ACP To Host Marine Conservation Event

The Atlantic Conservation Partnership [ACP], in partnership with The Explorers Club NYC, is getting set to host an event titled ‘Heart of the Sargasso Sea: Bermuda’s Marine Conservation’ on Thursday, October 13.

A spokesperson said, “Oceanographer Dr Sylvia A. Earle has called the Sargasso Sea the ‘golden floating forest of the Atlantic Ocean.’ Consisting of drifting mats of Sargassum weeds, it covers nearly five million square kilometres of ocean, bounded by the Gulf Stream and other currents that constantly shift its position.

“The Atlantic Conservation Partnership, a sister organisation to the Bermuda Zoological Society [BZS], in partnership with The Explorers Club NYC, is hosting ‘Heart of the Sargasso Sea: Bermuda’s Marine Conservation’ on Thursday, 13 October 2022. The evening will highlight some of the marine research and field conservation efforts in the Bermuda, U.S., and Caribbean’s shared oceanic ecosystem to raise awareness of our ocean’s beauty and fragility.

“Four scientists and field researchers will make live presentations during this special evening, and Bermuda-themed cocktails and dinner will be served. Presenters include:

Professor David Freestone
Executive Secretary of the Sargasso Sea Commission
“Working to Conserve the Biodiversity of the Sargasso Sea through High Seas Governance”

“Established in 2014 under the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea, which now has ten Signatory Governments, the Sargasso Sea Commission supports efforts led by the Bermuda government and its international partners to establish the Sargasso Sea as a high-seas protected area through research, education, and community awareness.

“Dr Freestone has written widely on the Law of the Sea and international environmental law. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law [now in its 37th year].

Dr. Gaelle Roth
Director of the Bermuda Turtle Project
“A Turtle’s Lost Years in the Bermuda Triangle”

“Living in Bermuda and volunteering as a veterinarian at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo [BAMZ], Dr Roth followed her passion and transitioned to wildlife conservation. Her first experience with the Bermuda Turtle Project was as a student participant in 2014, and she has been ‘hooked’ on the project ever since.

“The Bermuda Turtle Project is a collaborative effort of the ACP, BZS, Sea Turtle Conservancy and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo. It is the longest-continuous sea turtle conservation programme that focuses on the animal in its marine environment.

Choy Aming
Principal investigator Bermuda Shark Project
“Sharks of the Sargasso Sea”

“Founded in 2005 by Dr Neil Burnie, Jeffrey Manson, Tim Hasselbring and Choy Aming, the Bermuda Shark Project conducts research focusing on the satellite tagging of tiger sharks around the Bermuda Platform. As the top predator in our marine ecosystem, large sharks are clear indicators of the ecosystem’s health. The project has tagged over 50 sharks, leading to the discovery of an annual tiger shark migration in the Atlantic.

“Mr Aming has been featured on the BBC, Discovery Channel, and Google, as well as the natural history T.V. series Ocean Vet.

Nan Hauser
President & Director of the Center for Cetacean Research & Conservation, the Lead Scientist of Cook Islands Whale Research
“Sound of Science – Bermuda Whale Song Project, Climate Change and Ocean Sound”

“Biologist Nan Hauser is an Adjunct Professor at Auckland University of Technology. She is collaborating with the Nonsuch Expeditions and Cornell’s Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics on a marine acoustic study focusing on Bermuda, its coral reefs, seamounts, and the surrounding Sargasso Sea as a field station and platform for passive acoustic monitoring.

“To improve the conservation and management of Bermuda’s marine systems, the project’s initial focus is to record whale vocalisations in Bermuda’s waters, where humpback whale song was first ‘discovered’ in the 1950s and 1960s. She has been the focus of many Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Sixty Minutes and BBC presentations.

“Additionally, a visual presentation produced by Andrew Stevenson will summarise three University of Edinburgh postgraduate papers focused on humpback whales in Bermuda using data collected by WhalesBermuda. It includes a catalogue of more than 1,500 humpback whales identified by their unique black and white pigmentation patterns on their tails, known as fluke I.D.s, and resighting data over ten years.

“Andrew’s pioneering study examines the need for a new Area-based Management Tool for cetacean conservation in Bermuda and the evidence to support its designation as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area.

“Gosling’s has sponsored our featured cocktails: Dark ‘n’ Stormy and Rum Swizzle, of course! And guests will feast on Bermuda fish chowder shots, mini-Bermudian codfish cakes topped with banana and chutney, and a tasty buffet featuring classic Bermuda peas and rice and Bermuda picnic coleslaw with rum cake bites for dessert.

“Friends and colleagues planning to be in New York during this time, dive into explorers.org for further details or to purchase your tickets.”

#BermudaMarine

Category: All, Environment