New Ways to Connect

Hafa adai to all of our followers! Just want to update everyone that CNMI MMT is now on facebook! Along with this blog and our website (http://www.cnmicoralreef.net) MMT now has a facebook for you to connect with us. On the page you can photos posted from our surveys, ask us questions, and get any updates on our precious coral reefs.

Head on over to https://www.facebook.com/pages/CNMI-Marine-Monitoring-Team/137209369691101 (sorry for the lengthy link. If we get 25 'likes' we will get a shortened version so help us out) and check out the page and don't forget to 'like' it.

Stay wet my friends!

Steven

Operation Saipan: Pics and Videos of Saipan Lagoon's Wrecks

One of the outcomes of the Saipan Underwater Heritage Trail project carried out by Flinders University and supported by the MMT was the visit to UHT sites by both a professional documentary photographer and film maker.  View stills and video from their visit at: http://operationsaipan.net/2010/stills.html

First Friday Films: Sea Change for July

Come out to the American Memorial Park for First Friday Films. Along with a wonderful free movie covering the topics of climate change & ocean acidification, the CNMI's marine monitoring team will have a short presentation on local stress' on our coral reefs and what you can do to help reduce those stress'.

For me information, see the repost & link to the First Friday Films blog after the break.

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First Friday Films: Sea Change for July: "If you think global warming is tough, you don’t know the half of it. Come to the next First Friday Films on July 1 and uncover the rest of t..."

EBM Tools Database Launched

From an EBM tools press release:

Need tools for your coastal or marine management or conservation program?  Want to read about projects that have used tools before jumping in to tool use?  Want to find someone to help you with a project?  Want to let people know about your new tool or EBM project?

The EBM Tools Network is very pleased to announce the launch of a new on-line EBM Tools Database www.ebmtoolsdatabase.org! This new database is free to use and can help you find tools for your coastal and marine management and conservation projects. In addition, you can find Projects, Resources, Organizations, and Practitioners related to Tools and can contribute information about your own Tools, Projects, Resources, and expertise.

Some highlights and features of the new EBM Tools Database:

·         You can search by names and topics (e.g. watershed, marine protected area)

·         It is free to use and add content to

·         You can contribute YOUR Tools, Projects, Resources, or Organization and Practitioner information to the database (Click on Add Information)

·         Users can review tools to provide feedback to others users and tool developers

·         You can add comments about topics in the database.

EBM tools needs your contributions to the database to make it the best possible resource for the community! Create a login and add information today!

For more information about the database or the EBM Tools Network, contact:

Sarah Carr, EBM Tools Network Coordinator  

E-mail: sarah_carr@natureserve.org

Phone: 703.908.1892

Old News.. but Good News... the 2010 Fisheries Cruise

In 2010, a NOAA Fisheries research vessel travelled through the waters of Guam and CNMI carrying scientists and a few students interested in learning about fish populations and habitats of some of the deeper areas associated with coral reefs. A nice overview of what was involved can be found on the cruise blog, which is found here http://fish250.blogspot.com/

HB 17-150

So FYI Ya'll, HB 17-150 proposes the re-authorization of using both gill nets as well as SCUBA while fishing. The bill was written by the Honorable Jose Palacios of Precint 1.

Just to get everyone up to speed, there have been management restrictions banning the use of gills nets and "SCUBA Spearfishing" in the CNMI. This bill proposes to abolish those restrictions. Although I have my own views on the subject I would much rather hear the thoughts of others. Please feel free to express your thoughts on the matter.

Laolao Bay's ICON Station Still Pending

After nearly a decade of discussions, strategizing, and justifying, the Laolao Bay CHAMP ICON Station remains tantalizingly 'almost installed.'  After serious progress last summer- permits finalized, site selected and base plate with anchor pins installed, the project remains stalled due to the need for an engineering study and the need to find funding for that study.  NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory is continuing to foot the bill, but the US Government's continuing resolution (i.e. still no budget) means spending for special projects remains challenging.

Still, we remain optimistic that the station will finally hit the water this summer. The station currently resides at the commerical port in Saipan and PacIOOS technicians ( who are providing telemetry and some water qualtiy sensors) are working with AOML to make sure that all the pieces will work together when we finally get to the point of installation. 

To read about the ICON program, visit the newly revised: http://www.coral.noaa.gov/

To read about the history of the Laolao Station, visit: http://llbp7-log.blogspot.com/

To read about a (we hope) second ICON station site on Saipan, visit: http://manm1-log.blogspot.com/

CNMI MMT on Google Earth

CNMI's Coral Gardens long-term monitoring site is now a feature on Google Earth's "Explore the Ocean" layer. Mousing over the the ocean layer target icon (see the image on left) will trigger a popup window featuring the MMT site.  Rota DEQ's Gary Toves (retired) and PMRI's Peter Houk are featured in the image that provides a brief overview of the MMT's mission and a link to our home page.

MMT begins to Blog

We've just transitioned our current events to the Blogger platform to improve our transfer of information about current events. Past events have been migrated to the blog format and can still be accessed. Look for more frequent content updates from now on.