EbA Marine Consultancy Begins

The coastal areas of the Pigeon Island National Landmark (PINL) comprise networks of interconnected systems including beaches, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. These provide safe habitats for marine turtles, migratory and resident land and sea birds and fish nurseries, some of which sustain livelihoods.

PINL had suffered severe coastal degradation and damage to coastal infrastructure and ecosystems over the last decade as a result of both natural events, including storm surges, hurricanes, and flooding. This has negative impacts on coastal resources which sustain livelihoods.

As of 15th April, 2021, the selected consultant team from Martinique, Creoceans, began their work at the PINL under the the Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Project which the Trust has been implementing with funding provided under grant agreement with the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) through its EbA Facility, with co-financing provided by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature, Conservation and Nuclear Safety (KfW). During their time in Saint Lucia, they commenced the assessment of the adaptive capacity and ecosystem value of the coral reefs within the PINL marine ecosystem.

This small team of five carried out investigative dives, analytical studies and the following activities:

– Mapping of living and non-living resources along the coast of the PINL
– A qualitative, quantitative, and functional study of coral populations.
– An assessment of fish populations.
– A qualitative, quantitative, and functional study of seagrass bed.

The EbA project team is eagerly awaiting the findings of this evaluation to gain a deeper understanding of the state of PINL’s marine environment. This data will help us provide specific details to use in our conservation and advocacy efforts.