Subscribe Share Past Issues Translate View this email in your browser JUNE / JULY 2015 We're thrilled to be working in partnership with the communities and governments of Barbuda, Montserrat, and Curaçao on the Blue Halo Initiative. Here's a peak at what we've been up to the past two months. BLUE HALO BARBUDA Kids Ocean Camp! School is out, but the ocean is in! For the 3rd year in a row, we hosted a Blue Halo Kids Ocean Camp. Thirty six students participated in this free weeklong camp led by Stephanie Roach (our Program Manager) focused on Barbuda's marine ecosystems. Lots of snorkeling, swimming, boat trips, beach cleanups, games, and general ocean fun! For more on our ocean education work, see our latest National Geographic blog post, "Ocean Education Let the Games Begin!"
Sea Turtle Workshop and Monitoring We teamed up with Barbuda Fisheries and the Antigua Environmental Awareness Group to walk the beaches searching for sea turtles and their nests. Patrols happen on the schedule of the turtles -- late at night or early in the morning -- but that doesn't stop these committed turtlers! After a three-day training workshop (led by experts from Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project, and funded by a Waitt Foundation Rapid Ocean Conservation Grant) local staff are now collecting data on Barbuda's turtle population that can be used toward protecting them. Lionfish Tournament Fishers again competed to catch as many lionfish as they could, in the 3rd tournament we hosted to remove this invasive fish from coastal waters. The tournament concluded with a free tasting of lionfish prepared by a local chef. (Here are some lionfish recipe ideas. Yum!) Learn more about why it's important to control
lionfish on our handy lionfish factsheet. BLUE HALO MONTSERRAT Fish 'N Fins Snorkel Camp We're proud to announce our sponsorship of Fish 'N Fins, a snorkel club with the goal of getting as many kids as possible in the water and learning about Montserrat's marine environment. We donated snorkel gear, wetsuits, and more to help get this new program off the ground. Fish 'N Fins is led by local dive group AQUA Montserrat, and had its debut with the Youth Services's ESCAPE Program. We even had a few "VIP fish" show up to snorkel with us, including the Honorable Claude Hogan, Minister of Environment.
Getting the Big Picture of Coral Reefs For a wider appreciation of the coral reefs on Barbuda and Montserrat we joined forces with XL Catlin Seaview Survey to take 360 degree images and reef panoramas. This is part of Underwater Earth's global efforts to increase ocean awareness and protect our oceans. Stay tuned for how these photos will be turned into virtual SCUBA dives and introduced on all three Blue Halo sites... BLUE HALO CURAÇAO Collecting Data on Fish Catches Andy Estep (our Science Manager), and scientists from UC Santa Barbara's Sustainable Fisheries Group conducted research on fish catches on Montserrat and Curaçao. The team identified, counted, and measured fish caught by local fishers, and trained local staff as part of improving monitoring program on each island. This data will be used to understand how healthy these fish populations are and inform future management.
Waitt Institute STAFF New hands on deck! We couldn't be happier to introduce three new members of the Waitt Institute team. Join us in welcoming... Tamara Marshall Operations Manager, Waitt Institute
Robin Ramdeen Site Manager, Blue Halo Montserrat & Blue Halo Barbuda Gisette Seferina Site Manager, Blue Halo Curaçao (Pictured left to right: Gisette Seferina, Tamara Marshall, Andy Estep, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Stephanie Roach, Robin Ramdeen) Waitt Institute in the News: How Barbuda Enacted One of the World s Most Successful Ocean Conservation Efforts" Why Ocean Conservationists Should Pay More Attention To Wikipedia" How Hosting an Edit-A-Thon Made Me Trust Wikipedia" Ocean Education Let the Games Begin!" 50 Kids Experience the Ocean with Aqua Montserrat #OceanOptimism in the News: We celebrated World Oceans Day by co-hosting a Wikipedia Ocean Edit-a-Thon to update ocean info on the site with the Smithsonian's Ocean Portal and Wikimedia. We now have another good excuse to go to the beach. Thanks, David Helvarg! Sharkcano is real. Sharks were discovered in an underwater volcano. Rad. The Oceanic Preservation Society projected images of endangered species onto
the Empire State Building and treated New Yorkers to a wild show. Exciting and important research conducted on the "Crown Jewel of Cuba's Coral Reefs," funded by the Waitt Foundation. Copyright 2015 Waitt Institute, All rights reserved. Unsubscribe Update subscription preferences