Jamaica

J.A.M.I.N. Program Expands to Rural Jamaica

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“Miss, a wa mek im move so?” (Miss, why is it moving like this?) A high school student asks me, holding a sea cucumber while it slowly forms to her hand, squishing her own face in uncertainty. I show her the bottom of the animal where its tube feet retract, sensing a threat. I am thrilled to witness her wonder and disgust.

I, Ali, am an Environment Sector Peace Corps Volunteer living nearby in rural Jamaica, and I’ve been assisting the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (LOF) and Alligator Head Foundation (AHF) with the implementation of the Jamaican Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program. I’m excited to participate in this newly formed partnership that has allowed LOF to expand the J.A.M.I.N. program to the Portland area, a rural parish on the eastern side of Jamaica.

A look back at what we have accomplished: 5 years of J.A.M.I.N.

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Since the inception of the Jamaica Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program five years ago, we have accomplished a great deal, and we would like to share some of these achievements with you.

With the help of our partners, University of the West Indies Discovery Bay Marine Lab, we launched the J.A.M.I.N. Mangrove Education and Restoration program during the 2014-2015 school year. Using our custom-developed mangrove curriculum, 10thgrade students at Holland and William Knibb High Schools in Falmouth, Jamaica learned about the importance of mangroves and how to restore them.

Final Reports from the Global Reef Expedition

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For the past eight years, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation conducted a large-scale scientific research mission called the Global Reef Expedition (GRE). The primary goals of the GRE were to map and characterize coral reef ecosystems, identify their current status and major threats, and examine factors that enhance their ability to survive—and recover from—major disturbance events. Now, scientists at the Living Oceans Foundation are focused on analyzing data collected on the Global Reef Expedition and publishing reports that can be used to guide coral reef management.

J.A.M.I.N. Student Voices

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Previously, you heard the voice of the students in our B.A.M. program. Now it’s time to hear how the students in Jamaica feel about our J.A.M.I.N. program. Year 1 Program   “My favorite part of the J.A.M.I.N. program is when I actually got to …

Mangrove Disease – A Citizen Science Investigation

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Mangrove Education and Restoration Blog North Carolina State University (NCSU) student Ryann Rossi is studying mangrove disease throughout the Bahamas. Through a partnership with NCSU, our students in the B.A.M. and J.A.M.I.N. programs are participating in her hands-on citizen science …

Mangrove Curio-sea-ty

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Mangrove Education and Restoration Blog “A sea cucumber is a part of the phylum Echinodermata. Can anyone recall what characteristics animals in the phylum Echinodermata have?” asks Amy Heemsoth, Director of Education for the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. …