|
"To Preserve,
Protect and Enhance Marine Life" |
|
|
The Manta Ray system consists of a utility anchor
attached to an anchor. A hydraulic jackhammer and gad,
attached to the anchor, drives the Manta Ray into the
sea bottom. The anchors are driven 7 feet into the
bottom. Once the anchor and rod are in place the anchor
is set and locked into a permanent position. To lock the
anchor into place an upward force is applied so that the
anchor wing rotates and pivots into a locked position. Holding capacity varies with the size of anchor used and
substrate characteristics, but can range from 8,000 to
14,000 pounds in clay or loose sand, to 32,000 to 40,000
pounds for dense sand, compact gravel, or sandstone.
Holding capacity requirements vary with size of the boat
attached to the Manta Ray system. On average, a 65-foot
sailboat requires approximately 30,000 pounds of holding
capacity.
The Manta Ray system eliminates
the need for the heavy block and chain of conventional
mooring systems, which can often damage the surrounding
sea bottom. Hawser wire is used instead of chain - this
is a " steel rope" which will run straight to
the surface without running along the reef. Materials
used in the system are selected to produce a strong, inexpensive
and environmentally sound unit.
|
|
|
|
|
Back to top of page
|
|
|
|
This photograph on the left
depicts poachers poaching sea-eggs out of season.
The Barbados Marine Trust (BMT) mandate is to assist the
government and people of Barbados in the preservation of
their marine environment. In this photograph there are seven
(7) poachers cracking the threaten sea-eggs and placing
the delicate roe into five (5) gallon buckets. On the black
market ½ pint of sea-egg roe can be sold for as much
as US$35.00 to US$50.00. |
| In the photograph below left
poachers have swam out to a near shore barrier reef and
placed the threaten species into buckets which are tied
to a floating may-pole. |
|
|
The BMT intends to be tireless
in its efforts to see that these unsustainable practices
ceased to exist and it will not rest until such. |
|
|
| The BMT will continue to
strive to make sure that laws are enforced to ensure the
continuing supply of sea-eggs for future generations.
|
| The white sea-egg (Tripnustes
ventrichosus) is one of the 17 species of sea urchin (Echinoidea)
which maybe found in the coastal waters of Barbados. Its
spined shell contains the golden roes which have become
a local delicacy. Found in relatively shallow waters at
a depth of six metres (20 feet) especially around the
south coast, the sea-eggs are picked from the sea floor
by divers. On the shore they break the shells, remove
and wash the roes, and sell them to locals, who then fry
or steam them. |
| Sea-egg picking is controlled by law
to avoid depletion of the species. It has therefore become
illegal to dive or market sea-eggs during any period declared
closed. |
This is the section of the
fisheries act relevant to the harvesting of sea eggs:
Fisheries Act. Cap. 391. FISHERIES (MANAGEMENT) REGULATIONS,
1998 |
| FISHERIES (MANAGEMENT) REGULATIONS,
|
| "sea egg" means
the white sea urchin Tripneustes ventricosus. |
8. No person shall fish for
any sea eggs.
(a) during the closed
season; |
|
9. No person shall
(a) have in his possession
(b) sell or expose
for sale
(c) purchase
any sea eggs during the closed
season unless such sea eggs were obtained with the written
permission of the Chief Fisheries Officer.
15. Any person who contravenes
these regulations is guilty of an offence and is liable
on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000
or to imprisonment for a term of 2 years or to both.
Back to top of page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bridgetown Port is undergoing
a transformation to enable it to accommodate Mega cruise
ships. This entails dredging to deepen the docking area.
The area however is home to hundreds of species of corals
which would have perished had it not been for the combined
efforts of the Coastal Zone Management Unit, the Barbados
Marine Trust the Fisheries Division and the Barbados national
Union of Fisherfolk Organizations (Barnufo) |
| Corals were carefully removed
and transplanted to various sites around the island. Several
were and relocated to a reef on the west coast which had
been damaged by a mega yacht. Some others (pictured here)
were moved to Coconut Court to be transplanted onto the
south coast reef. |
|
|
|
The Corals will be glued
down onto the reef by a solution of cement, epoxy and
plaster of paris. This process is still in the experimental
stage and careful monitoring will be required to ensure
that the corals survive.
Pictured are the Members of the Marine Trust transporting
the corals from the port in coolers and careful placing
them underwater inside the breakwater until they can be
glued to the reef. |
|
|
In order to ensure that the
corals do not roll around in the sea they have
been cemented to concrete slabs. (The slabs were taken
from the Pavilion building which is due to be renovated
shortly) This is an experimental process and the corals
have been cemented in place using a mixture of 1 part
each of sand, cement and plaster of paris. The mixture
is allowed to dry while ensuring that the corals are kept
wet-since they are animals and will die without water.
|
| They are then floated out
to an area inside the breakwater and will be monitored
until they are safe enough to move onto the reef on the
other side of the breakwater. |
|
|
|
| The team went out again on
Saturday night to capture some of the Crabs and Lobsters
which were trapped in the area to be dredged. They caught
several Crabs and Lobsters and transported them in coolers
to Coconut Court Beach Resort where they released them
onto the reef. Photos above show St. Patrick Blanch and
Mark Blades ( with the help of some of the guests) releasing
the Lobsters and Crabs on the reef at Coconut Court Beach Resort. |
|
|
|
| This Puffer
Fish caused a stir by floating up on to the beach and
refusing to go back in! Patrick caught him and carefully
put him in a bucket to avoid injury and carried him out
over the breakwater where he swam away happily!
Back to top of page |
Members of BARNUFO(
Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisation) and
Hotel Guests assisting with the cementing and transplanting
corals. The Garrison Secondary School also visited the
hotel to learn about this new method of saving corals
and to see the Turtle nesting habitat. |
|
|
|
|
The Problems of Sandy Beach
and Graeme Hall Swamp.
Recommendations of The Barbados
Marine Trust. |
|
|
Introduction
Barbados has for some time now been examining new tourism
products for Barbados. One of those products is Eco-tourism.
Monumental efforts are currently being made by organizations
such as the Barbados Marine Trust and the Graeme Hall
Nature Sanctuary & the BHTA to improve existing conditions
in Barbados to enable us to compete in this market. |
| It has however
come to our attention that beach conditions in the Worthing
area (Sandy beach), and conditions in the Graeme Hall
swamp have been allowed to deteriorate to an unacceptable
level over the years, to the extent that if left unchecked,
may become a National ecological embarrassment. |
Over the last two to
three, decades changes have been occurring to the southern
coastal zone. A wide variety of groins, breakwaters, submerged
breakwaters and other modifications to the original coastline,
were undertaken. Some of these structures while generating
property specific protective benefits have impacted the
distribution and long shore transport of biogenous sand
in localized areas along that coast.
This has certainly been the case at Sandy Beach at Worthing
as the beach has widened so significantly, |
|
that it now severely
threatens the continued viability of nearshore sea-grass
beds and the inshore reef system. Sandy Beach has accreted
to such an extent the connection between the drainage
channel (connecting the sea to the swamp) is severed,
by the sheer distance. Generally only one way flow (from
the swamp into the sea) is now maintained through temporary
periodic mechanical channel cutting efforts through the
beach.
The British High Commission has granted the BMT the Bds
20,000 required for Phase 1 of the study. The study will
seek to better understand the phenomenon occurring at
the beach, to develop a strategic plan to deal with the
impacts." |
|
|
| • |
A "plug"
(blockage) has developed the western end of Sandy Beach,
to the west and adjacent of the Coral Sands Resort complex.
The plug has been formed by a spit of sand, that has extended
from the shore to the inshore reef (which comes closest
to the shoreline at this point). Sand moving alongshore
inside or landwards of the inshore reef from east to west
is now trapped and is depositing rapidly within the lagoon
and growing the beach. This plug must be removed immediately
in order to allow the free flow of water and sand. (See
the aerial photo above) |
| • |
This effect has probably
also been caused in part, by the groin at St Lawrence
West Hotel, which has slowed down the movement of water
westward and has encouraged easier deposition of sand
in the lagoon area due to the calming effect. |
| • |
The smaller beach -Little
Bay (between Pisces Restaurant and the Little Bay Hotel)-
has also accreted significantly as a result of the coastal
oceanographic conditions that are being experienced. The
swamp water from behind the After Dark down to South Winds
hotel now forms a pool of stagnant water on the beach
instead of flowing freely to the sea. |
| • |
So much siltation has occurred
within the lagoon that many of the boats which once used
the area, can no longer moor there. |
|
|
Since the mangrove
habitat has been cut off from the sea, for some time,
it has degraded significantly. The water quality in the
Nature Sanctuary is poor and has become home to species
of fish which are more tolerant of oxygen-depleted water,
and which, even if they were allowed access to the reef,
would never survive. |
| Equally juveniles which
spawned on the reef and would normally use the mangrove
as a nursery before re-migrating to the reef, would never
survive in such oxygen depleted conditions. and are now
not afforded the opportunity of nutrition and protection
typically offered in a mangrove. |
|
| • |
The road
which was originally built to access a canfield, has
been widened. The road surface has also been elevated
and works have been undertaken with beach sand. Beach
sand from the road, is leaching into the main drainage
channel from the swamp to the sea further diminishing
its functional holding capacity. This road has further
segmented the Mangrove habitat, into the westerly side,
which is owned by the Nature Sanctuary, and the eastern
side consisting of 40 acres owned by the Barbados
Government. The road is being constructed by the
Drainage Unit of the Ministry of Public Works,
reportedly for the purpose of assisting them with
improved access to undertake storm-water drainage
improvement works. |
| • |
The eastern side has
significant water quality problems which have been compounded
by the fact that the runoff from the Ministry of Agriculture's
station runs into this eastern area of the mangrove. The
water is particularly high in nutrients and if allowed
to flow unchecked into the western side will negative
impact on the quality of water in the Nature Sanctuary. |
| • |
If on the other hand
the water is not allowed to flow, the eastern mangrove
(which is only about 20 years old ) will continue to stagnate,
and will therefore become an environmental embarrassment. |
| • |
This eastern area is now
effectively a new mangrove, which is in itself a rare
occurrence, and deserves and to be protected properly.
It is notable that mangrove habitat is home to the endangered
Yellow Warbler. |
 |
| • |
It must also be recognized
that one area of land which is particularly affected by
this situation, is that of a resident of the area Mrs.
Burke who lives at the entrance to the track. This is one of the problems
that the Drainage Unit is currently attempting to address.
Her back yard is now part of the mangrove and because
it lies at the lowest point of the area it is constantly
flooded. |
| •
• |
The management of the Nature
Sanctuary has indicated their interest in leasing the
40 acres of Government land on the Eastern side, but wish
to do so unencumbered. They are fully cognizant of the
fact that the water quality on that side is inferior even
to that of the Nature Sanctuary and if channels are opened
their water quality will deteriorate to an unacceptable
level. It is even expected that water quality level will
deteriorate to a level which may drop below legal limits,
thus putting them in a position where they may be charged
under the laws of Barbados for Water quality below an
acceptable level!! |
| The nature
sanctuary is also paying at commercial rates for water
quality tests, undertaken by Government Laboratories, in
order to satisfy the Barbados Government that their
water quality is of an acceptable standard. There is a
need for some financial relief in this area. |
|
|
|
| This pipe under road
is too small and too dark to allow the passage of many types
of marine life. |
Result of no flushing is
a dissolved oxygen level too low to support larger fish.
This picture was taken next to the road construction within
the swamp by Dr. Lee Harris of the Florida Institute of
Technology. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Barbados Marine Trust Beach
Clean-up. August 2002 |
The Marine trust would like to
thank:
The staff of the Bougainvillea Hotel, Asta Hotel and Sand Acres
Beach Apartments, Mr. Trevor Ramsay from Treasure Beach Hotel,
Mr. John Moore from Dive Barbados and the St.Winnifred's Cub Pack
and their parents for coming out to participate in the clean up
of Long Beach. |
|
|
|
|
Results of cleanup:
The majority of the garbage collected consisted of plastic items
- mainly Food wrappers, Soda bottles, Bottle caps and lids and
plastic eating utensils.
Items used for fishing were also found in abundance - fishing
nets, fishing rope and light sticks.
The most peculiar item found was a pair of denim shorts.
Persons who picnic on beaches are asked to leave the beach with
everything they brought with them - unless bins are provided on
the beach and Fishermen are asked to be mindful of the disposal
of their fishing equipment. |
|
|
|
|
|
Earth Day April 16th 2003
The day began with a clean up of the Hawskbill nesting
stretch, from the Coconut Court Beach Resort to Needham's
Point.
A special effort was made to remove as much litter as
possible from the undergrowth and vegetation lining the
beachfront, as this is the primary zone utilised by the
female Hawksbills during nesting season.
Participant's during the day were, ENVIVE Environmental
Club of the Barbados Community College.
|
|
| As the day progressed,
the participants enjoyed a variety of beach activities
including snorkeling, egg-toss, relay races and
volleyball. |
|
|
|
|
Back to top of page |
© 1999-2007 Barbados Marine Trust
The Barbados Marine Trust -
Underwater Barbados
-
Carlisle Bay Centre
-
Bay Street
-
St. Michael
- Barbados - West Indies.
Tel: (246) 262-2048/ 426-0655 - Fax:
(246) 426-0655 -
e-mail: bmtrust@sunbeach.net
Website originally designed Ushwebsites
Ltd. Modified and maintained by Pointsource Networks Inc. |
|
|
|
The Barbados
Marine Trust
|
|
|
|
