Funded participation in International conferences/workshops

JNCC is able to support the OTs and CDs with funding to attend international conferences and workshops.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) 16. April 30th - May 5th 2012.

Samia Sarkis (Department of Conservation Services, Bermuda) attended CBD SBSTTA 16 as a representative of the UK Overseas Territories, at the invitation of Defra to be part of the UK Delegation.

Download Samia's conference report (PDF, 83 kb)

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 11th Conference of Parties (CoP 11) October 8th - 19th 2012, Hyderabad, India.

Samia Sarkis (Department of Conservation Services, Bermuda) attended CBD CoP 11 as a representative of the UK Overseas Territories, at the invitation of Defra to be part of the UK Delegation.

Download Samia's conference report (PDF, 242 kb)

Caribbean regional hub

The Caribbean Regional Hub is an online network that JNCC supports which facilitates professional communities with an interest in combating invasive species, climate change and preserving biodiversity in the Caribbean.

The long term objective of the Hub is to bring together ideas, people, projects, experience, expertise, funds and common resources.

Other areas of support and advice

JNCC also provides support and advice to Overseas Territories in a number of other areas at the request of the UKOT Governments. These areas include economic valuation, climate change, invasive species, accessing funding and multilateral environmental agreements.

Blue Turtle Award

JNCC runs an annual Blue Turtle Award. People are encouraged to nominate Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies groups or individuals who are 'making a difference'.

More information

2011 Geoconservation in the Overseas Territories of the UK by M. Stanley

Amphibians and Reptiles of the UK OTs, CDs and SBAs: Species inventory and overview of conservation and research priorities by Paul Edgar of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust.

More information on Climate change impacts in the Caribbean OTs.

Environmental Education resources on Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.

2009 Implications of climate change for Biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories by J.P. McWilliams.

2007 Environmental Economics in the Overseas Territories.

2006 Non-native species in the Overseas Territories a Review by Karen Varnham.

2005 Review of Ramsar sites in the UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies by Dr Mike Pienkowski.

1999 snapshot of Biodiversity in the Bermuda edited by Dr Vin Fleming and Deborah Procter JNCC.

Bermuda is a member of the Training and Research Programme Steering Group which drives the direction of the OT Training and Research Programme.

Research Priorities 2011

JNCC asks the OTs and CDs for information about their top 3 research priorities each year via members of the OT and CD Training and Research Programme Steering Group. These priorities are used to inform a number of funding decisions including the JNCC Research Contributions.

Training

JNCC is  able to support the OTs and CDs with funding to attend environmental training courses.

Mandy Shailer from Bermuda attended the GI Islands 2010 International Summer School on Marine Spatial Planning, organized by the Geographical Information and Territorial Planning Centre (CIGPT) of the University of the Azores from the 7-12th August 2010

Funding has also been provided for a staff member of the Bermuda Zoological Society to attend training on Skink Breeding Protocols at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in the Crown Dependency of Jersey in June 2011.

Scholarship

Funding has been provided by JNCC to the UK Overseas Territories Association to create and manage a Bachelor of Science Undergraduate Scholarship. The Scholarship is for the course entitled 'Applied ecology and Conservation' run by the University of Reading. Helen Larzleer, from Bermuda, was the successful recipient of this scholarship.

Year 1 update report.

JNCC has contributed to projects in Bermuda including:

Seagrass restoration: A tool for mitigating the loss of
ecosystem services

In 2012 JNCC made a contribition to this research project to investigate carbon deposition in sediments and seagrass in a variety of sites. The funds enabled an Ms Jill Greiner, an MSc student from the University of Virginia, to travel to Bermuda and collect samples from natural seagrass beds, damaged seagrass beds, and those in proximity to environmentally friendly moorings. Sample cores were taken from seagrass meadows in various conditions, in order to assess carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous levels in sediments and in roots, rhizomes and leaves of Thalassia testudinum.

Download final report (PDF, 67 kb)

Download Bermuda Sun article 'Study to provide global perspective on our seagrass' by Simon Jones (6th June 2012)(PDF, 906 kb)

Restoration Project - controlling invasives

In 2010, for the International Year of Biodiversity, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), has funded a series of invasive species projects across the UK Overseas Territories. This has been coordinated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Project activities on Bermuda were:

• Population level analyses. Complete sample collection by group of field botanists in Bermuda. DNA analysis by genetic department at Royal Botanic Gardens KEW.
•  Report on endemic and native plants population distribution. Report written by Department of Conservation Services in collaboration with KEW Gardens.
• Recommendations on endemic and native species used for restoration. Source of “parent” populations identified. Engagement of NGOs and government plant nurseries in providing seedlings grown from parent populations. Guidelines for restoration taking into account genetic population variation across the island.

Bermuda - Economic Valuation of Coral Reefs

In 2007, Bermuda received two year's OTEP project funding for "Environmental Valuation: Tools and capacity-building for integration in policy".

Download: Executive Summary  (PDF, 162 kb) View the complete report

Link to Government of Bermuda's website for Coral Reef Economic Valuation Brief  and the Total Economic Valuation Technical Report

The presentation by Samia Sarkis, of the Department of Conservation Services, Bermuda: Coral Reefs in the UK Overseas Territories: Status and Challenges (PDF, 2.1 Mb), delivered at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity, Aberdeen, September 2011.