The University of the West Indies' Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory & Field Station (UWI-DBML) recently hosted the Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries, the Honourable Roger Clarke who observed UWI's ongoing work to protect local fish stocks and coral reefs.
 
Minister Clarke was introduced to the ongoing lionfish research being conducted by UWI through the 'Mitigating the Threats of Invasive Alien Species in the Insular Caribbean (MTIASIC)' project which is sponsored by Global Environment Facility and United Nations Environment Programme and administered by CAB International through the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA).
 
Some activities being conducted under the Lionfish project include:
•    Population density surveys•    Ecology and biology of lionfish•    Feeding ecology of the lionfish •    Ageing of lionfish•    Public Education and Outreach.
 
Mr. Clarke was shown the potential impact of the lionfish on local fish stock by observing the dietary habits of these invasive species which thrives on finfish, mollusc and shellfish, including commercially and ecologically important species such as red snapper, parrot fish and shrimp.  The Minister was later treated to a baked lionfish stuffed with green vegetables and herbs; the consumption of lionfish is one of the control strategies for this marine invasive.
 
The UWI-DBML is home to one of two coastal plant nurseries in Jamaica. The Minister visited the nursery  which assists with coastal restoration in Jamaica as it produces various species of mangroves to restore damaged mangrove areas. Mangrove forests have a variety of important coastal plants that play a vital role to rural and urban communities. They have many ecological and economic benefits including providing nursery ground for fishes including shell fish. Mangroves also act as buffer zones from storm surges and protect the coastline from erosion. They help to filter sediments and improve water quality. 
 
 Seagrass Restoration is another key area in the marine ecosystem that was highlighted on the Minister’s visit. Seagrass beds serve several important functions such as stabilizing sand or mud substrates, providing habitat and acting as a fish nursery area. Seagrass also improve the quality of coastal waters and provide shoreline protection. The UWI-DBML is actively researching various restoration methods creating a nursery of seagrass meristems which may be utilized in future replanting efforts.
 
 Coral reefs provide significant value to the Jamaican economy, including tourism, fisheries and shoreline protection; reef related fisheries contribute $34.3 million (USD) annually to Jamaica’s economy. Over many years the condition of the coral reefs of Jamaica has deteriorated for several reasons: which include nutrient and sediment pollution, overfishing, disease, bleaching events, and damage due to storm energy. UWI-DBML has been experiments various methods of culturing corals for restoration purposes using line cultures and artificial reefs such as the ECOREEF.
 
By Denise Chin, Discovery Bay Marine Lab