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UK Offers Support for SSA Initiative
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| On 27 March 2012, Dr. Derrick Binns, Dr. David Freestone and Professor Howard Roe met with officials from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to discuss the Summary Science and Evidence Case report. After discussing an overview of the ecological importance of the Sargasso Sea, the FCO offered its full support for Bermuda to move forward with the Alliance's efforts within the general framework of a precautionary approach. Next steps include publication of the Summary Science and Evidence Case and convening an Inter-Governmental Meeting of political leaders in Bermuda to discuss principles around protection of the Sargasso Sea.
Environment Minister Marc Bean announced this progress in a press conference in Bermuda on 27 April 2012 and stated, "Consequently, the UK Government has agreed to support our wish to enter into protective agreement with countries outside of the Commonwealth or the US."
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Sargasso Sea Represented at CBD and UN meetings
| | Convention on Biological Diversity SBSTTA Meeting
 | Kristina Gjerde and Jeff Ardron in Montreal.
Credit: D. Johnson |
Dr. Joanna Pitt, Jeff Ardron, Jesse Cleary, Kristina Gjerde, Prof. Dan Laffoley, Dr. Ricardo Santos and Prof. Howard Roe presented a poster at the Convention on Biological Diversity's Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) meeting in Montreal at the end of April to further discussions regarding the recommendation for the Sargasso Sea to be designated an EBSA (Ecologically or Biologically Significant Area). Kristina Gjerde, Jeff Ardron and Dr. Samia Sarkis participated in meeting discussions. Special thanks to Dr. Joanna Pitt from Bermuda Department of Environmental Protection for producing an excellent poster with colleagues. The Sargasso EBSA recommendation will next be discussed at the CBD Conference of Parties in India in October 2012. United Nations Ad Hoc Open Ended Informal Working Group on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Kristina Gjerde, David Freestone, Kate Morrison and Jeff  | United Nations, NYC.
Credit: K. Morrison |
Ardron attended the BBNJ work group meetings in mid-May and met with several country delegations to introduce them to the SSA and update them on recent progress and next steps. Kristina Gjerde also offered an excellent review of the legal regime for Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction to the plenary and highlighted Sargasso Sea work, and co-chaired two informational side events which also featured the Sargasso Sea Alliance.
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Sargasso Sea Scrolls Opening
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Credit: M. Ittner
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On Sunday, 22 April 2012, Earth Day, the Pyramid Atlantic Art Center unveiled their new exhibit,
The Sargasso Sea Scrolls, in the Washington, DC area. The exhibit will be seen in Bermuda at a later date.
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Univ. of Southern Mississippi request for observations of Sargassum
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Providing Information Exchange among Users of Marine Resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean RegionDuring 2011, massive quantities of pelagic sargassum occurred throughout the Eastern Caribbean, impacting aquatic resources, fisheries, shorelines, waterways, and tourism. A team of scientists with the University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL), in collaboration with colleagues throughout the region, is examining aspects of this event, including the source, movements and causes. In the eventuality of a similar event occurring this year within the Caribbean, the GCRL has developed a website designed specifically to accommodate the reporting of sargassum observations during 2012 and to serve as a data collection center. The site represents a service for individuals, organizations and fisheries agencies throughout the region interested in contributing to the information database. Your observations are a valuable component of this research. The progress of assessments will be periodically reported via the GCFI listserv. Thank you. The online form for entering information is found at http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/sargassum
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Related News
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Crew abandon boat after collision with whaleFour sailors were rescued by a container ship last night after their vessel smashed into a whale. The 38-feet sloop Outer Limits was heading from Bermuda to the Azores as part of the ARC Europe event when it cracked its hull by striking the mammal at about 7pm. Sea Education Association (SEA) cruise continues in Sargasso SeaClick here for update from the SSV Corwith Cramer Blog. We look forward to hearing about student projects from this year's cruise. American Eel Benchmark Assessment Indicates Stock is DepletedIn its report to the Commission's American Eel Management Board, an independent panel of scientists endorsed the findings of the 2012 benchmark stock assessment, which concluded the American eel population is depleted in U.S. waters. The stock is at or near historically low levels due to a combination of historical overfishing, habitat loss, food web alterations, predation, turbine mortality, environmental changes, toxins and contaminants, and disease. The panel urged the Board to examine alternative reference points to provide more protection to the spawning stock biomass. (Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Press Release- May 3, 2012). The stock assessment can be found on the above link under Managed Species, American Eel.
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Thank you for your continued interest in the Alliance's work.
Sincerely,
Dr. David Freestone, Executive Director
Sargasso Sea Alliance |
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