Episode 5 of the Our Shared Ocean podcast brings global expertise in oceanography, engineering and marine biology together, to discuss the use of ecosystem-based adaptation and digital sensing technologies to enhance climate resilience and empower coastal communities in Jamaica and with implications across the Caribbean.

The multi-disciplinary ‘CLIMATESCAN’ team recognise the vulnerability of all islands to climate hazards including sea-level rise, coastal erosion, storms, flooding, and saltwater intrusion. Project-lead, Dr. Salem Gharbia is the Head of Environmental Science at Atlantic Technological University, Sligo and an internationally recognised expert on climate resilience and Environmental monitoring and modelling. Dr. Deborah Villarroel-Lamb is a lecturer at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago specializing in the numerical and physical modelling of coastal engineering processes, including ocean hydrodynamics. Her current research focusses on improving the design of nature-based solutions to promote sustainable approaches to coastal protection and advance the climate resilience goals of the Caribbean region. Finally, Dr. Camilo Trench is a Marine Biologist, Lecturer and Coordinator at the University of the West Indies’ Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory. Where he has spent over fifteen years studying mangrove rehabilitation in Jamaica including the restoration of over 50 hectares of mangrove forests.

Episode 4 of the Our Shared Ocean podcast journeys to Haiti to discuss a vital initiative from Quisqueya University and the Haiti Ocean Project who are building a citizen science and engagement programme in the least developed country in the western hemisphere against the backdrop of continued political instability. These conditions, coupled with a growing population, have taken their toll on the surrounding environment, resulting in degradation and stress on already scarce natural resources. The coastal and marine environment, in particular, is experiencing a wide range of challenges including, overfishing, mangrove harvesting, solid waste & sea turtle exploitation.

We meet Alexandra Pierre an Engineer studying for a PhD in geography and climate change; Jaime Aquino, founder of the Haiti Ocean Project and Francklin Barbier, a volunteer from Petite Riviere de Nippes, a small coastal fishing village in the Nippes Department, to discuss the “Haiti Citizen Science Sea Project” based in Île-à-Vache Natural National Park (IAV-NNP) and the Baradère-Cayemites Marine Protected Area (MPA) both located in the South Peninsula of Haiti. Their project aims to protect sensitive ecosystems & emblematic species and strengthen the overall management and local governance of marine protected areas in Haiti and the Caribbean. It’s a bottom-up approach focussing on working with community leaders, coastal communities, youths and fishers to convey the importance of marine conservation and biodiversity.

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Are you a Marine Scientist or student based in a Small Island Developing State. Would you like to tell us about your research?

Visit www.oursharedocean.ie to learn more and remember to subscribe rate and review on YouTube or your favourite podcast platform.

The Our Shared Ocean Podcast is a funding initiative by the Government of Ireland through Irish Aid and managed by the Marine Institute.

In Episode 3 we meet Arsenia Vital Ximenes da Cruz an environmental scientist with a passion for sustainability development, working on climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental services, and coastal and rivers waste management in Timor-Leste. She has worked in both in government and private sector on environmental protection planning and development. Arsenia recently moved to Galway, Ireland to begin a PhD research project in University of Galway focused on climate change adaptation in Ireland and Timor-Leste through co-developing frameworks for nature-based solutions.

Many small island nations, including Ireland, have already seen the impacts of strong, and possible climate related storms. Timor-Leste experienced the devastating impact of climate-induced disaster when Cyclone Seroja hit in 2021, causing fatalities and catastrophic damage impacting environment, society and economy. As part of its recovery plan, the government is working to improve adaptive capacity and resilience, through a holistic approach including a nature-based solutions (NbS) focus, enhancing community capacity for resilience. To this end, expertise in Timor-Leste has sought to connect with other island nations to learn and develop good practices that support this ethos. We discuss the importance of nature-based solutions, including mangroves and coral reefs, in protecting against storm surges and erosion, while acknowledging the challenges of implementing these solutions in both countries, including limited resources and the need for localized adaptation.

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Are you a Marine Scientist or student based in a Small Island Developing State. Would you like to tell us about your research?

Visit www.oursharedocean.ie to learn more and remember to subscribe rate and review on YouTube or your favourite podcast platform.

The Our Shared Ocean Podcast is a funding initiative by the Government of Ireland through Irish Aid and managed by the Marine Institute.