NASSAU, BAHAMAS— The National Coastal Awareness Committee will host an exhibition at the Mall of Marathon from Monday April 27th – Saturday, May 9th to highlight the need to preserve and protect our coastal environment. It features a travelling exhibit entitled Our Reefs: Caribbean Connections.
The modular display was created by Florida State University and is a revision of an exhibit originally produced by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and it focuses on the problems affecting coral reefs throughout the Caribbean.
Examples of impacts to coral reefs from around the wider Caribbean are balanced with case studies of actions that people are taking to protect reefs and coastal environments. The exhibition includes several important examples from The Bahamas.
The Our Reefs exhibition is on loan to BREEF, and it will also be on public display in Eleuthera, Abaco and Grand Bahama in the coming weeks. “We are very pleased to have this extraordinary exhibit on display in The Bahamas for the first time,” said Casuarina McKinney, director of BREEF, a member of the National Coastal Awareness Committee. “The large display modules address topics such as reefs and related ecosystems, global warming, pollution, coastal development, overfishing, marine protected areas and reef rehabilitation. The exhibit provides a public focal point for students and adults to encounter and discuss complex issues that span the interfaces of science, technology, economics and society.”
“The exhibition has recently been on display at the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium and in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.” said Dr. Judy Lang, exhibition developer, who is currently in Nassau to assist with training about the exhibition.
The exhibition also features displays by the Bahamas National Trust, Bahamas Environment Science and Technology (BEST) Commission, BREEF, Dolphin Encounters – Project BEACH, The Department of Marine Resources, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Embassy.
In addition, entries from last year’s Coastal Awareness Photo Essay Competition are on display, and students can collect application forms for this year’s Coastal Awareness competition. Teachers can sign up to bring groups of students for a guided tour of the exhibition by contacting BREEF at 327 9000.
“Topics including invasive species as well as destruction and pollution which are major issues affecting our coastal zones in The Bahamas are also featured in the exhibition,” said Hilda Luoga, of the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology (BEST) Commission, a member of the National Coastal Awareness Committee and Exhibition Chair. “We invite the public to come and view the exhibition which is free of charge and open during regular Mall of Marathon hours to learn more about our fragile coastal environment and actions that harm or preserve them.”
“Our committee has focused this year on the effects of habitat destruction and climate change on our coastal resources and to determine what we can do as Bahamians to help combat these issues,” said Chairman of the National Coastal Awareness Committee and Director, Sustainable Tourism Development for the Ministry of Tourism. “Our goal is to educate the public and to offer possible measures that collectively will help us as a developing country and as a tourist destination that our economy depends on. This exhibition is another way to offer information; that can help us protect our coastal environment for now and future generations.”
The Committee will host, in collaboration with its strategic partners both in the public and private sectors the following: National Public Service Announcement campaigns on television, radio and print media, beach clean ups that will include the removal of invasive plants and the planting of native trees; erection of banners throughout participating islands in The Bahamas; primary and secondary school competitions with a submission deadline of May 15th; field trips with Dolphin Encounters on Blue Lagoon Island, Dive Stuart Cove, BREEF, the Bahamas National Trust and Blackbeard’s Cay have been arranged to provide students with an opportunity to learn about protecting the coasts and enjoy the marine wonders of the Bahamas.
As this is a national initiative, Beach clean-ups and other Coastal Awareness activities are planned for the islands of Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, Exuma and San Salvador.
For more information on National Coastal Awareness month visit www.coastalawareness.org, become a fan on Facebook of the National Coastal Awareness Committee or to become a sponsor please contact Earlston McPhee at 356-6963/67/38.
Photo 1: Our Reefs: Caribbean Connections on display at the Mall of Marathon as part of the National Coastal Awareness Committee’s exhibition. The public is invited to view the exhibition currently on display through Saturday, May 9th during regular Mall hours.
Photo 2: Ted Thompson, an intern with BREEF, views one of the panels of the travelling exhibit Our Reefs: Caribbean Connections on display at the Mall of Marathon as part of the National Coastal Awareness Committee’s exhibition. The public is invited to view the exhibition currently on display through Saturday, May 9th during regular Mall hours.
The 2009 Coastal Awareness Committee includes members from the following organizations:
Ministry of Tourism
Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission (BEST)
Bahamas Hotel Association
Bahamas National Trust
Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF)
Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas
College of The Bahamas
Department of Environmental Health Services
Department of Marine Resources
Dive Stuart Cove
Dolphin Encounters Ltd.
The Nature Conservancy
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
The College of The Bahamas
The University of The West Indies
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