expert on whale watching, to organise the workshop. The Lamalera Project, funded to date by Global Ocean with WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Humane Society International, the Greenpeace Educational Trust and the International Institute for Environment & Development (IIED), offers an opportunity for the people of Lamalera to develop a community-owned, sustainable whale and dolphin watching company as part of a larger effort towards self-reliance for this remote island community.
Projects we fund 
An exciting time for Ocean Alliance, close to releasing the preliminary results from the Voyage of the Odyssey with an 88 page report that will be circulated worldwide.
A key component to this work is the development of ‘Cell lines’ from different species we encounter. To develop a cell line one needs the freshest sample possible – ie the sample needs to be taken from the animal and put into culture within 24 hours. In most cases the Odyssey is more than 24 hours from a cell line laboratory, and this is often compounded by delays created by new international regulations involving the transportation of living cells across international borders.
Some years ago Deborah Burton's father, former-whaler John Burton, developed a relationship with the Lamalerans, the last remaining whalers who hunt sperm whales by hand. Their conversations were focussed on explorin
g ways to help the community develop and John offered to help in this effort. Deborah visited Lamalera in July 2007 to raise the possibility of whale and dolphin watching, and to that end, the community supported the idea to bring a whale-watch workshop to the island.