The Tribune

ONE of the Bahamas National Trust’s international partners, the American Museum of Natural History, recently published a new booklet - the Guide to the Science of Marine Protected Areas in the Bahamas.

“The reports generated by scientists on their many expeditions to the Bahamas are mostly too technical and science-heavy to be of use to decision makers and educators,” said Eric Carey, BNT executive director.

“This guide is a useful tool for breaking down the science into useful information that can be applied to conservation and education by both decision makers and educators. BNT is pleased to see its production and hopes it will be an encouragement to other scientists to produce similar publications to bring their science back to Bahamians.”

The booklet, which was written and designed with the Bahamian public in mind, was written after more than a decade of research and outreach. It helps to break down technical research by using colourful summaries and highlighting planned marine protected areas (MPAs).

“The Bahamas has led the way in marine conservation in the region and is also an important setting for scientific research about conservation,” said Dan Brumbaugh, PhD Senior Conservation Scientist, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History.

“As such, this booklet serves as a ‘thank you’ to the Bahamian public from several research communities.”

The BNT, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the American Museum of Natural History met with the Minister of the Environment and Housing Kenred Dorsett, the Undersecretary in the Ministry of the Environment and Housing, David Cates and the Director of the BEST Commission, to officially present them with copies of the booklet.

In addition, the environmental groups also presented copies of the guide to the Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources, and Local Government V Alfred Gray, and the Director of the Department of Marine Resources, Michael Braynen.

The trust will now send additional copies to other members of the Cabinet, and plans to distribute hard copies to other parts of government, local NGOs, and the educational sectors. It will also be shared on the BNT website and social media pages to encourage further distribution and use.

Eleanor Phillips, programme director, North Caribbean Programme at The Nature Conservancy, who was a part of the delegation presentation said: “The Nature Conservancy congratulates the AMNH for producing a publication that is appropriate for all ages. We are pleased to support the distribution of this publication as the Guide provides a user friendly and pragmatic approach to understanding the science of Marine Protected Areas. It is a great resource for outreach and for generating further community support for expanding the national marine protected area network.”