Educational
- The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus
This institution collaborates with other agencies to support marine fisheries biological research and management-oriented studies. The University has expertise in the area of fauna identification and houses some collections, conducts DNA identification, tissue culture for ex situ plant conservation. As a training and research institution, it possesses untapped potential for the contribution it can make to the biodiversity knowledge base and conservation in Trinidad and Tobago and the region. To learn more about UWI St Augustine and its programmes, click here.
- The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)
The UTT, through its Centre for Environmental Studies and Applied Life Sciences, offers an environmental programme designed to prepare professionals for continual learning, easy integration into industry, research careers, and other related careers in the areas of Environmental Science and Management that are vital to national, regional and international needs. The programme is expanding and deepening its coverage to meet the needs of the nation and region by the introduction of research concentrations such as marine studies, health and safety, and energy studies. To learn more about UTT and its programmes, click here.
Research
- Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA)
The Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) has assisted the Government of Trinidad and Tobago with developing marine and environmental policy for over thirty years. Researchers, with the aid of support staff, have worked in almost every area of the marine and environmental field – from chemistry, geology, ecology, fisheries and aquaculture to marine and environmental law and policy.
Fundamental research on sponges and corals, comprehensive mapping of major coral reefs in Tobago, studies on sea turtles and the monitoring of coastal and oceanographic dynamics are all done by IMA researchers. The IMA has also contributed to the development of national legislation on marine pollution, and has addressed a wide range of marine and environmental issues through membership on the national committees dealing with wetlands, land reclamation, maritime delimitation, oil spills contingency and biodiversity. To learn more about the IMA, click here.
- National Herbarium of Trinidad and Tobago
The National Herbarium is accommodated at the University and houses a collection of over 50,000 specimens, with the earliest specimen being a Crueger collection dated 1842. It is the major institution for identification of native plant species in the country. The Herbarium seeks to maintain and expand the permanent museum collection of the flora of Trinidad and Tobago; to provide an accurate plant identification service; to actively promote interest in and disseminate information about the local flora; to develop its capabilities as a resource centre for botanical information; to provide facilities for local, regional and international researchers; and to pursue joint projects with researchers to further these objectives. To learn more about the National Herbarium, click here.
- University of the West Indies Zoology Museum
The museum possesses collections of a wide range of specimens from all over Trinidad and Tobago, and the wider Caribbean and South American region. The museum also contains specimens from all the major animal groups and some geological and archaeological objects.To learn more about the UWI Zoology Museum, click here.
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international open infrastructure, funded by governments. It allows anyone to access data about all types of life on Earth, shared across national boundaries via the internet. By encouraging and assisting institutions to publish data according to common standards, GBIF enables research not possible before and informs better decisions to conserve and sustainably use the biological resources of the planet. GBIF's vision: " A world in which biodiversity information is freely and universally available for science and a sustainable future."To learn more about the GBIF, click here.
- Improving Forest and Protected Areas Management in Trinidad and Tobago
Improving Forest and Protected Area Management in Trinidad and Tobago (GCP/TRI/003/GFF) is a full scale project funded by the Global Environment Facility and the European Union and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The 4 year project is intended to conserve biodiversity in Trinidad and Tobago by setting up a protected areas system and enhancing capacity building and finance for conservation management.It will also assist in the implementation of the National Forest and Protected Areas Policies. The project establishes 6 pilot protected areas to model participatory approaches to sustainable natural resource management. These pilot sites include Caroni Swamp, Nariva Swamp, Matura Forest and coastal zone, Trinity Hills and eastern extension, Main Ridge Forest Reserve and North-East Tobago Marine Protected Area.ÂÂÂ
Key components of the project include:
- Improvements to the legal and institutional arrangements for protected area management.
- Improvements to infrastructure for biodiversity conservation and forest restoration.
- Development and testing of sustainable financing system.
- Monitoring and evaluation, and information dissemination.
- Protected Areas Gateway
- A protected areas component, jointly implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the European Commission - Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC), that includes (i) capacity building for regional and national institutions, technical personnel, and protected areas manager; (ii) improved access and availability of biodiversity data through the establishment of regional observatories and information systems to improve decision making.
- An Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) component implemented by the Multi-donor ABS Capacity Development Initiative managed by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
To learn more about BIOPAMA, click here.