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            ,,VAT or C0.                    NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-308


         @4461,IrAri[s 0* v/ Intra-Americas Sea Marine
                       Science Meeting of U.S. Experts
                                      Report of a Workshop
                    Held in Miami, Florida, December 17-19, 1990



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                                                Prepared by:
                      Bradford E. Brown, William A. Erb and George A. Maul'

                                        U.S. Department of Commerce
                             National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
                                      National Marine Fisheries Service
                                      Southeast Fisheries Science Center
                                            75 Virginia Beach Drive
                                             Milarni, Florida 33149
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   S H 'I
   .A2S65
   no . 308                                        July 1992

        ---Atact: Essie Coleman Duffie, Miami Laboratory, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National
       Marine Fisheries, NOAA, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL 33149










                                 NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-308



             on CO     This technical memorandum series is used for documentation and timely
                       communication of preliminary results, interim reports, or special purpose
                       information, and has not undergone external scientific review.








                Intra-Americas Sea Marine Science
                         Meeting of U.S. Experts


                                  Prepared by:
               Bradford E. Brown, William E. Erb, and George A. Maul




                            Southeast Fisheries Science Center




                          U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMAIERCE
                           Barbara Hackman Franklin, Secretary

                      National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
                    John A. Knauss, Undersecretary for Oceans and Atmosphere
   to                       National Marine Fisheries Service
                     William W. Fox, Jr., Assistant Administrator for Fisheries


                            Southeast Fisheries Science Center
                                   Nflami, Florida

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                                     July 1992
                 LJBRARY
               NOAA/CCEH
            1990 HOBSON AVE.
           CHAS. SC 29408-2623







            NOTICE





                    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and other organizations listed in
                    this report does not approve, recommend or endorse any proprietary product
                    mentioned in this publication. No reference shall be made to NMFS, or to this
                    publication furnished by NMFS, in any advertising or sales promotion which
                    would indicate or imply proprietary material mentioned herein, or which has as its
                    purpose or intent to cause directly or indirectly the advertised product to be used
                    or purchased because of this NMFS publication.







            This report should be cited as follows:

            Brown, B. E., W. A. Erb, and G. A. Maul. 1992. Intra-Americas Sea Marine Science
            Meeting of U.S. Experts. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC-308, 125 p.






            Copies may be obtained by.writing:

            Essie Coleman Duffle                        or             National Technical Information Service
            National Marine Fisheries Service                          5258 Port Royal Road
            75 Virginia Beach Drive                                    Springfield, VA 22161
            Miami, FL 33149







            Cover Photo: Map of the "West Indies from the Best Authorities by T. Bowen, Geogr." The
            map was printed in London in 1773, and a photography was' provided by its owner, Dr. Harris
            B. Stewart, Jr., of Scarborough, Maine, USA.








                                                          EXECUTIVE SUMMAR


                      The December 1990 meeting of more than sixty U.S. Experts in Marine Science of the Intra-Americas
                 Sea made 21 recommendations, with deadlines and agencies responsible to carry them out. These
                 recommendations were a consensus of two days of institutional reports, individual conversations, and
                 workshops. The one overwhelming recommendation was to support the UNEP and IOC in the region
                 through active U.S. scientists' participation @ in problem identification, project planning and execution, and
                 information transfer. A regional emphasis on marine science issues with clearly defined impacts on U.S.
                 interests was considered essential to generating the financial support necessary to successful project
                 implementation.

                      A summary of the recommendations from the three workshops is given below; the items are not in
                 order of priority.

                   1. RECOMMENDATION: Extend the Sea Grant Program to the region, perhaps by implementing the
                       international Sea Grant authority, capitalizing, for example, on the requirements of the Cartagena
                       Convention which mandates a "Sea Grant type" program (CEPPOL) in the region; U.S. Territories,
                       Commonwealth, and States in the region to be fully included.

                       RESPONSIBTLITY: NOAA


                       DEADLINE: 1992


                   2. RECOMMENDATION: Make key policy makers aware of IOCARIBE and UNEP related issues,
                       resources needed to address these issues, and benefits to be gained for such support.

                       RESPONSIBILITY: As appropriate

                       DEADLINE: 1991


                   3.  RECOMMENDATION: Initiate active involvement with UNOLS, SECOR (the SouthEast
                       Consortium for Ocean Research) and other such committees by institutions within the region to
                       foster ship-time requests and information on planned cruises.

                       RESPONSIB=: UPR, CVI


                       DEADLINE: 1991


                   4.  RECOMMENDATION: Provide copies of research vessel clearance requests to the American
                       Embassy in Cartagena for distribution through 10CARIBE to all Gulf/Caribbean marine research
                       institutions and universities with marine science departments.

                       RESPONSIBIL            State Department


                       DEADLINE: 1991


                   5. RECOMMENDATION: Publish cruise plans on electronic bulletin boards and in newsletters of
                       IOCARIBE, UNEP, and NOAA with sufficient lead-time to allow foreign participation; encourage
                       other countries in the region to widely publish cruise dates and space availability.

                       RESPONSIBIL            IOCARIBE Secretariat









                DEADLINE: 1991


            6. RECOMMENDATION: Advertisement of ship-time opportunities to be an agenda item at March
                1991 IOC Assembly.

                RESPONSIBILIT : State Department, IOCARIBE Secretariat

                DEADLINE: January 1991

            7.  RECOMMENDATION: Secondment of U.S. scientists and/or technicians at IOCARIBE and
                UNEPIRCU offices both for one to two year assignments, and for shorter durations as specific
                projects demand. The purpose would be to assist the organizations in the execution of projects,
                planning, and to generate better understanding of common goals.

                RESPONSIBILIT : NOAA, EPA, IOCARIBE, UNEP, other


                DEADLINE: 1992

            8.  RECOMMENDATION: Establish a National Committee for Intra-Americas Sea Marine Science
                as a subcommittee of PIPICO; U.S. National Representative to IOCARIBE to chair and report
                regularly.

                RESPONSIBILITY: NOAA/NMFS


                DEADLINE: 1991

            9. RECOMMENDATION: Convene in late 1991 an "issues oriented" follow-on meeting to advise
                USDEL to 1992 IOCARIBE meeting and to other international bodies on (1) agenda items, (2) how
                to support programs, (3) management issues, and (4) shared resources and problems.

                RESPONSIBILITY: NOAA, State, NAS


                DEADLIN : Seotember 1991

           10. RECOMMENDATION: Provide wide international distribution of this report and follow-on reports.

                RESPONSIBILITY: NAS


                DEADLINE: April 1991

           11.  RECOMMENDATION: IOCARIBE Secretariat to encourage all member states to participate in
                TEMA meeting in March 1991 in Paris.

                RESPONSIBILIT : IOCARIBE Secretariat


                DEADLINE: January 1991

           12. RECOMMENDATION: Present results of this meeting to the IOC Assembly in March 1991 in
                Paris.


                RESPONSIBILITY: State Department


                                                            iv









                      DEADLINE: February 1991

                 13.  RECOMMENDABON: Work with WECAFE to develop an ocean sciences needs assessment for
                      fisheries resources in the Caribbean.


                      RESPONSIBILITY: WECAFE, IOCARIBE


                      DEADLINE: SC-IOCARIBE-IV (July 1992)

                 14.  RECOMMENDATION: Demonstrate the importance of research applications to the development
                      of new sustainable economic activities for the region, such as environmentally sensitive tourism
                      development. Research results on the impact of human activities on coastal ecosystems, etc., needs
                      to be incorporated into management plans that maintain a balance between resource conservation
                      and lucrative tourist recreational activities.


                      RESPONSIBILITY: UNDP, LTNEP, IADB, WB, USAID

                      DEADLINE Reports 1991; UNCED 1992

                 15.  RECOMMENDATION: Initiate a focused educational program targeted on high level government
                      decision-makers stressing the importance of basic scientific research to sustained economic
                      development, public health, etc.

                      RESPONSIBILITY: IOCARIBE Secretariat, UNEll, RCU


                      DEADLINE: 1992 UNCED


                 16. RECOMMENDATION: Recognizing that narrowly trained researchers in basic oceanographic
                      science will find scarce funding within their countries, increase training opportunities for those
                      individuals in marine and coastal resource management..

                      RESPONSIBILITY: IOCARIBE, UNEP, regional institutions

                      DEADLINE: 1992


                 17.  RECOMMENDATION: Develop a marine advisory service that will (a) enhance training
                      opportunities, (b) translate research into economically relevant information for decision-makers and
                      local businesses, and (c) provide a vital link between research and economic development.

                      RESPONSIBILITY: Sea Grant Institutions


                      DEADLINE: 1992


                 18.  RECOMMENDATION: Special attention to study of regional oceanic circulation within the context
                      of enabling decision-makers to understand and advance applied research/policy objectives in such
                      areas as fisheries management, pollution control, and to prepare for potential effects of global
                      climate change.

                      RESPONSIBILITY: IOCARIBE Secretariat


                      DEADLINE: 1992 UNCED




                                                                   v









               19. RECOMMENDATION: Establish a satellite receiving dish and data collection center which could
                    be used for fisheries oceanography and manageme.,U, and for forestry. Provide access to satellite
                    data to local fisherman and foresters to provide a high profile demonstration.

                    RESPONSIBILITY: USF and IADB or WB


                    DEADLIN : 1992


               20.  RECOMMENDATION: Establish a regional oceanographic data center with (among other things)
                    electronic bulletin board, with the express purpose of data exchange enhancement and elimination
                    of difficult to access NODC gray literature for countries bordering the Intra-Americas Sea.

                    RESPONSIBILITY: NODC


                    DEADLINE: 1991


               21.  RECOMMLNDATION: At the upcoming IOC Assembly, identify the IOCARIBE as a region
                    where TEMA activities should be pursued and given the highest priority. The IOCARIBE
                    Secretariat should communicate this on an urgent basis to all IOCARIBE member states and urge
                    them to participate in the special TEMA meeting in Paris, March 1991.

                    RESPONSIBILITY: IOCARIBE Secretariat


                    DEADLINE: January 1991
































                                                                 vi









                                                        TABLE OF CONTENTS


                                                                                                                  Page

                EXECUTIVE SUMMARY             ................................................                      iii


                1.0 INTRODUCTION          ...................................................                        1


                2.0 STATEMENT OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES                    ..............................              2


                     2.1 William Erb, Department of State     .................       ;..................            2

                     2.2 Harris B. Stewart, Jr., IOCARIBE      ....................................                  2

                     2.3 Robert R. Lankford, University of Puerto Rico     .......   ....................            5

                3.0 INTERNATIONAL REPORTS              ...........................................                   8

                     3.1 The IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE)                    8

                     3.2 The Caribbean Environment Programme         ................................               12

                     3.3 Multinational Project on the Environment and Natural Resources       ..............        19

                4.0 WORKSHOP REPORTS             ...............................................                    21


                     4.1 Group 1: Mechanisms to Facilitate Marine Science Projects     ..................           21

                     4.2 Group 11: Human Resources, Development and Education          ..................           23

                     4.3 Group III: Communication and Networking         .............................              24

                5.0 CLOSING REMARKS           ..............................          I..................           26


                6.0 SELECTED REFERENCES             ..............................................                  28


                APPENDIX A: INSTITUTIONAL SUMMARIES                   ...............................               29


                     Federal Agencies    .....................................................                      30

                     State Agencies   ......................................................                        57

                     Universities .............................................                     ..........      69


                APPENDIX B: BULLETIN BOARDS               ........................................                  III


                APPENDIX C: ATTENDEES            ..............................................                     114








                                                                   vii









                                                        1.0 INTRODUCTION


                   The Department of State and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with the support
              of the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academy of Sciences, held a two-&y workshop, which
              focused on marine science in the Intra-Americas Sea: the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the
              Bahamas, and the northeast coast of South America. The workshop had several objectives including: (1)
              identification of U.S. marine science interests and projects; (2) clarification of the purpose, requirements
              and goals of regional scientific organizations; (3) generation of ideas and mechanisms to facilitate marine
              science projects with high scientific priority and potential for supporting regional organizations; (4)
              encouragement of applied scientific research for development priorities; and (5) development of
              communication networks between scientists and organizations.

                   The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Bradford E. Brown, U.S. National Representative to IOCARIBE,
              the Sub-Commission of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) for the Caribbean and
              Adjacent Regions, by Mr. William Erb, Alternate U.S. Representative to the IOC, and by Dr. George A.
              Maul, IOCARIBE Vice Chairman. It was held at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast
              Fisheries Center, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida, 17-19 December 1990.

                   Approximately 100 persons were invited, representing a broad spectrum of federal, state, and
              non-goverrimental organizations. Due to limited space for the meeting, the list of invitees was somewhat
              restricted to program directors or their designated representative, and to senior scientists who are actively
              pursuing marine research in the Intra-Americas Sea. Limited support for the meeting was available from
              the National Academy of Sciences.

                   The workshop commenced at I p.m. on 17 December with presentations by representatives of
              organizations having marine science programs in the region. Invited participants included representatives
              of the IOCARIBE, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), NOAA, the Minerals
              Management Service, the National Science Foundation, NASA, the U.S. Agency for International
              Development, and others. Of particular interest to U.S. experts were presentations of the IOCARIBE
              Medium Term Plan (1990-1995) (IOC, 1990), and UNEPs Caribbean Environmental Program (UNEP,
              1989). These presentations emphasized United Nations development activities and reinforced the
              important linkages between science and its applications foi wise management and development of coastal
              and ocean resources--especially given the growing international emphasis on integrating environmental
              concerns into development activities (i.e., the preparations for the 1992 United Nations Conference on
              Environment and Development: UNCED). Also, state and private institutions such as universities,
              oceanographic institutions and marine laboratories, and other non-government organizations described their
              program activities and interests.

                   On the morning of 18 December, various individuals made presentations concerning, particular
              programs or projects that are being planned or underway within the region. The afternoon of 18
              December was devoted to working in small groups to discuss convergent interests and to outline a report.
              Finally, on December 19 a session was convened to discuss mechanisms for improved cooperation, ideas
              for supporting the needs of organizational bodies within the region, and general discussion of means to
              enhance communication, information exchange, funding, and science opportunities in general.

                   Each participating U.S. expert had written information about their existing and planned activities.
              Committees were formed to compile that information into a report which would describe the linkages
              between the activities and the organizational activities and responsibilities in the region. The report would
              reflect the U.S. commitment to the region, and to cooperation in solving regional problems with scientists
              and organizations located in the wider Caribbean region. This work continued on the morning of 19
              December, the workshop closed at noon with a plenary session.


                                                                    I








                                        2.0 STATEMENT OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES


                                               2.1 William Erb, Department of State

                   Welcome all of you who have traveled during a iery busy time of year. This attests to the
              importance of the Caribbean region, at least as perceived by us.

                   Back in 1986, the National Academy of Sciences sponsored a similar meeting; however, its objective
              was to develop a scientific plan for the Caribbean by identifying research projects that would/could be
              undertaken cooperatively with Caribbean partners. The purpose and objectives of this meeting are stated
              in the introduction. Some of these objectives will be achieved fairly easily. Identification of projects and
              programs is fairly straightforward. However, our real task is to improve the coordination, management
              and usefulness of marine science in the region. The initial beneficiaries of our work should be ourselves
              the scientists, administrators of national and intergovernmental programs, educators and governments. In
              the long term, the region will benefit.

                   How we do this and what we come up with will be up to you. There isn't much need to identify the
              problems or the priority areas of the region. What we need to do is maximize the resources we have
              available to tackle the problems.

                   Last week we concluded negotiations for establishing an organization for the north Pacific, which
              will be known as PICES. It will include the U.S., PRC, USSR, Canada and Japan. In the Caribbean,
              perhaps because of the complexity and diversity of the region, we have UN organizations such as
              UNESCO (IOCARIBE) and UNEP (Regional Seas Program) to serve as the catalysts for cooperation.
              Let's think of ways to make these organizations work. At the same time let's improve opportunities for
              U.S. marine science in the region as well as sound environmental management practices.

                   The United States strongly supports the cooperative program known as the Caribbean Environmental
              Pollution program (CEPOL), sponsored by UNESCO's IOC and UNEP's Regional Seas Program. Their
              programs will be described later and we need to ensure strong U.S. input to these programs.

                   I look forward to our work and the opportunity to explore all sorts of new and exciting ways of
              making marine science work in the region.


                                               2.2 Harris B. Stewart, Jr., IOCARIBE

                   This will be brief, as you have an interesting afternoon ahead. My remarks are based on more than
              25 years of involvement with IOCARIBE and its predecessor, the Cooperative Investigation of the
              Caribbean and Adjacent Regions or CICAR (which someone has pointed out means "goat" in Turkish).
              They also reflect the results of a multi-national UNESCO mission on which I served in the early 1980's,
              a mission to evaluate the present status of marine science and the needs marine research could address
              effectively on a string of eight independent English-speaking islands stretching in an arc from Jamaica to
              Georgetown, Guyana. The various recommendations resulting from that mission were confirmed and
              reinforced by the subsequent multi-year studies by the group at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova
              Scotia.


                   I like to formulate problems in terms of goals and objectives, and mine for marine research in the
              Caribbean (I don't like the term "Inter-Americas Sea") come out like this:





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                      The long-term goal is the establishment of an indigenous regional marine science
                      capability that will permit the nations--both island and continental-to solve their own
                      marine problems without having to rely on expertise from outside the region.

                   I see three major objectives, the attainment of which will go far towards achieving this goal.

             (1)   The provision of money, facilities, equipment and instrumentation. There is little the individual
                   scientist can do in this regard, rather this is the role of national foreign assistance agencies such as
                   USAID and CIDH, private foundations, and intergovernmental agencies including the JOC, UNDP,
                   FAO, UNEP, and UNESCO among others (Fenwick et al., 1990). Serious consideration by these
                   agencies should be given to the establishment and support of regional centers for cooperative use by
                   the scientists of many nations in the region. The pollution analysis laboratory on St. Lucia is an
                   example of this.

             (2)   The provision of training and education in marine science and technology. Here the individual
                   marine scientist doing research in the Caribbean can play a lead role. Any marine research project
                   planned for the region should include local scientists, "proto-scientists," and technical personnel as
                   an integral part of the research. Where appropriate, locals should be involved in the full spectrum
                   from planning through publication. This is not a one-directional support activity, for the U.S.
                   scientist obtains local knowledge otherwise unobtainable, relevant historical information and data,
                   and willing, often eager, hands to help with the field work. In addition, the researcher can offer
                   public lectures, meetings with local administrators, and talks at local schools, thus improving what
                   some term the level of marine literacy. When potential marine scientists can be identified, they
                   should be encouraged to seek the funds for a university education. Too often students from lesser
                   developed countries who study at U.K or U.S. universities find life there considerably more
                   enjoyable and jobs more plentiful and lucrative than back home, and their new capability is lost to
                   their homeland. One approach to this brain-drain problem is to have them educated at universities
                   within the region: UNAM in Mexico City for those who speak Spanish, the U.W.I. campuses at
                   Mona, Jamaica; Cave Hill in Barbados; and Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, for those who speak English;
                   and the Mayaguez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico for both. These entail less culture-shock
                   and less incentive to remain away from home once their formal education is completed.

             (3)   The research should be primarily applied research or at least research the results of which might in
                   time be of some use to the area where it was carried out. At this point, basic research is an
                   unaffordable luxury for many of the Caribbean nations. Thus, your research should have a local or
                   regional relevance.

                   Throughout the eastern Caribbean there are three major revenue-producing industries: tourism,
             agriculture, and fisheries. Marine research projects that contribute to these activities would not only be
             welcome locally, but many granting agencies look with more favor on proposals that provide some benefit
             to the host country.

                   With this last objective in mind, I have five areas where marine research is especially needed:

             (1)   Fisheries: Most of the fisheries in the Caribbean are of the small-boat artisanal type. Coastal stocks
                   in many areas have been overfished and depleted, and the small boats are forced to go farther and
                   farther offshore to get a decent catch. The whole system from catching through processing to
                   distribution needs to be improved. Fisheries management practices need to be developed and
                   implemented in many nations. However, the gringo scientist should be aware of local customs and
                   traditions, or his project may face disaster. For example, with the introduction of refrigeration of fish
                   on Grenada, the housewives rejected the fish brought inland because it did not smell the way it used


                                                                    3







                   to when brought up in the hot trunk of an old Chevrolet that for years delivered their fish. Or again,
                   the Canadian government provided big outboards for the traditional sailing fishing boats on St. Lucia,
                   and the masts and sails were removed. It was a status symbol, macho, to have this big motor on
                   your boat. Occasionally, these machines malfunctioned or ran out of gas far from home port, and
                   some fishermen were lost. The suggestion was made that they reinstall the forgotten sails to save
                   fuel and to ensure they could return if the big motors stopped working. But the fishermen would
                   not hear of it. This was retrogressing, this was not for the technologically mature. They would have
                   none of it. This is one more example of the importance of involving locals in your marine research
                   project. They know things you don't and can be immeasurably helpful.

              (2)  Pollutio : Trash on the beaches, deteriorating water quality, and the sanitation problems that result
                   from improper waste disposal--human and otherwise--plague many of the Caribbean nations,
                   particularly the island ones. The gullies that indent many of the more mountainous islands provide
                   a convenient place to dump domestic and agricultural trash (e.g., banana bags). Then come the
                   torrential rains of summer, and the accumulated trash is washed away. It sounds at first blush like
                   an efficient natural disposal system. However, this "gully-wash" ends up in the coastal ocean. The
                   beaches that lure the tourists are littered with garbage and trash moved alongshore by the longshore
                   current. The plastic bags that had once covered the banana bunches settle on the nearshore reefs and
                   kill the corals. Any research directed towards any aspect of this pandemic Caribbean problem would
                   be most welcome.


              (3)  Destruction of Coral Reefs: Dynamiting to recover reef fish, anchoring dive boats on reef corals,
                   banana bags on reefs, removing corals for sale, all of these activities are contributing to the
                   destruction of the nearshore Caribbean reefs, scuba diving, skin diving, and snorkeling over luxuriant
                   coral reefs are major tourist attractions. No reefs, no tourist divers., It's that simple. The nearshore
                   reefs also disperse the energy of approaching waves to reduce beach erosion. This leads to number 4.

              (4)  Coastal Erosio : On Dominica and some of the other mountainous eastern Caribbean islands, the
                   only place where roads can be built is along the narrow strip of coast between the mountains and the
                   sea. Yet in numerous places, the sea has chewed into the land to the extent that roads have been
                   undermined or tumbled into the sea. Boulders in plastic baskets have been used with limited success
                   in Dominica, but the problem remains. Research on more efficient rip rap, on offshore submerged
                   breakwaters at critical locations, and on the preservation of protective nearshore reefs is badly
                   needed.


              (5)  Mining of Beach Sand: On several islands of the eastern Caribbean it is illegal to remove sand from
                   the beaches. Clean sand beaches are an important tourist attraction and need to be preserved. But
                   because there is little or no sand and gravel for construction aggregate, the "midnight miners" remove
                   great quantities of sand from tourist beaches. Not only does this leave unsightly water-filled holes
                   on an otherwise pristine beach, it also reduces the ability of the beach to protect coastal property
                   from the destructive action of storm surges related to the frequent tropical storms in the region. Are
                   there other sources for construction aggregate? Are there other non-sand construction materials? Can
                   the tourism beaches be saved from the "midnight miners"? There must be some research possibilities
                   here.


                   One last observation: IOCARIBE and the Caribbean Environment Programme of UNEP have over
              the years established a functioning cooperative relationship. Many U.N. agencies with Caribbean
              involvement send a representative to meetings of other U.N. agencies, but generally that is as far as
              11cooperation" goes. The IOCARIBE-UNEP/CEP model should be adopted and expanded for greater
              cooperation and project coordination among the numerous U.N. agencies and others with Caribbean
              programs. This meeting today is a step in that direction.


                                                                    4







                     in conclusion, I am sure that my personal bias shows through. I do not apologize for it. I happen
                to love the area and its people. It is a fascinating part of our world, but it needs help, lots of help.
                Marine science can help solve some of their problems. This is a challenge to you, the U.S. marine science
                community. I wish you success in your discussions, deliberations, and planning over the next two days.
                I sincerely hope that you will develop a meaningful coordinated research effort in support of IOCARIDFs
                activities in the Caribbean Sea. it needs doing.


                                            2.3 Robert R. Lankford, University of Puerto Rico

                Develgpment Backgroun

                     Marine science, by and large, is new to the Americas. With the exception of the U.S. and Canada,
                Western Hemisphere countries have had surprisingly little maritime tradition or contact with the sea and
                consequently relatively little interest in developing viable national infrastructures in marine science and
                technology. Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, economic institutions and customs traditionally
                have been oriented to the land rather than to the sea and its resources, thus proving the observation that
                via coastal state is not necessarily or automatically a maritime state." From a diagnostic viewpoint, our
                neighbors to the south have long suffered from a type of oceanic hydrophobia, a condition which has
                strongly influenced national development policies which not uncommonly placed marine affairs at the
                bottom of priority totem poles.

                     The first glimmerings of marine science development in Latin America began rather sporadically in
                the 10 to 15 years following World War II, initially in Argentina and Brazil, then somewhat later in
                Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile and Puerto Rico. Some of the remaining countries have followed
                suit with varying degrees of success. Others, particularly the small island states, have essentially no
                marine science capability. In these formative years, the only available human resources with experience
                in matters pertaining to the ocean were to be found in the naval forces, usually in the hydrographic
                sections, and in fisheries agencies, the latter not uncommonly attached to ministries of agriculture. It is
                significant to note that in the early days there were very few trained marine scientists, essentially no
                educational potential in oceanography and limited or no research capacity. Publications often were little
                more than BT compilations and salinity measurements from the navies and species lists or landing
                statistics from the fisheries offices. On the other side of the coin, it is more significant, however, that this
                formative period produced a number of leaders in marine affairs who not only recognized developmental
                problems in their respective countries but who also had the personal ability and drive to seek solutions.
                Rather understandably, they turned to the UN system, especially to UNESCO and FAO, for development
                assistance, most often provided through expert consultations and international cooperative programs in
                oceanographic research.


                Intergovernmental StiMuha

                     In 1968, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO organized and coordinated
                its first venture in regional marine science cooperation named CICAR (Cooperative investigations of the
                Caribbean and Adjacent Regions), an intergovernmental association which subsequently became
                IOCARIBE.        The fundamental purpose of these intergovernmental operations was to conduct
                multi-national oceanographic research programs in the Caribbean region which, by their nature, were too
                large or complex to be undertaken by individual countries. In theory, such cooperation would not only
                yield scientific results but also the scientific and technical manpower base of participating developing
                countries would be enhanced through close association with the "major players" which, in the case of
                CICAR and IOCARIBE, were the marine scientists and their institutions from the United States, the


                                                                       5







                 the USSR, France, and West Germany. In a more formalized context, this desirable and much needed
                 scientific manpower build-up was called TEMA (Training, Education and Mutual Assistance). Throughout
                 the history of cooperative marine science in the Caribbean, the U.S. and Puerto Rico have been and remain
                 major and respected contributors, contributors not only in funding, but also in providing and sharing
                 scientific and technological expertise, being valued leadeirs in research initiatives and strong supporters
                 of TEMA in all its aspects.


                 An Assessment of Regional Cooperation

                     After more than 20 years of CICAR and JOCARIBE, it is both fair and necessary to ask, "How well
                 has all this worked?" - "Have our partners to the south really benefited?" - and, "What have we gained,
                 if anything?" There are probably no really simple or straightforward answers to these questions. In this
                 case, however, some generalizations may be of use.

                     "How well has all this worke T' - Have these years of intergovenimental meetings, expert workshops,
                 joint research planning, etc., really accomplished anything? One answer most certainly is that CICAR and
                 IOCARIBE have not worked as originally planned or anticipated. An alarmingly few of the seemingly
                 countless resolutions and recommendations to establish major research activities in the region have been
                 implemented with any degree of success. In retrospect, the reasons seem fairly obvious and, in pail, hark
                 back to hundreds of years of land-oriented economies and traditions. Additionally, there have not been
                 the necessary national commitments of economic and human resources among Latin American and the
                 Caribbean countries to develop marine science infrastructures. Without such commitments and functional
                 infrastructures, there can be only minimal or token participation in regional cooperative research. Finally,
                 it must be recognized that only a few of the adopted recommendations for cooperative oceanography had
                 either the political attraction or wide popular appeal necessary for national support. Many proposed
                 programs were far too esoteric - some were obviously beyond existing capabilities - while others bordered
                 on irrationality.

                     One major program did succeed, however, and continues to grow and serve the needs of region today
                 in cooperation with UNEP's Caribbean Environmental Programme. This is the IOCARIBE regional
                 marine pollution program of research and monitoring called CARIPOL. It is instructive here to determine
                 why CARIPOL succeeded while other recommended progriams never passed the discussion and planning
                 stages. Apart from the dedicated leadership of a few individuals, and a strong TEMA component to train
                 many researchers in methods and techniques, CARIPOL succeeded because marine pollution and its effects
                 on the collective well-being of the Caribbean is of immense popular concem and therefore subject to
                 political attention and response. Ergo!! IOCARIBE countries have participated actively and responsibly,
                 so much so that CARIPOL serves today as a role model of international cooperation in marine affairs.
                 The lesson to be learned here is that in most developing countries where oceanographic expenditures must
                 take a back seat to those destined for public health, education, improved transportation, communications,
                 etc., only those marine science efforts, whether national or regional, which have general public support
                 will thereby gain national commitments for implementation. This, by the way, seems to explain why the
                 weather services of the world have so few problems when budgets are drawn up. Everyone is interested
                 in weather.


                     "Have our neiL-hbors benefited?" The answer is affirmative. One of the outstanding benefits or
                 successes of the CICAR and IOCARIBE years had been completely unanticipated from the outset. This
                 spin-off oddly was in the socio-political arena rather than in oceanography. As these cooperative marine
                 science organizations matured, there developed a rather close-knit community of national representatives
                 or delegates from participating countries characterized by strong personal and professional ties. To a
                 marked degree, 10CARIBE meetings have an almost class reunion atmosphere of old friends getting


                                                                      6







               together after a protracted absence. This condition of trust and friendship has produced some unexpected
               benefits. For example, Capt. X calls long-distance to his friend, Dr. Y, to say that his RN has just lost
               an entire hydrographic cast. Can Dr. Y help? The answer, Yes, is soon followed by a shipment of
               mothballed Nansen bottles and thermometers, and Capt. X is back in business. Dr. Y later gets a first
               look at the complete data set from Capt. Xs latest cruise. This is the Mutual Assistance part of TEMA
               in its intended operational form.

                    Another benefit to our neighbors, although real, is more difficult to assess. Specifically, delegates
               to CICAR and 10CARIBE meetings have gained valuable experience and established contacts in other
               countries. As a direct consequence, they have gained important recognition at home. Their heightened
               reputations and political stature, in turn, have significantly enhanced their capabilities to build and provide
               ongoing support for national marine science infrastructures in their home countries. Many of the "old
               hands" today are in key positions in their governments or universities where they are even more influential
               in turning national attention to the sea and its potential resources.

                    in all honesty, however, it must be stated that the majority of the DCs in the region have not taken
               advantage of the many assistance opportunities made available by the U.S. and other industrialized
               countries. At meeting after meeting, U.S. and other delegations have extended offers for training and
               education, many with provisions for some level of financial assistance. For example, Puerto Rican
               members of the U.S. delegations to IOCARIBE consistently have offered such assistance at the University
               of Puerto Rico Department of Marine Sciences; to date, the University has had no "takers." The answer
               to this seemingly negative response is actually a result of the previously mentioned "hydrophobia,"
               debt-ridden GNP's, and inadequate or even non-existent infiastructures for professional opportunities in
               the countries of the region. This situation may change, particularly in the larger, wealthier countries. But
               among the smaller, less affluent nations, hope for developing any capability to deal with marine aflkirs
               problems seems to lie in the formation of small consortia of cooperating states, e.g., the multi-national
               fWieries unit of the Organization of East Caribbean States.

                    "What have w& gaiacd. if =AWng?" Again, there are no simple answers to the question except to
               say that the U.S. and Puerto Rico have indeed gained by this regional experience. And certainly there are
               no quantifiable assessments possible. But what, even in general terms, have we gained? As mentioned
               above, CICAR and IOCARIBE have produced a closely knit association of marine scientists and science
               administrators throughout the Caribbean and adjacent regions. Such association and personal contact can
               open doors, smooth misunderstandings, turn up a critical but unpublished report, and perhaps even ease
               the hurdles in obtaining clearances for our RNs to operate in other EEZs or territorial seas. On the
               political front, our participation and cooperative stance in IOCARIBE have done much to improve our
               otherwise rather tarnished international image in the hemisphere. To a significant degree, the inclusion
               of Puerto Rican scientists in Caribbean marine affairs has had the positive and needed impact to diminish
               or overcome the "Colossus of the North" syndrome.

                    In retrospect, it seems fair to say that the U.S.-Puerto Rico association with CICAR and IOCAR113E
               has produced and will continue to produce positive results and benefits across a broad spectrum of
               interests, but most identifiably in international relations and in advancing marine science opportunities in
               this rather large and critical region. We should seriously consider the continuation of our involvement.
               The rationale for such activities is well expressed in an excerpt from a recent document by the Marine
               Division of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges:

                        "The benefits of society, and to our foreign policy by assisting foreign countries in the
                        marine sciences am difficult to quantify. However, if marine science is valuable to the
                        U.S., then it certainly should be more so to the developing countries as they evaluate and
                        exploit their new marine territories."


                                                                      7









                                                                               3.0 INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

                                                   3.1 The IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE)
                                                                               (Fernando Robles, IOCARIBE)

                                             The IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE), was established
                                   as the First Sub-Commission of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (an organization with
                                   functional autonomy attached to and co-located with UNESCO), through Resolution of the Twelfth
                                   Session of the IOC Assembly (Paris, November 1982). The Sub-Commission provides broad oversight
                                   and co-ordination of regional international ocean science programmes and services of interest to its
                                   Member States. IOCARIBE evolved after the Co-operative Investigation of the Caribbean and Adjacent
                                   Regions (CICAR; 1968-1975) and an experimental six years period as "Association" (1976-1981).
                                   IOCARIBE comprises twenty two Member States and its Secretariat was established and has been in
                                   function since 1986, in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (Annex I).


                                                               






















                                                   Annex 1: Map of the "Wider Caribbean Region" (UNEP), or the "Caribbean Adjacent
                                                   Regions" (IOC).                 Early European oceanographers mistakenly called the area the
                                                   "American Mediterranean."



                                             Main on-going scientific programmes and services relate to research and monitoring of regional
                                   impacts of global climatic and other environmental changes.

                                             The programme on Physical Oceanography and Climate is implemented through two main projects:
                                   "Climate Change Impacts and Ocean Physical Processes" and "Ocean Circulation in the Caribbean Sea
                                   and Adjacent Regions: An IOC Proposal to the European Space Agency for ERS-I Science, Application
                                   and Validation". They were presented at the meeting by Dr. G. Maul, Vice-Chairman of the
                                   Sub-Commission. Details about the first proposal are given in Annex II. The projects are to be performed
                                   during the next five years. Among the long-term objectives are efforts to reduce the scientific uncertainties


                                                                                                                                           8
 







                                 Annex II: Projects Relevant to the IOCARIBE Medium Term Plan


                                                                                                                   Budget
                Program                    Name of Project             Responsible         Implementation          U.S. $
                Physical               1. Ocean circulation in IOCAOCARIBE                     1990-1993           180,000
                Oceanography           the Caribbean Sea and
                                       adjacent regions: An
                                       Intergovernmental
                                       Oceanographic Com-
                                       mission proposal to the
                                       European Space
                                       Agency for ERS-I
                                       science, application,
                                       and validation.

                                       2. Climatic and other        IOCAOCARIBE                1990-1992           166,000
                                       environmental changes:
                                       Establishment of a
                                       regional monitoring.
                                       network.
                                       3. Climatic change,          IOCAOCARIBE                1990-1995          1,382,000
                                       impacts and ocean            and regional
                                       physical processes.          institutional bodies
                Ocean Science in       1. Satellite ocean           USB, Texas A&M,            1990-1991           156,000
                Relation to Living     analysis for recruitment     Univ.
                Resources              (SOAR).
                                       2. Fish-estuarine            USA, Mexico,               1990-1995          2,500,000
                                       deltaic recruitment          Colombia,
                                       (FEDERP).                    Venezuela, Brazil

                                       3. Peneids recruitment       USA, Mexico,               1990-1995          5,000,000
                                       (PREP).                      Colombia,
                                                                    Venezuela, Brazil

                                       4. Coral reef demersal       USA, Cuba,                 1990-1991             95,000
                                       recruitment                  Venezuela
                                       (CORDERP).
                Ocean Science in       1. Substrate mapping,        (An Ad-hoc Group
                Relation to Non-       sample collecting and        of Expekts has
                Living Resources       analysis.                    been charged with
                                                                    the task to finalize
                                                                    a project on
                                                                    Impacts of Sea-
                                                                    Level Changes on
                                                                    the Coastal Zone -
                                                                    Effects on Erosion,
                                                                    and Sedimentation)




                                                                      9








                                              Annex 11: Projects Relevant to the IOCARIBE Medium Term Plan


                                                                                                                                            Budget
                        Program                         Name of Project                   Responsible             implementation             U.S. $
                        Ocean Science in            2. Preparation of geo-                                               ------
                        Relation to Non-            morphological maps of
                        Living Resources            the coastal areas.
                        (cont.)
                                                    3. Beach dynamics and                                                ------                  ------
                                                    monitoring.
                                                    4. Quaternary palaeo-                                                ------                      ---
                                                    oceanographic studies.

                                                    5. Geotectonic,                                                      ------                  ------
                                                    morpho-structural and
                                                    geodynamic studies of
                                                    deep trenches.

                                                    6. Water and conti-                                                  ------                  ------
                                                    nental material fluxes
                                                    towards the sea.

                                                    7. Evolution of coastal                                                 ----                 ------
                                                    fringe in the beach
                                                    zone.

                                                    8. Management of                                                     ------                  ------
                                                    coastal ecosystems
                                                    including legal aspects.
                        Marine Pollution            1. Control of domestic,           IOC/UNEP and                    Mar 1990-               238,000
                        Research, Control           industrial and agricul-           national institute              May 1991
                        and Abatement               tural land-based                  under the super-
                                                    sources of pollution.             vision of the CEP
                                                                                      POL focal points

                                                    2. Baseline studies on            IOC/UNEP,                       Mar 1990-               265,000
                                                    pesticide contamina-              UNAM, EQ-UCR                    Oct 1991
                                                    tion.                             Univ. of W. Ind.,
                                                                                      Jamaica, CEHI,
                                                                                      CIOH, NOAA

                                                    3. Monitoring and con-            IOC/UNEP,                       Mar 1990-                190,000
                                                    trol of the sanitary              WHO/PAHO, Nat.                  Sep 1991
                                                    quality of bathing and            Inst.
                                                    shellfish growing
                                                    water.

                                                    4. Monitoring and con-            IOC/UNEP, IMO,                  Mar 1990-               221,000
                                                    trol of pollution by oil          ARPEL                           Sep 1991
                                                    and marine debris.




                                                                                        10








                                  Annex 11: Projects Relevant to the IOCARIBE Medium Term Plan


                                                                                                                      Budget
                Program                     Name of Project              Responsible          Implementation          U.S. $

                Marine Pollution        5. Site-specific studies     lOC/UNEP, Nat.              Mar 1990-            212,000
                Research, Control       of damaged ecosystems        Inst.                       Sep 1991
                and Abatement           and development of
                (cont.)                 proposals for remedial
                                        action.

                                        6. Development of            IOC/UNEP,                   Mar 1990-            238,000
                                        environmental quality        WFIO/PAHO FAO               Oct 1991
                                        criteria.                    (etc.), Nat. Inst.

                                        7. Research on the           UPR, CEHI                   Mar 1990-              65,000
                                        significance of organo-                                  Aug 1991
                                        tin as pollutant of the
                                        Wider Caribbean
                                        region.

                                        8. Coordination of CEP IOC/UNEP                          Mar 1990-            155,000
                                        POL.                                                     Oct 1991

                Ocean Mapping           1. IBCCA                     10C                         Ongoing-
                                                                                                    1995







                  about the magnitude, direction and possible impacts of climatic and other environmental changes. In the
                  short term perspective one of the main goals will be to train experts in measuring and interpretation of
                  parameters to these changes. Central to these projects, is an operational network of Sea-Level stations
                  throughout the Caribbean (regional component of the IOC Global Sea-Level Observing System - GLOSS).

                       As an expansion of the IOCARIBE programme on Marine Pollution Research and Monitoring
                  (CARIPOL), a joint IOC/UNEP Marine Pollution Assessment and Control Programme for the Wider
                  Caribbean (CEPPOL) has been established in 1990, aimed at activities related to Monitoring, Research,
                  Control and Abatement of Marine Pollution. The programme comprises projects on: "Control of
                  Domestic, Industrial and Agriculture Land-based Sources of Pollution": "Base-line Studies on Pesticide
                  Contamination"; "Monitoring and Control of Sanitary Quality of Bathing and Shellfish Growing Waters";
                  "Monitoring and Control of Pollution by Oil and Marine Debris"; "Site-specific Studies of damaged
                  Ecosystems and Development of Proposal for Remedial Action"; "Development of Environmental Quality
                  Criteria"; and, "Research on the Significance of Organotin as Pollutant (Annex 111).

                       A Project Proposal on "Caribbean Coastal Zone Changes: Their Relationship to Sea-Level and other
                  Forcing Processes and Implications for Management" is being developed with partial support of ICOD,
                  Canada and the EC. The project document was finalized by an Ad-Hoc Group of Experts during the
                  Second Congress on Marine Sciences, Havana, Cuba, 18-21 June 1990 (IOC, 1990).

                       Other regional programmes relate to two major initiatives: Ocean Science and Living Resources
                  where the problem of "recruitment" in main fisheries is addressed through four sub-projects: "Satellite
                  Ocean Analysis (SOAR)", "Fish-Estuarine Deltaic Recruitment (FEDERP)", "Shrimp Recruitment (PREP)",
                  and, "Coral Reef Recruitment (CORDERP)". Dr. J. Day introduced at the meeting the FEDERP
                  Sub-Project and Dr. M. McGowan the CORDERP Sub-Project (Annex IV). Other major initiative deals
                  with Marine Information Management where an appropriate mechanisms to assure an adequate and stable
                  flow of all kind of supporting information, is under consideration.

                       These and other programmes are developed as part of the IOCARIBE Medium Tenn Plan: 1990-1995
                  (bibliographic ref. IOC/INF-809). With the planning phage essentially completed, the operational phase
                  is now being pursued. Some actions will require "started" or "catalytic" funding. Perhaps most
                  importantly, the success of these programmes/projects during these six years, is contingent on strong and
                  consistent support from Member States and International Organizations governmental and
                  non-governmental.


                                                3.2 The Caribbean Environment Programme
                                                           (SAlvano Bricefto, UNEP)

                       Established under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, the Caribbean
                  Environment Programme aims to protect and develop the marine environment of the Wider Caribbean
                  Region. Thirty-seven States and Territories comprise the Wider Caribbean Region, an area characterized
                  by great cultural diversity of its marine and coastal ecosystems. The region's politics are similarly diverse,
                  with contending ideologies, competing trade and economic alliances and differing political traditions.
                  Despite these differences, there exists a strong sense of regional coherence generated by centuries of
                  interchange and interaction. All of the States and Territories share a common resource-their regional
                  seas--the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, which together with the adjacent areas of the Atlantic Ocean
                  and its coastal areas, constitute the Wider Caribbean Region.

                       The Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) emerged as a result of many years of work by
                  governmental and non-governmental representatives of the Caribbean community (UNEP, 1989), assisted


                                                                       12









                     Annex III: Recommendations of SC-IOCARIBE-I, SC-IOCARIBE-11 and SC-IOCARIBE-111


                 Program                         Recommendation                            Sate of Implementation


                                                               SC-10CARIBE-1

                 Marine Pollution        Pollution research and training.      Workshop, training course, steering
                 Research and                                                  committee (two sessions), two publications.
                 Monitoring
                 OSLR                    OSLR-IREP workshop in                 Workshop.
                                         tropical demersal communities.
                 OSNLR                   Activities on coastal dynamics        Symposium, proposal for three regional
                                         and shoreline stability.              projects.
                 Ocean Mapping           International bathymetric, charts     Editorial board (three sessions), workshop,
                                         for the Caribbean and the             regional project being implemented.
                                         Pacific coast of Central
                                         America.

                 Ocean Dynamics          Ocean-atmosphere interactions.        Meeting, workshop, proposal for regional
                                                                               project.
                 TEMA                    Regional network of educa-            Without major progress.
                                         tional and research institutions.

                 Relation with           Cooperation between                   Without major progress.
                 other programs          IOCARIBE and UNESCO in
                                         COMAR-



                                                              SC-IOCARIBE-11

                 Physical                IOCARIBE program in                   Regional project, three publications.
                 Oceanography and        physical oceanography and
                 Climate                 climate.

                 Marine Pollution        Regional program on marine            Implementation of phase I and 11 of the
                 Research and            pollution research and moni-          CARIPOL program, proposal for joint
                 Monitoring              toring.                               IOC/UNEP regional program (CEP POL),
                                                                               regional group of experts (one session),
                                                                               workshop, training course, about 35 pub-
                                                                               lications.

                 OSLR                    Recruitment in tropical coastal       Group of experts (one session), workshop,
                                         demersal communities.                 four proposals for regional projects, pub-
                                                                               lications.

                                         Regional response to mass fish        Without progress.
                                         mortalities in the IOCARIBE
                                         region.





                                                                        13









                        Annex III: Recommendations of'SC-IOCARIBE-1, SC-IOCARIBE-Il and SC-IOCARIBE-III


                    Program                       Recommendation                          Sate of Implementation
                    OSNLR                  Regional component of the           Training course, meeting.
                                           program on OSNLR.
                    IOOE                   Development of the IOOE             Without progress.
                                           system in the IOCARIBE
                                           region.
                    Marine                 Regional system for marine          Without progress.
                    Information            information management.
                    Management
                    Relation with          Interaction between IOCARIBE        Without progress.
                    other programs         and the COSALC component
                                           of COMAR of the Division of
                                           Marine Sciences of UNESCO.


                                                              SC-10CARIBE-111

                    Physical               Physical oceanography and           Projects on physical oceanography and
                    Oceanography and       climate.                            climate are being implemented.
                    Climate

                    Marine Pollution       Marine pollution research,and       The CEP POL program with many projects
                    Research and           monitoring component of             has been approved/implemented.
                    Monitoring             GIPME-MARPOLMON.

                                           Dr. Atwood's involvement in         --------
                                           CICAR, IOCARIBE
                                           association and IOCARIBE
                                           Sub-Commission.

                    OSLR                   Regional component of the           TRODERP sub-projects SOAR, PREP,
                                           IOC-FAO program on Ocean            FEDERP and CORDERP are being
                                           Science in Relation to Living       implemented.
                                           Resources (OSLR).
                    OSNLR                  Regional component of the           Project on Impacts of Sea-Level Changes on
                                           IOC-UN (OALOS) program on           the Coastal Zone-Effects on Erosion and
                                           Ocean Science in Relation to        Sedimentation is being implemented.
                                           Non-Living Resources
                                           (OSNLR).
                    Marine                 Regional system for marine          Development of marine debris data base in
                    Information            management.                         progress.
                    Management








                                                                        14









           Annex III: Recommendations of SC-IOCARIBE-I, SC-IOCARIBE-11 and SC-IOCARIBE-111


         Program         Recommendation       Sate of Implementation
         COMAR       UNESCO major inter-regional Revision of situation with UNESCO
                     project on research and training re-initiated.
                     leading to integrated manage-
                     ment of coastal systems
                     (COMAR).
                     Scheduling of sessions of the Action, being take.
                     IOCARIBE Sub-Commission.




















































                                    15









                                                Annex IV: IOCARIBE-TRODERP-CORDERP
                                                  (COral Reef DEmersal Recruitment Project)




                   Michael F. McGowan
                   Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies
                   University of Miami
                   4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
                   Miami, Fl, USA 33149
                   (305) 361-4152; FAX:     (305) 361-4457; Telemail: CIMAS


                   PROGRESS REPORT OF CORDERP (December 18.192W

                   (presented 17 December 1990 at the Intra-Americas Sea Marine Science Meeting of U.S. experts, Miami,
                   Florida)



                   Part 1: Backeround


                       The objectives of CORDERP as stated in the IOCARIBE Draft Medium Term Plan revision 3
                   (SC-IOCARIBE-III/8(2) rev 3) are:

                   (1) Describe the population genetics of spiny lobsters and four species of snapper throughout the
                       Caribbean coral reef biotope.

                   (2) Perform fishery biological studies of the most representative species in their ecosystem.

                   (3) Determine physical processes and biological interactions within the ecosystem and in artificial reefs.

                       Following recommendations in the 1989 workshop in Caracas, Venezuela in September 1989 (IOC
                   Workshop Report No. 60), a CORDERP meeting was held in Havana, Cuba in June 1990. The proposals
                   presented at the Caracas meeting were discussed, the status of the United States SEFCAR project on
                   lobster genetics was reviewed, and plans for research in Puerto Rico and Martinique were presented.
                   Because of the differences in priorities and development of recruitment studies among various participants,
                   it was agreed to pursue bilateral/multilateral cooperative projects without attempting a fully pan-Caribbean
                   recruitment experiment at this time. A workshop was proposed to be held in conjunction with the
                   Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean meeting in June 1991 to report additional progress
                   and to plan a major regional symposium on CORDERP related subjects.

                   EM 2: Progress in SEFC

                   (The southeastern Florida and Caribbean Recruitment Project of the University of Miami, funded by U.S.
                   National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA]).









                                                                       16









                                             Annex IV: JOCARIBE-TRODERP-CODERP
                                              (COral Reef DEmersal Recruitment Project)



               (1) Spia lobster population genetics

                   Mitochondrial DNA analysis of adult lobsters from throughout the Caribbean is being performed at
               the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami. Specimens have been
               collected or received from several locations including the Bahamas, Mexico, Colombia, Cayman Island,
               Antigua, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Island, Trinidad-Tobago, Martinique, and Brazil. These samples will
               be analyzed to determine relationships among populations in the source locations and they will be
               compared with the genetics of post-larval lobsters which settle in Florida which is downstream from all
               these locations except for the Bahamas.

               (2) Determine physical processes and biological interactions within the ecosystem and in artificial reefs

                    Plankton samples and physical oceanographic observations were collected in the Florida Keys during
               1989 and 1990. A local gyre named the Pourtales Gyre and a countercurrent system were confirmed to
               exist near the Florida Keys when the Florida Current is in an appropriate offshore position. Analysis of
               the distribution of planktonic fish larvae and lobster larvae show the effect of this gyre. Fish larvae with
               nearshore spawning can be retained, potentially, long enough to recruit back to the general area where they
               were spawned. Larvae of fish which spawn offshore, or downstream from the most frequent position of
               the gyre, are swept away by the current. If fish spawn in fixed locations, then variable recruitment may
               be caused by variability in the timing and spatial extent of the gyre. Lobster larvae also show interspecific
               differences in nearshore-offshore distribution. Preliminary indications are that some slipper lobsters
               (Scyllaridae) are retained locally but that the commercially important spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is
               subjected to long distance transport during the larval stage. This pattern predicts that the population
               genetic analyses will not show consistently distinct subpopulations throughout the Caribbean.
               Satellite-tracked drifters showed that the gyre and countercurrent can entrain water from upstream in the
               Loop Current in the Gulf of Mexico. This water would contain spiny lobster larvae from upstream
               sources in the Caribbean. Therefore, variability in the gyre and current may also cause variability in
               recruitment of spiny lobsters to the Florida Keys. These results suggest two important implications for
               the wider Caribbean region. First, some species which are locally retained may be managed locally but
               others with widely dispersing larvae must be managed regionally. Second, if recruitment variability can
               be related to oceanographic variability of local gyres and countercurrents, then recruitment predictions can
               be made from physical oceanographic observations such as those proposed in the SOAR subproject of
               TRODERP.






















                                                                    17







                    by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Economic Commission for Latin America
                    and the Caribbean (ECLAC). This was a grass-root, regionally initiated process, set in motion by a deep
                    concern for the hiture of social/economic development and resource management in the region. Its
                    evolution was an exhaustive process involving extensive discussions and consultations. Eventually
                    differences in view points and political perspectives were overcome in the interest of regional cooperation.
                    Today, after years of negotiation, the States and Territories have come together in pursuit of a common
                    goal: the protection of the marine and coastal environment through the promotion of balanced and
                    sustainable economic development.

                         At Montego Bay, Jamaica, in April 1981, 22 States             and Territories adopted the Action Plan for
                    Caribbean Environment Programme and established the                Caribbean Trust Fund. In March 1983, at
                    Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, two years after the adoption of the Action Plan, the following legal
                    instruments were adopted:

                    ï¿½ The convention for the protection and development of the marine environment in the Wider
                       Caribbean (Cartagena Convention); and

                    ï¿½ The protocol concerning cooperation in combating oil spills in the Wider Caribbean Region.

                         These two major instruments entered into force on I I October 1986, and to date, have been
                    ratified by 18 States (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, France,
                    Grenada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
                    Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Venezuela).

                         This process was further enhanced with the establishment of the Regional Coordinating
                    Unit in Kingston, Jamaica, which was formally inaugurated in May 1987.

                         Under the Cartagena Convention, the Contracting Parties are obligated to prevent, reduce
                    and control pollution           from    ships,    land-based sources, air-borne sources and sea-bed
                    activities.    The Parties are also required to protect unique and fragile ecosystems and the
                    habitats of endangered species and to engage in technical assistance programmes, information
                    and to promote regional cooperation, among others.

                         In    this    regard,    the    Caribbean      Environment        Programme       at    the    Conference , of
                    Plenipotentiaries on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region
                    (Kingston, 15-18 January 1990), achieved an additional objective, that is the signing of a
                    second Protocol to the Cartagena Convention.                 The - protocol on specially protected areas and
                    wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region was signed by 13 Contracting Parties.                             In addition,
                    the process of extending the protocol concerning cooperation in combating oil spills to
                    include other hazardous substances was also significantly advanced.

                         The Wider Caribbean Region is only one of ten Regional                     Seas Programmes of the United
                    Nations Environment Programme which today, brings together over 130 states bordering shared
                    seas around the world--States that have an interest in cooperating for their own and mutual
                    benefit.


                         UNEP has provided the initial impetus by bringing governments together to                             develop a
                    flexible legal framework within which further agreements can be negotiated as needs require
                    and policies allow. UNEP also provided some initial "seed money" for programme development,
                    but the governments of the region themselves have taken over funding and management, drawing
                    on the technical advice of the UN and other agencies.                      The result is a gradually evolving


                                                                              18







            action-oriented programme rooted in the needs of the region, as perceived by the governments
            concerned.     It is important to note that during the last three years, the States and
            Territories of the Caribbean have become increasingly involved in the Programme.                 The
            ratification of the Convention, as well as the contributions to the Caribbean Trust Fund, are
            clear examples of their commitment.

                 As stated in the Brundtland Report, "The political strategy behind the (Regional Seas)
            programme and the requirement that management and financing be undertaken by the
            participating countries have clearly been crucial to its success."

                 The Caribbean Environment Programme is at present providing an adequate and effective
            regional institutional framework to deal with the coordination required to address the marine
            and coastal environmental problems of the region.        The Cartagena Convention, its protocols,
            along with the Action Plan, the Regional Coordinating Unit and our network of Focal Points
            of the Programme provide a unique regional system for cooperation in this subject.          However,
            it will only be completely effective once all concerned governments and organizations
            participate actively.

                 For the 1990-1995 period, the Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme is
            focusing on five priority areas:

            ï¿½ Assessment and control of marine pollution (CEPPOL) jointly being implemented with the
               Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC/LNESCO).

            ï¿½ Specially protected areas and Wildlife (SPAW).

            ï¿½  Information systems for the management of marine and coastal resources (CEPNET).

            ï¿½  Integrated planning and institutional development for the management of marine and coastal
               resources (IPID).

            ï¿½  Education, training and public awareness for the management of marine and coastal
               resources (ETA).


                            3.3 Multinational Project on the Environment and Natural Resources
                                                 (Alberto G. Lonardi, OAS)

                 Resolution CIECC 770/88, adopted by the OAS Inter-American Council in September 1988,
            established the Multinational Project on the Environment' and Natural Resources with the
            following objective for the 1990-95 six-year period:      "To promote knowledge, protection and
            improvement of native species and varieties, the study of existing potential for their
            rational exploitation and the development of technologies suitable for those purposes and
            for the development of clean technologies that will enable, the industrial sector to advance
            while preserving the environment." The goals of the Project, as agreed in the programming
            meeting held in Washington, D.C. on December I I to 15, 1989, are: "To help generate, adapt
            and develop regional capability in planning research, evaluation, and management of
            terrestrial and marine natural resources, in order to maintain the environment and its
            natural processes, to preserve biological diversity and to increase its productivity, in each
            of the member states and at the regional level." . To this end, and based on the initial
            priorities set up by the countries themselves at the end of 1989, the Project will focus on


                                                             19








                 the following:

                 (1)  Development of a regional network of institutions and creation of new, or reinforcement of existing-
                      postgodu e courses for training in planning. management. conservation and development of natural
                      resources and the environment. Includes the creation of postgraduate courses in Argentina, Brazil,
                      and Mexico and the reinforcement of one in Costa Rica, training in environmental economics and
                      management, and the financing of students from other countries to attend the above mentioned
                      activities. The budget is U.S. $200,000 per year.

                 (2)  Management. conservation and develQpment of wate                      fland watenmM. the coastal zo
                      and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Latin America and the Caribbean. Includes the preparation of
                      country environmental profiles, research and monitoring of dams and reservoirs, and pollution
                      research, training in limnology and satellite imagery iiterpretation, research in productivity of coastal
                      waters using remote sensing, coastal erosion and pollution control and recovery, development of
                      mariculture and pisciculture, and design of prospective policies and strategies for the environment.
                      The budget is U.S. $550,000 per year.

                 (3)  Management. conservation and development of wildlife and domestic fauna and flora. Involves
                      research in conservation, management and improvement of Andean camelidae and caprines species
                      as well as research in wildlife fauna with emphasis in tropical species, and research and training for
                      the development and management of indigenous plant resources, isolation and characterization of
                      bioactive compounds, validation of medicinal plants, creation of inventories and data banks,
                      workshops and symposia, with a budget of U.S. $280,000 per year.

                 (4)  Evaluation and development of non-conventional en= resources. Consists of the establishment of
                      a subregional network for the evaluation of solar energy, the selection and adaptation of suitable solar
                      energy technology conversion for rural development, training of participants, and the holding of a
                      Plasma Physics Seminar, with a budget of U.S. $70,000 per year.

                      Twenty-five countries will participate in one or more of the four areas mentioned above, through
                 more than 50 universities, specialized institutes and other executing agencies. The total funds assigned
                 to the OAS Project amounts to U.S. $1,100,000 per year, which are going to finance 50 multinational
                 activities to be held during 1990-1991. The multinational activities will be related to research, human
                 resource development and training, design of policies and strategies, and information exchange.

                      These lines of work will be pursued by organizing multinational courses, seminars, workshops for
                 training in scientific techniques, and for the updating of scientific and technical knowledge, conferences,
                 research projects and publications. All participating institutions will also exchange their experiences
                 among themselves and with institutions from USA and from other countries outside the region, at periodic
                 meetings of coordination.

                      This multinational project maintains coordinating links with other regional, non-governmental and
                 international organizations devoted to global issues like the conservation of the environment, global
                 warming, ocean pollution, coastal and ocean development, etc., and serves as a reference point of
                 information exchange for participating institutions of the region.









                                                                       20









                                              4.0 WORKSHOP REPORTS


                              4.1 Group 1: Mechanisms to Facilitate Marine Science Projects
                                      (Rapporteur: George A. Maiil, NOAA/AOML)

           WORKSHOP REPO            The working group was asked to focus'on the following issue and to provide
           appropriate recommendations: "The generation of ideas and mechanisms to facilitate marine science
           projects with high scientific priority and with potential for supporting regional organizations."

             1.  RECOMMENDATION: Extend the Sea Grant Program to the region, perhaps by implementing an
                 international (hemispheric?) Sea Grant, capitalizing, for example, on the requirements of the
                 Cartagena Convention which mandates a "Sea Grant type" program (CEPPOL) in the region; U.S.
                 Territories, Commonwealth, and States in the region to be fully included.

                 RESPONSIBILITY: NOAA


                 DEADLINE: FY-1992 budget item

             2.  RECOMMENDATION: Make key policy makers aware of IOCARIBE- and UNEP-related issues,
                 resources needed to address these issues, and benefits to be gained for such support.

                 RESPONSIBILITY: As appropriate

                 DEADLINE: 1991

             3.  RECOMMENDATION: Initiate active involvement with UNOLS, SECOR (the SouthEast
                 Consortium for Ocean Research) and other such committees by institutions within the region to
                 foster ship-time requests and information on planned cruises.

                 RESPONSIBILI          UPR, CVI


                 DEADLINE: 1991


             4.  RECOMMENDATION: Provide copies of research vessel clearance requests to the American
                 Embassy in Cartagena for distribution through IOCARIBE to all GulFCaribbean marine research
                 institutions and universities with marine science departments.

                 RESPONSIBILITY: State Department


                 DEADLINE: 1991


             5.  RECOMMENDATION: Publish cruise plans on electronic bulletin boards and in newsletters of
                 IOCARIBE, UNEP, and NOAA with sufficient lead-time to allow participation requests; encourage
                 other countries in the region to widely publish cruise dates and space availability.

                 RESPONSIBILIT : IOCARIBE Secretariat


                 DEADLINE: 1991


             6. RECOMMENDATIO : Advertisement of ship-time opportunities to be an agenda item at March
                 1991 IOC Assembly.


                                                            21








                      RESPONSIBILITY.: State Department, IOCARIBE Secretariat

                      DEADLINE: January 1991

                  7-  RECOMMENDATION: Secondment of U.S. scientists and/or technicians at JOCARIBE and
                      UNEP/RCU offices both for 1-2 Year assignments, and for shorter durations as specific projects
                      demand. The purpose would be to assist the organizations in the execution of projects, planning,
                      and to generate better understanding of common goals.

                      RESPONSIBIL           NOAA, EPA, IOCARIBE, UNEP, other


                      DEADLINE: 1992


                  8.  RECOMMENDATION: Establish a National Committee for Intra-Americas Sea Marine Science as
                      a subcommittee of PIPICO; U.S. National Representative to IOCARIBE to chair and report
                      regularly.

                      RESPONSIBILITY: NOAA/NMFS


                      DEADLINE: 1991


                  9.  RECOMMENDATION: Convene in late 1991 an "issues oriented" follow-on meeting to advise
                      USDEL to 1992 IOCARIBE meeting and to other inter          national bodies on (1) agenda items, (2)
                      how to support programs, (3) management issues, and (4) shared resources and problems.

                      RESPONSIBILITY: NOAA, State, NAS

                      DEADLINE: September 1991

                 10.  RECOMMENDATION: Provide wide international distribution of this report and follow-on reports.

                      RESPONSIBILITY: NAS

                      DEADLINE: April 1991

                 11.  RECOMMENDATION: IOCARIBE Secretariat to encourage all member states to participate in
                      TEMA meeting in March 1991 in Paris.

                      RESPONSIBILITY: IOCARIBE Secretariat


                      DEADLIN : January 1991

                 12.  RECOMMENDATION: Present results of this meeting to the IOC Assembly in March 1991 in
                      Paris.


                      RESPONSIBILITY: State Department

                      DEADLINE: Febmary 1991






                                                                   22








                                    4.2 Group 11: Human Resources, Development and Education
                                               (Raporteur: Arthur Paterson, NOAA/DAS)

               Human Resources Development and Educatio :

                 1.   IOCARIBE, in coordination with CEP, should initiate a focused educational initiative targeted on
                      high level government decision makers on the importance of basic scientific research, e.g.,
                      IOCARIBE program, to national economic development priorities.

                 2.   The scientific community and regional institutions such as IOCARIBE and UNEP should serve as
                      a catalyst to the training of marine and coastal resource managers--literate in basic oceanographic
                      sciences--recognizing that more narrowly trained basic oceanographic researchers will find few jobs
                      and scarce funding within their countries.

                 3.   The scientific community and regional institutions such as IOCARIBE and UNEP should develop
                      a marine advisory service that will (a) enhance training (formal and non-formal) oppoMmities, (b)
                      translate research into economically relevant information for both decision makers and local
                      business, and (c) provide a vital link between research and development. In addition, the advisory
                      service can play an important role in the advancement of marine environmental/scientific curriculum
                      in the schools, starting at the primary level as well as promote adult education and public policy
                      participation.

                 4. The U.S. should demonstrate higher level commitment to IOC/TEMA and should send a
                      representative to the upcoming TEMA meeting in 1991.


               Environmental Information and Data from Basic Research:

                 1.   Demonstration of a long-term commitment by the research community to a subregion/problem, will
                      significantly enhance access to geographic areas and to data. It would enhance opportunities for
                      local scientist contributions, local in kind facility support, local training, and possible development
                      of complementary research that may have a more "applied" focus.

                 2.   An electronic bulletin board for the Caribbean was strongly supported.


               Basic Research Applications/Iralications for Devglopment Priorities:

                 1.   The scientific community and IOCARIBE should give special attention to the study of
                      oceanographic circulation variations within the context of efforts to understand the regional physical
                      oceanographic circulation patterns. This will enable decision makers to understand and advance
                      applied research/policy objectives in such areas as fisheries management and pollution, as well as
                      prepare for potential effects of global climate change.

                 2.   Regional scientific, environmental and economic organizations should collaborate in specific
                      "demonstration" projects which link research objectives/with development goals. Development of
                      a "success track record" requires a long-term commitment by both researchers and Caribbean
                      countries to specific environmental problems. An ecosystem research approach might advance both
                      research and development priorities in a more direct manner. (Centrally located joint laboratories
                      might help to focus scarce human and financial resources on research projects with important
                      socio-economic applications.)


                                                                     23








                   3.   Establish a satellite data receiving dish and data distribution center for NOAA AUHRR Local Area
                        Coverage data which could be used for fisheries 'oceanography and management and forestry.
                        Access to satellite data for local fishermen (already available to U.S. long liner pelagic fleet) would
                        provide a high profile demonstration of the utility of fisheries oceanography to economic concerns.

                   4.   Establish important links between the research and economic development sectors in the arenas such
                        as tourism development (Edgell, 1990). Coastal ecosystems (including species distribution) will
                        change as a result of increasing tourist development and pressure. Research can play an important
                        role in helping to maintain the balance between resource conservation and lucrative tourist
                        recreational activities.


                   5.   Design integrated projects with research-to-management ("cradle-to-grave") focus. The National
                        Estuarine program might serve as one model.


                 General Qbservations:

                   1.   Although the U.S. science community (oceanographic) community is aware of the important
                        economic development implications of its research agenda, its attention is focused on basic research
                        priorities/scientific unknowns rather than on socio-economic issues per se.
                                                                                        1

                   2.   The development implications of marine and coastal basic environmental processes research are
                        diverse: human resources, tourism, coastal development and multiple resource use management,
                        fisheries development, etc. These fields are generally extraneous to the original research design and
                        primary investigation.

                   3.   There is a major communication gap between the oceanographic research community and the users
                        of researcher results outside the science community, such as government decision makers and
                        resource managers. This is true within countries as well as between IOCARIBE, CEP and potential
                        donor agencies.

                   4.   IOCARIBE must initiate an active partnership with other organizations in order to take advantage
                        of the economic development benefits of basic research.


                                              4.3 Group III: Communication and Networking
                                               (Rapporteur: Norman L. Guinasso, Jr., TAMU)

                       The Committee discussed at length the role of electronic communication in increasing the interaction
                 of those interested in the Caribbean. Some thought was given to the establishment of an electronic
                 Caribbean bulletin board, patterned after the bulletin boards run for WOCE, Gulf of Mexico (GULF.MEX)
                 and others using the OMNET system (see Appendix B). Information on various programs and activities
                 could be posted on the board which would, over time, come to be a way to contact all those interested
                 in oceanographic affairs in the Caribbean.

                       It was pointed out that many countries did not have access to OMNET, or if access was available,
                 it was only through an expensive international telephone call. Some mechanism had to be found to
                 communicate the information posted on the bulletin board to the broader community without electronic
                 mail.






                                                                       24







                   The Committee then discussed the role of various newsletters in furthering communication among
              the Caribbean interests. The U.S. NOAA Status and Trends Newsletter was put forth as an example of
              what was needed for the Caribbean. This newsletter gives a brief overview of who is doing what, where
              they are doing it, and what is available. It was noted that many newsletters covering oceanographic topics
              now exist and serve specialized needs such as pollution, fisheries, turtle research, etc. Best known is the
              IOCARIBE newsletter, produced quarterly by Fernando Robles in Cartagena, Colombia.

                   Some discussion of newsletter content then followed. Scientists and governments are encouraged to
              share and describe what they are working on. Information is sometimes used in unusual ways.
              International banks, e.g., have needed to know the swordfish stocks near various islands to judge the
              viability of loans to fishing interests.

                   Alberto Lonardi described communications used by the OAS. They use TELEX and FAX to
              communicate to OAS office in each country. There is an information program in the scientific department
              which is the focal point for the preparation of manuals. OAS sees the need for increased support for
              communications in marine science. The OAS information exchange programs work daily with universities
              and OAS governments.

                   Fernando Robles presented his perspective on communication flows in the Caribbean. He made the
              following points:

              1.   Mad sometimes works very badly in the Caribbean. Delivery can sometimes take one month.
                   Airmail is expensive.

              2.   Telephone works well, especially between capital cities. International telephone calls are expensive.

              3.   FAX works well. Everyone has a FAX.

              4.   Telex is expensive, especially the cost of renting equipment.

              5.   He is sending some news via automatic dialing FAX/computer. This could be the best way to send
                   low volume newsletters in the future.


              6.   Telemail (OMNET) is the best means of communication, but does not work well except in Tabago,
                   Colombia, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

                   The group felt that the best way to increase communication flow was to increase the amount of
              information in and the frequency of publication of the IOCARIBE newsletter. This newsletter would
              complement a Caribbean electronic bulletin board in that it would serve to disseminate electronic
              information to a wider audience.


                   Interests not connected to electronic mail could be reached by automatic FAX or by mail. The group
              discussed publishing a monthly IOCARIBE newsletter in addition to the present quarterly. The monthly
              newsletter need not be printed in multiple languages as are the quarterly newsletters and need not be
              printed in as formal a style.

                   IOC would probably not object to the newsletter appearing in one language. Robles should not be
              asked to do this unless he is given addition resources.





                                                                  25








                   Recommendation:

                        The Committee recommended that additional support be sought for the IOCARIBE office in
                   Cartagena to assist with the publication of the additional newsletters. Specifically, we recommended that
                   one additional professional person be funded to work in Cartagena. This person could possibly be
                   seconded from NOAA or other U.S. agency.



                   Additional Items:

                        Requests for'NODC data by Caribbean scientists have run into roadblocks because many cannot
                   afford the NODC charges. Question: Can the U.S. pay the NODC charges as contributions in kind to
                   IOC for data requests forwarded by the IOCARIBE office?

                        The recommendations made in the 1986 report by John Sylvester, "Report of Consultant Mission to
                   Selected Caribbean Island States," are still timely and valid.




                                                         5.0 CLOSING REMARKS
                                            (Bradford E. Brown, U.S,. IOCARIBE Representative)

                        First, I want to express my sincere appreciation to all of you for your willingness to attend and
                   participate in this discussion. Secondly, I thank you for your preparations of the materials that formed
                   the basis for our discussions and for the hard work and efforts expended at this meeting. Our shared
                   concern around the need for enhancing the work of IOCARIBE and related organizations and the U.S.
                   participation therein is resulting in specific recommendations. We are here because we believe the work
                   in the Intra-Americas Sea is important scientifically and that the results of our research can have
                   significant impact on the well-being of the entire region, a region that works to obtain badly needed
                   economic development which, without utilizing the results from scientific research, can well fail to be
                   sustained economic development. All of the international scientific bodies concerned with the Caribbean
                   should cooperate in enhancing the research, The resources of IOCARIBE, UNEP, WECAFE and
                   independent organizations such as the Association of Island Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean and the
                   Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute can have greater input together than separately. Where appropriate,
                   linkages should be made with bi-lateral efforts such as the Mexus-Gulf Cooperative Research Agreement
                   between fisheries laboratories of the United States and Mexico. The United States fishery management
                   councils, particularly the Caribbean Fishery Management Council but also the Gulf of Mexico Fishery
                   Management Council, can be important in this effort as well.

                        The 50 or so institutions of higher education bordering the Intra-Americas Sea and particularly the
                   Caribbean island institutions, i.e., the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez with its Sea Grant Program,
                   the College of the Virgin Islands with its involvement in resource management training development
                   throughout the Caribbean, can be very important for U.S. involvement in the region.

                        As I look at the recommendations from our discussions, it becomes obvious that the core of the
                   recommendations are similar to those made earlier by knowledgeable people working in IOCARIBE.
                   However, recommendations must not only be made but to be effective they must fall on responsive cars.
                   Furthermore, it often requires significant follow-up on the part of those making the recommendations to,
                   achieve its acceptance. Thus, I am particularly excited about the recommendation that an advisory body
                   to PIPICO be formed, consisting primarily of individuals right here in this room. This can well provide



                                                                      26







                the structure necessary for moving these recommendations, as well as adapting them to specific policy
                issues faced at IOCARIBE meetings.

                     Those recommendations that relate to remote sensing and its availability and the use of electronic
                bulletin boards for rapid communication merit extensive efforts to develop. These are technologies that
                were not as readily available in the earlier years. It is particularly important that these tools be utilized
                ift a way that support the training responsibilities of IOCARIBE and other organizations with similar
                objectives such as UNEP and OAS.

                     I wish to acknowledge the leadership of George Maul as IOCARIBE vice-president who has been
                my mentor on IOCARIBE. Bill Erb of the State Department conceived the concept of this workshop and
                has worked hard for its success. I want to thank my special assistant, Essie Duffle, for her efforts with
                regards to the logistics of this meeting and, in advance, her efforts in seeing that a good report is
                forthcoming. I also wish to thank our Center secretary, Virginia Broadnax, for working effectively in
                making smooth arrangements for this meeting.

                     Finally, I want to respond to the comments that have been made by at least some of you as to the
                prospects for real action with regard to increasing the effectiveness of IOCARIBE and the U.S.
                involvement in the important research needed in this area. I can only respond by saying that I have no
                presumptions of more knowledge or effectiveness than my outstanding predecessors as IOCARIBE
                delegates. Perhaps because I am the new kid on the block; perhaps because fools rush in where angels
                fear to tread, but I believe that the time is right for a greater recognition of the importance of scientific
                research in the Intra-Americas Sea area. Because I believe this, I commit myself to utilizing the insights
                gained at this meeting and the document that we will produce to work towards greater and more effective
                research involvement in this region.






























                                                                     27









                                               6.0 SELECTED REFERENCES



                Edgell, D. E. Trends in international tourism through the Year 2000. Trends, 27(3), 32-35, 1990.

                Fenwick, J., D. A. Ross, and C. Schramm. International Marine Science Funding Guide. WHOI Sea
                    Grant Program, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 161 pages, 1990.

                IOC, 10CARIBE Medium Term Plan (1990-1995). IOC/INF-809, Paris, 23 pages, 28 February 1990.

                IOC, Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE). IOCARIBE Ad-Hoc Group
                    of Experts Meeting on OSNLR, Havana, Cuba, 19-22 June 1990. Unpublished Report, available
                    from IOCARIBE Secretariat, A.A. 1108, Cartagena, Colombia.

                Sylvester, J.C. Report of Consultant Mission to Selected Caribbean Island States. UNESCO Unpublished
                    Manuscript, Paris, 19 pages, 1986.

                UNEP, United Nations Environment Programme, The Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment
                    Programme. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 109, 70 pages, 1989.




































                                                             28

























                            APPENDIX A: INSTITUTIONAL SUMMARIES


















































                                             29








                                        Caribbean Activities of the Southeast Fisheries Center


                                      James Bohnsack and Larry Massey, NOAA/NMFS/SEFC


                   The Southeast Fisheries Center (SEFC) of the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS), National
             Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, is responsible for
             providing the basic research advice on issues related to fisheries in the purview of the Federal government
             in the area from North Carolina to Texas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, it is
             responsible for the United States' international responsibilities in the entire Caribbean area. It is also
             responsible for research on large pelagic resources throughout the Atlantic. Many of the fishery resources
             under investigation at the Southeast Fisheries Center consist of either stocks which move between U.S.
             and international waters or of different stocks of the same species. The Center's extensive habitat research
             on coastal areas involves similar ecological areas as those in other countries in the wider Caribbean such
             as mangroves and seagrasses. The Center has a series of programs to improve data collection,
             communication, and management of fisheries stocks in the Caribbean region which are described here.
             Many Caribbean fishery species are likely interconnected through egg and larval dispersal such that fish
             stocks in one country may depend on upstream recruitment from other areas. Thus, a need exists to better
             understand the distribution, abundance, biology, and exploitation of stocks to better manage Caribbean
             fishery resources. While some SEFC programs cover much of the Caribbean, others operate only within
             U.S. jurisdiction but have application to the greater Caribbean Region. Major programs are discussed
             below.



             Fisheries Statistics


                   The collection and maintenance of a fisheries statistics database involving catch, effort, value, and
             biological characteristics of the catch is a significant part of the Southeast Fisheries Center's responsibility.
             The maintenance of this database is critical to understanding the fisheries resources of the wider Caribbean
             area. This effort is a cooperative one between the Federal government, the states, Commonwealth of
             Puerto Rico, and the Territories of the Virgin Islands. Federal grant funds administered by the Southeast
             Fisheries Center assist the non-Federal partners in this effort.


             Caribbean FisheI3@ Management Council

                   Southeast Fisheries Center provides advice on status of the fishery resources and on fisheries
             management measures to the Caribbean Management Council for fishery resources around Puerto Rico
             and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Resources involved at present include shallow water reef fish, spiny lobster,
             and conch.



             SEAMAP


                   The Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) is a cooperative program which
             engages state and federal agencies in coordinated collection, management, and dissemination of
             fishery-dependent information (Stephan, 1990). SEAMAP's scope includes marine and estuarine waters
             and living marine resources within the United States internal waters, territorial sea, and Exclusive
             Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. South Atlantic, and the Caribbean Sea. Its scope can
             be expanded when necessary and appropriate to include geographical areas beyond the EEZ that require
             cooperative agreements and coordination with foreign governments and international bodies or


                                                                     31







                   commissions. Its goals are to: (1) collect long-term standardized fishery-independent data on the condition
                   of living marine resources and their environment; (2) cooperatively plan and evaluate SEAMAP sponsored
                   activities; (3) identify and describe existing non-independent assessments of regional living marine
                   resources; (4) operate the SEAMAP Data Management System for efficient management and timely
                   availability of fishery-independent data and information; and (5) coordinate and document SEAMAP
                   activities and disseminate programmatic information. SEAMAP began in the Gulf of Mexico in 1981,
                   expanded in 1983 to include the U.S. South Atlantic, and included the Caribbean region beginning in
                   1988. Primary emphasis for the Caribbean SEAMAP program is on shallow-water reef fishes, lobster,
                   conch, and habitat.



                   ICC


                       Several countries in the wider Caribbean area are members of the International Commission for the
                   Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). These include.Cuba, USA, and Venezuela. Korea and Japan
                   area ICCAT members which fish in the area. Stock assessment of tunas and tuna-like fishes are done
                   through ICCAT. In conjunction with the ICCAT Enhanced Research Program for Billfish, a data
                   collection program was initiated in 1987 in the Caribbean region to assess the status of Atlantic billfish
                   (Istiophoridae). Data are collected from approximately I I locations on total harvest from recreational and
                   commercial sources. Additional data are collected on age, growth, and movements through tagging
                   programs. Biological data and catch-per-unit-effort data are collected from various tournaments in the
                   U.S. and other countries.



                   Cooperative Game Fish Tagging Program

                       A cooperative garnefish tagging program distributes tags and monitors returns to determine age,
                   growth, and movements of major recreational and commercially caught species. Concentration'has been
                   primarily on billfishes and tunas but plans exist to expand to more species.



                   Reef Resources


                       The SEFC monitors trends in fishery landings and catch-per-unit-effort, and conducts studies on age,
                   growth, distribution, and fecundity of various species. The SEFC has been instrumental in developing
                   methods to non-destructively assess reef fish populations using visual methods. Theoretical and applied
                   research has been conducted on the impacts of fish traps and the use of artificial habitat in reef fishery
                   management. In 1990 a review of problems involving Caribbean fisheries was published (Richards and
                   Bohnsack, 1990). Recent research has examined the design and usefulness of marine fishery reserves for
                   reef fish stocks (PDT, 1990). Reserves may be an ideal way to protect spawning stock biomass and
                   -genetic composition of sedentary reef species, while maintaining high quality and quantity of recruits to
                   fisheries. This research on reserves may provide a basis for pan-Caribbean management strategies.



                   Marine Turtles


                       NMFS/SEFC sponsored jointly with IOCARI13E and FAO the first two Western Atlantic Turtle
                   Symposia (WATS) in which Caribbean nations presented and exchanged information on the status of sea
                   turtles within national waters. WATS I had 33 nations represented in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1983.
                   WATS II had 38 nations represented in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1987. Data and species synopsis from
                   both symposia have been published. Current Caribbean turtle activities. in Miami focus on collecting


                                                                       32








               information on turtles that have washed up dead on the coasts of the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
               Islands. These data are incorporated into the NMFS Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network in Miami,
               which is the only long term database maintained on turtles on a regional basis.



               Sharks


                    In 1991 the SEFC will start a program to improve the quality of data collected on commercial shark
               landings. Many shark species are known to migrate between the U.S. EEZ and other countries, especially
               Mexico. The goals are to (1) develop procedures and manuals for shark identification from carcasses, (2)
               develop species-specific formulae for estimating live weight from various carcass dimensions, and (3) train
               fishery personnel in data collection and shark identification.


               MEXUS-GULF

                    The MEXUS-GULF program provides a structure for exchange and presentation of fisheries data of
               interest to the United States and Mexico. This program has facilitated data collection and exchange on
               age, growth, and movements of mackerels. Discussions are underway to expand this program to sharks.


               Rgpublic of Colombia Troly

                    In 1981 a joint treaty between the Republic of Colombia and the United States allowed U.S. vessels
               to fish in waters of Quita Sueno, Roncador, and Serrana. Fishing by both countries is subject to
               reasonable non-discriminatory conservation measures. Representatives of both countries have established
               fishing reporting forms to monitor fisheries, have agreed to share data, and have agreed to joint
               conservation measures for reef fishes, conch, and lobster. This treaty also established a basis for future
               cooperative research efforts.



               Literature Cited

               Plan Development Team, 1990. Bohnsack, J. A. (Subcommittee Chair). The potential of marine fishery
                    reserves for reef fish management in the U.S. southern Atlantic. Snapper-Grouper Plan Development
                    Team Report for the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. NOAA Technical Memorandum
                    NMFS-SEFC-261, 45 p.

               Richards, W. J., and J. A. Bohnsack, 1990. The Caribbean Sea: A large marine ecosystem in crisis. In:
                    K. Sherman, L. M. Alexander, and B. D. Gold (eds.), Large Marine Ecosystems: Patterns, Processes
                    and Yields, pgs. 44-53. American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C.,
                    242 p.

               Stephan, C. D., 1990. Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) Management
                    Plan: 1990-1995. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources.
                    North Carolina Project SM-18-4, 56 p.








                                                                   33







                              Research Programs, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory

                                                    George A. Maul, NOAA/AOML


                     The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) is a laboratory of the U.S.
                Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). AOML has four
                divisions (Hurricane Research, Ocean Acoustics, Ocean Chemistry, and Physical Oceanography), all of
                which have programs that involve the waters of the Intra-Americas Sea (IAS). AOML has approximately
                150 employees and extensively uses the ships and aircraft of the NOAA.

                     The Hurricane Research Division (HRD) is involved in modeling, observing, prediction, and analysis
                of tropical storms, including the role of the ocean upon them. HRD scientists routinely use NOAA!s
                instrumented WP-3D aircraft to fly into Atlantic and Pacific storms to gather atmospheric and oceanic data
                for research purposes and for real-time transmission to the National Hurricane Center for use in forecasts
                and warnings.

                     AOML's Ocean Acoustics Division (OCD) designs and deploys novel acoustic measuring systems
                to study problems such as dredge spoil and sewer outfal.1 dispersion, rainfall rate variability, dynamic
                height anomaly, and ocean surface currents using HF radio sensing. OAD scientists and engineers work
                closely with regulatory agencies and other NOAA main line components, and frequently conduct short
                time duration shipboard experiments in local waters.

                     Ocean Chemistry Division (OCD) personnel conduct research in both aquatic and atmospheric
                chemistry, with emphasis on air-sea exchange of gases, biological and geological aspects of carbon flux,
                and indications of global climate change in marine ecosystems. OCD scientists and technicians mount
                numerous long time duration research cruises, but in the Intra-Americas Sea the cruises are focused on
                riverine interactions with the sea, particularly that of the Mississippi with the Gulf of Mexico.

                     The Physical Oceanography Division (PhOD) is primarily engaged in research into the role of the
                ocean in global climate, and has extensive programs in both the Atlantic and equatorial Pacific Oceans.
                In the IAS, the Atlantic Climate Change Program (ACCP) is the central effort and includes measurement
                programs of currents, tracers, heat flux, sea level, and in collaboration with NOAA!s Pacific Marine
                Environmental Laboratory studies of volume transport from submarine cables. PhOD ACCP cruises are
                typically month long trips to the outer periphery of the Bahamas, Caribbean, and northeast coast of South
                America; these ACCP cruises are designed to study the role of the Florida Current and the Deep Western
                Boundary Current in the North Atlantic heat flux.

                     All four AOML divisions encourage collaboration with scientists through the National Research
                Council's Resident Research Program, and by joint efforts with the University of Miami - NOAA
                Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS). CIMAS regularly hosts visiting
                scientists, and helps support postdoctoral and graduate students through externally funded proposals.
                AOML and CIMAS scientists actively participate in international programs such as WOCE, JGOFS,
                WCRP, and CEPPOL, and they interact with scientists from NASA, NCAR, NSF and other national
                agencies.









                                                                   34







                                National Status and Trends Program for Marine Environmental Quality

                                                         Andy Robertson, NOS


                    NOAA's National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program for Marine Environmental Quality determines
               the current status and any changes over time in the environmental health of the estuarine and coastal
               waters of the United States, including along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast. The NS&T Program consists
               of four major components: Benthic Surveillance, Mussel Watch, Bioeffects Surveys and Quality
               Assurance.


                    The Benthic Surveillance Project determines concentrations of contaminants in sediments and
               bottom-dwelling fish taken from the same area. Over 77 contaminants are determined by the NS&T
               Program including organic chemicals such as DDT and its metabolites, other chlorinated pesticides,
               polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and butyltins as well as trace and
               major elements such as lead, zinc, cadmium, silver, arsenic, and mercury. Also, the frequency of external
               disease conditions and internal lesions (liver tumors) in the bottom fish are being documented. Currently,
               there are about 20 Benthic Surveillance sites in estuaries and coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico,
               including both urban and rural areas. Samples are generally collected biennially at these sites.

                    The Mussel Watch Project determines the same contaminants as in the Benthic Surveillance Project
               but in mussels or oysters as well as sediments. The bivalves are collected on a yearly basis from
               approximately 200 sites in the United States; and sediments at the same sites on a less than yearly basis.
               About 60 of the sites are located in the Gulf of Mexico. Plans are being developed for expansion of the
               NS&T Program to include sites in Puerto Rico and the American Virgin Islands. It is anticipated that
               10-15 sites will be sampled on a periodic (less than annual) basis. The initial sampling will take place
               during 1991 or 1992 and will be carried out in coordination with the International Mussel Watch Program
               that is being sponsored by NOAA in conjunction with IOC and UNEP. The International Mussel Watch
               Program is planning to collect bivalve mollusks from a number of sites in the Caribbean Basin in 1991
               for analysis of chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminants.

                    The Bioeffects Surveys consist of a series of intensive two- to three-year studies primarily conducted
               in those regions where a potential exists for substantial envirorunental degradation. These studies will
               provide detailed assessments of the magnitude and extent of ecosystem degradation, and are primarily
               focused on bottom fish. Studies include reproductive impairment, genetic damage, and the evaluation of
               new indicators of contamination such as DNA damage and enzymatic activity in fish livers.

                    The quality of data generated by the NS&T Program is overseen by the Quality Assurance (QA)
               Program component which is designed to document sampling and analysis procedures, and to reduce
               intralaboratory variation to 10% and interlaboratory variation to 20%. To document laboratory expertise,
               the QA Program requires all NS&T laboratories to participate in a continuing series of intercomparison
               exercises utilizing a variety of materials. Some non-NS&T laboratories voluntarily participate in the QA
               program, and additional monitoring laboratories are welcome.

                    Selected samples from the Benthic Surveillance and Mussel Watch projects are preserved in a
               specimen bank in liquid nitrogen. These specimens will be available for retrospective analysis.

                    To date, more than 150 publications, reports, technical memoranda and presentations have been
               derived from the Program. Microfiche and hard copy of the Program data is also available.




                                                                    35     -







                           Role of the Ocean and Coastal Services Group in Caribbean Science and Development

                                                       H. Suzanne Bolton, NOAA/OLA


                        The Ocean and Coastal Services Group is a component of the Constituent Affairs Division (OLA)
                   within the Administrator's Office of NOAA. Our major role is in developing mechanisms for improving
                   awareness of and access to NOAA marine and coastal products, services, and intellectual properties for
                   domestic and international constituents. While we do not conduct research in the technical arena, we are
                   conversant in the marine sciences and actively facilitate the participation of scientific components of
                   NOAA in forums wherein a broader technical community may profit from agency expertise.



                   Past Caribbean and South American Activities


                        The EPA Office of International Activities has sought our assistance in developing a mechanism for
                   South and Central American governments to gain computer access to real/near-real time oceanographic
                   data from NOAA's Monterey facility.

                        We assisted the same EPA office in an assessment of NOAA GIS approaches being considered for
                   the Caribbean region through the Caribbean Environmental Program.



                   Current Activities


                        The Group initiated and coordinated NOAA's recent activities in the Second International Symposium
                   and Workshop on Ecotourism. In cooperation with the National Ocean Service Office of International
                   Affairs, we developed a format for and initial distribution draft document, "U.S. Federal Agency
                   Assistance for Ecotourism Activities." This document is being redistributed to the Federal agencies in
                   order to expand the range of scientific and management capabilities that draw upon the U.S. experience
                   in planning, protecting, researching, and managing unique or particularly sensitive natural habitats. This
                   document will be periodically updated and maintained by this office.

                        For the uninitiated, "ecotourism" or low impact tourism is an industry that focuses on marketing
                   unique ecological or cultural areas for the public experience. While this emphasis is of particular concern
                   for the many and varied coastal margins of the United States, the same is perhaps of even greater concern
                   to developing nations for whom ecotourism may potentially represent a large part of their economic
                   livelihood. The dramatic increase in tourism that focuses on the observation and enjoyment of unique or
                   particularly significant natural habitats and environs places new emphasis on the need for integrated
                   concepts of coastal zone planning and management. Ecotourism will be a forcing mechanism on many
                   Caribbean, Central and South American nations to encourage sound coastal zone management.

                        The needs created by the increased pressures on especially sensitive environments and/or species
                   resulting from a rise in "ecotourism" provide opportunities for the transfer of U.S. technologies and
                   experiences to nations whose economies are based in part or primarily on tourism. Ecotourism, then,
                   provides local economies with a basis for maintaining valuable ecological habitats in a natural or
                   near-natural state in the face of competing pressures for uses of such protected acreage. The economic
                   value of protected habitat in terms of aesthetics, ecosystem function, and endemic uses balances sus-
                   tainability with the pressure for exploitation of renewable and non-renewable resources.




                                                                       36







                    During the Ecotourism Symposium, NOAA met with the environment and tourism ministers of
               countries represented to discuss the U.S. role in technology transfer. The next conference in 1991,
               directed to the environment and tourism, will be organized by Belize. They have asked for our participa-
               tion in the organization and development of that conference to ensure that the scientific and technical
               components necessary for the development of sound "ecotourism" policy are emphasized. We will assist,
               as broker, to encourage this technology transfer and scientific participation.

                    The Belize Conference will also be the basis for the development of proposed "Ecotourism
               Principles" to be presented in 1992 in Brazil at the U.N. Conference on International Environment and
               Development. Through this mechanism, the scientific and technical considerations can be directly
               incorporated into a working document for broader consideration. Participation by U.S. scientists with
               expertise in particularly sensitive habitats or species is critical to this development.










































                                                                  37







                                                                NHC's Support

                                                         Stephen Baig, NOAA/NWS.


                  Name of Age

                       National Weather Service/National Hurricane Center



                  Ine of Assistance Available

                       Technical support is available for persons needing training in tropical meteorology, tropical cyclone
                  forecasting, storm surge estimation and natural disaster preparedness related to tropical cyclones.
                  Technical support is also available for investigators wishing to pursue research problems in tropical
                  meteorology.


                  Descdption of Program

                       The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has designated the National Hurricane Center (NHC)
                  as the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) for the western hemisphere. This Center
                  provides routine interpretation, analysis and forecast products year round and tropical cyclone forecast and
                  warning guidance for all countries in the region. NHC conducts, under the aegis of the WMO, long and
                  short-term practical training courses in tropical meteorology including tropical cyclone forecasting. NHC
                  carries out a programme of research in tropical cyclone forecasting and cooperates with other investigators
                  interested in various aspects of tropical meteorology.


                  How to A-g*

                       Individuals desiring the opportunity to study and/or work at NHC must apply through the
                  Meteorological Services in their own countries, which in turn may request support from the WMO.



                  Who to Contact


                       Individuals should request nomination by the Chief of the Meteorological Services in their respective
                  countries. Notice of interest may also be made to:

                       James R. Neilon
                       Chief, International Activities Division
                       NOAA/National Weather Service
                       Silver Spring Metro Center 2
                       1325 East-West Highway, Room 14344
                       Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA
                       Telephone (301) 427-8090







                                                                      38







                                                   Summary of Activities and Plans

                                                   Jimmy C. Larsen, NOAA/PMEL


               Florida Current Transport Vuiations

               1.   Continue to monitor the volume tmnsport of the Florida Current east of Jupiter, FL (27*N) by
                    measuring the voltages between Jupiter and Settlement Point, Grand Bahama Island. Daily values
                    of transport have been observed since December 198 1. An attempt will be made in 1991 to improve
                    the cable-ocean contact at the Jupiter end of the cable.

               2.   Continue to monitor the volume transport of the Florida Cuffent south of Key West, FL by measuring
                    the voltages between Key West and Havana, Cuba. This monitoring effort began in May 1990 and
                    will continue until at least 1992. The voltage-transport conversion factor will be determined in 1991.

               3.   The transport variations of the Florida Current from 1981 to 1989 have been compared with
                    simultaneous daily atmospheric pressure, winds, wind stress, and curl of the wind stress from FNOC
                    values for the northern hemisphere. This is a study to determine the source for the transport
                    variations observed in the Florida Current east of Jupiter.



































                                                                   39








                                                     OAR Interests in the Intra-Americas Sea


                                                           Barbara Moore, NOAA/OAR


                        The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) within NOAA has a number of programs
                   With marine science interests in the Intra-Americas Sea. Some of those will be addressed in other
                   presentations. The interests of Sea Grant, the National Undersea Research Program (NURP) and Office
                   of Global Programs (OGP) are summarized here.



                   Sea Grant


                        The mission of the National Sea Grant Collection Program is to promote the development,
                   conservation, proper management and maximum social and economic utilization of the nation's marine
                   resources. It promotes the concept of fostering working partnerships between universities, industry,
                   government and the community. The Sea Grant program at the University of Puerto Rico is a major
                   federal effort to extend university contacts throughout the Caribbean and is considered the "flagship"
                   program for the area. One component of the Puerto Rico program is at the College of the Virgin Islands.
                   Representatives of both these institutions are listed in another segment of the agenda and will be able to
                   provide first hand information on their programs.


                   National Undersea Research Program

                        This program provides support to scientists and engineers for the study of biological, chemical,
                   geological and physical processes in the worlds   'oceans and lakes. NURP assists researchers by providing
                   access to a suite of modern undersea facilities including submersibles, habitats, air and mixed gas SCUBA
                   and remotely operated vehicles. The science program supported by NURP has a number of priority areas
                   as illustrated in Figure 1.

                        A major part of the research program is carried out by a network of National Undersea Research
                   Centers (NURCS) which are located around the U.S. to build and execute field programs. Research teams
                   are built by the Centers through development and submission of research proposals through NURP
                   principal investigators.

                        The Caribbean Marine Research Center is one of four national centers. With facilities at Riviera
                   Beach and Turkey Point on the Gulf of Mexico, and on Lee Stocking Island in the Exuma Caya, Bahama
                   Islands, they were created under the auspices of the Perry Foundation and are affiliated with a number of
                   universities in the southeastern U.S.


                        The Caribbean Center's science program focuses on research which: develops low-cost aquatic food
                   production in the Caribbean and similar locations around the world; studies physical and ecological
                   relationships in benthic environments in the Caribbean; forms scientific bases for rational habitat utilization
                   through conservation and enhancement; and defines ecological requirements of important species residing
                   in the coastal areas of Florida and the Caribbean nations.


                        Further information on the NURP Program can be obtained from:






                                                                         40
















                         NATIONAL UNDERSEA RESEARCH PROGRAM PRIORITY FRAMEWORK


                                                                              STRATEGIC GOALS

                                                           Describe and Predict Natural Variations In Processes
                                                           Describe and Predict Human Induced Variations In Processes
                                                           Support NOAA, U.S.. International Science Efforts
                                                           Share Technology, Techniques. Financial Burdens




                                                                          INTEGRATING METHODS

                                                      ï¿½ Measure, Observe, Describe Processes, Through Time, Space
                                                      ï¿½ Develop and Improve Technology
                                                      ï¿½ Muffl-Disciplinary Studies




                                                                      SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PRIORITIES




                                                                                                  Recruitment
                Material Flux        PnxIuc1                Habitat         Global Change         Of Marine             Ocean              Diving              Technology
                                I                   I   Characteristics  I                        Organisms           I-Ithospheree        So"
                Carbon              Benthic-Polagic:    Organism/           BenthIc Effecls     Population           Mid-Ocean         Polluted Waters       Sampling
                Nutrients             Coupling             Substrate        Monitor Temp.         Biology              Ridges          Hyporbaric              Hard Bottom
                Particulates        Population          Ouardification      Paleo Climate       Habitat              Continental          Ptlysiology        Observations
                Gases               Physiology          Arithropogenic      palgo Ecology         Specifics            Margins         communication         visual
                                                           Effects                              Reproductive         Resources         Trecldng                Capability
                                                                                                  Behavior                                                   Autonomous
                                                                                                                                                               Underwater
                                                                                                                                                               Vehicle






















                                                                                         Figure 1


                                                                                              41








                      Dr. David Duane
                      NOAA/National Undersea Science Program
                      1335 East-West Highway
                      Silver Spring, MD 20910
                      Telephone (301) 427-2427

                      Mr. Robert Wicklund
                      National Undersea Research Center
                      Caribbean Marine Research Center
                      100 Fast 17th Street
                      Riviera Beach, FL 33404
                      Telephone (407) 863-9701
                      (809) 336-2557 (Exuma Cays, Bahamas)


                Office of Global Programs (Climate and Global Change)

                      Current interest in this region involves support of a scientific workshop to (1) assess the relationship
                between coral bleaching and climate change, looking at bleaching as a global phenomenon but with a
                focus on the Caribbean, and (2) to develop an interagency research plan to study coral reef ecosystems
                in the context of global change. Plans for this workshop are in their early stages. We have had two
                meetings with representatives from OGP, NURP, NMFS, and the Office of the Chief Scientist in NOAA,
                EPA, NSF, National I-lark Service, and Smithsonian. The workshop will be jointly supported, probably
                by these agencies, and perhaps by USGS as well. It will probably be held in late May of 1991, early
                enough to distribute the research recommendations to the agencies and researchers in time to support
                research in FY 1992. These research recommendations will be useful for planning by the Marine
                Ecosystems Response Project of the NOAA Climate and Global Change Program.

                      The workshop will involve perhaps 3040 invited, non-government biologists, geologists,
                oceanographers, climatologists, paleoclimatologists, and chemists. These people will be selected based
                on their expertise in their discipline and their interest and experience in Caribbean and tropical
                environments.


                      Prior to the meeting, some of the participants will be contracted to analyze and assess the data and
                relationship between recent coral bleaching events (in the Caribbean and elsewhere) and climate change.
                These data will be presented and discussed by workshop participants from all disciplines, and then
                conclusions will be made concerning the claim that bleaching is an indicator of global warming. The
                result of this part of the workshop will be a thorough analysis,of the bleaching phenomenon and a
                long-range research plan.

                      The initial discussions on coral bleaching will naturally lead to broader discussions about potential
                impacts of global change (ocean and air warming, sea level rise, deforestation and associated sediment
                runoff, pollution, etc.) on reef environments (biological and physical). Participants will again produce a
                long range research plan.

                      The research plans will essentially be recommendations to funding agencies such as NOAA, NSF,.
                EPA, etc. Agency representatives will be on hand, however, to provide feedback on the plans as they are
                being developed.

                Further information on this workshop can be obt     ained from:



                                                                      42









                 Mr. Matt Huston
                 NOAA/Office of Global Programs
                 1335 East-West Highway
                 Silver Spring, MD 20910
                 Telephone (301) 427-2474



















































                                                         43







                          Minerals Management Service Environmental Studies Program for the Gulf of Mexico

                                                             Murray Brown, MMS


                      The MMS Environmental Studies Program (ESP) was initiated in 1973 to support the Department
                 of the Interior's oil and gas leasing program by providing current and reliable information on the effects
                 of oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The ESP is planned and implemented
                 by the four MMS Regional Offices serving the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and the Atlantic and Pacific
                 coasts; the ESP is managed through the MMS headquarters office in the Washington, D.C. area.

                      The OCS Lands Act Amendments of 1978 authorize the studies program, and provide three primary
                 mandates: (1) to establish information for assessment and management of environmental impacts on
                 human, marine, and coastal environments of OCS and affected coastal areas; (2) to predict impacts from
                 oil and gas activities; and (3) to monitor the human, marine, and coastal environments by providing
                 time-series or data-trend information to identify significant changes in quality or productivity of
                 environments, and to identify the causes of these changes.

                      In 1988 the program was refocused from support of the OCS leasing program to an emphasis on
                 post-lease decisions. This includes emphasis on regions of known oil and gas resources and on long-term,
                 low-level cumulative impacts of oil and gas development; particularly through studies of environmental
                 processes.

                      From 1973 through fiscal year 1990, the MMS ESP has funded more than $513 million in marine,
                 coastal, and social research nationwide. Of this total, approximately $79.7 million has been devoted to
                 studies in the Gulf of Mexico. About two-thirds of that sum has supported major environmental studies
                 to provide a fundamental management information base regarding the habitats and ecosystems of the Gulf s
                 continental shelf, and to ftirther our understanding of the circulation of the waters of the Gulf of Mexico,
                 both throughout the deep Gulf basin and on the continental shelf The remaining ftmds have been devoted
                 to studies of the ecological effects of oil and gas activities (including oil spills); to characterization of the
                 environmental and social features of the coastal zone (including wetlands losses); to studies of coastal and
                 marine birds, marine mammals, and sea turtles; to studies of the economic impacts of the oil and gas
                 industry in the Gulf of Mexico; to protection of historic shipwrecks and pre-historic cultural sites on the
                 OCS; and to information management and transfer.

                      Studies now underway or in development address many topics:

                 ï¿½ coastal mapping and environmental analysis through sophisticated computer-supported techniques;

                 ï¿½ long-term monitoring of the health of the Flower Garden Banks;

                 ï¿½ mapping of southwest Florida Shelf seagrass habitats;

                 ï¿½ habitats and special environmental features of the Mississippi-Alabarna Shelf ecosystem;

                 ï¿½ chemosynthetic communities of the deep Gulf, and of the potential for impact by oil and gas activities;

                 ï¿½ distribution and behavior of sea turtles and marine mammals, especially near offshore oil and gas
                   structures,


                 ï¿½ circulation of the Gulf, especially of the northwestern Gulf shelf-,


                                                                       44






                ï¿½ environmental effects of long-term production of oil and gas at offshore platforms;

                ï¿½ impacts of the "oil bust" on the Gulf of Mexico regional economy;

                ï¿½ impacts of long-term oil and gas activities both to coastal Louisiana environments and to social
                  institutions in Louisiana;

                ï¿½ long-term recovery from oil spill impacts by seagrass, coral, and mangrove communities in Panama;

                ï¿½ toxicity of spilled oil and of oil dispersants used for spill clean-up.

                     Major program emphasis over the next five years is expected to be on the marine ecosystems and
                circulation of the Texas-Louisiana Shelf, and of the Mississippi-Alabama-Florida Shelf, long-term
                monitoring at offshore sites to study natural environmental variability; studies of long-term or chronic
                effects of oil and gas production; and oil spill prevention, control, or cleanup.

                     Study planning is implemented by the Regional Office, by development of a "Regional Studies Plan"
                (RSP). Studies are usually funded as competitive contracts to the private sector, although some projects
                are awarded cooperatively to other Federal agencies or to State institutions. A few awards are made each
                year non-competitively in response to unsolicited proposals. The study planning (RSP and NSL) and
                contracting timeline is about three years. Study durations are typically two to five years, so the time
                elapsed from initiation of study planning until study completion and report delivery is about five to eight
                years. All study reports are provided to appropriate depositories and libraries, and are distributed to the
                interested public. All marine data are archived in the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), and
                all reports and digital models are archived in the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), both
                within the U.S. Department of Commerce.

                     For a bibliography of reports and digital data sets, planning documents, or other aspects of the MMS
                Environmental Studies Program for the Gulf of Mexico, please write or call:

                     Chief, Environmental Studies Section (Mail Stop 5430)
                     Minerals Management Service/Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
                     1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard
                     New Orleans, LA 70123-2394
                     Telephone (504) 736-2897 or FTS 686-2897



















                                                                    45








                                       Coastal and Marine Activities: Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean


                                              James D. Brown, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service


                      The Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for the conservation and
                management of the Nation's fish and wildlife resources. In meeting this responsibility, many of the
                Service's activities involve inland terrestrial and freshwater aquatic habitats and species. Service activities
                involving offshore habitats and species are relatively limited. H@wever, the Service is heavily involved
                in the management and protection of coastal and estuarine fish and wildlife resources.

                      Service activities in the Gulf of Mexico (Gul@ and the Caribbean are conducted by three different
                regions. The Service's Southwest Region is responsible for the coast of Texas and the western Gulf of
                Mexico. The Regional Office is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Southeast Region is
                responsible for the eastern and central Gulf of Mexico, and for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
                in the Caribbean. These two regions are responsible for all operational and management activities in the
                Gulf and the Caribbean. Research activities, however, are the responsibility of the Research and
                Development Region, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

                      The Service controls extensive landholdings on national wildlife refuges along the Gulf coast and in
                Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The Service manages over 700,000 acres on 39 refuges located in
                coastal areas throughout the Gulf and the Caribbean. These refuges include valuable wetlands, open water,
                and upland habitats that are managed intensively for waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, fisheries,
                endangered species, and other wildlife. Examples of refuges managed specifically for endangered species
                include the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida (West Indian manatee); the National Key Deer
                Refuge, Florida (Key deer); the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge; St. Croix, Virgin Islands (sea
                turtles); and the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas (whooping crane).

                      The Service is placing special emphasis on accomplishing the objectives of the North American
                Waterfowl Management Plan. This international Plan, participated in by the United States, Canada, and
                Mexico, proposes to restore waterfowl and other migratory bird populations to the levels of the early
                1970's by protecting about six million acres of wetlands from the Gulf to the Arctic. Activities involve
                restoring wetlands, assisting farmers with conservation programs, educating the public, and protecting
                wetlands. The Plan designates six key areas, called Joint Ventures, for immediate attention. The Gulf
                Coast Joint Venture, which includes the coastal zone in the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and
                Alabama, is one of these areas. This is one of the most important wintering areas in North America for
                waterfowl and other migratory birds. An interagency team has developed a Gulf Coast Joint Venture Plan,
                which proposes wetlands acquisition, enhancement, restoration,'and creation, as well as other activities.

                      Service field offices located in all States bordering the Gulf and in Puerto Rico conduct extensive
                environmental coordination and investigation activities affe6ting, coastal habitats.            These include
                investigation of Federal water resource development projects and participation in the planning process,
                investigation of Corps of Engineers permit applications for wetlands alteration projects, mapping of
                wetlands, environmental contaminant studies and surveys, listing and recovery of endangered species,
                participation in the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program, and participation in the
                Minerals Management Service's Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing program. The Service places
                special emphasis on the protection of coastal wetlands and nearshore waters, especially in those areas that
                can contribute to accomplishing the goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Working
                to reduce the rate of coastal wetlands loss in Louisiana is one of the Service's highest priorities. The
                identification and resolution of contaminant problems also is a high priority, as is the protection and
                recovery of endangered species. The West Indian manatee and the sea turtles are highly visible and


                                                                       46







              important endangered species in the marine and coastal areas under consideration. The Service has
              designated full-time recovery coordinators for these species, and these individuals are located at
              Jacksonville, Florida.

                   Fisheries activities in the Gulf of Mexico focus on the restoration of self perpetuating populations
              of the Gulf race of striped bass and the Gulf sturgeon throughout their historical ranges. The latter species
              has been formally proposed for listing as an endangered species. These efforts are centered at the Field
              Office located at Panama City, Florida. Various biological studies are being conducted on the striped bass
              and the sturgeon in the Apalachicola River, Florida, and on the sturgeon in the Suwannee River, Florida.
              The Service is planning to establish a new position of Gulf'of Mexico Anadromous Fisheries Coordinator,
              who will be located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. This person will work with the Gulf States and other
              organizations to expand restoration activities. The Service also has a Gulf of Mexico Cooperative
              Agreement with Gulf States to promote the restoration of striped bass and other anadromous fishes.

                   Research activities in the Gulf and the Caribbean are conducted by a number of research facilities,
              such as the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland; the National Fishery Research Center,
              Gainesville, Florida; the National Wetlands Research Center, Slidell, Louisiana; and the Cooperative Fish
              and Wildlife Research Units located at state universities in the Gulf States. Ongoing research projects
              include basic biological studies on the Gulf sturgeon in the Suwannee River, Florida; studies of
              contaminant body burdens in redhead ducks wintering in coastal Florida, Louisiana, and Texas; and
              investigations into the ecology of wintering redhead and canvas-back ducks in the same three states. Plans
              include the expansion of the latter study to include the eastern coast of Mexico. The Service is planning
              new research initiatives in the Gulf involving global climate change and oil spill pollution research. The
              first study will address the affects of global climate changes on coastal wetlands and on benthic biomass
              and distribution. The oil spill pollution study will focus on risk assessment models and restoration
              techniques for wetlands and wildlife communities.




























                                                                   47







                                          Marine Studies Conducted by the Caribbean Field Office

                                              Vance P. Vincente, U.S. Fish and Wildlifp Service


                       Marine studies conducted by the Caribbean Field Office (CAR) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
                   may be divided into two broad categories: programs directly' oriented towards the conservation and
                   recovery of marine endangered species populations; and, programs directed towards the conservation of
                   critical marine habitats (e.g., coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, beaches, mud flats). These studies
                   are coordinated with academic and research institutions, private entities, and regulatory agencies (Federal
                   and Commonwealth).

                   Federally listed marine endangered and threatened species being stu ,died by CAR include three species of
                   sea turtles (the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata; the green turtle, Chelonia mydas; and the
                   leatherback turtle, Dennochelys coriacea), one marine mammal (the West Indian manatee Tr,ichecus
                   manatus) and one sea bird (Sterna dougallii). Specific projects directed towards the conservation of these
                   species and their habitat are mentioned below.


                   Marine Endangered Species

                     Hawksbill Turd


                   ï¿½ Nesting habits, nesting habitat protection and general demographic information of hawksbill populations
                     at Mona Island (west coast of Puerto Rico).                         I

                   ï¿½ Field foraging studies of juvenile and adult hawksbill turtle populations at Isla de Culebra (east coast
                     of Puerto Rico).

                   ï¿½ Composition and relative concentrations of fatty acids in the muscle tissue and in food items of
                     hawksbill turtles.


                   ï¿½ Gut content analysis of poached, hawksbill specimens.



                     Green Turtle


                   ï¿½ Growth rate and population dynamics of green turtle populations at Isla de Culebra.

                   ï¿½ Habitat utilization and grazing patch dynamics of green turtle populations at Isla de Culebra.

                   ï¿½ Identification and mapping of foraging grounds in Puerto Rico (including Vieques and Culebra Islands)
                     and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.



                     Leatherback Turtl


                   ï¿½ Nesting, tagging, morphometry and reproductive success of Icatherback populations at Culebra Island.
                     An environmental education program concerning leatherback turtles have also been developed.




                                                                      48









                  West Indian Manatee


                @ Dispersion analysis and population density fluctuations of the West Indian manatee on the coast of
                  Puerto Rico and Vieques Island.

                a Evaluations of habitat and food resource utilization of manatee populations at eastern Puerto Rico and
                  Vieques Island.


                Marine Habitat Studies


                  Littoral and Inner-Sublittoral Habitats


                ï¿½ Environmental assessments and reconnaissance studies of sites proposed for beach erosion control
                  actions in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

                ï¿½ Evaluations of marine sites proposed for development or for conservation.

                ï¿½ Assessments of marine habitats (coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds) impacted by density
                  independent events (e.g., hurricanes).

                ï¿½ Assessments of seagrass beds and mangrove forests impacted by density independent events.



                  Other Studies


                ï¿½ Other studies related to the marine environment include assessments of sea bird species in Puerto Rico,
                  Culebra Island, Vieques Island.



                  Roseate Tern


                ï¿½ Color banding of adult and chick populations of Roseatd Terns (Stema dougallii) are being coordinated
                  among researchers in Puerto Rico, in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in the British Virgin Islands to
                  determine intermixing among colonies.

                ï¿½ Studies involving possible predatory interactions between Roseate Terris and Laughing Gulls.

                ï¿½ Studies involving intraspecific interactions in mixed coloniesof breeding Roseate and Sandwich Terns.

                e Surveying of possible unrecorded nesting keys for Roseate Terns.

                ï¿½ Determining nesting success in Culebra Island and in La Parguera, Puerto Rico.











                                                                   49








                                              Gulf of Mexico Research Activities and Plans

                                            John A. Leese, Institute for Naval Oceanography


                     The institute for Naval Oceanography ([NO) was formed by the Secretary of the Navy in 1986 to
                conduct a focused research program, directed toward achieving an ocean forecasting capability to
                significantly improve support to naval warfare missions and weapons system development. The long-term
                INO goal is to develop and demonstrate mesoscale eddy-resolving,ocean prediction systems on a global
                basis. The near-term objective is to develop a North Atlantic Ocean Prediction System which can consist
                of regional and basin models.

                     The INO has done a significant amount of ocean modeling research and experiments in the Gulf of
                Mexico during the past several years. The Gulf of Mexico provides an outstanding area because the
                computer requirements fit within those available to INO in terms of size and costs. Dr. Kantha adapted
                the Princeton University primitive equation ocean model in this region during 1989. The Princeton Model
                was combined with a revised four-dimensional data assimilation scheme developed by Dr. Derber at the
                NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory to form the Primitive Equation Data Assimilation Model
                (PEDAM). This model was combined with the data, evaluation and visualization modules needed to form
                an ocean prediction system for the Gulf of Mexico. This prediction system is used in conducting a
                number of experiments and simulations.

                     One of the experiments conducted was the construction of a dynamic climatology for the Gulf of
                Mexico. The Levitus data set was used as input data to the PEDAM by using all observations for each
                day of the year and ignoring the year. The resultant daily climatological summaries look consistent in a
                qualitative manner but no quantitative evaluation has yet been performed on the fields produced.

                     INO recently conducted a demonstration observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) in the Gulf
                of Mexico. The primary objective was to assess the effects of different input data on a numerical ocean
                prediction system. Plans are to extend this very preliminary work to more specific types of data, such as
                satellite altimeters or acoustic tomographic measurements.

                     During the summer of 1990, a TRial Ocean Prediction Experiment (TROPE) was conducted in the
                Gulf of Mexico. The primary objective was to evaluate a modular ocean mesoscale prediction system
                being developed by INO as part of a project entitled Experimental Center for Mesoscale Ocean Prediction
                (ECMOP). This modular system will provide a capability for ocean modelers to evaluate their models
                by providing a central facility containing the support infrastructure including data and software for model
                evaluation and visualization.

                     INO has prepared a research quality GEOSAT satellit@ altimetry data set for the period for December
                1986 to December 1989, with improved accuracy over others available. This data set has been used by
                INO in several Gulf of Mexico experiments. In particular, GEOSAT data in the Gulf of Mexico showing
                the Loop Current and eddies have been compared directly to sea surface heights generated by the model
                and to observed multi-channel sea surface temperature fields. The GEOSAT data set also allows for
                tracking of eddy paths over extended periods of time.

                     During 1990, INO researchers performed several case studies on the Gulf of Mexico response to
                hurricanes. We have also taken ocean model outputs and interfaced these with an acoustic propagation
                model, to develop an end-to-end system for ocean model evaluations. Results show the effect of fronts
                and eddies on acoustic transmission loss.




                                                                    50







                  INO is an active organizer and participant in workshops, many of which are directly related to the
              Gulf of Mexico. These include:

              ï¿½ A 1990 Environmental Data Base Management Workshop held in Monterey, sponsored by INO and
                the NOAA's Center for Ocean Analysis and Prediction (COAP).

              ï¿½ A 1990 Workshop held in Long Beach, MS, sponsored by INO and Chief of Naval Research on the
                topic of "Tomographic Data in Ocean Models."

              ï¿½ A Workshop entitled "Air-Sea Interaction and Air Mass Modification over the Gulf of Mexico,"
                sponsored by INO, Texas Institute of Oceanography, and NOAA. This will be held in January 1991
                in Galveston, Texas.

















































                                                                51







                                                        Gulf of Mexico Program Update

                                           Frederick C. Kopfler, Environmental Protection Agency


                       Established in August 1988, the Gulf of Mexico Program was developed with the purpose of
                  achieving the following goals:

                  ï¿½  Provide a mechanism for addressing complex problems in the Gulf of Mexico that will cross state,
                     federal, and international jurisdictional lines.

                  ï¿½  Provide better coordination among federal, state, and local programs affecting the Gulf, thus increasing
                     the effectiveness and efficiency of the long-term effort to manage and protect the resources of the Gulf.

                  ï¿½  Provide a regional perspective to address research needs for the Gulf, which will result in improved
                     information and methods for supporting effective management decisions.

                  ï¿½  Provide a forum for affected user groups, public and private educational institutions, and the general
                     public to participate in the "solution" process.

                       The following organizational structure was set up to help the Program meet these goals:

                       Policy Review Board. Twenty senior level representatives of state and federal agencies, and
                  representatives of Technical and Citizens Committees guide and review activities of the Program.

                       Citizens Advisoly Committee (CAQ. Five citizens appointed by the governor of each of the Gulf
                  Coast States, representing environment, agriculture, business/industry, development/tourism, and fisheries,
                  provide public input and assistance in disseminating information relevant to the goals and results of the
                  Program.

                       Technical Steerina Committe .. Representatives of state and federal agencies, academia, and private
                  and public sectors, appointed by governors or by the Policy Review Board provide technical support to
                  the Board.


                       The Gulf of Mexico Program is currently in the process of developing action plans to address
                  concerns for the following priority areas.



                  Marine Debris


                       Projects that are underway or projected for this year: The Program is supporting efforts to designate
                  the Gulf of Mexico as a special area under MARPOL Annex V. Such a designation would make it illegal
                  for ships to dispose of all waste materials in the Gulf (plastics are already prohibited by law). Efforts are
                  also being made to have the next-to-last Saturday in September designated as National Beach Cleanup and
                  Appreciation Day. The Gulf of Mexico Program supports the effort for the "Take Pride Gulfwide" beach
                  cleanup. The September 1990 results showed 37,000 volunteers for the five Gulf states participated in
                  the cleanup, collecting 551 tons of trash covering over 1,300 miles of coastline.







                                                                       52








               Habitat Deeradatmon


                   For 1991 there are several projects underway or planned:

               ï¿½ Quantify losses and gains of habitats that occur as a result of regulatory programs. (Characterization
                 Report)

               ï¿½ Convene a workshop to develop recommendations for attaining no net loss of habitats.

               ï¿½ Review success of compensatory mitigation which is included as a permit condition.

               ï¿½ Facilitate the availability of coastal and marine plans for restoration efforts.

               ï¿½ Identify and prioritize rescarch needs to reduce loss of Gulf habitat s.



               Coastal and Shoreline Erosion


                   The following activities are underway or planned for 1991:

               ï¿½ Convene a workshop to assess the feasibility of the development of a Gulfwide Geographical
                 Information System (GIS).

               ï¿½ Ship shoal environmental study: to evaluate this shoal as a potential sand source for coastal and
                 shoreline erosion problems.



               Public Health


                   The following projects are underway or proposed for this year:

               ï¿½ Development of minimum criteria for septic systems in critical areas.

               ï¿½ Survey of states for bathing beach monitoring practices.

               ï¿½ Evaluate methods for enumerating E. coli and Enterococci in Gulf coastal waters.



               Nutrient Enrichment


                   Projects underway or proposed for this year:

               ï¿½ Animal Waste Management Demonstration Project.

               ï¿½ Evaluation of constructed wetlands as a method of reducing nutrients from runoff water.

               ï¿½ Assessing the use of chlorophyll meters for determining fertilizer needs in irrigated rice production
                 areas.


               ï¿½ Report on "Sources and Quantities" of nutrients from throughout the U.S. portion of the drainage area
                 of the Gulf.



                                                                 53








                     Report on the "Impacts and Effects" of nutrient overenrichment in the Gulf.



                 Toxic Substance and Pesticides


                       Projects underway or projected for this year:

                 ï¿½   Initiate identification of existing federal, state and local monitoring plans and contaminant levels in the
                     Gulf.


                 ï¿½   Identify, characterize and assess current state of local, state and federal programs in the Gulf States for
                     disposal of toxics, pesticides and containers, including petroleum products.

                 ï¿½   Assess known and/or potential contribution from each source of input identified above.

                       Clearly, many of the projects listed for the above issue areas could benefit from information that
                 currently exists within educational and research institutions, as well as local, state and federal agencies.
                 If you are aware of information that could be of assistance, please contact us at the Gulf of Mexico
                 Program Office at (601) 688-3726.





































                                                                       54








                                                  EPA's Program in the Wider Caribbean

                                         Marilyn Varela, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency


                     EPA has a number of activities involving training afid technology transfer in the wider Caribbean
                which are in the developmental and early program stages. Categories of activities include: (1) support to
                the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Caribbean Environment Program and Cartagena
                Convention under the UNEP Regional Seas Program; (2) environmental outreach to the investment
                community, in conjunction with the Department of Commerce Caribbean Basin Initiative, and other
                mechanisms; (3) subregional training, technical assistance and other support involving water quality issues;
                and (4) the development of a cooperative environmental institute and network.



                UNEP/10C


                     Under the LTNEP Caribbean Regional Seas Program, two new functions have been established by
                UNEP and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (10C) since 1989: (1) Caribbean
                Environment Program Pollution (CEPPOL) activities, focusing on research and monitoring, control and
                abatement of land-based sources (LBS) of marine pollution; and (2) Caribbean Environment Program
                Network (CEPNET) for data management. EPA was asked by UNEP and the IOC, communicated through
                Department of State, to assist them in development of an LBS protocol, the next priority protocol under
                the Cartagena Convention. The Region has decided to take a water-quality-based approach to control and
                abate LBS. EPA co-sponsored with UNEP and the IOC a water quality criteria and effluent guidelines
                workshop in November 1990 with invitation to technical representatives from all governments of the wider
                Caribbean. Progress was made to identify water uses; to reach consensus regarding applicability of criteria
                and cffluent guidelines from temperate to tropical waters; and to select minimum criteria which could be
                incorporated into a protocol.

                     A second water quality workshop is planned for September 1991 on the subject of monitoring
                strategies related to water criteria and effluent guidelines. A third is envisioned for 1992 on a
                comprehensive coastal plan strategy for the wider Caribbean. Coordination with other federal agencies,
                such as NOAA, will be an important component.

                     EPA was also requested by UNEP and the IOC,            as follow-up to the first 1990 water quality
                workshop, to provide technical expertise in bathing and shellfish-growing waters pathogens, and
                relationship of temperate and tropical water indicators.    Also, EPA will advise UNEP and the IOC on
                species used in bioassays as a basis for criteria, and temperate species specificity and relation to tropical
                species.

                     Under CEPNET, EPA initiated in 1989 a prototype regional geographic information system (GIS)
                to be used as a tool for interpretation of data and intergovernmental decision-making. Data themes chosen
                for geo-referenced data relate to specially protected areas and wildlife and land-based sources of marine
                pollution, to support the protocols under the Cartagena Convention on these topics, either in-place or being
                developed.



                Sub-Reeional Assistance

                     EPA has been requested by the English-speaking eastern Caribbean to assist them in development
                of specific effluent guidelines for municipal and industrial point sources of pollution. Pilot projects are


                                                                     55







                to be performed in conjunction with the Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) in St. Lucia,
                which represents 13 small islands, and will address municipal waste water problems in Jamaica and
                industrial waste water needs in Trinidad. Technical assistance to the eastern Caribbean will also be
                provided in the area of pesticide regulations and analytical methodologies for crop residues.


                Investment Community Outreach

                     EPA plans to work with the Agency for International Development (AID) to provide training and
                technology transfer in environmental management, environmental auditing, pollution prevention and risk
                assessment to governments in the Caribbean as they review development and investment proposals, as well
                as to industry and potential investors in the Region. The initial focus suggested is for environmental
                assistance to the tourism industry, where environmental impacts from projects can have a clear economic
                feedback. Focus on environmental measures to protect the resources enjoyed by tourists as well as their
                own citizens is becoming a priority by many governments in the Caribbean.



                Environmental Institute and Network


                    EPA is in the early planning and conceptual stage to develop an environmental center and network
                for training, technical assistance and other activities with* outreach throughout the wider Caribbean. It
                would build upon existing institutions and programs, tying in with university consortia in the Caribbean
                and U.S. mainland capabilities. Various federal, state and local government and non-governmental bodies
                will provide participating centers of the network. Puerto Rico will be the coordination center, because
                of U.S. domestic interests, the Island's cultural ties into the Region, and because of communication and
                transportation linkages.





























                                                                   56




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                     State An '





















































                       57







                                   U.S. Virgin Islands, Department of Planning and Natural Resources

                                                 Jim Beets, Division of Fish and Wildlife


                Summaa of Activities

                     Reef Fish Resources

                     The Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) has maintained a fisheries-dependent data collection
                program since 1976. DFW summarizes landings data from fishermen logbooks and conducts a port
                sampling program to provide information on total landings of major resources (including lobster and
                conch), species composition and population parameters based on commercial landings.

                     Fisheries-independent data collection has been conducted for 2+ years using two methods: (1) visual
                census; and (2) trap catch. This project has been ftinded by the National Park Service to assess the reef
                fish resources within the Virgin Islands National Park/Biosphere Reserve. Data from this project has
                allowed the evaluation of Hurricane Hugo damage, estimates of yield per unit area, species composition
                of catch compared to visual assessment, and comparison of methods. Additionally, tagging data has
                allowed calculation of growth rates and frequency of recapture.



                     Rec    ional Fisheries


                     An eight-year port sampling program has allowed the documentation of the vigorous blue marlin
                fishery which has the highest CPUE in the world. Other pelagic species increase in importance as the
                marlin season ends in September-October.



                     Blue Marlin BioloLv


                     The seasonal aggregation of blue marlin (Makaira nigracans) north of St. Thomas is possibly a
                spawning aggregation. Last year we perfected blood sampling of live specimens which will allow for
                stress analysis and possible reproductive studies. We intend to conduct telemetry studies next summer
                to evaluate the success of release of specimens and to track normal diel movements within the local area.



                     Reef Fish Recruitment


                     Aspects of reef fish recruitment has been investigated using fish attractors and artificial reefs. The
                importance of structure and habitat has been documented. The importance of species composition and
                predation is being investigated.



                     Baitfish Resources


                     Many pelagic fisheries and fish and seabird migrations are dependent on seasonal baitfish migrations.
                The local fisheries are very dependent on a single species, the dwarf herring (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia).
                DFW has monitored local abundances and conducted life history and population dynamic studies on this
                species. This species appears very susceptible to climatic and water quality conditions. Studies on
                additional species are in progress.


                                                                    58









                    Conch Resources


                    A moratorium on queen conch (Strombus gigas) has been in effect for 3+ years. Monitoring has
               been established to evaluate resource recovery from overharvesting. A reproductive study will be
               conducted this summer to evaluate the effect of population density and potential for natural enhancement.



                    Habitat Evaluation

                    Mangrove arm are important nurseries for marine organisms. Unfortunately, the value is not
               understood and the few mangrove systems Remaining in the Virgin Islands are being destroyed. DFW
               has been conducting studies to document the condition, nursery value and economic importance of these
               systems.

                    Most of the benthic habitats on the insular shelf are not documented and their relative condition and
               value are unknown. DFW is in progress of mapping habitats for future assessment and monitoring using
               a towed underwater video system. This information will be used with existing photogrammetric and
               oceanographic data to produce resource maps.


                    Seabird Biology

                    Continuing investigations have documented the effects of storm damage by Hurricane Hugo.
               Population status of 15 species have been monitored for 12 years. Reproductive biology of several species
               has been investigated demonstrating great variability in nesting success among years and habitats. These
               resources may be valuable indicators of climatic and resource fluctuations and/or long term regional
               changes.


                    Sea Turtle Biology

                    Nesting biology studies on leatherback turtles (Derinochelys coriacea) have been conducted on Sandy
               Point, St. Croix for 10 years. Aspects of reproductive biology have been documented as well as local
               vertical and spatial movements using time/depth recorders and satellite telemetry. Population sizes, growth
               rates and movement patterns of green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles
               have also been studied for 10 years in the northern Virgin Islands and Culebra, Puerto Rico.



               Future Plans


                    In addition to continuation of the monitoring and investigations listed, DFW has planned the
               following projects:

                    Fisheries-Independent Monitoring

                    The Reef Resources Work Group of the SEAMAP,Caribbean Program has proposed monitoring
               projects for reef fishes, conch and lobster in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Unfortunately, no
               funding is available for this desperately needed program. DFW intends to conduct a pilot study south of
               St. John using standardized fish traps to evaluate the reef fish resources of the area. If successfully
               funded, this program will provide information on catch per unit effort, platform production, yield per
               habitat, species composition and species assessments.


                                                                   59








                       Critical Rtsource Studies

                       Several topics have been identified although funding has not been secured. These are areas where
                  DFW recognizes a critical need for future research.

                       (a) Paffotfishes (Scaridae) are the primary species in commercial landings in the U.S. Virgin Islands
                  (>60% by weight) since the decline in snapper/grouper catches. Little is known about any aspect of
                  parrotfish biology. DFW plans to initiate age and growth investigations and reproduction studies.

                       (b) Water quality parameters are important indicators of habitat condition. DFW plans to monitor
                  light transmissivity, turbidity, water temperature and dissolved oxygen at selected stations when funds for
                  equipment purchases can be obtained.

                       (c) Habitat condition has been assessed for a few of the important habitats in the Virgin Islands.
                  DFW plans to'conduct investigations on productivity of selected critical habitats (coral reefs, seagrass
                  beds, algal plains), to identify critical nursery habitats for protection and to     established sustained
                  monitoring stations at selected locations.





































                                                                      60







                                          History, Current Activities, Goals and Perspectives
                               Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources (formerly of CODREMAR)

                                            Yvonne Sadovy, Fisheries Research Laboratory



               Histo

                    The Fisheries Research Laboratory began operations in 1969, with the purpose of monitoring,
               characterizing and developing Puerto Rico's commercial fishing industry, under the Commercial Fisheries
               Research and Development Act of 1964, PL88-309, under the co-sponsorship of the U.S. Department of
               the Interior and the Department of Agriculture of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In 1979, in an
               attempt to integrate a number of fishery programs that were at that time dispersed throughout various
               governinent agencies, the Laboratory came to form part of the newly created public corporation,
               CODREMAR (Spanish acronym for Corporation for the development and administration of marine,
               lacustrine and fluvial resources of fterto Rico), ascribed to the Department of Natural Resources, through
               Law 82 of June 7, 1979. On August 23, 1990, Law 61 eliminated CODREMAR and the Laboratory was
               incorporated into the Department of Natural Resources proper. The Laboratory is funded from both
               Federal (Intedurisdictional Fisheries Program, State-Federal Cooperative Statistics Program,
               Dingell-Johnson) and Commonwealth sources.


               Current Activities and Goals

                    Laboratory activities cover three principal areas:

                    The first concerns the collection and management of data from the commercial fishing communities
               of the Island. Data on landings are collected directly from fishermen or buyers. Information on
               composition and length-frequency of capture fish and shellfish, as well as effort by gear type, is collected
               as part of a bioproftle program. A census of the fishing community, including the number of fishermen
               and boats, as well as the number and type of gear, is periodically undertaken. Information so collected
               is returned to the fishing communities in the form of a three-monthly bulletin "Actualidades Pesqueras."
               There are currently nine personnel in this area: five field agents; two data entry personnel; a secretary
               and a project leader. Short-term goals are to increase fishermen participation in the program, to improve
               and expand the sampling intensity and scope of the bioprofile program, as well as to publish summaries
               of historical data sets on file.


                    The second area concerns the periodic fishery-independent monitoring of fisheries resources, and
               studies on areas of current concern related to their management and use. Recently completed, for
               example, was a research project designed to establish the potential biological and economic consequences
               of changing the size of the mesh used on fish traps, a principal gear in the artesenal fishery of the Island.
               This study arose out of the perceived need to reduce bycatch and the capture of juveniles of a number of
               species, while maintaining an economically-viable trap fishery. A multivariate analysis is currently being
               carried out to determine minimum sampling requirements for a long-term fisheries resource monitoring
               program using fish trap and hook and line, as well as to establish a compatible sampling program with
               the Division of Fish and Wildlife of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and possibly with other areas in the
               Caribbean. The geographic extent of coverage of the program and its sampling protocol depend on funding
               levels. This division comprises two crews of three each to operate two 42 ft. long research vessels, the
               Miguel Abreu and the Guayanilla 11, as well as a project supervisor.




                                                                    61







                     The third area concerns a recently-established (1987) research division. This area has established a
                program for the determination of age, growth and reproduction of species of commercial an recreational
                importance in the geographic region. Current research concerns the age, growth and reproduction of the
                red hind, Epinephelus guttatus, coney, E. fulvus, and white grunt, Haemulon plumieri, and reproduction
                in the tnmkfish species, Acanthostracion polygonius, and A. quadticornis, in the dolphinfish, Coryphaena
                hippurus, and in the silk snapper, Lutjanus vivanus. The recreational fishery of the dolphinfish is also
                being monitored. This division currently comprises four scientists. Short-term plans include the
                establishment of a facility for the laboratory-validation of periodic marks in fish hard parts for those
                species for which field validation is not feasible.


                Perspectives

                     Long-term plans include the continued participation in fishery-dependent data collection programs,
                fishery-independent monitoring, and development of the research capacity of the facility. In particular the
                age, growth and reproduction work will be emphasized. The closer relationship with the Department of
                Natural Resources will involve personnel in orienting and coordinating with department law-enforcement
                rangers and research personnel, and in taking an active role in recommendations for the use, administration
                and potential for development of coastal marine resources.





































                                                                    62








                                   Proposal to Census and Monitor Population of Caribbean Seabirds

                                               David S. Lee, North Carolina State Museum


                     The Caribbean region contains an interesting assemblage of breeding marine birds that are of global
               importance. Of the 23 taxa, of seabirds nesting in the Caniibbean, 15 represent small populations whose
               conservation status is of concern. Most of these are endemic species or races, and the remainder are taxa
               with the majority of the world's population residing in the Caribbean. The conservation of Caribbean
               seabirds has largely been overlooked.

                     Originally, the Caribbean was relatively free of avian predators, but since the 1700's, man and
               introduced animals have devastated many nesting seabird populations. Today, most significant populations
               of seabirds in the Caribbean are restricted to small inaccessible islands, cays and rocks. The rapid
               economic growth in the area now jeopardizes even these remote areas.

                     There has never been a complete inventory of the seabirds of the Caribbean and there have only been
               a few recent studies of selected sites. Many apparently important nesting sites have not been inventoried
               since the 1950's and some have not been surveyed since the last century. Areas that have been monitored
               show sharp declines.

                     The problem of local protection is exacerbated by the large number of independent political units,
               languages and dialects, and currencies. Furthermore, seabirds are top-order predators in their respective
               food chains and as such provide a valuable yardstick against which to monitor the general health of
               oceanic systems.


               Statement of R=ose

                     A four-year survey of the seabird colonies of the Caribbean is planned. A comprehensive
               atlas/registry of each of the 23 seabird taxa breeding in the region will be prepared and information on
               colonies will be made available. This atlas will be similar to the National Atlas of Coastal Waterbird
               Colonies in the contiguous United States, 1976-82. Colony catalogues exist or are planned for all North
               American regions except the Caribbean.

                     The information obtained would be published (in locally appropriate languages) as a current registry
               of colonies, and would serve as the first complete assemblage of base-line data against which to monitor
               future change (i.e., global change, "El Niho," sea-level rise). Whenever possible we plan to involve local
               biologists and others who are interested in conservation issues in our initial study and feel this is essential.
               The registry would be available to all persons and agencies making resource-use decisions in the
               Caribbean. The information will then be used for proposed future monitoring in which we plan to train
               local students, biologists and regional conservation agencies to monitor and manage seabirds under local
               jurisdictions. This will allow local people to make environmental assessments and plan economic
               development.

                     The documentation of the seabird populations at various nesting islands will also include information
               on the extent to which colonies are exploited for eggs and the removal of mangroves for charcoal. In
               addition, the correlation between current stages of plant successional communities and the
               micro-distribution of species specific nesting sites will be studied.




                                                                      63







                         In future stages of this project, we plan to develop manuals in appropriate languages that will provide
                    standardizations for data gathering, methodologies for providing needed data within the realistic scope of
                    limited local budgets and manpower, and instructions for teaching appreciation, conservation, and
                    management of local seabird populations. We also hope to be able to oversee the establishment of locally
                    prepared educational programs which would include brochures, posters, slide sets and video presentations
                    aimed at the local protection of seabirds.

                         This proposal was endorsed in October 1990 by the International Council for Bird Preservation
                    (Cambridge, UK) and by persons in various key agencies in several Caribbean countries.













































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                                         Marine Projects of the Island Resources Foundation

                                                         Roy A. Watlington


                   The following list is a summary of current marine and coastal resource projects. (Key words:
              research, planning, monitoring, resource assessment, LTM, Hugo, seagrass, environmental profiles, marine
              archaeology)

              1.   Hurricane Hugo Virgin Islands Coastal Damage Assessment. Fifty sites including ex-post audits and
                   documentation or pre-Hugo changes, changing site rankings as SNA's, APC's, potential territorial
                   park sites.

              2.   Post Hugo Coastal System Recovery Monitoring in Virgin Islands. Includes review/redesign of
                   territorial ambient systems monitoring regimes.

              3.   Planning a Virgin Islands Territorial Park System. Comprised principally of Hugo damaged sites
                   requiring management protection for accelerated recovery feasibility study of about ten high priority
                   sites. (Notes: NOAA/OCRM funding via VIDPNR, IRF prime in cooperation with WHOI,
                   USACORP of Engineers, Univ. of the VI, US NPS [VINP], Extension Service [June 1990 to
                   February 1991; key IRF investigators are Towle, Bacle, Schottroff, Watlington, Ehle, Ray].)

              4.   Eastern Caribbean Country Environmental Profiles (book). Being prepared for USAID by IRF teams
                   for the six OECS countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia,
                   and St. Vincent). Deliverables in final camera ready drafts consisting of approximately 300 page
                   environmental overview documents, averaging 75 tables and 75 figures each, plus a bibliography.
                   Scheduled for publication in early 1991. N.B.: Each "profile" has a chapter on marine and coastal
                   resources.


              5.   Sea Grass Transplantation: An Experimental Mitigation Project on St. Croix for the Virgin Islands
                   Port Authority. Final post-installation phase of three acre transplant involving grow-out monitoring.
                   Experimental site NOT badly damaged by Hugo. Reports available. Principal investigator is Dr.
                   Mary Lou Coulston.

              6.   Coral Reef Assessment and Long-Term Monitoring at Buck Island Reef National Monument.
                   Initiated originally by WIL with benthic survey work started in 1988 (at site of previous 1976
                   transects), this project's final year is being managed by IRF. Dr. John Bythell and Dr. Betsy
                   Gladfelter are principal investigators. The effort is part of a larger NPS Coral Reef Assessment
                   program managed by Dr. Caroline Rogers of the VINP on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Details on
                   request.

              7.   Miscellaneous (details on request).

                   a. Review of Fisheries and Marine Resource Management for Government of Bermuda (conflict
                        resolution).

                   b.   Dredging monitoring, St. Croix for Virgin Island Port Authority.

                   c.   Marine Archaeological Surveys (four).

                   d.   Virgin Islands Resource Management Cooperative (planning the marine component of phase 11).


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                                        Research Programs of the Caribbean Marine Research Center

                                                                William Head


                 Introductio


                      The Caribbean Marine Research Center (CMRQ, funded by the National Undersea Research Program
                 of NOAA and the Perry Foundation Inc., conducts research aimed at problems of natural resources and
                 marine food production for Caribbean regions including the Bahamas, southeast United States and the Gulf
                 of Mexico. Although only six years old, CMRC has become one of the largest marine research
                 institutions in the Caribbean.


                      The general goals of the Center are (1) to provide facilities and support for scientific research on the
                 marine environment, (2) to develop technology for low-cost aquatic food production in the Caribbean and
                 similar locations around the world, (3) to study physical and ecological relationships on deep, shallow-reef
                 and other benthic environments of the Caribbean, (4) to develop the scientific bases for rational habitat
                 utilization through conservation and enhancement, (5) to define ecological requirements of important
                 species residing in the coastal areas of Florida, the Bahamas and other Caribbean nations, and (6) to
                 provide a field laboratory for educational programs in all of the marine sciences geared toward graduate
                 and undergraduate curricula, and technical training in aquatic food production.

                      Although the Center maintains an office in Riviera Beach, Florida, most       of the research is canied
                 out close to the Center's field laboratory at Lee Stocking Island in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas.

                      Research programs of the Center fall under four major categories: (1) marine aquaculture; (2) benthic
                 resource ecology; (3) fisheries oceanography and recruitment processes; and (4) marine geology. All of
                 these research activities incorporate scuba diving and/or deep submersible systems to varying degrees.



                 Research Proerams


                      Aquacultur

                      Since July 1984 CMRC has undertaken a program to identify potential candidate species for
                 mariculture development. Research has been aimed at developing technology for marine culture of tilapia
                 (a eurylialine, freshwater finfish group) as an inexpensive source of animal protein for Caribbean islands
                 and similar regions where freshwater resources are limited: The program is now becoming involvea in
                 the extension of scientific results to practical application through various projects in the Caribbean. Over
                 35 papers have been written on tilapia mariculture experiments conducted at CMRC.


                      Benthic Resource Ecology

                      Benthic research at CMRC is presently focusing on the queen conch, Strombus gigas, one of the most
                 important food species of' the Caribbean region. This species has been heavily fished throughout the
                 Caribbean and is commercially threatened in some areas.

                      The general goal of this research is to study mechanisms of queen conch distribution, reproduction,
                 recruitment and abundance through experimental field studies that can ultimately be applied to sound
                 management practices. Particular emphasis is being placed on mechanisms and processes ranging from
                 larval ecology to reproductive biology and biogeography.


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                 Fisheries Oceanogmp

                 This program is concentrating on the Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus, among the most important
            foodfish in the Caribbean. Fishing pressure has significantly depleted this species in most countries,
            particularly the island nations of the Caribbean. Despite its popularity as a foodfish, the biology of the
            Nassau and other groupers is not well understood, which has impeded progress toward their rational stock
            management.

                 The examination of recruitment processes of larvae and ontogenetic changes that occur in habitat
            requirements of E. striatus are key aspects of this research.


                 Spiny Lobste

                 A major study of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, has been initiated by CMRC, including pelagic
            recruitment processes, settlement, selection of habitats by juveniles, and recruitment of postlarvae and
            juveniles. Additionally, CMRC is studying the effects of artificial shelters (casitas) on the concentration
            and/or enhancement of lobster stocks in the Bahamas, Mexico and Florida.



                 Marine Ggd=

                 The unique geological features of the lower Exuma Cays have provided a rich opportunity for a
            marine geology program at CMRC. In 1984 large fields of giant lithofied subtidal columnar stromatolites
            were discovered off Lee Stocking Island.

                 The Bahamian subtidal stromatolites provide a new set of environmental parameters for interpreting
            spatial distribution, orientation, water depth, salinity constraints on growth forms, and the timing of
            cementation and mineralization of ancient stromatolites.



                 Coral BlgaOing

                 During the late summer and fall of 1987 and 1990, unprecedented levels of zooxanthellae loss
            resulted in bleaching and some mortalities in stony corals and other reef cnidnaria and sponges throughout
            the Caribbean, Bahamas, and southern Florida waters. Scientists examining bleaching in the Exumas
            discovered a high proportion of bleaching at 10-55 in. Warmer-than-usual water, which was prevalent
            in the region during the summer, is thought to be responsible for this occurrence, but further study is
            required to ascertain the causative agent(s).

                 Caribbean Temperature Studies

                 In an effort to assign a cause to the coral bleaching phenomenon and to discern the possible role of
            temperature in this and other biological processes, CMRC has initiated a long-term, Caribbean-wide
            seawater temperature study. Subsurface recording thermographs have been placed at various depths in
            eight locations around the Bahamas, south Florida and the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, St. John
            (Virgin Islands) Barbados, Martinique, Belize, Tobago, Jamaica, Colombia, and Panama. Over three years
            of data have now been collected in some locations.







                                                                67








                      Effects of Ultraviolet Light (UV-B) on Marine Organisms

                      Many scientists believe that a potential hazard to ma rine organisms exists if the stratospheric ozone
                 layer is depleted enough to increase the amount of ultraviolet light that reaches the sea. CMRC has
                 conducted studies on the effects of UV-B on DNA underwater. This is the first study that has used DNA
                 a9 a biological indicator of UV-B damage and could establish a baseline for monitoring the health of
                 primary organisms in the ocean.


















































                                                                     68
























                    Universities

















































                     69

                           1


                                       I







                  Summary of Marine Science Interests and Activities Dealing with the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean
                                                        Louisiana State University

                                                            Charles A. Wilson



                Coastal Fisheries Institute

                     Louisiana State University's Coastal Fisheries Institute (CFI) was created in 1983 to help provide
                state, regional and federal agencies and the fishing community with a unified, comprehensive,
                university-based fisheries research program. CFI scientists conduct scholarly research towards under-
                standing the interdisciplinary processes that influence marine fish populations and their use. CFI consists
                of eight faculty and 18 research associates and conducts a wide variety of research that coordinates and
                integrates knowledge from ecology, oceanography, zoology, biochemistry, economics, law, and statistics
                to address timely questions and serious problems such as recruitment, estuarine-coastal ocean
                interactions/coupling, overfishing, pollution, habitat loss (and fisheries responses to habitat loss), and
                resource utilization disputes that threaten renewable fishery resources.

                     Research at CH centers around three general programmatic areas dealing with: (1) life history,
                recruitment, habitat ecology, and general biology of marine and estuarine nekton; (2) law; and (3)
                economics. Analyses of resultant data are ensuring effective management of such species as red drum,
                black drum, spotted seatrout, mullet, shrimp, and various pelagic species and are enhancing our
                understanding of the larval and juvenile habitat requirements of these and other estuarine-dependent
                species.

                     CH has played a lead role in influencing fisheries research and management in the Gulf region.
                Multidisciplinary-based fishery management is on the ascendance worldwide and CFI is in a unique
                position to cooperate with other groups and provide a better understanding of the complex ecological inter-
                actions of habitat, climatology, meteorology, and oceanography upon year-class strength and recruitment
                success in northem Gulf fisheries.


                     Future plans include: the use of dual beam hydroacoustics and side-scan sonar to determine the
                ecological relationships between nekton and habitat; determination of microhabitat requirements of target
                species in various nursery systems (e.g., mangroves and spartina marshes); measurement of the effect of
                biota and abiotic factors; age, growth and reproductive biology, and the determination of recruitment
                mechanisms that effect larval fish and crustaceans.



                Laboratory for Welland Soils and Sediments

                     The Laboratory for Wetland Soils and Sediments (LWSS) investigates sediment chemistry/plant
                relations in natural wetland ecosystems such as salt marshes, fresh and brackish marshes and swamps, and
                floodplains as well as the chemical and biological behavior of plant nutrients and toxic substances in
                wetland ecosystems.

                     To provide information on these wetland ecosystems, the LWSS investigates chemical and biological
                processes occurring in wetlands, with emphasis on the biogeochemical and nutrient cycles that affect plant
                growth. The environmental impacts of pesticides, toxic heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and plant nutrients
                in wetlands are major areas of expertise. The effect of disposal operations on water quality, chemical and
                microbiological transformations of toxic heavy metals, plant nutrients, pesticides and other organic
                contaminants, and on the movement of these contaminants into the food chain has been and is being


                                                                     70







               investigated in a number of experiments. Interactions between the atmosphere, water bodies, and wetlands
               are also being investigated.

               Coastal Studies Institutes Resorch in the Gulf of Mexico

                    Coastal wetlands in the northern Gulf of Mexico are experiencing the most severe erosion and land
               loss problem in the United States. Coastal Studies Institute personnel are working on the critical physical
               processes that affect wetland loss and the geological subsidence related to dewatering and compactions
               of deltaic sediments that are stacked through the process of delta switching. With increased awareness
               of the wetlands' problems, it is anticipated that the physical process and sedimentological work now
               underway will be necessary for design and implementation of mitigation procedures. A long-term tradition
               of coastal work will be continued by CSI researchers.

                    A program to study the impact of oil and gas seeps on the Louisiana continental slope has been in
               progress for three years. During this period, research submersibles supported through the granting process
               with NOAA-NURP have been used to directly observe and sample the complex seafloor topographies,
               sediments, and chemosynthetic communities associated with seeps over the slope's full depth range. Two
               additional drive seasons have been granted and long-term experiments regarding carbonate production and
               microbial community dynamics are being planned. This slope project is the current focal point for a
               long-term interest in understanding the marine geology of the Gulf of Mexico slope province. Coastal
               Studies Institute personnel intend to continue intensive research work in the slope province for at least the
               next decade.


                    The development duration and dissipation of seasonal hypoxia over the Louisiana inner shelf is
               partially controlled by the physical environment. Coastal Studies Institute personnel are studying the
               physical processes which contribute to this phenomenon. In conjunction with personnel from the
               Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences and LUMCON, they have monitored the development
               and progression of hypoxic conditions on time scales from minutes to years. They are developing
               predictive models for the critical processes. They are also developing larger scale numerical models of
               the process which cover the entire west Louisiana inner shelf. These studies continue a lengthy history
               of inner shelf studies, worldwide, by CSI scientists.


               Coastal Ecology Institute

                    Faculty and staff of the Coastal Ecology Institute (CEI), six faculty and approximately 20 research
               associates, conduct a wide variety of research aimed at gaining an understanding of the ecological
               processes which structure coastal ecosystems. This research spans the coastal zone from forested fresh
               water swamps to the continental slope and requires the perspectives and facilities associated with both
               ecology and oceanography. Due to the great economic value and environmental sensitivity of Louisiana's
               coastal region, most of CEI's research is of an applied nature.

                    CEI's various research activities center around the complex coastal environment of the Mississippi
               River Delta system, but also extend around the Gulf and are beginning to spread into the Caribbean. Sea
               grass and mangrove systems are of primary interest in southern Florida, Mexico, and Panama in the new
               future. CEI's Caribbean interests are being supported by a new Latin American initiative at LSU. This
               initiative is intended to support increased cultural, technical, and educational exchange.

                    All CET faculty are heavily involved in the application of research results to policy decisions. In
               addition to funded research, this activity takes the form of participation on national and international
               committees and policy boars. CEI frequently accepts contracts to undertake planning and policy review


                                                                    71







                   for agencies charged with management of Gulf of Mexico resources. Areas of the greatest policy-related
                   activity include offshore oil and gas development, alteration of coastal habitats, and multi-user fisheries
                   disputes.

                        The single objective underlying the diversity of CEI's research is to understand ecosystem tbriction
                   in a truly integrated or holistic manner. Therefore, there is a continuing effort to develop innovative
                   system approaches. To make this endeavor possible, CEI maintains a state-of-the-art information analysis
                   system based on a MicroVax 3600 local host, a Perceptics NuVision Video Workstation, a DEC Vax
                   Station 3500, and a distributed DEC-Apple computing environment. The latest scientific visualization and
                   image processing software is maintained on these systems. For field work, CEI maintains an inshore
                   laboratory vessel, and a complement of both traditional and remote acoustical oceanographic equipment
                   for offshore work. In the laboratory, CEI is equipped for high quality analysis of nutrients in water and
                   sediments. As a whole, LSU greatly compliments CEI's capabilities, and there is no component of a
                   coastal ecosystem which can not be analyzed at better than needed precision and accuracy.


                   Doartment of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences

                        The Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences (DOCS) of Louisiana State University is an
                   academic arm for Marine Science interests at LSU. The faculties ofthe aforementioned research units
                   hold joint appointments in the department, and students usually conduct their research through one of these
                   research units. The department offers M.S. and 111h.D. degrees only.

                        Research interests of the faculty are generally interdisciplinary, spanning "blue water" oceanography
                   to coastal wetlands. The principal interest groups of the faculty include fisheries ecology, physical and
                   geological coastal sciences, coastal ecology, and the chemistry of wetland soils. Research projects within
                   the last ten years have taken the faculty to the Yellow River (PRC), Korea, the Java Straits, Mexico,
                   Thailand, Alaska, the Caribbean, the Amazon River delta, the Persian Gulf, and to Europe. Much of the
                   regional field work involves studies of the coastal oceanography of the Mississippi River delta and
                   continental shelf as well as nearby estuaries and wetlands. Faculty use state-of-the-art equipment, such
                   as a satellite receiving station (on campus), side-scan sonar, dual beam hydroacoustics, MOCNESS,
                   submersibles, various sophisticated chemical/analytical systems, and image-analyzing systems to address
                   basic scientific questions important to the wise management of coastal resources. Each faculty receives
                   about $100-300 K per annum in external ftinding for research, several serve on national committees and
                   editorial boards, and all teach courses on a regular basis.

                        The future of the DOCS is bright. Two faculty members are being added next year (one marine
                   geologist and one unspecified expertise), the curriculum has been revised/expanded, and the recent campus
                   reorganization of scientists raised the departmental faculty number to 25. Participation of faculty from
                   other agencies include those at NOAA, NMFS, NASA, and U.S. COE facilities, as well as from other state
                   campuses and laboratories.













                                                                        72







                         Climate-Related Activities and Plans for Research in the Gulf and Caribbean Region
                     University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (UM/RSMAS),
                                        and in Cooperation with the Local Laboratories of the
                                     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

                                                   Joseph Prospero and Otis Brown


               Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies

                    General Description

                    Within the broader framework of climate dynamics, and of the interrelation of ocean circulation
               physics and fisheries ecology, scientists at the University of Miami are engaged individually and in
               cooperation with NOAA scientists in several ongoing studies which relate to conditions in the Gulf and
               Caribbean region. The Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) provides a
               mechanisms for organizing and administering joint activities involving the University of Miami's
               Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (UM/RSMAS) and the respective Miami units of
               NOAA's Environmental Research Laboratories and the National Marine Fisheries Service.


                    Climate dynamics oriented studies are focused on the role of variability in the large scale flow of
               warm waters through the subtropical Atlantic and the Caribbean in the dynamics of northern hemisphere
               climate, on using the impacts of past circulation fluctuations on the state of the Caribbean Deep waters,
               and on the records preserved in corals and planktonic components in deep ocean sediments to infer the
               nature of past climate fluctuations. Various aspects of sea level fluctuations are pursued, including
               analysis of sea level history based on coastal geology. Fisheries ecology studies are currently focused on
               impact of physical circulation conditions on recruitment dynamics in the lower Florida Keys, and on the
               development of biochemical methods to study the genetic interrelation of stocks in different parts of the
               system. Satellite-based remote sensing methods combined with catch statistics are also being pursued as
               an avenue to better understanding of large scale connections between physical circulation features and fish
               stock behavior. The activities described here fit well within the background of plans for IOCARIBE
               studies in the 1990-95 time frame as detailed in revision III of the IOCARIBE plan (Document
               IOCARIBE 4/2AA) and in the general setting of IOC workshop report No. 67, "Interdisciplinary Seminar
               on Research Problems in the IOCARIBE Region," Caracas, Venezuela, 28 November to I December 1989.


               Current PrQjects and Plm Relating to Climate D_

                    Upper Ocean Circulation Observations

                    The flow through the Caribbean of surface and thermocline waters which ultimately form the Gulf
               Stream/Florida Current, its intensity, and the relative significance of subtropical Atlantic recirculation,
               versus that of tropically or southern hemisphere derived througliflow components is a central problem of
               the Atlantic Climate Change program (ACCP) of NOAA. A precursor program, Subtropical Atlantic
               Climate Studies (STACS) @ias laid a substantial foundation by establishing a long observation time series
               for Florida Current fluctuations, complemented by observations of the deep water transport patterns on
               the Atlantic side of the Antilles Island Arc. An intercalibration of monitoring approaches based on tide
               gauge data, on electromagnetic induction effects in telephone cables, and on direct transport observations,
               was a significant part of these early efforts. Continued time series observations of the Florida Current
               transport, and of the Atlantic transport variability off the Inner Antilles is planned under the ACCP. A,
               broader Caribbean effort is yet to be defined within that program.


                                                                   73







                         An important asset for upper ocean variability studies, including those in the Caribbean region, is the
                   satellite data processing and analysis facility at RSMAS which is dedicated to physical as well as
                   biological applications of satellite-based remote sensing of the oceans.


                         Historical Circulation Data from Corals and Deep Sea Sediments

                         Isotopic composition variability and physiological signatures of environmental change (band structure)
                   in corals are being studied in the southeast Caribbean and in the Florida Keys by University of Miami
                   investigators.   Fundamental research into the physiological basis for climate sensitivity in corals
                   complements this work and should ultimately improve interpretations.

                         The sedimentary climate record is of particular interest in the Cariaco Basin (Fosa de Cariaco)
                   because anoxic conditions there lead to well preserved band structure, except during low sea level stands
                   in ice ages. This has been documented through decadally resolved analysis of archived cores from the
                   Basin. It is notable that under extreme low sea level stands, probably only a single shallow channel was
                   available for ventilation of the Basin. Higher temporal resolution analysis of recently acquired cores is
                   just beginning. This is expected to shed light on long term climate variability potential in the southern
                   Caribbean upwelling processes.

                         Continuation of both lines of activity is foreseen, albeit not in place with firm support at the present
                   time.



                         Hiah Resolution Sea Level Histo


                             Funding is currently being sought for a study of sea level trend variability based on coastal
                   geology and vegetation record. The work seeks to contribute in parallel to the development of a better
                   understanding of coast line dynamics on century to thousand year time scales, and to our knowledge of
                   natural sea level variability on time scales commensurate with those arising in our current concerns about
                   human climate impact.


                   DeW Water Indices of Past Circulation VariabB&

                         The several sill controlled deep basins within the Gulf and Caribbean region provide opportunities
                   to discover, in the chemical/physical state of the water column, indications of extremal circulation
                   conditions in the past. Different time scales are involved dependent on sill depths and basin volumes,
                   ranging from decades in the case of the Cariaco Basin to centuries in the case of the Colombian and
                   Venezuelan deep basins. A multi-year project to study the deep water ventilation in the latter basins is
                   just beginning at University of Miami. It will involve current meter arrays in the Anegada and Jungfem
                   Passages deployed for one year, and for a second year in the Aneg4da Passage only. Tracer studies will
                   address both the deep water ventilation process, and the perhaps reversible exchange of thermocline waters
                   with the Subtropical Atlantic Basin. Tracer work will be concentrated in the passage area.

                         Much interest attends the observations of very large decadal change in the Cariaco Basin since the
                   mid-seventies. Continued studies of these processes promises to provide improved understanding of
                   climate-related circulation variability, as well as increased confidence in interpretations of coral and
                   sediment signatures of such changes. Transients in ventilation of this basin are related to thermocline
                   oscillations in the southern Caribbean by a combination of seasonal and shorter term forcing effects.



                                                                          74







                  Potential CoMerative Activities Related to Climate D_)amics

                  Much relevant material regarding data compilation and exchange has been covered in IOCARIBE
             reports and plans already in existence. Emphasis here is put on potential for enhancing activities related
             to documenting and understanding interannual and long time scale variability.

                  The fact that the mean residence time of waters in the upper thermocline and in the surface layers
             in the Caribbean is of the order of 100 days relative to the large scale throughflow suggests that the
             Caribbean Basin upper waters respond in their composition to the seasonal fluctuations in transport
             patterns. This is also confirmed by past observations. Fluctuations in the tropical/interhemispheric
             through-flow branches should therefore be accessible for study by seasonal surveys in the Caribbean
             Basin. Use of a number of tracers, including Radium 228, which originates primarily in shelf sediments
             and has a decay rate eminently suited for the time scales involved, and combined with satellite remote
             sensing of color and temperature characteristics could form an excellent basis for a pan-Caribbean
             cooperative program, and joint studies of isolated basin dynamics and exchange between shelf and open
             basin areas on bi- or tri-lateral basis show much potential.

                  Although improvement and careful geodetic control of the Caribbean tide gauge network has been
             emphasized in the general context of sea level rise, it is emphasized here that the recognition of specific
             seasonal fluctuation modes, and also the testing of numerical model predictions of the seasonal and
             interannual circulation variability would be much enhanced by its implementation.

                  With many low lying coastal areas in the region, the long time scale dynamics of tropical coastlines
             as a biological-physical interaction problem could become a significant object of international cooperative
             studies.







































                                                                  75







                                         University of South Florida, Department of Marine Science

                                                           Frank. E. Muller-Karger


                      The University of South Florida's Department of Marine Science is an accredited graduate studies
                 institution located in St. Petersburg, Florida. We have 25 faculty, ranging from biological oceanography
                 and fisheries to geological and physical oceanography. There is also a very strong remote sensing
                 program focused on oceanography from space. We operate two oceanographic vessels through the Florida
                 Institute of Oceanography, and share facilities with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Florida Department
                 of Natural Resources. Currently, our student body is comprised of 80 marine science students with a wide
                 international background.

                      The University of South Florida has a keen interest in development of scientific programs in the Gulf
                 of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and western Atlantic Ocean. We have several ongoing studies in this general
                 area, including examination of deep water ventilation of the Caribbean (Kent Fanning, collaborating with
                 Claes Rooth), geology and biology of the Nicaraguan Rise (Pam Mueller and Al Hine), analysis of
                 historical Coastal Zone Color Scanner satellite data (Frank Muller-Karger) and optical characteristics of
                 river plume water (Kendall Carder and Frank Muller-Karger), as well as development of coupled
                 biological-physical numerical models of the region (John J. Walsh, Mark Luther, Robert Weisberg, and
                 Boris Galperin).

                      Below is a brief list outlining what we perceive are important initiatives that should be implemented
                 in the wider Caribbean. The basis for the initiatives should be to take advantage of this basin's capacity
                 to record events resulting from climatic transients.

                 1.   Establish a long-term interdisciplinary time series station in the Cariaco Trench. This station is a
                      necessary complement to the deep ocean JGOFS. The Cariaco Trench is the ideal location for such
                      a station because of the preserving effect of the anoxic waters found below sill depth. This station
                      would provide an important validation platform for present and future remote sensing missions. In
                      addition to the important scientific value of the station, it would serve as a regional focus for marine
                      science. Several laboratories are located in the immediate surrounding of the Trench.

                 2.   Establish a long-term program of cruises carrying out seasonal hydrographic transects between the
                      northern and the southern Caribbean. The series of transects will help understand short- and
                      long-term flow through the basin, and help interpret sea level measured around the periphery of the
                      basin. This series would provide an important validation platform for present and future remote
                      sensing missions.

                 3.   Establish a satellite data receiving dish and data distribution center for NOAA AVHRR Local Area
                      Coverage data (from Polar Orbiter satellites). A dish located in a central location of the Caribbean
                      would provide data on: Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico waters, western Atlantic waters to south of
                      the mouth of the Amazon River, eastern Pacific waters including the Ecuador coast and upwelling
                      area, and cover of the Amazonian basin, Orinoco basin, and Central American rain forests. An
                      AVHRR station would provide information on, among other problems: coastal sediment transport,
                      sea surface temperature and temperature front location, and vegetation indices at high spatial
                      resolution for forest status and land use change detection.         The receiving station should be
                      complemented with Sea-Wifs (NASA's new ocean color scanner) receiving capabilities when the
                      Sea-Wifs is flown in 1993. The data distribution center should be equipped to serve the needs of
                      all nations bordering the Wider Caribbean.



                                                                      76








              4.   Establishing long-term moored current meter stations at the major passages into the Caribbean:
                   Grenada (for surface flow); Jungfern (for surface and deep, ventilating flow); and Windward (for
                   flow into the western Caribbean). These locations should be periodically be visited for nutrient and
                   other tracer measurements. These stations will provide data for understanding transients observed
                   in the interior of the basin.





























































                                                                 77








                                                      Overview of Caribbean Research
                                                  Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution

                                                                Ned P. Smith


                      Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization funded by private
                 monies, grants and contracts. Personnel are involved in research and education in the marine sciences and
                 ocean engineering. The 480-acre complex is located on the west side of Indian River lagoon, about
                 midway between Fort Pierce and Vero Beach, Florida. Research in Caribbean waters is supported by three
                 research ships and two manned submersibles. The R/Vs Seaward Johnson, Edwin Link, and Sea Diver
                 are 176 ft., 168 ft. and 98 ft. long, respectively. The two Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles have a maximum
                 working depth of 3,000 ft.

                      From 1980 to the present, Johnson-Sea-Link submersible operations have been conducted throughout
                 the Bahamas, the Windward Islands of the West Indies and along the coast of Central America, Mexico
                 and Belize with the objectives of describing the deep fish. fauna and their ecology at depths between 50
                 and 500 m. Work in the Fish Biology program, headed by R. Grant Gilmore, has been conducted in
                 collaboration with C. Richard Robins of the University of Miami, Robert Jones of the University of Texas,
                 C. Lavett Smith of the American Museum of Natural History, and James Taylor of the Smithsonian
                 Institution. Over 200 submersible dives have been made to depths of 700 m. Several hundred fishes have
                 been collected and 9000 photos have been taken along with 300 hours of high-quality video tape. Several
                 new fish species have been described from these collections, and additional species are being described
                 by Gilmore and others.

                      The Zooplankton Ecology Program, leg by Marsh Youngbluth, is conducting research in Bahamian
                 and eastern Caribbean waters to quantify how the abundance, behavior and metabolism of midwater
                 zooplankton affect the production and transfer of energy in marine food chains. Ongoing research projects
                 include in-situ investigations of metabolism (oxygen consumption and nitrogen excretion) by gelatinous
                 fauna and particle flux (transformation and transport processes) by marine snow aggregates of midwater
                 appendicularians.

                      The Physical Oceanography program at Harbor Branch, headed by Ned Smith, is conducting
                 NOAA-funded research on transport processes in coastal waters. Work is carried out in collaboration with
                 Al Stoner at the Caribbean Marine Research Center on Lee Stocking Island, Exuma Cays, Bahama Islands.
                 Studies are designed to characterize tidal and wind-driven currents which carry larvae of the queen conch
                 (Strombus gigas) from offshore spawning sites to shallow-water nursery areas. The approach is              ' to
                 supplement time series from recording instrumentation with computer simulations to understand the
                 underlying physics better, and to obtain information on circulation patterns over a broader range of
                 environmental conditions. Surface drogues are tracked from inner shelf waters of Exuma Sound to the
                 shallow waters of Exuma Bank to reveal the path taken by larvae moving in with the flood tide.
                 Currently, the scope of the program is expanding to include an investigation of the heat budget of Exuma
                 Bank waters, and the density currents resulting from evaporative water losses.

                      Marine botanist Dennis Hanisak has conducted reseArch on marine macro-algae and seagrasses in
                 various parts of 11orida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Research programs include the biology of
                 deep-water algae, coral rccfalgal ecology, conch-algal trophic interactions and algal-nutrient relationships.
                 fie has had extensive experience in seaweed cultivation and is interested in the technology-transfer of
                 seaweed mariculture to the Caribbean.

                      The Bioluminescence Program, headed by Edith Widder, has conducted cruises in Bahamian waters
                 to investigate midwater bioluminescence. Techniques are being developed for recording stimulated


                                                                      78







              bioluminescence as a means of fine-scale mapping of organism distribution patterns. Research has also
              emphasized studies of coelenterate bioluminescence. Specially designed sampling devices on the
              Johnson-Sea-Link submersibles permit capture and laboratory study of gelatinous organisms that have
              never been available for such investigations in the past. Additionally, intensified video cameras mounted
              on the submersible have made possible the recording of bioluminescence behaviors in situ.
                                                                                  I
                   Craig Young has been conducting studies of deep-sea reproduction and larval biology in collaboration
              with Paul Tyler (University of Southampton), Kevin Eckelbarger (University of Maine), and others.
              Cruises during the past five years have gone to the northern Bahamas, including Tongue of the Ocean,
              the Berry Islands, San Salvador, Eleuthera, Cat Island, Andros Island, New Providence Island and Abaco
              Island, and to Barbados. Research focuses on reproductive processes in deep-sea echinoderms and other
              invertebrates. Individual studies have focused on larval feeding, larval migration and behavior, recruitment
              and seasonality of reproduction. From a developmental standpoint, the bathyal echinoid fauna of the
              Bahamas is now understood better than any other group of deep-sea invertebrates in the world ocean and
              provides an important model for future experimental work. Young's group has established a long-term
              deployment at 500 m in the Tongue of the Ocean, where caged animals are being used in experimental
              studies of fecundity, growth and seasonality of reproduction. Current meters and recruitment collectors
              have been deployed at the site. Future studies will focus on the role of larval processes in determining
              population structure and distributions of deep-sea organisms. Lab and field techniques will be combined
              to determine how seasonal cycles are entrained below the euphotic zone.

                   The Fish Culture Department, under the direction of John Tucker, conducts pioneering research on
              aquaculture technology for marine fish, emphasizing reproduction, larval rearing and nutrition. Fourteen
              species belonging to the herring, anchovy, snook, striped bass, grouper, snapper, porgy and drum families
              have been reared. The scope of the program includes laboratory and field life history studies, marine fish
              feed development, and some environmental toxicology research. Tucker has conducted research and taught
              in North and South Carolina, Florida, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Australia and Palau; and he has made
              scientific visits to the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, St. Croix, St. Thomas and nine other countries.

                   The Division of Biomedical Research at harbor Branch has been conducting research in the Bahamas
              and Caribbean since 1984. Under the direction of Shirley Pomponi, who leads the Sample Acquisition
              Group, benthic algae, invertebrates (primarily sponges and cnidarians) and ascidians have been collected
              by scuba, snorkel and submersibles for research on bioactivity of their secondary metabolites. The drug
              discovery research program focuses on antitumor, antiviral, antifungal and immunomodulatory activity of
              these natural products. Other related research programs within the division include microbial fermentation,
              invertebrate cell culture, chemotaxonomy and molecular biology.

                   LeRoy Creswell has been involved in Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture for the past 15 years. He
              served with a team of marine biologists in Monroe County, Florida to inventory marine resources of the
              F lorida Keys, then as a fisheries biologist for the Belize Fisheries Administration studying the ecology
              and fishery of the queen conch, Strombus gigas. This work lead to several years research on the
              mariculture of this species. Creswell has been a consultant to similar research programs throughout the
              Caribbean and Latin America. He has conducted research on the fisheries and aquaculture of several
              Caribbean crustaceans, including penaeid shrimp and the Caribbean King Crab, Mithrax spinosissimus.

                   William Lellis is conducting research in mariculture of crustaceans indigenous to the Caribbean basin,
              with emphasis on the spiny lobster Panuliris argis. Initial studies focused on the feasibility of collecting
              puerulus: for subsequent growout, along the determination of environmental and nutritional requirements
              for optimal performance. Current studies deal with control of seasonal reproduction, diet development
              and larviculture.




                                                                   79








                                   Current Research Activities in the Gulf of Mexico and Future Plans
                                           Jackson State University: Marine Science Program

                                                          Jonathan E. H. Wilson



                introduction

                     Jackson State University (JSU) is one of the few Historically     Minority Institutions (HMI) in the
                nation with a marine science program. The main objective of the JSU'marine science program (JSU-MSP)
                is to introduce minority students to, and provide them with, experience in the marine science through their
                involvement in courses, independent research and oceanographic cruises. The JSU-MSP has a very strong
                undergraduate emphasis although one or two graduate students (most of them majoring in biology) may
                be accepted into the program. The curriculum requires that students be well grounded in math, chemistry,
                biology, physics, computer science and English. Students take core courses at JSU, GCRL and the Duke
                Marine Laboratory campuses. In addition, students participate in (1) summer internships at various marine
                laboratories; and (2) field excursions and oceanographic cruises aboard NOAA/NMFS research cruises.



                Present Research Activities


                     The collaboration between JSU and NMFS dates back to the early 1980's; however, the work reported
                here started about 1 V2 years ago when a research in marine fisheries grant was funded. The primary
                objective of this project is to strengthen the linkage between NMI'S southeastern region and JSU and help
                attract more minority students to the marine sciences through their early involvement in research. Aspects
                of the biology of some near-shore reef fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico was chosen as a vehicle for
                such training. The vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) was the first species to be studied.
                Later, other reef fishes such as the wenchmen, hinds and sea basses, which are of interest to NMFS/SEFC,
                will be studied.


                     A total of 10 JSU students and one faculty have conducted joint oceanographic surveys with the
                NMFS Pascagoula Laboratory, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Two of these cruises have been for reef
                fishes. All the vermilion snapper samples analyzed so far came from these cruises. Analyses of results
                have been centered around the study of (1) morphometrics and the interrelationships between various
                length measurements; regression equations were generated; (2) use of opercular bones in age and growth
                studies; the results indicate proportional growth of opercula and fish body; (3) length-weight relationship
                and variation in condition factor with size; and (4) diet. The other two cruises were to study
                ichthyoplankton. Although this is not the research emphasis at JSU, the students were encouraged to
                participate so that they could gain field experience and learn new techniques in biological oceanography.
                Working with some of the SEAMAP data from the Pascagoula Laboratory, a JSU graduate student has
                demonstrated the use of GIS in studying marine resources in the Gulf of Mexico.



                I,uture Plans


                     Our plans for future research in fisheries biology in the Gulf of Mexico include a detailed study of
                vermilions from the North Central area. At least a bimonthly collection is required to provide sufficient
                data to establish time of growth ring formation; determination of size and age at maturity; spawning cycle;
                food; and feeding. A few of these planned research objectives are explained briefly in the next
                paragraphs-




                                                                    80







              a  Firmly establish the suitability of using opercular bones in aging selected reef fish species in the North
                 Central Gulf of Mexico starting with the vermilion snapper Rhomboplites aurorubens.

              a  Validation of growth rings seen in the opercular using (1) marginal increment analysis (this will require
                 regular sampling throughout the year); (2) length-frequency analyses of population samples (i.e., the
                 Peterson method); (3) plotting length frequencies of the distance from the focus or core to each ring
                 for each age group; (4) comparing mean lengths for each age determined from opercula to those
                 obtained by reading otoliths and scales (Manooch, 1982; Brothers, 1982). It should be noted that scales
                 have been used successfully for aging vermilion snappers (Manooch, 1982; Grimes, 1978).

              -  Establishment of objective criteria to discriminate growth marks and comparison between readers for
                 consistency in aging vermilion snapper by otoliths and opercula.

              *  Establishment of the diet and feed periodicities, together with any ontogenetic relationships, in feeding
                 in the vermilion snappers in the Gulf.


              References for Activity Summ=

              Brothers, E. B., 1982. Aging reef fishes. In: The Biological Bases for Reef Fishery Management (G.
                   R. Huntsman, W. R. Nicholson, and W. W. Fox, Jr., eds.), pp. 3-23.

              Grimes, C. B., 1978. Age, growth and length-weight relationship of Vermilion snapper, Rhomboplites
                   aurorubens from North Carolina and South Carolina waters. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc., 107(3), 454-456.

              Manooch, C. S., 111, 1982. Aging reef fishes in the Southeast Fisheries Center. In: The Biological Bases
                   for Reef Fishery Management (G. R. Huntsman, W. R. Nicholson, and W. W. Fox, Jr., eds.), pp.
                   24-43.



































                                                                   81








                                                           Activities and Interests
                                         University of the Virgin Islands: Marine Science Program

                                                             LaVerne E. Ragster


                      The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), with a current enrollment of 2,466 students, is the
                 publicly supported university system of the U.S. Virgin Islands. UVI, a Historically Black University with
                 a liberal arts tradition, is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the Middle
                 States Association. The University was established in 1962 and des    ignated a Land Grant College in 1972.
                 The Eastern Caribbean Center at UVI is presently the location of the Secretariat for the Consortium of
                 Caribbean Universities for Natural Resource Management. -The University includes B.S. and B. A. degrees
                 in marine biology among its offerings to the local and regional populations it serves. In keeping with the
                 University's mission, the marine science program has included training, research and community outreach
                 components that have had a local as well as regional focus.

                     Current interests and activities include:


                   Identification of additional local and regional opportunities for UVI students to participate in internship
                   activities; including sea expeditions and research experience at other facilities.

                   Providing assistance with baseline studies and monitoring of local marine resources needed for the
                   development of the Territorial Park System and decision-making associated with coastal zone
                   development.

                 ï¿½ Training local science teachers (especially elementary level) in environmental sciences with an
                   emphasis on marine systems.

                 ï¿½ Modification of the marine biology curricula to include an introductory course on resource
                   management.

                 ï¿½ Completion of a marine science shoreline facility and the expansion of the capacity of faculty and
                   visiting scientists to conduct research in local and regional marine environments.

                   Future interests include:


                 ï¿½ Continuation and completion of the activities mentioned above.

                 ï¿½ Development of a marine technology curriculum at the. bachelor level.


                 An Overview of the Consortium of Caribbean Universities for Natural Resource Manageme


                     The Eastern Caribbean Center of the University of the Virgin Islands has served as the location for
                 the Secretariat of the Consortium of Caribbean Universities for'Natural Resource Management since
                 August 1989 and will serve in this capacity until August 1992. The Consortium is a grouping of univer-
                 sities, research institutes, and collaborating institutions under the sponsorship of the Association of
                 Caribbean Universities and Research Institutes (UNICA), dedicated to cooperating for improved resource
                 management education in the Caribbean region.





                                                                      82







                  The goal of the Consortium is to enhance the capacity of Caribbean universities to provide practical,
             high-quality education in resource management relevant to the region's natural and institutional context,
             especially that of the smaller islands. In meeting its goals, the Consortium will seek to improve
             information flows among members on course offerings, facilities, student needs, and documentation, as
             well as share students, faculty and reference materials as necessary. The specific objectives also include
             encouraging cooperative undertakings such as special courses or curriculum development workshops and
             recommending standards and procedures for inter-institutional accreditation among members.

                  The concept of a consortium of universities to develop cooperative programs in natural resource
             management was first proposed in 1984 by the Science and Technology Committee of UNICA. The
             proposal was made in response to surveys identifying the increasing need in Caribbean islands and
             countries for appropriately trained resource managers and the lack of training programs in resource
             management at regional institutions. In October 1987, a proposal presented by the Caribbean Institute for
             Resource management (CIRM, University of Puerto Rico) to establish the Consortium of Caribbean
             Universities for Natural Resource Management under the aegis of UNICA was endorsed at the annual
             meeting of the UNICA Chancellors. CIRM raised funds for the Consortium's development from the
             Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the U.S. Man and the Biosphere Program, and the
             Kundstadter Family Fund. To date, 15 of the 45 members of UNICA have accepted the invitation to
             become members of the Consortium, including all the major universities serving the smaller islands, as
             well as several from the larger islands, and two from Venezuela which has small Caribbean islands as part
             of its territory.

                  Between October 1987 and August 1989 the Interim Secretariat of the Consortium was associated
             with CIRM, and its Director, Allen Putney, served as the Interim Consortium Coordinator. During this
             time a Working Agreement was developed to guide the Consortium's evolution and form, and an initial
             set of specific activities were agree upon by an Ad Hoc Organizing Committee. According to the
             Working Agreement, the Consortium's programs are determined by a Programme Committee comprised
             of five members who serve by rotation. A Consortium Coordinator, appointed by the UNICA Secretary
             General on the recommendation of the Programme Committee, manages its operation and directs the
             Secretariat. A Technical Advisory Group, comprised of regional experts in environmental and resource
             management fields, assists in the review of curricula materials to assure their pertinence to practical issues
             of Caribbean resource management.

                  Dr. LaVeme Ragster, Professor of Marine Biology at the University of the Virgin Islands, began her
             service as Consortium Coordinator in August 1989. The appointment was based on a recommendation
             from the Programme Committee at its first meeting in April 1989 and confirmed by the Executive
             Committee of UNICA during its regular meeting in Santo Domingo in May 1989. The Programme
             Committee also agreed that the priorities for the Coordinatoes efforts would be the identification of
             regional educational standards and curriculum guidelines in resource management; faculty training and
             development; the construction of a Diploma degree in resource management; the compilation and
             organization of resource management documentation in the region; the establishment of inter-institutional
             accreditation for Consortium courses; and the design and implementation of special courses in resource
             management for the islands of the Lesser Antilles. The priority activities of the Consortium reflect the
             initial long-term objectives identified by the Programme Committee as being appropriate guidelines for
             the initial phases of the Consortium's maturation. These long-term objectives seek:

             ï¿½ the establishment of inter-institutional accreditation for programmes and courses among member
                institutions through the development and acceptance of a system which allows for easy assessment of
                the criteria used to validate courses and degrees throughout the region;

             ï¿½ the development and implementation of effective approaches to faculty training in the region;


                                                                  83







                 ï¿½ the promotion of learning situations that encourage and facilitate the generation of a growing pool of
                    multi-lingual resource management professionals; and

                 ï¿½ the development of an accessible documentation system which would support regional teaching and
                    practicing of sustainable resource management.

                      The early activities of the Consortium have begun to address priorities approved by the Programme
                 Committee. A review of existing academic curricula and standards from Caribbean, North American, and
                 European universities was completed and used to support a report proposing educational standards and
                 curricula guidelines for natural resource management training in Consortium programs. A workshop for
                 faculty from institutions in the region was held in August 1989 at the Instituto de Tccnologico de Santo
                 Domingo to work on curriculum development in resource management. A technical report on the
                 activities and outcomes of the faculty workshop has been compiled and is available from the Secretariat
                 in English and French. These activities were supported by grants from CIDA and the United Nations
                 Environment Programme-Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP). Presently, the University of
                 Puerto Rico is the recipient of a grant from the MacArthur Foundation which supports the development
                 of course modules for the proposed Diploma in Resource Management degree. Additionally, funds from
                 UNEP-CEP have facilitated the planning of collaborative activities between the Consortium and the
                 Environmental Training Network for Latin America and the Caribbean.

                     The Secretariat of the Consortium will assist member institutions to develop cooperative and
                 collaborative programs that will address the problem of a lack of appropriately trained resource managers
                 in the Caribbean. The University of the Virgin Islands and the other members of the Consortium are
                 aware of the serious challenge facing tertiary institutions and governments of the region with regard to
                 management of precious natural resources that are under high levels of stress from growth and
                 development. As it grows and matures, the Consortium of Caribbean Universities for Natural Resource
                 Management will continue to fulfill its potential to be a valuable and powerful tool in the regional struggle
                 to realize sustainable development.

                     Information concerning the Consortium's activities and plans can be obtained from Dr. Ragster by
                 writing the University or calling (809) 776-9200, ext. 1343 or 1360.
























                                                                     84








                                                  Activities in the Intra-Americas Sea
                                                    North Carolina State University

                                                           John M. Morrison



               A Multidisciplin= Amazon Shelf Sediment Sb& (A=SW4

                   The experimental design of this program is to provide a new level of understanding about large
               river-ocean systems. AmasSeds's five research groups focus on the following topics: physical
               oceanography, turbidity effects on geochemistry, sediment transport, diagenetic/authigenic processes, and
               sedimentology/stratigraphy. Each group contains six to ten principle investigators from the U.S. and
               Brazil. The National Science Foundation supports the participation of U.S. scientists. Brazilian scientists
               are supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq) and Comissao
               Interministerial para os Recursos do Mar (CIRM). Three field programs, each about two months long,
               were completed during the past year. The final cruise is in the spring of 1991. After the end of field
               operations the complete results of AmasSeds will require several years to process and disseminate.

               Reference: AmasSeds Research Group, 1990. A multidisciplinary Amazon Shelf Sediment Study. EOS,
               Trans., Amer. Geophys. Union, 77, p. 1771.


               Venezuelan Geology

                    in the interval 1969-1985, Dr. Michael M. Kimberly of the Department of Marine, Earth and
               Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, worked in several areas around the Caribbean
               basin, particularly in Colombia, where he completed field work on a major iron deposit and in the
               Bahamas where he studies iron enrichment of carbonate sediments. During the past five years, he has
               worked in northeastem Venezuela (a total of 15 trips) to study ongoing mineralization processes, both
               marine and nomnarine processes. He has discovered the only place on Earth where silicate ooids are
               presently accumulating on the seafloor (Ore Geology Reviews, 5, p. 1-145). This iron-rich sediment is
               quite dense and required a new type of device for efficient sampling (Continental Shelf Research, in
               press).

               Coastal environments in northeastem Venezuela are among the least studied on Earth. They include a
               I km-wide, halite-precipitating pool just 250 in from the ocean and beach profiles which are nearly perfect
               logarithmic spirals (Computers and Geosciences, 15, p. 1089-1108). To help introduce more Americans
               to these spectacular phenomena, Kimberly has established an ongoing field camp using the NSF grant and
               matching funds from North Carolina State University. Other NSF proposals are pending, mostly focusing
               on the unique ferriferous ooids. Work to data has been facilitated by a close working relationship with
               Fundacion La Salle de Ciencias Naturales (FLASA). FLASA has provided free shiptime and laboratory
               facilities for all 15 field excursions.



               Subtropical Climate Studies

                    Dr. John Morrison has been working on the water mass structure and circulation with the Caribbean
               Sea, Gulf of Mexico and adjacent regions since 1971. Currently he is working with Dr. Robert Molinari
               of NOAA/AOML on the "Upper Ocean Variability and Thermolialine Circulation Along the Antillean
               Archipelago and within the Caribbean Sea." The purpose of, this work is to use shipboard Doppler
               acoustic current profiler data (ADCP), conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) profiles, and profiles


                                                                   85







                 of absolute velocity (Pegasus profiler data) collected within the Straits of Florida, along the Antilles
                 Archipelago and within the Caribbean Sea by NOAA's Subtropical Atlantic Climate Studies (STACS)
                 Program to study the upper ocean variability and thermolialine circulation in the region east of the Antilles
                 Archipelago. Understanding the circulation in this region is one of the keys necessary towards a more
                 comprehensive knowledge of the meridional volume and heat transport in this western boundary current
                 region.

                      As a part of the STACS Program, western boundary phenomena along the Antillean Archipelago are
                 presently being studied for their possible relevance to both ocean dynamics and climate problems.
                 Exploratory sections have been established along the Antillean Archipelago to study the mean and time
                 varying components of the circulation. In this proposed effort, we will use data, collected during the
                 STACS cruises to this region from 1984 through 1987, to attack three distinct objectives:

                 1.   A general description of the upper layer flows and transports for the region.

                 2.   A statistical description of the upper layer flows based on either a structure l'unction or
                      autocorrelation analysis of the velocity components.

                 3.   Inverse calculations using the ADC11, CTI) and Pegasus data to refine transport estimates and water
                      mass balances within the region.

                      In addition, we hope that we will be able to use the results to point out potential problems in the
                 model formulations for this region. At the present time, the major modeling efforts in this region show
                 serious disagreement in whether or not a seasonally reversing Antilles Current even exists.





























                                                                       86







                                         Marine Science Program in the''Intra-Americas Sea
                                       Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)

                                                            Michael Dagg


                   The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) was established to conduct and promote
              marine research and education in Louisiana. Construction of a new Marine Center, located 80 miles
              southwest of New Orleans, and two new research vessels was completed in 1986. The 105 ft. Pelican
              is used for oceanographic research in continental shelf and open waters. The 57 ft. Acadiana is used for
              coastal and river work.



              Existing Activitips

                   Ongoing research programs primarily emphasize basic research in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
              Specific programs include:

              ï¿½ state and federally funded (NSF, NOAA, NASA) programs to examine the impacts of the Mississippi
                 River discharge on the northern Gulf,

              ï¿½  state and federally funded (NSF, NOAA) programs to examine hypoxia in shelf waters of the northern
                 Gulf, and

              ï¿½  state and federally funded (NOAA, MMS, EPA, USGS) programs to study biological, geological and
                 chemical processes in coastal estuaries and bays within Louisiana.

              ï¿½  LUMCON scientists also conduct some applied research, specifically related to the impacts of oil and
                 gas development.

              ï¿½  LUMCON conducts a summer program of university courses in marine sciences. This program draws
                 students primarily from within the state but also some from other parts of the country.


              Planned Activities

                   We plan to expand our research activities in each of the topics listed above but significant changes
              in direction are not anticipated within the next few years. We plan, however, to significantly expand and
              broaden our educational activities and would like to encourage students from throughout the
              Intra-Americas region to participate in our summer university courses.

                   For finther information contact:


                   Dr. Michael Dagg
                   Interim Director
                   LUMCON
                   Chauvin, LA 70344
                   Telephone: 504-851-2800
                   OMNET: M.DAGG






                                                                  87








                                                           Program Summary
                                                       Florida Sea Grant College

                                                                Jim Cato



                Overvie

                     Florida Sea Grant is the only university-based program of statewide coastal research, education and
                extension in Florida. It encompasses both traditional marine science and engineering subjects as well as
                complementary disciplines in law, economics, seafood technology, policy, biotechnology and others. Its
                network of extension faculty around the state conducts as many as 150 workshops annually to transfer
                information and technology. Florida Sea Grant program areas are conducted around the themes of living
                marine resources, coastal processes and development, marine industries and education.

                     FSG is part of the national network of Sea Grant Programs and participates with other Sea Grant
                programs in the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean to organize cooperative marine science research and
                information transfer.



                Current and Pendine Research I'Miects (Selected)

                R/LR-E-14         Coping Strategies of Fishing Families in Response to Perceived Impacts of Changes in
                                  Marine Regulations.

                R/LR-Q- 18        Evaluation of Lactic Acid Treatment, Cryogenic Freezing and Depuration of Salmonella
                                  in Oysters of the Suwannee Region.

                R/LR-B-29         The Gulf Stream Front, Its Role in Larval Fish Survival and Recruitment in Florida.

                R/LR-B-30         Limits to Recruitment of Spiny Lobster in Florida:          Assessment of Artificial
                                  Enhancement Techniques.

                R/LR-B-24         Stock Assessment and Population Dynamic Models for Management Guidance of the
                                  Stone Crab Fishery.

                R/LR-B-25         Toward Forecasting Stone Crab Recruitment and Environmentally Induced Year-Class
                                  Strength.

                R/LR-B-32         Temporal Aspects of Recruitment and Spawning of the Gag Grouper in the Gulf of
                                  Mexico.


                R/LR-A- 15        Development of Technology for the Nursery and Field Cultivation of the Angel Wing
                                  Clam.


                R/LR-A-12         Peptide Hormone Control of Reproduction in a Marine Shrimp.

                R/LR-A-16         Regulation of Yolk Production in a Marine Shrimp, Penaeus vannamei.

                R/C-S-29          Field Experiment Evaluation of the Effects of Beach Restoration on Stony Corals of
                                  Southeast Florida.



                                                                   88







             RIC-S-30       Coastal Turbidity Associated with Natural and Man-Induced Phenomena.

             R/C-E-29       Regulation of Estuarine Phytoplankton Dynamic: The Interaction of Reduced Salinity,
                            Enhanced N:P Ratios and Pulsed Nutrient Inputs.

             RILR-A-13      Plant Tissue Culture Technology for Marine Angiosperms Used in Habitat Restoration.

             R/C-E-28       Macrobenthic Production in Natural and Restored Seagrass Beds.
                                                                     I
             R/C-P-17       A Computer-Directed Geographic Coastal Use Classification System for Ecologic
                            Planning: The Case of the Florida Keys.

             E/M-9          Techniques for Dealing with Uncertainty in Fisheries Management Information.


             Demonstration and Technology Transfer PMJects (Selectedl

             R/FDER-1,2,3   Seafood Composting Projects (seven studies, various titles).
                     5,6,7

             E/GOV-I        Environmental News Video Stories.


             R/SK-4         Enhanced Artificial Reef Database for Florida.



             Additional Information


             1. "Fathom." A quarterly magazine about the coast, available by subscription.

             2.  "Top 50," most frequently requested FSG publications.

             3.  "Directory" of FSG research, extension, education and administration.






















                                                         89







                                                  Summary of Activities and Capabil  ities
                                                      Florida Institute of Technology

                                                               Lee E'. Harris



                 FIT Facilities


                      RN Osprey, 95 ft. oceanographic research vessel, Atlantic Oceanfront Research Lab., Vero Beach,
                 FL, Melbourne, FL, Campus Laboratories and Facilities.


                 Research PrQiects

                      Great Guana Cay. Abacos. Bahamas. Physical oceanography study of tides and currents related to
                 ship navigation for Premier Cruise Lines (Port Canaveral, FL). Researchers: Lee Harris and Geoffrey
                 Swain, Dept. of Oceanography and Ocean Engineering. Status: ongoing.

                      Various Bahamian Waters. Annual summer six-week cruises to and within the Bahamas for
                 undergraduate and graduate student research and education in biological, chemical, geological, and
                 physical oceanography and ocean engineering. (Marine Field Projects) Researchers: John Windsor, Lee
                 Harris, Jack Morton, Dept. of Oceanography and Ocean Engineering. Status: ongoing.

                      Exurna, Sound. Bahamas. Fisheries recruitment research, including larval transport, feeding biology,
                 and predation as related to meteorological/oceanographic processes and anthropogenic stress. Researcher:
                 John Shenker, Dept. of Biological Sciences. Status: ongoing.

                      Shelf and (julf Stream Waters between Florida and the Bahamas. Research cruises and instrument
                 deployment for various groups including the Caribbean Marine Research Center, Corps of Engineers, and
                 FIT faculty. Status: ongoing.

                      Trinidad and Tobago. United Nations Mission sponsored by the IOC for the T&T Institute of Marine
                 Affairs, to advise on their research in physical oceanography. Researcher: Lee Harris. Status: ongoing.

                      Cozumel and Playa Carmen Areas. MexiQo. Consulting on the development and environmental
                 impacts of port and marina facilities. Researcher: Lee Harris. Status: ongoing.

                      Netherlands Antilles. Curacao and Aruba. Preparation of fisheries development plan including
                 exploratory fishing vessel, gear, operations for tuna. Researcher: John Sainsbury. Status: completed.

                      Cayman Islands. BWI.        Natural resources survey of the marine environment to establish
                 environmental baseline data, to identify areas for development and siting of marine parks, and to quantify
                 commercial fisheries. Researcher: Geoffrey Swain. Status: completed.











                                                                    90







                                   Research Programs in the Caribbean -Sea and Adjacent Waters
                                                  Florida Institute of Oceanography

                                              Karen Steidinger and Carmelo R. Tomas


                   The Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO) is an administrative umbrella organization of the State
              University System of Florida representing the geographically dispersed marine science research and
              education community. The consortium members are the nine public universities, the private University
              of Miami, the Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI) of the Department of Natural Resources, and the
              Florida Sea Grant College. As part of its mission, the FIO operates two ships, the 71 ft. R/V Bellows and
              the I 10 ft. R/V Suncoaster from the St. Petersburg campus of the University of South Florida. It also
              operates the Keys Marine Laboratory (KML) on Long Key jointly with FMRI as a full service marine
              research and education facility. The FIO is charged with the development, implementation, and
              management of oceanographic research and education programs. The FIO presently has two programs
              with direct involvement in the Caribbean Sea.


              1.   With the support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the FIO implemented the
                   SEAKEYS Program (sustained Ecological Research on the Florida Keys Seascape) in 1989. The
                   SEAKEYS program is directed at a long term (five years), coordinated, interdisciplinary study of the
                   ecosystems of the American tropics at geographic and temporal scales appropriate to the natural
                   processes that influence the region. The SEAKEYS research is particularly directed at the influence
                   of human populations on the coral reef tract from Fowey Rocks to the Dry Tortugas. The Program
                   has four elements: (1) automated environmental monitoring at a series of five enhanced C-MAN
                   stations under a cooperative agreement with the NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC); (2)
                   physical oceanography in cooperation with Dr. Ned Smith of Harbor Branch Oceanographic
                   Institution; (3) nutrient dynamics with Dr. Alina Szmant of the Rosenstiel School of the University
                   of Miami; and (4) coral community dynamics with Dr. James Porter of the University of Georgia and
                   Mr. Walter Jaap of FMRI. SEAKEYS is also involved in the training of international tropical coastal
                   managers.

              2.   The FIO is an administrative center of the CARICOMP (Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity)
                   Program which began at a workshop of Caribbean marine research institutions in 1985 when an
                   eight-member Steering Committee was formed, chaired by Dr. Eric Jordan Dahlgren of UNAM,
                   Mexico and Dr. John C. Ogden of FIO. This month, with the support of UNESCO and NSF, the
                   CARICOMP program held a workshop to establish standardized methods for the monitoring of
                   coastal ecosystems and to discuss data management and reporting protocols. A project of the
                   UNESCO Coastal Marine (COMAR) Program, CARICOMP will begin in early 1991 with over 25
                   participating institutions in 20 countries, a Data Management Center (DMQ at the University of the
                   West Indies, Kingston, and cooperative interactions with the established programs of UNEP/IOC in
                   the region.


              Research Conducted in Intra-Americas Sea by Florida Marine Research Institute S

                   Continuous Ongoing Programs:

                 Population dynamics of stony and octocorals at the Dry Tortugas and eastern Sambo Reef areas. (W.
                 Jaap and J. Wheaton)




                                                                  91







                  ï¿½ Taxonomy, distribution and life history of reef fishes afid assemblages of toxic benthic dinoflagellates
                    at the Dry Tortugas. (J. Kimmel and C. Tomas)

                  ï¿½ Population biology, life history, feeding ecology and genetics'of sea turtles from Panama (Bocas del
                    Toro, Province, Caribbean and western Atlantic. (A. Meylen)

                  ï¿½ Population dynamics of two spiny lobster species (Panuhrus argus and P. guttatus) in Florida Keys
                    with collaborations regarding settlement of puerilus larvae from Harbor Branch (Antigua), Bermuda
                    Division of Fisheries, and Fundacion Cientifica, (Venezuela). (J. Hunt)

                  ï¿½ Population assessment and enhancement of queen conch in the Florida Keys (R. Glazer and J. Hunt)


                    Additional Interests (Ongoing and Proposed):

                  ï¿½ Expansion of coral reef studies to include Carrie Bow Cay, Belize, C. A. and Lee Stocking Island
                    Station, Bahamas, to allow comparative studies with less intensely use (human) reef areas.

                  ï¿½ Comparison of information regarding the biology of fish species such as tarpon, bonefish, ladyfish,
                    baitfish species, snook and grouper from Caribbean areas.

                  ï¿½ Collaboration with research individuals and groups working on the effect of toxic phytoplankton
                    species (benthic and pelagic) on natural populations and human health implications.

                  ï¿½ Interest to establish a broader effort in synoptic observations of puerulus; recruitment throughout the
                    P. argus range including Brazil, which may be useful in establishment of a unified pan-Caribbean
                    management effort.

                  ï¿½ Collaborative efforts throughout the Caribbean regarding the genetic variability of queen conch required
                    for accurate stock assessment and which will be useful for conch management.

                  ï¿½ In all the research areas above there was an expression of having some means of increasing information
                    transfer including a suggestion for one agency to collect, organize and disseminate Caribbean marine
                    science research and fishery data.

                      In addition to the above comments, several members of the FMRI staff have been active in
                  organizing and participating in international training courses, workshops and seminars in the Central
                  American region and Europe. Given the need for sharing expertise in studying critical problems such as
                  the spread of toxic phytoplankton blooms, loss of endangered species (turtles), decline of important fish
                  stocks and the destruction of natural resources, it seems appropriate to suggest the formation of a Pan
                  American/Caribbean Training Institute where specialized courses could be planned. This structure could
                  make better use of the regional expertise that exists, provide a cost effective means for training research
                  and technical scientists, and create the infrastructure required for organizing and holding such
                  courses/workshops. Such an institute could be of an international agency charged with the mission of
                  information transfer.











                                                                     92







                                      Summary of Research Activities in,lntra-American Sea Region
                                                          Mote Marine Laboratory

                                                              Robert E. Hueter



                1=ductio

                     Mote Marine Laboratory (MML) is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to
                excellence in the marine and environmental sciences. Froni its inception in 1955 as "a place where people
                can learn about the sea," the Laborat    *ory has grown into an internationally recognized research and
                education institution with an annual research budget in excess of $2 million.

                     Research programs at MML reflect the diversity of the scientific staff, often working in cooperation
                with each other and with scientists from other institutions to accomplish the interdisciplinary approach
                required for complex marine and environmental studies. These programs emphasize: aquaculture and
                fisheries biology, biomedical studies, coastal resources, chemical fate and effects, environmental
                assessment and enhancement, protected and endangered species studies, and shark biology. Research
                projects are funded by grants and contracts from individuals, foundations, corporations, and government
                agencies. Operational costs are derived from these projects as well as from private contributions, gifts,
                and memberships. The Laboratory addresses pertinent applied research problems while maintaining basic
                research endeavors in marine and environmental sciences, and is heavily involved in science education
                at all levels.



                Research Promms Relevant to Intra-American So Reeio

                     Marine research programs at MML with interests in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and adjacent
                waters include the following:

                     Aquaculture and Fisheries Biol"y. A diverse research program that includes fishery habitat studies,
                environmental impacts on fish populations, finfish aquaculture and stock enhancement, ichthyoplankton
                surveys, fish tagging and migration, general fish biology, and commercial and recreational fisheries
                assessment. Specific topics of interest include effects of estuarine and near-shore ecological processes on
                coastal fishery resources; migration, stock structure, and fishing impacts for coastal pelagic and reef fishes;
                and fishery habitat identification, characterization, management, and enhancement.

                     Coastal Resources. Specific interest in research on the structure and function of tidal rivers affecting
                the Intra-American Sea region; primary and secondary productivity in relation to physical and chemical
                features, especially salinity; management and restoration of tidal rivers; and impacts of global change,
                including sea level rise, temperature and rainfall changes, and hurricanes.

                     Chemical Fate and Effects. Chemical analysis of water, sediment, and aquatic organisms to
                investigate the fate and effects of pollutants and natural biotoxins in coastal and marine environments.
                Interests include toxic chemicals and biotoxins in fishery products and protected marine species;
                networking of quality control and interlaboratory calibration among analytical labs throughout the region;
                alleviation of pollutant impact accompanying development in Caribbean nations.

                     Environmental Assessment. A multidisciplinary program that utilizes traditional and innovative
                procedures to assess the impacts of anthropogenic activities on marine systems. Includes impacts of power
                plant operations, oil field exploration, dredging, sewage effluents, and beach and seagrass restoration on


                                                                      93







                 water quality, plankton, bottom communities, benthic infauna, ichthyofauna, and fisheries. Of special
                 interest are: the community dynamics of patch reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and their susceptibility to
                 anthropogenic activities; and the biodiversity of macroinvertebrate communities associated with estuaries
                 and near-shore marine habitats in the Intra-American region.

                      Pb)dol2lankton Ecology. A new research area at. MML emphasizing primary productivity of
                 phytoplankton in the upper mixed layer and regional and global effects of bloom-forming species.
                 Ecology and impacts of phytoplankton and zooxanthellae species on coral reefs and coastal environments.

                      Protected and Endangered Species. Includes two major programs devoted to marine mammals and
                 sea turtles. Marine mammal stranding response, population ecology of marine mammals, monitoring of
                 sea turtle nests, tagging of migratory turtles, and enhancement of survival of protected species are primary
                 research interests.


                      Shark Biolou. Basic research (biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, and behavior), biomedical
                 studies, and applied fisheries research on sharks, skates, and rays.          Of special interest for the
                 Intra-American Sea region is the proposed Center for Shark Research at MML, to facilitate research on
                 Gulf and Caribbean species impacted by current fishery operations. Fishery-related research interests
                 include: population biology, life history, and ecology of sharks;'shark fisheries and stock assessments;
                 and socio-economic factors relating to sharks and shark fisheries.



                 MML Institutional/International Affiliations


                      Institutional Affiliations. Include Southern Association of Marine Laboratories, Association of
                 Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean, National Marine Fisheries Service, Pesca, Office of Naval Research,
                 Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico Program, Coastal
                 Oceans Program, Harbor Branch Foundation, Florida Keys Lan         'd and Sea Trust, University of Miami,
                 University of Puerto Rico, and University of Santo Domingo.

                      Gulf and Caribbean International Affiliations. Include research affiliations with Mexico, Cuba, Puerto
                 Rico, Dominican Republic, Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, and Colombia.























                                                                     94








                                           International Marine Science Cooperation Program
                                                 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

                                                   David A. Ross and Judith Fenwick



                    The International Marine Science Cooperation Program was begun in 1985 to enhance international
               cooperation between the U.S. and foreign marine science communities. The program's broad objectives
               are: (1) to provide access for coastal countries to U.S. marine science expertise; (2) to improve opport-
               unities for collaborative research between U.S. and foreign scientists (infortnation exchange, outreach);
               (3) to increase opportunities for U.S. scientists to work in foreign waters; and (4) to strengthen the global
               approach to ocean studies.

                    Projects applicable to the region of the Intra-American Sea include:

               ï¿½  Funding sourcrs for mad= scientists. An active database of funding sources for scientists to do
                  international marine science research (MSR). The database was published in 1990 as Fenwick, Ross
                  and Schramm, Intemational Matine Science Funding Guide. We are negotiating with OMNET to place
                  the database as a SCIENCEnet electronic bulletin board for active access.


               ï¿½  International -jurisdiction over marine scientific researc . Databases have been created which profile
                  145 coastal countries on their maritime boundaries and offshore zone claims, jurisdiction over maritime
                  zones, jurisdiction over MSR, and annotated history of U.S. research clearances to work in their waters.
                  Portions of these databases will eventually become SCIFNCEnet electronic bulletin boards. In addition,
                  from database information we will be publishing in early 1991 a second edition of the worldwide map
                  showing maritime boundaries and MSR jurisdiction.

               ï¿½ Caribbean/Latin America                   e iwitutions and research a=. Database in development for
                  institutions and individuals which will tie-in with Sea Grant institutions to enhance information
                  exchange, match colleagues and mutual areas of research.
























                                                                    95







                       The Viability of Establishing a Caribbean Regional Center for Marine Industrial Technology
                                                    Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

                                               David A. Ross, Judith Fenwick and Frank Gable


                       We have completed a recent study (July 1990) for the United Nations Industrial Development
                  Organization on the viability of establishing a Caribbean Regional Center for Marine Industrial
                  Technology. To help identify needed technologies we have produced individual country resource and
                  economic profiles and a listing of wider Caribbean institutions with marine technology interests.

                       It is evident that the States of the Wider Caribbean have three important common denominators in
                  the area of marine industrial technology: (1) major economic difficulties; (2) the opportunity available
                  to these states under the new Law of the Sea regime; and (3) the coastal zone and ocean as vast and
                  prominent sites in their future economic development. The meshing of these common denominators:
                  economic problems and economic opportunity, yields a positive'outlook. This positive trend relies on the
                  appropriate development and management of marine resources in the Caribbean Region and on techno-
                  logical cooperation between developed and developing countries. The Insular Caribbean has the highest
                  density of developing countries in the smallest geographic area. In such a reg"                  d shoreline
                  development opportunities are pivotal to overall          .  - wth and development and yet development
                  cannot proceed at my substantial rate without strong regional cooperation.

                       One of the key motivators for marine industrial development      in the Caribbean is the fact that the
                  1982 Law of the Sea treaty encourages countries, particularly island nations, to declare 200-nautical-mile
                  Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). These new areas under national jurisdiction will open up opportunities
                  to exploit certain marine resources such as oil and gas, offshore fishing and possibly innovative
                  technologies such as OTEC and marine biotechnology. This new jurisdiction is accompanied by serious
                  challenges such as managing, monitoring, and enforcing jurisdictions within these new zones.

                       Success will depend on how well the countries can cooperate with each other. This is especially true
                  since the costs for new industries, or expansion of presen  -t ones, will be high and beyond the resources
                  of most individual countries. There will also be manpow    .er and technical training needs that will require
                  close cooperation and the formation of consortia between countries.

                       The keywords for technology development in the Caribbean are "appropriate" and "sustainable." The
                  actual functions and objectives of a Caribbean Marine Industrial Technology Center should be defined
                  after the needs and viable opportunities, and the relevant technologies and their uses, are fully identified
                  for the region. A key goal of the Caribbean Regional Center certainly should be to sustain and increase
                  economic growth without damaging environmental impact. Simply said, the Caribbean, especially the
                  Insular Caribbean, is an extremely vulnerable marine environment.

                       We have identified eight technological subject areas for consideration by the proposed Caribbean
                  Regional Center for Marine Industrial Technology (order of the listing does not reflect ranking or priority):

                  ï¿½ desalination technology;

                  ï¿½ pollution-control and waste-disposal technologies;

                  ï¿½ non-polluting renewable energy technologies;

                  ï¿½ marine biotechnology;


                                                                       96







             ï¿½ technologies for the exploration and exploitation of non-living resources;

             ï¿½ technologies for shore protection and development, with emphasis on coastal erosion and beach
                protection;

             ï¿½ offshore technologies, including ocean engineering and marine mining technologies;

             ï¿½ fisheries, aquaculture, and mariculture.

                  We recommend these activities as follow-up actions after approval of our study:

             1.   The next step after approval of this report by UNIDO should involve dissemination of the completed
                  viability study to set the stage for a workshop of marine experts from the Caribbean States, drawn
                  from government, industry, and academia, along with participants from UNIDO, UNEP, UNDP, and
                  other appropriate regional and international agencies. The workshop should begin the process of
                  national studies on activities of institutions and industries involved or interested in the development
                  of marine technologies in selected Caribbean island countries.

             2.   The study and a report of the workshop (step I above) should be circulated to those states and
                  territories, with particular attention to industries, in the Wider Caribbean who may become "partners"
                  in Center projects. Early focus should perhaps be on the insular Caribbean.

             3.   As in any well run public relations program, participants at the proposed workshop should use public
                  forums and personal contacts to promote the feasibility and substance of the proposed Caribbean
                  Regional Center, including developing contacts with industry, government officials, and researchers
                  in their respective Member States.

             4.   As the proposal evolves and reaches closure, potential funders should be kept informed of progress.

             5.   Establishment of the Caribbean Regional Center should be dependent on official approval by five
                  Caribbean states, and when core funding is in hand for a minimum of five years.























                                                                  97







                                A Brief Summary of Programmatic Goals and Present Research Activities
                                                Marine Environmental Sciefices Con@ortium

                                                           William W. Schroeder



                 BackL,roun


                      Founded in 1971, the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium (MESC) operates the Dauphin
                 Island Sea Lab, located on Dauphin Island in coastal Alabama. The Lab is presently staffed with ten
                 year-round faculty and three post doctoral research associates. In addition, numerous faculty from member
                 institutions of MESC maintain active research involvement at the Lab.



                 Research Goals and Programs


                      The long-term research goals of the MESC are: (1) to develop new theory and improved
                 understanding of the mechanisms (biological, physical, chemical and geological) structuring nearshore
                 ecosystems; and (2) to apply this knowledge to the management of the nation's aquatic and coastal
                 resources through multidisciplinary studies of coastal waters and their adjoining landscapes. Historically,
                 research activities have concentrated on descriptive studies of salt marshes, soft bottom community
                 structure, and hydrographic-circulation processes in and around the Mobile Bay estuary. Similarly, studies
                 on the continental shelves of the northern Gulf of Mexico have established benchmark information on
                 biological community structure, hydrography and circulation, and geologic framework. These studies have
                 provided a substantial database from which a more process-oriented research program has evolved.

                      As an outgrowth of the historical research emphasis of the MESC, the present programmatic focus
                 is on (1) the dynamics of production in estuarine environments with, emphasis on the marsh, submerged
                 aquatic vegetation (SAV), and open water ecosystems, and (2) shelf processes, emphasizing recruitment,
                 secondary production and community structure in benthic communities associated with "hard bottom"
                 environments as a "vehicle" for understanding the essentials of population dynamics and energy coupling
                 between the shelf and the estuary.

                      In the area ofestuarine productivity, we are concentrating on the processing and transfer of energy
                 through the dominant types of local nearshore habitats. This work involves measurements of both primary
                 and secondary production and nutrient regeneration, studies of predator-prey and plant-animal interactions,
                 and the physical, chemical and biological factors influencing the-recruitment dynamics of planktonic and
                 sessile fauna and flora in a variety of localities. Included here are laboratory studies designed to evaluate
                 the interacting roles of chemical cues and hydrodynamic factors as they influence the behavior of marine
                 and estuarine organisms. In addition, the populations biology of several commercially important species
                 is being investigated. A central theme in this work is an attempt to understand how variation in physical,
                 chemical and biological processes interact to regulate the structure and ftmction of estuarine ecosystems.

                      Studies on the shelf are similarly examining the processing of biological and physical energy through
                 a variety of benthic habitats extending from the outer shelf shoreward to the mouths of the coastal
                 estuaries. This work primarily involves seasonal and episodic reproductive and recruitment cycles,
                 predator-prey interactions and the dynamics of differing habitats' community structure as a means of
                 addressing the larger picture of ecosystem function. This highly interdisciplinary effort relies on
                 concomitant investigations of the dynamics of water movement, sediment transport and the effects of
                 episodic cold air masses on biological communities. A major thrust of these studies is to understand how
                 the westerly-moving turbid, nutrient-rich plume exiting Mobile Bay affects larval transport and re-invasion


                                                                      99







               of the estuary, and also how productivities in areas receiving the plume might be affected by this large
               supply of nutrient-rich water.

                    Another area of interest centers on the reconstruction of paleoenvironments during the last Pleistocene
               regression and the Pleistocene-Holocene transgression (c;L 35,000 years B.P. to the present). This work
               entails examination of relic estuarine sediment and oyster shell deposits on the shelf as well as relic
               carbonate structures (e.g., drowned reef-like mounds and coastal barriers) relative to global sea level
               changes. Of particular interest is the linkage between global warming-cooling cycles and sea level
               response to features on the outer continental shelf that appear to reflect very short term sea level changes
               during the Younger Dryas period (ca. 11,000- 10,000 years B.P.).











































                                                                    99







                                                           University of Puerto Rico

                                      Manuel Hernandez-Avila, Jorge E. Corredor and Julio M. Morrell


                       With a complex mixture of Hispanic heritage and U.S. influence in science and technology, Puerto
                  Rico is uniquely suited to carry out its traditional and ongoing role in international affairs. The University
                  of Puerto Rico Sea Grant Program (UPRSGP) is continuing this important role in the realm of marine
                  affairs, and specifically the export of Sea Grant's conceptual philosophy of research, education, and
                  extension.


                       In 1977, the University system     added a Sea Grant marine advisory service project to its rapidly
                  growing role in marine affairs. By 1980, the Sea Grant advisory service project was expanded to include
                  education and research. And in 1989, UPR's successful Sea Grant Program was elevated to college status.
                  The ideal combination of a strong Department of Marine Sciences and a vigorous Sea Grant Colleie
                  Program, as well as support from -other university departments and specialized agencies of the
                  Commonwealth government, provides Puerto Rico and its University the necessary strength and resources
                  to continue and even increase its leadership position and involvement in marine science development @in
                  Latin America and the Caribbean. This position of regional leadership is even further reinforced by Puerto
                  Rico's rather unique history and position in the region. . On one hand, the island, its people and its
                  institutions reflect a strong background of Hispanic traditions, culture, and language. On the other hand,
                  its political and economic ties to the U.S. provide Puerto Ricans with ready access to the latest
                  developments in science and technology.. It is an ideal set of circumstances which has built the
                  north-south bridge in marine affairs.


                  Contributions by the University of Puerto    Rico

                       The growing involvement of the University of Puerto Rico system in the marine affairs of the
                  Caribbean and Latin. America has developed or evolved along certain specific lines which were considered
                  appropriate both to Puerto Rico and to the region, education from K-12 to Ph.D., both basic and applied
                  research, and a broad spectrum of advisory, participatory and service functions. The following is a brief
                  overview of these activities.



                       Education


                       UPR educational activities in marine affairs cover several distinct facets and objectives-. Most are
                  concentrated in the Department of Marine Sciences and the UPR Sea Grant College Programs. Other
                  departments such as biology, chemistry, sociology, engineering and several institutes of the UPR Medical
                  Campus also have important educational degree programs related to the ocean sciences and marine
                  resources.


                       On a less structured level, there is a continuing non-degree program which was established several
                  years ago with the marine science institute, CIBIMA, of the University of Santo Domingo in the
                  Dominican Republic. Here UPR marine science professors have conducted short courses in specialized
                  topics in marine biology, ecology, and coastal dynamics. Recently, the Department has been requested
                  by the Santo Domingo government to provide specialized training courses in seafood science and
                  technology, emphasizing product handling and processing, and quality standards and evaluation. These
                  training courses are now in the organizational stage.



                                                                       100







                    in addition, the Department of Marine Sciences, provides less formal or ad hoc educational
               opportunities to visiting professors from various universities in the region. Often these visitors wish
               simply to upgrade or advance their scientific capabilities, normally in conjunction with a particular UPR
               professor or researcher in their field. In other cases, a visitor's purpose is, for example, to change a pure
               chemistry background to one of marine pollution chemistry. Many of the visiting professors, particularly
               those on a one-year sabbatical, have received supplementary financial support from the University to help
               defray travel or living expenses.

                    Finally, there is the UPR Sea Grant secondary school program which, at the present, has been
               developed mainly for Puerto Rican use but could, however, be readily exported to other countries in the
               region with relatively little modification. The basic goal of this program is to create national awareness
               of the sea and its potential value to society, an awareness which traditionally has been lacking not only
               in Puerto Rico but in all other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as well. The aims of the
               programs are to provide additional training courses and field experience for K-12 teachers, develop
               curricula for classroom use in conjunction with public education officials, and to place supplementary
               texts, audio-visual aids and study materials in the hands of teachers. In view that similar efforts are under
               development only in Trinidad and Brazil, the Puerto Rican secondary school program has tremendous
               outreach potential in the region.


                    Res

                    Scientists of the University of Puerto Rico have long played a major role in marine afflairs research
               in the greater Caribbean region. The spectrum of research not only includes the four traditional disciplines
               of oceanography but also has been expanded to cover topics in coastal engineering, seafood science and
               technology, mariculture, resource economics and management, sociology and law. Much of this research
               has addressed problems unique to Puerto Rico. A significant proportion, however, has been conducted
               in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere in the Caribbean Basin. Within the University of Puerto Rico system,
               most research programs in marine affairs involve graduate student participation, a significant number of
               which are degree candidates from Latin American countries. Additionally, there frequently is international
               collaboration at the PI level, often in bilateral institutional research projects or in arrangements with
               professors visiting the University. In several instances, the UPR Sea Grant College Program has supported
               research projects in other Caribbean countries, normally relatively modest funding of so-called
               "seed-money" grants. Unfortunately, the last 10 years of essentially level funding has severely limited
               this research support and, or course, many of our other international outreach initiatives.



               The International Network

                    Although formalized, UPRSGP international activities have been limited, due in part to our relatively
               youthful status as a Sea Grant Institutional Program and also by our history of low-level funding. We
               continue to incorporate within our budget projects with international components. Simply put, we believe
               in an International Sea Grant outreach and we believe our operations are a significant part in the
               development of that outreach. Bicultural, as well as bilingual, our operations extend through VIMAS into
               the English-speaking islands of the Caribbean as well as into the Hispanic countries of Central and South
               America.


                    To date, we have established a cooperative program with the University of Santo Domingo in the
               Dominican Republic and we are now considering a seed money project with the University of the West
               Indies in Jamaica. Less formally, our research projects often incorporate Latin American graduate students
               and our researchers are in collaboration with many foreign scientists. The UPRSGP researchers, marine


                                                                    101







                   advisors, and educators are also frequent participants in scientific conferences, symposia and worl;shops
                   organized in Latin America and the Caribbean.

                        UPRSGP administered NOAA pass-through funds which supported WATS-11, the Second Western
                   Atlantic Turtle Symposium which was convened in Mayaguez in October 1987. Some 37 countries from
                   the western Atlantic, from Brazil on the south to the U.S. and Bermuda,on the north, were involved. The
                   Director of the UPRSGP, as well as research and administrative staff of the program, have long been
                   active in programs of JOCARIBE, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO,
                   as well as with regional activities of the UN F6od and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the UN
                   Environment Program's (UNEP) Caribbean Action Plan.


                   Collaborative Research Activities of the UPR-Chernical Ocmogmphy Group in the Caribbm Region

                        Currently, the Chemical Oceanography Group is involved in the following regional activities:

                   I .  CARIIIIOL 1. Monitoring and research on petroleum pollution (tar on beaches, floating tar and
                        dissolved/dispersed petroleum hydrocarbons). Stations are routinely occupied off the southwest coast
                        of Puerto Rico and at Mona Island. Other stations are occasionally occupied in the U.S. Virgin
                        Islands.


                   2.   CARIPOL 11. Monitoring and research on petroleum pollution in organisms and sediments. Samples
                        are refluxed, extracted in hexane, split into aromatic and aliphatic fractions and analyzed by
                        fluorescence spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The group has participated in regional inter-
                        calibration exercises and is currently participating in a second round of intercalibration between
                        participating laboratories.

                   3.   Development of a pilot program for the quantification and analysis of marine debris. J. Morell, at
                        the direct request of the IOC Secretariat, is currently coordinating the development of strategies and
                        methodologies for the assessment of the problem of marine debris in the Caribbean region in
                        collaboration with CIOI I (Cartagena, Colombia) and CINVESTAV (Merida, Yucatan, Mexico). The
                        program thus developed will then be implemented by the full list of CEP POL participants.






















                                                                      102









                                                           Research Overview
                                                    Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

                                                          Thomas D. McIlwain



               Research Promms and Plans

                    The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory has a variety of research expertise. The research staff conducts
               year-round, full-time applied and basic research in various fields that are reflected in the following
               research thrust areas. These research areas have been chosen after critical review of future research needs
               and expertise available within the Laboratory. Additional staff needs have been identified and will be
               added as funding becomes available. The research thrust areas include:


                    Fisheries Science

                    This group includes expertise in carcinology, ichthyoplankton, invertebrate zoology, fishery
               population dynamics, fishery development, and parasitology. The fisheries group currently conducts
               research into the biology of important recreational and commercial finfish and shellfish. Researchers are
               involved in the development of underutilized and latent fishery resources in the Gulf of Mexico. In
               carrying out its mission, the fisheries group interacts with state, regional, and national marine resource
               agencies, such as the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, the National Marine Fisheries Service,
               the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and
               Parks in supplying, analyzing, and interpreting fishery management data.


                    AQuKulture

                    This group includes expertise in finfish and shellfish aquaculture with emphasis on parasites and
               diseases of cultured species and maturation and spawning. They are able to call on the expertise of the
               other research sections in problem-solving related to aquaculture. Additionally, this group can call on the
               engineering expertise available on the parent campus of the University in the Department of Engineering
               Technology. Their primary focus is directed toward solving problems that deter the orderly development
               of the aquaculture industry.



               Environmental Fate and Effects

                    This group has expertise in analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry, microbiology, pathology,
               and toxicology.     Currently, their research ranges from nutritional components of Gulf fishes to
               determination of chemical and physical properties of organotins under bioassay conditions. Inorganic
               pollutant levels in resident organisms are being investigated, and environments of anthropogenic wastes
               through the northern Gulf estuaries are being determined. Other research activities involve examination
               of various indigenous plants for ability to interact with polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, product quality
               and public health as affected by seafood microflora (especially related to aquaculture species),
               autochthonous estuarine pathogens, and indicator bacteria in the estuarine environment. The pathology
               focus of this group is on histological and environmental aspects of organs, tissues, and cells of marine and
               freshwater organisms and possible effects resulting from effects of carcinogens and environmental
               toxicants. They are integrated with the toxicologists who focus on the fate and disposition of xenobiotics
               in the natural environment, including assessment of degradation rate kinetics and effects on degradation


                                                                   103







                   rate of environmental parameters. Geographic site comparisons of laboratory systems to field evaluation
                   are made in predicting environmental fate of various chemicals and assessing the toxicity of degraded
                   parent compounds using indigenous fish and crustaceans.


                        CQastal EcoIQU

                        Expertise in this group includes ecology, geology, ph@sical oceanography, and botany. Their current
                   research is focused on the rate of photosynthesis by phytoplankton in relation to the concentration of
                   chlorophyll and other plant pigments and benthic community structures. Additional research that they are
                   considering involves interdisciplinary studies of bottom sediments of Mississippi coastal water bodies, field
                   surveys of beach accretion-erosion cycles, and detailed investigations of the Pleistocene-Holocene
                   geographical history of coastal plains of inshore and nearshore Gulf areas. This group teams with the
                   USM Center for Marine Science located at Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to conduct
                   joint research on estuarine hydrodynamic and physicochemical processes. Other studies include charac-
                   terization of estuaries, air-sea interaction, hydrologic processes in marshes, dynamics of estuarine fronts,
                   continental shelf circulation, and cross-shelf processes. Integrated'into these studies are research activities
                   on plant life of Mississippi's estuaries, marine ecosystems, sand beaches, and dune habitats, with
                   concentration on the systematics, physiology, and ecology of tidal marsh plants, sea grasses, and sand
                   dune species.


                        Biodiversity

                        Marine vertebrate and invertebrate zoology an marine botany are the areas of expertise found in this
                   group. Current research highlights taxonomy systematics and distribution of subtropical and tropical
                   marine and estuarine fishes and ecological surveys of local invertebrate flora and fauna. This includes
                   extensive baseline studies of northern Gulf barrier islands and mainland beaches to document the impact
                   of man's activities on these fi-agile environments.

                        In support of this extensive research effort, the Laboratory maintains the Gunter Library which
                   contains 26,000 catalogued reprints, 10,000 books, and 1,000 journal titles. Additional research support
                   facilities include the Ichthyology Research Collection that contains about 20,4 10 catalogued lots of fishes
                   representing over 200,000 specimens from 251 families and 2,700 species. The Laboratory also maintains
                   a Water Analysis Laboratory and the William M. Shoemaker Toxicology Laboratory to support its
                   extensive research effort.


                        Additionally, the Laboratory operates a fleet of research vessels including the oceanographic ship
                   Tommy Munro, which has an overall length of 98 ft., beam of 25 ft., and draft of 12 ft. This vessel
                   carries an ABS certification for operation in all oceans.

                        Besides the extensive research effort outlined above, the Laboratory operates the J. L. Scott Marine
                   Education Center and Aquarium located on the Biloxi, Mississippi, campus. The Center is the
                   Laboratory's main public-use facility and provides living and static displays of flora and fauna in the
                   aquarium room and lobby. The large public aquarium area is designed to inform the public of the
                   diversity and importance of our estuarine and marine environment. Through this Center the Laboratory
                   offers "Project Marine Discovery" (PMD), a unique field trip program for kindergarten through high
                   school students during the academic year and summer months. Once a month throughout the year, a
                   program called "An Evening at the Aquarium" is held. This is a family-oriented lecture program aimed
                   at informing the public about current issues relating to the marine environment. Additional educational
                   activities include plans for expanding course offerings into the Caribbean area at strategic locations.


                                                                         104








                                                             Research Overview
                                                    Texas A&M University at Galveston

                                                              William E. Evans


                Introduction


                     Texas A&M University at Galveston is the marine and maritime component of the Texas A&M
                University System. The University provides academic instruction in seven marine and maritime-related
                degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Science degree; there are cooperative graduate degree
                programs at both the master and doctoral level with the Departments of Oceanography, Biology, and
                Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University at College Station.

                     The University has two campuses: the 100 acre Mitchell Campus on Pelican Island and the three
                acre Ft. Crockett Campus on Galveston Island. An additional 15,200 sq. ft. of space is occupied by
                University researchers at the National Marine Fisheries Service Laboratory at Ft. Crockett. Galveston and
                Pelican Islands are located at the mouth of Galveston Bay With access to the Gulf of Mexico but minutes
                away.



                Research Prog=s

                     Research at Texas A&M University at Galveston is housed under two administrative units, the Texas
                Institute of Oceanography and the Coastal Zone Laboratory.               Although each unit has its own
                administrative responsibility (e.g., funding), there is some overlap among their constituent research
                programs. A brief description of these administrative units is given below.

                     The Texas Institute of Oceanography (TIO), established under the auspices of the Texas A&M
                University System, is directed by Dr. William J. Merrell, President of Texas A&M University at
                Galveston. TIO provides services for all research institutions in Texas. Its mission: (1) provides focus
                for research on the Gulf coast; (2) assures scientists at Texas universities of suitable multi-user facilities;
                (3) provides research and technological base for development of marine-related businesses in the State of
                Texas and Gulf of Mexico; (4) facilitates management and coordination of academic marine research
                programs of Texas; and (5) facilitates management of regional federal programs.

                     The Coastal Zone Laboratory (CZL) is a TAMUG-based administrative entity under the direction of
                Dr. C. S. Glam. The CZL has two main functions: (1) administer and coordinate all research at TAMUG;
                and (2) report on all TAMUG research activities and funding to the Texas Coordinating Board.

                     Research at TAMUG is housed in four major program areas. These program areas include: (1)
                Coastal Processes; (2) Texas Shelf Processes; (3) Marine Policies and Management; and (4) Climate
                Change in Texas. There is considerable variation in the degree of research development across these four
                program areas. Consequently, the primary focus of this presentation will be on research within the best
                established programs, Coastal Processes. However, a brief description of the other three research programs
                is warranted prior to discussion of Coastal Processes.

                     The Texas Shelf Studies Program incorporates research efforts concentrating on basic research in
                physical, biological, chemical and geological oceanography, geophysics, and ocean engineering in Gulf
                of Mexico offshore and other deepwater environments. The TIO plays a vital role in this program by
                providing researchers access to the latest technology for analyzing water, sediment and core samples and
                vessel time to collect these samples.


                                                                     105







                      The Marine Policies and Management Program facilit     ies research providing marine policy for coastal
                 zone management, risk assessment from which seafood safety regulations may be developed, and
                 environment/ecosystem educational outreach programs targeted to state and federal agencies and legislative
                 bodies. Examples of research projects under this program include: factors affecting recreation/tourism
                 in the coastal zone, impact of science on environmental policy and the economic consequences of this
                 Oolicy, oil prices and the U.S. economy, and humanities and life along the coast.

                      Research in the Climate Change and Texas Program is attempting to determine how human activities
                 and natural forces are influencing climate. TAMUG is fortunate to have a MACSAT real-time satellite
                 imaging computer system for monitoring weather and ocean temperatures. TIO is working with Texas
                 A&M University at College Station to establish a university-wide Center for Advanced Climate Studies
                 to provide a focus for systematic research on the physical basis of climate changes, its prediction, and
                 related policy issues.

                      The best developed research program area at TAMUG is the Coastal Processes Program. This
                 program provides an umbrella of research focused primarily on Galveston Bay and vicinity. Specific
                 research interests included in the Coastal Processes umbrella are: (1) marine chemistry and toxicology;
                 (2) marine life sciences; (3) physical oceanographic processes and modeling; and (4) Galveston Bay
                 Information Center.


                      TAMUG's endangered species research program is currently targeting marine mammal and sea turtle
                 stocks. To this end, TAMUG has initiated a Marine Mammal Research Program consisting of a core of
                 five researchers with expertise in various facets of marine mammal biology. Dr. Bernd Wursig, a
                 behavioral ecologist, is Director of this program. Other core researchers include Drs. William Evans, an
                 acoustician; Randy Davis, a physiologist; Graham Worthy, a physiological ecologist; and Raymond
                 Tarpley, a veterinarian and anatomist. The other endangered component of the Marine Life Sciences area
                 is sea turtle natural history. Research efforts involve collaborative efforts between Drs. Andre Landry and
                 Ray Sis and the National Marine Fisheries Service, Galveston Laboratory.



























                                                                     106








                                                        Texas A&M University
                               College of Geosciences/Geochemical and- Environmental Research Group

                                                         Dennis A. Wiesenburg


                     The Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) in the College of Geosciences at
                Texas A&M University conducts research in the fields of organic geochemistry, environmental chemistry
                and marine chemistry in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and throughout the world. GERG is staffed
                by 17 Ph.D. scientists and almost 100 technical support staff. GERG scientists are involved in numerous
                research projects in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, especially in the areas of environmental
                contamination studies, petroleum geochemistry studies and ecological monitoring. A summary of ongoing
                GERG projects is given below.


                SWdies Using Submersibles

                     Oil and gas seeping from deep reservoirs into surface sediments in the Gulf of Mexico has resulted
                in the formation of areas of lush chemosynthetic communities of mussels, clams and tube worms on many
                areas of the continental slope in the Gulf of Mexico. The continuing study of these seabed communities
                is undertaken by GERG scientists using various submersibles including the Johnson Sea-Link, the Navy's
                nuclear research submarine NR- I and the DSV Alvin. Our goal in these studies is to determine the areal
                extent of the communities, to evaluate the geological conditions of seep areas, to understand the
                geochemical processes which support the existence of the communities and to examine the microbiology
                of the organisms to determine metabolic mechanisms.


                Coral Reef Research

                     The study areas for our programs on coral reefs are the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico
                and the Florida Keys. We are conducting long-term monitoring at the East and West Flower Gardens to
                assess changes in coral cover, population levels, diversity, and accretionary and encrusting growth rates.
                Studies are also aimed at understanding coral bleaching which, for the first time, was considered to be
                severe this past summer on the banks. Our program in the Florida Keys is aimed at assessing coral
                damage and recovery rates at three ship grounding sites in the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary and
                evaluating NOAA damage assessment procedures.


                National Status and Trenda Mussel Watch Progmm

                     GERG has been involved in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Status
                and Trends (NS&T) Mussel Watch Program since 1986. The NS&T Program's goal is to assess the
                current status and long-tem trends of selected environmental contaminants. In order to achieve these
                goals GERG collects and analyzes oysters and sediments from over 70 sites on the U.S. Gulf coast.


                EnvironmenW Monitodap and Assessment Pro&= (EMM)

                     GERG has just begun working on an environmental assessment program for EPA. The EMAP-Near
                Coastal Program is designed to assess change in e6logical conditions over broad biographic
                regions.-including the Gulf of Mexico.


                                                                   107








                 Oil Spill Monitoring Program

                     GERG scientists continue to take an active role in oil spill studies both in the Gulf of Mexico and
                 in Alaska. GERG is providing analytical support to NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
                 State of Alaska as part of their responsibilities to the Exxon Valdez Damage Assessment Trustees. Over
                 1,000 samples from the Exxon Valdez oil spill have been analyzed by the GERG analytical laboratory.
                 When the supertanker Mega Borg exploded 57 off Galveston, Texas, on June 8, 1990, GERG scientists
                 implemented a rapid field monitoring response. GERG intends to provide a rapid response team to
                 evaluate the initial impact of other oil spills which may occur in the region.


                 Galveston Bay Research Activities

                     Several GERG environmental programs focus on Galveston Bay, Texas, under the auspices of the
                 Galveston Bay National Estuary Program supported jointly by EPA and the State of Texas. Our Galveston
                 Bay projects are designed to examine both the pollutants and their sources.


                 Aruba Environmental Baseline Study

                     In 1989, GERG scientists conducted a environmental study offshore Aruba. The objectives of this
                 study were to document present day environmental conditions in two offshore areas that had been leased
                 for oil and gas exploration. A physical oceanography survey was conducted as part of this study, along
                 with, five video transects of the sea bed, bottom sediment collection and analysis for trace metals and
                 petroleum hydrocarbons and a beach tar survey. Part of the Aruba study consisted of collecting sediment
                 samples using a 2,000 lb. piston corer for subsurface determination of petroleum hydrocarbons. During
                 the last seven years, over 2,000 piston cores have been collected and analyzed from the Gulf of Mexico
                 and Caribbean Sea. GERG will continue this active geochemical exploration research in coming years
                 with several cruises already planned for 1991.


























                                                                   108







                                      The University of Texas at Austin/Marine Science Institute

                                                            Robert S. Jones



                    The Institute is dedicated to the three primary functions of a major university (education, research,
               and service), as they apply to the Texas coastal zone. It is an organized research unit of The University
               of Texas at Austin and emphasizes both basic and applied research aimed at understanding the biological,
               chemical, and physical processes governing the coastal zone ecosystem.

                    The &cility is located in Port Aransas, Texas, at the north end of a Gulf beach barrier island,
               Mustang Island. This sophisticated research laboratory and its modern physical plant resided on the
               Aransas pass ship channel which separates San Jose and Mustang Islands. The pass connects the Gulf
               of Mexico with an extensive system of estuarine lagoons and provides the navigational approach to the
               port city of Corpus Christi. This setting is ideal for a marine science facility. Ships and small boats from
               the Institute have access to both the open Gulf and bay environments of the Texas Coastal Zone.
               Scientists and students can easily reach a multitude of relatively pristine coastal habitats, including
               hypersaline lagoons, estuaries, mud flats, seagrass meadows, oyster reefs, barrier island ecosystems, and
               the vast environmental domain of the offshore continental' shelf,

                    Active research programs in several marine science disciplines, including the physiology,
               biochemistry and ecology of marine plants and animals; biological, chemical, and physical oceanography;
               geochemistry; mariculture; biochemical toxicology; and environmental monitoring, have been established
               at the Institute for many years. Current programs include:

               ï¿½ Multidisciplinary research on marine ecosystems involving impact of fi-eshwater inflow on estuarine
                  systems, nutrient cycling, and mechanisms coupling estuaries and lagoons with the inshore continental
                  shelf.

               ï¿½  Nutrient uptake dynamics and primary production in phytoplankton.

               ï¿½  Trophic dynamics in benthic organisms including bacteria, meiofauna. and macrofauna.

               ï¿½  Microbial degradation of organic matter and recycling of nutrients in marine food webs.

               ï¿½  Studies on physiology and environmental toxicology, encompassing factors that control molting in
                  invertebrate organisms and the reproductive biology of marine finfish.

               ï¿½  investigations on recruitment and predator/prey dynamics of marine zooplankton and larval flshes using
                  video/computer image analysis equipment.

               ï¿½  Ecology and adaptive value of bioluminescence in marine organisms.

               ï¿½  Evaluation of nutrition in natural and mariculture systems using stable isotope tracer methods.

               ï¿½  Mariculture research involving chemical and temperature/photoperiod spawning of finfishes,
                  development of intensive raceway culture for year-round production of shrimp and fish, and the
                  establishment of physico-chemical limits in larval flsh growth and survival.

                    The Institute's 83,000 sq. ft. headquarters on 72 acres of beachfront land consists of a series of
               interconnected buildings containing laboratories, offices, library, museum exhibit halls, classrooms, a


                                                                   109







                    visitors center, auditorium, seminar rooms, and workshops.     A 10,000 sq. ft. wet laboratory is supplied
                    with filtered, running seawater. There is an additional 7,000 sq. ft. of dormitories (70 beds), a cafeteria,
                    physical plant complex, garages, greenhouses, walk-in freezers, and outdoor pool/habitat tanks. A pier
                    laboratory affords direct access to measure fluxes in the Arans&% Pass ship channel connecting the Gulf
                    with the bays.                                                    I

                         A mile west of the main building complex the Fisheries and Miiriculture Laboratory occupies 26,000
                    sq. ft. of buildings adjacent to the ship channel. The facility, contains extensive wet laboratories for
                    spawning, larval development, and grow-out studies in fishes.

                         Library holdings include over 8,000 books and 37,000 bound volumes of journals. Remote-job-entry
                    terminals in the Institute's computer laboratory provide direct access to the UT-Austin Computation
                    Center's CDC, IBM, and DEC mainframe computers.                The Institute publishes its own journal,.
                    Contributions in Marine Science.


                    The RN Longhorn was modified in a major refit in 1986 to give her an overall length of 105 ft. The
                    vessel is equipped with a trawl, hydrographic and conducting winches and modem electronic navigation
                    and communication equipment. The Katy, a 574 fiberglass trawler, is used in bay programs. Marine
                    operations are augmented by a fleet of swift small boats.



































                                                                        110
























                                                                            I








                                APPENDIX B: BULLETIN BOARDS























































                                             III







                                                       The "Bulletin Board" Philosophy

                                                             Murray Brown, MMS


                       There is no more humbling experience for a marine scientist than to be present during a scientific
                  talk by a meteorologist. Typically, they present charts indicating many tens--if not hundreds--of data
                  stations used in their synoptic(!) analyses. This happy situation, of course, is made possible by the relative
                  ease of making measurements on land, and the constant presence of a dedicated corps of observers (as
                  well as some automated devices in remote locations). Unfortunately, for the oceanographer, all locations
                  are remote, observers are few, and the measurements are costly'and difficult to obtain. Toward some
                  improvement in this area, the past decade has seen a great increase in the willingness of oceanographers
                  to share information; in the past two years much discussion of an "operational oceanography" system has
                  also taken place. Essential to the fabric of these successes and plans, has been electronic messagi    .ng and
                  electronic bulletin boards, particularly the services provided by the SCIENCENET System which is used
                  by most U.S. oceanographers.

                       Although the theme of most bulletin boards is topical, such as "JOBS" or "TOGA" for example, the
                  U.S. Minerals Management Service has enjoyed great success with a board aimed at aiding scientists in
                  a particular geographic region, the Gulf of Mexico. The original announcement for the board
                  (Attachment) speaks for itself, in that the board is to allow all kinds of information exchange, NOT JUST
                  THE EXCHANGE OF ORIGINAL DATA. In fact, actual data exchange is probably handled more
                  efficiently as individual-to-individual messaging. It is more valuable, in the MMS experience, just to let
                  "the world" know the familiar journalistic watchwords: WHAT, WHEN and WHERE. Observing this
                  simple concept facilitates a wealth of information exchange in the Gulf of Mexico community, ranging
                  from coordinated cruises and data-swapping, to posting of near-real time data from ships, buoys and
                  satellites.


                       In addition to setting up the GULF.MEX bulletin board (see attachment), the MMS tackled another
                  long-standing problem: [low to send graphics via electronic mail? Although text messaging is very much
                  a standard way of doing business in the U.S. oceanic community, there has been much discussion of ways
                  to send graphics, particularly charts.      Although some graphics formats, such as Tektronix and
                  Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language have been suggested, they typically require very large files.
                  GULF.MEX has dealt with this by publishing a shareware program (GULFPLOT) that plots charts
                  according to a simple ASCII data format that has now been published for several usefW data types. The
                  transmitted files are small, and the xWI data--not graphIcs command instructions--are handled. This
                  practice allows widespread use and sharing of "headline" information, such as satellite analyses and
                  drifting buoy tracks, and easy graphic integration of data from many sources. The program is written in
                  the Basic language included in nearly all DOS-compatible microcomputers, and no compiling or other
                  software is needed.


















                                                                       112








                                                               Attachment:
                                      [OMNET/SCIENCENET Announcement of October 1, 1990]

                Eflective November 1, 1989, a new bulletin board "GULF.MEX" will be established on OMNET, to serve
                the marine science community in the Gulf of Mexico. GULF.MEX is needed for the communication
                needs of several new MMS studies in the Gulf, but in the broader sense is a long-overdue mechanism for
                tying together many research groups who now recognize the benefits of emphasizing our regional
                resources and of seeking support and opportunities through cooperation. Therefore, GULF.MEX is "open
                to the public" and dedicated to the new spirit of cooperation seen in recent major conferences, particularly
                the Chapman Conference in St. Petersburg.

                                                   GULF.MEX BULLETIN BOARD
                                            "The North Atlantic is our boundary condition."

                The GULEMEX Bulletin Board will provide a long-needed medium of information exchange among
                marine scientists in the Gulf of Mexico region. The following types of information are invited:

                ï¿½ News and comments from all Federal-, State-, academic-, or industry-sponsored marine research
                   programs in the Gulf

                ï¿½  Cruise plans and reports from the MMS-sponsored Louisiana/Texas Shelf Physical Oceanography
                   Program (LATEX).

                ï¿½  Data availability announcements from LATEX.

                ï¿½  Ship-of-opportunity (SOOP) data from LATEX.

                ï¿½  Drifting buoy locations.

                   Selected shareware related to SOOP data and buoy data.

                   Information on cruises and data from the biological components of LATEX.

                a  News of note from regional marine science departments and laboratories.

                a  Contract awards and RFP availability announcements.

                e  Report availability announcements.

                a  Regional meeting announcements and agendas.

                -  Notes (and graphics!) on Loop Current behavior and eddy locations.

                a  Periodically updated research directory(ies).

                a  Pertinent references to the JOBS bulletin board.


                a  Birth announcements and other human news.

                Your contributions to GULF.MEX will be welcomed. Please help in the efforts to build a stronger marine
                science community in the Gulf of Mexico.


                                                                    113









             Howard F. Anderson
             Adjunct Scientist
             Mote Marine Laboratory
             1600 Thompson Parkway
             Sarasota, FL 34236
             Comm: (813) 3584441
             PAX: (813) 3884312

             Donald K. Atwood
             Director, Ocean Chemistry Division
             NOAA/AOML
             4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
             Miami, FL 33149
             Comm: (305) 3614380; FTS: 350-1380
             Telemail: D.ATWOOD (OMNET)

             Stephen Baig
             NOAA/NWS
             National Hurricane Center
             Gables I Tower, 1320 S. Dixie Highway
             Miami, FL 33146-2976
             Comm: (305) 665-4707
             FAX: (305) 536-6881
             Telemail: S.BAIG


             Jim Beets
             Chief of Fisheries
             Department of Planning and Natural Resources
             Division of Fish and Wildlife
             101 Estate Nazareth
             St. Thomas, VI 00802
             Comm: (809) 775-6762

             Hugo Bezdek
             Director, Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory
             NOAA/AOML
             4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
             Miami, FL 33149
             Comm: (305) 361-4300; FTS: 350-1300
             FAX: (305) 361-4449
             Telex: 510-600-3049


             Jim Bohnsack
             Fisheries Biologist (Research)
             NMFS/SEFC
             75 Virginia Beach Drive
             Miami, FL 33149
             Comm: (305) 361-4252; FTS: 350-1252
             FAX: (305) 361-4219





                                                           115









                H. Suzanne Bolton
                Director, Coastal and Ocean Services
                NOAA/OLA
                Constituent Affairs Division
                1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Room 627
                Washington, DC 20235
                Comm: (202) 673-5380
                Telemail: S.BOLTON (OMNET)


                Garrett W. Brass
                Professor, Chair UNOLS,
                University of Miami, RSMAS
                4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
                Miami, FL 33149
                Comm: (305) 361-4690
                FAX: (305) 3614632
                Telemail: G.BRASS


                Silvano Bricefto
                Coordinator, UNEP/CEP
                UNEP/CAR/RCU
                1.4-20 Port Royal Street
                Kingston, Jamaica
                Comm: (809) 922-9267, -9268, -9269
                FAX: (809) 922-9292
                Telemail: ECONET (UNEPRCUTA) and UNIENET (UNX040)
                Telex: 3672 UNEPCARJA


                Bradford E. Brown
                NMFS/SEFC
                75 Virginia Beach Drivc
                Miami, FL 33149
                Comm: (305) 3614285; FTS: 350-1285
                FAX: (305) 3614219
                Telemail: B.BROAIN (OMNl,.T)


                James D. Brown
                U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Atlanta Region
                75 Spring Street, S.W., Room 1200
                Atlanta, GA 30303
                Comm: (404) 331-6343

                Murray Brown
                USDI/Minerals Management Service
                Gulf OC's Reg., Off Leasing
                1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard
                New Orleans, LA 70123-2394
                Comm: (504) 736-0557; FTS: 686-2901
                Telemail: M.BROWN.MMS (OMNE.T)





                                                              116








               Otis B. Brown
               Associate Dean
               University of Miami, RSMAS
               4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
               Miami, FL 33149
               Comm: (305) 361-4000
               FAX: (305) 361-4711
               Telemail: O.BROWN (OMNET)

               Andriana Cantillo
               Quality Assurance Coordinator
               NOAA/NOS/OOMA
               N/OMA3
               Rockville, MD 20852
               Comm: (301) 443-8655; FrS: 443-8655
               FAX: (301) 231-3764
               Telemail: A.ROBERTSON (OMNET)

               Jose Castro
               Fishery Biologist
               NOAA/NMFS/SEFC
               Southeast Fisheries Center
               75 Virginia Beach Drive
               Miami, FL 33149
               Comm: (305) 361-4494; FrS: 350-1494
               FAX: (305) 361-4219

               Essie Coleman-Duffle
               Fishery Biologist/Special Assistant to Director
               NOAA/NMFS/SEFC
               75 Virginia Beach Drive
               Miami, FL 33149
               Comm: (305) 361-4237; FrS: 350-1237
               FAX: (305) 361-4219

               David Cottingham
               NOAAJChief Scientist
               Herbert C. Hoover Building
               14th & Constitution Avenue, N.W.
               Washington, D.C. 20230
               Comm: (202) 377-5181

               Michael Dagg
               Interim Director/Professor
               LUMCON
               8124 Highway 56
               Chauvin, LA 70344
               Comm: (504) 851-2800
               Telemail: M.DAGG (OMNET)




                                                                117








               John W. Day, Jr.
               Professor
               Louisiana State University
               Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
               Baton Rouge, LA 70883
               Comm: (504) 388-6508
               FAX: (504) 388-6331
               Telemail: R.CARNEY (OMNET)


               Nelson M. Ehrhardt
               Assistant Professor
               University of Miami, RSMAS
               Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries
               4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
               Miami, FL 33149
               Comm: (305) 3614741


               William Erb
               Director, Division of Marine Science and Technology Affairs
               Department of State
               Washington, D.C. 20520
               Comm: (202) 647-0239
               FAX: (202) 647-1106
                                     'PT
               Telemail: STATE.DE


               William E. Evans
               Dean, Texas Maritime College/President, Texas Institute of Oceanography
               Texas A&M University/Texas Institute of Oceanography
               Mitchell Campus
               P.O. Box 1675
               Galveston, TX 77553
               Comm: (409) 7404470
               FAX: (409) 740-4429
               Telemail: W.EVANS (OMNET)


               Nohord Galvis
               Professor
               University of Miami, RSMAS
               4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
               Miami FL 33149
               Comm: (305) 261-4060

               Barbara Gilliard-Payne
               Visiting Adjunct Professor
               University of Virgin Islands
               P.O. Box 12090
               St. Thomas, VI 00801
               Comm: (809) 775-1078
               Fax: (809) 775-1078





                                                               118








              Melvin Goodwin
              Caribbean Program Manager
              South Carolina Sea Grant/Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
              287 Meeting Street
              Charleston, SC 29401
              Comm: (803) 727-2078
              FAX: (803) 727-2080

              Norman L. Guinasso, Jr.
              Associate Research Scientist
              Texas A&M University
              Geochemical and Environmental Research Group
              833 Graham Road
              College Station, TX 77845
              Comm: (409) 690-0095
              FAX: (409) 690-0059
              Telemail: N.GUINASSO


              Lee E. Harris
              Associate Professor
              Florida Institute of Technology
              Department of Oceanography and Ocean Engineering
              Melbourne, FL 32901
              Comm: (407) 768-8000 (ext. 8096)

              William Head
              Chief Scientist
              Caribbean Marine Research Center
              100 East 17 Street
              Riviera Beach, FL 33404
              Comm: (809) 336-2557
              FAX: (407) 842-6093

              Manuel L. HernAndez-Avila
              Director
              University of Puerto Rico (Sea Grant College Program)
              Department of Marine Sciences, RUM
              P.O. Box 5000
              Mayaguez, PR 00709
              Comm: (809) 832-3585
              FAX: (809) 265-2880
              Telemail: M.HERNANDEZ.AVILA (OMNET)


              Donald Hoss
              Chief, Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Division
              NMFS/SEFC Beaufort Laboratory
              Beaufort, NC 28516
              Comm: (919) 728-8746; FTS: 670-9746
              FAX: (919) 728-8784; ITS: 670-9784





                                                            119








              Robert E. Hueter
              Staff Scientist
              Mote Marine Laboratory
              1600 Thompson Parkway
              Sarasota, FL 34236
              Comm: (813) 388-4441
              VAX: (813) 3884312

              William Johns
              Professor
              University of Miami, RSMAS
              4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
              Miami, 14L 33149
              Comm: (305) 3614054

              Frederick C. Kopfler
              Chief Scientist, Gulf of Mexico Program
              U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
              Building 1103
              Stennis Space Center, MS 39529
              Comm: (601) 688-3726; FTS: 494-3726
              FAX: (601) 688-2709; 17S 494-2709

              Jimmy C. Larsen
              Oceanographer
              NOAA/PMEL
              7600 Sand Point Way, ME'.
              Seattle, WA 98115
              Comm: (206) 526-6782


              David S. Lee
              Curator of Birds
              North Carolina State Museum
              P.O. Box 27641
              Raleigh, NC 27614
              Comm: (919) 733-7451


              John A. Leese
              Director
              Institute lor Naval Oceanography
              Stennis Space Center, MS 39529
              Comm: (601) 688-3507
              FAX: (601) 688-3524
              Telemail: J.LE'ESE













                                                            120









             Alberto G. Lonardi
             Coordinator, Multinational Project on Environment and Natural Resources
             Organization of American States
             1889 F Street, N.W.
             Washington, D.C. 20006
             Comm: (202) 458-3339 (or 3369)
             FAX: (202) 458-3167

             George A. Maul
             Supervisory Oceanographer
             NOAA/AOML/PhOD
             4301 Rickenbacker Causeway
             Miami, FL 33149
             Comm: (305) 361-4343; ITS: 350-1343
             FAX: (305) 361-4582
             Telemail: AOML.MIAMI


             Michael McGowan
             Professor
             RSMAS/CIMAS
             4600 Rickebacker Causeway
             Miami, FL 33149
             Comm: (305) 361-4152
             FAX: (305) 361-4457
             Telemail: CIMAS


             Thomas D. Mcllwain
             Director
             Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
             P.O. Box 7000
             Ocean Spring, MS 39564
             Comm: (601) 8724211
             FAX: (601) 8724204
             Telemail: T.MCILWAIN


             Greg Mitchell
             Program Manager, Oceanic Biogeochemistry
             NASA
             Code SEP
             600 Independence Avenue, S.W.
             Washington, D.C. 20546
             Comm: (202) 453-1720
             Telemail: G.MITCHELL













                                                          121









                 Barbara Moore
                 Director, International Activities Staff
                 NOAA/OAR
                 1335 East-West Highway
                 Silver Spring, MD 20910
                 Comm: (301) 427-2469; FTS: 427-2469
                 PAX: (301) 427-2666
                 Telemail: B.MOORE.NOAA


                 John M. Morrison
                 Associate Professor
                 North Carolina State University
                 Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
                 P.O. Box 8208
                 Raleigh, NC 27695-8208
                 Comm: (919) 737-7449
                 FAX: (919) 737-7802
                 Telemail: J.M0RRISON/SCIE.NCF


                 Frank E. Muller-Karger
                 Assistance Professor
                 University of South Florida
                 Department of Marine Science
                 140 7th Avenue, South
                 St. Petersburg, Fl, 33701
                 Comm: (813) 893-9186
                 FAX: (813) 893-9189
                 Telemail: F.MULLER.KARGER


                 John C. Ogden
                 Director
                 Florida Institute of Oceanography
                 830 First Street, South
                 St. Petersburg, FL 33701
                 Comm: (813) 893-9100
                 FAX: (813) 893-9109
                 Telemail: J.0GDEN


                 Arthur Paterson
                 International Program Analyst
                 NOAA/International Liaison Staff
                 Room 5811
                 NOAA-DAS, Commerce Dept.
                 Washington, D.C. 20230
                 Comm: (202) 377-8196; F`rS: 377-8196
                 FAX: (202) 377-8203
                 Telemail: TLAUGHLIN (OMNE'T)







                                                                     122







             Joseph M. Prospero
             Professor, Director
             University of Miami, CIMAS/RSMAS
             4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
             Miami, FL 33149 USA
             Comm: (305) 3614185
             FAX: (305) 3614689
             Telemail: J.PROSPERO (OMNET)

             LaVerne E. Ragster
             Professor of Marine Biology
             Coordinator, Consortium of Caribbean Universities for Resource Management
             University of the Virgin Islands
             Eastern Caribbean Center
             St. Thomas, VI 00802
             Comm: (809) 776-9200 (ext. 1343/1360)
             FAX: (809) 776-2399


             William J. Richards
             Senior Scientist
             Southeast Fisheries Center
             75 Virginia Beach Drive
             Miami, FL 33149
             Comm: (305) 361-4249; FTS: 350-1249
             FAX: (305) 361-4219; FTS: 350-1219
             Telemail: W.RICHARDS (OMNET)

             Katie Ries
             International Affairs Specialist
             NOAANOS
             1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., #615
             Washington, D.C. 20235
             Comm: (202) 673-5178; ITS: 673-5178
             FAX: (202) 673-3850
             Telemail: K.RIES (OMNET)

             Andy Robertson
             Chief, Ocean Assessments Division
             NOAAINOS
             N/OMA32
             6001 Executive Boulevard
             Rockville, MD 20852
             Comm: (301) 443-8933; ITS: 443-8933
             FAX: (301) 231-5764
             Telemail: A.ROBERTSON











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                 Fernando U. F. Robles
                 IOC Senior Assistant Secretary
                 10C/IOCARIBE
                 Casa Del Margues de Valdehoyos
                 Centro Cartagena, Colombia
                 Comm: (57) (53) 650395 or 646399
                 FAX: (57) (53) 650395
                 Telemail: COSTAS (OMNET)
                 Telex: 37743 CNT CO


                 Miguel A. Rol6n
                 Executive Director
                 Caribbean Fishery Management Council
                 Suite 1108
                 Banco de Ponce Building
                 Hato Rey, PR 00918
                 Comm: (809) 766-5928; FTS: 766-5926/5927/5928
                 FAX: (809) 766-6239

                 Claes G. 11. Rooth,
                 Professor
                 University of Miami
                 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway
                 Miami, FL 33149
                 Comm: (305) 361-4162
                 Telemail: CIMAS


                 Yvonne Sadovy
                 Director
                 Fisheries Research Laboratory
                 P.O. Box 3665
                 Mayaguez, PR 00708
                 Comm: (809) 833-2025
                 FAX: (809) 833-2410


                 William Seaman
                 Associate Director
                 Florida Sea Grant
                 University of Florida
                 Building 803, IFAS 0341
                 Gainesville, FL 32611-0341
                 Comm: (904) 392-5870
                 FAX: (904) 392-5113
                 SUNCOM: 622-5870


                 Ned 11. Smith
                 Senior Scientist
                 Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
                 5600 Old Dixie Highway
                 Ft. Pierce, FL 34946
                 Comm: (407) 465-2400


                                                                124








             Harris B. Stewart, Jr.,
             Retired
             IOCARIBE
             644 Alhambra Circle
             Coral Gables, FL 33134
             Comm: (305) 443-6971

             Roy A. Watlington
             Representing Dr. Edward L. Towle, President
             P.O. Box 33 Red Hook
             St. Thomas, VI 00802
             Comm: (809) 775-6225
             FAX: (305) 775-3254


             Charles Wilson
             Associate Professor
             Louisiana State University
             Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, CWR
             Baton Rouge, LA 70803
             Comm: (504) 388-6455
             Telemail: J.POWERS or CNILSON (OMNET)

             Jonathan Wilson
             Director, Marine Science Program
             Jackson State University
             Biology Department
             1400 Lynch Street
             Jackson, MS 39217
             Comm: (601) 968-2586
             FAX: (601) 968-2058
             Telemail: J.WILSON.JSU (OMNET)
























                                                        125
























































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