Trinational Initiative leads to action plan

Scientists from the United States, Cuba and Mexico ended this week’s Trinational Initiative conference at Mote Marine Laboratory with a new long-term research and conservation plan for the Gulf of Mexico and western Caribbean Sea.

Scientists identified projects to prioritize, including:

• Studying why coral reefs are resilient in Cuba but threatened in Florida
• Implementing a regional monitoring protocol for sea turtles
• Continue research expeditions focused on shark
• Training Cuban and Mexican researchers on methods and protocols for marine mammal research
• Assessing spiny lobster populations in all three countries

“We’ve been saying for many years that we need good baseline data about these areas and that we need to work together across nations to have a consistent approach for the gathering and sharing of information,” said Mote President Dr. Kumar Mahadevan in a prepared statement. “The oil spill showed us how easy it is to get into trouble and that we need to work together to be prepared for natural and man-made disasters.”

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].