Author: Leslie Hickerson

The Nature Foundation St. Maarten received reports of a massive fish die off in the channel between Great Salt Pond and Fresh Pond in Philipsburg. On Monday 25th of May, upon arrival at the location an estimated amount of 1000 Tilapia fish already died in the area and were floating in the channel at the Great Salt Pond. A decrease of oxygen levels in the pond water probably caused the massive fish die off.

The Nature Foundation St. Maarten expects that the lack of oxygen in the water due to rising temperatures, absence of rainfall and an increase of salt concentrations caused the fish die off. In order to survive all fish use their gills to extract oxygen from water helping them to breath. With a decrease in oxygen in the water, fish will struggle to survive and eventually die. Other factors that can affect the amount of oxygen in the water are lack of water movement, excess waste or certain chemical run-off into the pond.

“The cause of death of the Tilapia fish may be a result of the dry weather and heat the island has been experiencing. The depth of the salt pond is 3 to 5 feet deep. Thus when the water level is low the heat penetrates, the saline level rises and the oxygen level decreases. Tilapia fish live mostly in murky fresh water ponds. Thus, as mentioned before when the oxygen level decrease and saline levels rise, the fish start migrating towards the Fresh Water Pond where more oxygen is available. The fishes only reach up until the floodgates located opposite the Illidge road roundabout. The floodgates are blocked off so that only a certain amount of fresh water from the fresh pond is let into Salt Pond daily via these gates, causing the fish to die at this location” explained Chief Ranger Etienne Lake.

The Nature Foundation is also urging the community not to collect or consume the fish from this location. “The water quality is thought to be poor in the Great Salt Pond and it will be impossible to determine how long the fish has been dead. Consuming these Tilapia could affect your health. The incident has been reported to the involved government departments (VROMI), cleanups will be conducted as soon as possible as decomposing fish could cause serious smells and possibly affect the water quality and fish die off further” mentioned the Manager of the Nature Foundation Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern. The possibility of water quality testing is also being discussed and the Foundation will keep the public informed of any new information.

A similar incident happened in the area in 2015 and 2013 when several tilapia die-offs occurred probably due to a theorized lack of oxygen in the water in the Great Salt Pond. The area of Great Salt Pond was used to produce salt for export off of St. Maarten in the past. The pond is also connected to the Rolondo Canal, which leads to Great Bay Harbor

The combination of this incident and the rise of sargassum seaweed on the eastern beaches of St. Maarten are indicators that we have entered the summer season where higher temperatures and a lack of rainfall affect our environment. The Nature Foundation urges the community to stay vigilant in these times and ensure that they are not contributing to the waste water problem by allowing chemical or sewage run off to enter the natural waters of the island. Poor water quality dramatically affects the environment of St. Maarten.

The Nature Foundation St. Maarten expects that the lack of oxygen in the water due to rising temperatures, absence of rainfall and an increase of salt concentrations caused the fish die off. In order to survive all fish use their gills to extract oxygen from water helping them to breath. With a decrease in oxygen in the water, fish will struggle to survive and eventually die. Other factors that can affect the amount of oxygen in the water are lack of water movement, excess waste or certain chemical run-off into the pond.

“The cause of death of the Tilapia fish may be a result of the dry weather and heat the island has been experiencing. The depth of the salt pond is 3 to 5 feet deep. Thus when the water level is low the heat penetrates, the saline level rises and the oxygen level decreases. Tilapia fish live mostly in murky fresh water ponds. Thus, as mentioned before when the oxygen level decrease and saline levels rise, the fish start migrating towards the Fresh Water Pond where more oxygen is available. The fishes only reach up until the floodgates located opposite the Illidge road roundabout. The floodgates are blocked off so that only a certain amount of fresh water from the fresh pond is let into Salt Pond daily via these gates, causing the fish to die at this location” explained Chief Ranger Etienne Lake.

The Nature Foundation is also urging the community not to collect or consume the fish from this location. “The water quality is thought to be poor in the Great Salt Pond and it will be impossible to determine how long the fish has been dead. Consuming these Tilapia could affect your health. The incident has been reported to the involved government departments (VROMI), cleanups will be conducted as soon as possible as decomposing fish could cause serious smells and possibly affect the water quality and fish die off further” mentioned the Manager of the Nature Foundation Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern. The possibility of water quality testing is also being discussed and the Foundation will keep the public informed of any new information.

A similar incident happened in the area in 2015 and 2013 when several tilapia die-offs occurred probably due to a theorized lack of oxygen in the water in the Great Salt Pond. The area of Great Salt Pond was used to produce salt for export off of St. Maarten in the past. The pond is also connected to the Rolondo Canal, which leads to Great Bay Harbor

The combination of this incident and the rise of sargassum seaweed on the eastern beaches of St. Maarten are indicators that we have entered the summer season where higher temperatures and a lack of rainfall affect our environment. The Nature Foundation urges the community to stay vigilant in these times and ensure that they are not contributing to the waste water problem by allowing chemical or sewage run off to enter the natural waters of the island. Poor water quality dramatically affects the environment of St. Maarten.

The Nature Foundation St. Maarten presents their first Eco-Bracelets which identifies the carrier as an eco-warrior and symbolizes their commitment to a clean and sustainable St. Maarten, the project is made possible through the generous contribution from the Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB) on behalf of their members. The Eco-bracelet is made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric, which is the primary material used for the production of water bottles around the world. Billions of PET bottles are discarded each year and a significant amount of them become littered in the natural environment, representing one of the biggest waste problems on Earth. 

The first edition of the St. Maarten Eco-bracelet displays the text “Nature is our Future SXM”, which is the slogan of the Nature Foundation, along with an outline of our beloved island. Each Eco-Bracelet includes a flyer explaining what it means to wear the bracelet, how you can continue to support the Nature Foundation and a map of Sint Maarten’s Marine Protected Area and dive sites. “We are very excited to introduce the first Nature Foundation Eco-Bracelet and are looking forward to the support of the community in wearing the bracelets. We hope that residents and visitors of St. Maarten will proudly wear the Eco-Bracelets to show their support for nature conservation and protecting of our natural environment” stated the Nature Foundation St. Maarten.

Eco-bracelets can be ordered now on the Nature Foundation’s website; www.naturefoundationsxm.org,  and will be available for scheduled pick-up beginning June 1st, 2020 and orders of 5 bracelets or more can be delivered already. For a contributing donation of $10 one eco-bracelet will be provided, which directly supports the protection and enhancement of St. Maarten’s natural environment. To increase nature awareness among tourism, the assistance of the business sector is essential, therefore the Nature Foundation offers a retail option for businesses to reach the visitors of our island. Bracelet displays made from up-cycled materials by the Waste Factory will be provide for free by a retail order of 20 or more, for more information businesses interested in retail can contact info@naturefoundationsxm.org.

Organizations that manage the nature parks in the Dutch Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and St. Maarten) face a structural shortage of financing to fulfill their nature management tasks, the Nature Foundation St. Maarten faces the greatest financial challenge. On the other hand, nature is the basis for their economic and social development, as they are the key asset for the tourism sector, thereby creating jobs and generating funds for the government from related taxes. Nature also provide key attractions for tourism, cultural and recreational opportunities for residents, food, coastal protection, disaster protection and other services like climate and erosion control and key habitat for biodiversity. 

“The Nature Foundation, with the assistance of the WWF-NL, DCNA and the Wolfs Company, has been working very hard in order to create possibilities to increase sustainable funding for nature management, we are proud to launch the first step in the process, which is the Eco-Bracelet. We also would like to specially thank Ildiko Gilders, Maarten like St Maarten, Caribbean Association of Banks, the Waste Factory and Print & Sign Express for the involvement and their major contribution to make the Eco-Bracelet a reality” notated Nature Foundation’s Manager Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern.

The Nature Foundation St. Maarten manages and preserves the nation’s nature areas and natural habitats, provides education and awareness and conducts essential research and monitoring of species and ecosystems. These efforts include Coral Reef Monitoring, Sea Turtle nesting Monitoring, the management of the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area, educational and outreach events, and much more. To learn more about what the Nature Foundation does or what you can do to help visit naturefoundationsxm.org. Every donation the Nature Foundation receives goes towards assisting the Foundation support and protect the environment of St. Maarten.

The Nature Foundation St. Maarten is eligible to receive votes for the Summer Sea Turtle Sustainability Grant of $5,000 USD, which has been made possible by the Turtle Island Restoration Network and SEE Turtles to support sea turtle research and conservation projects.

The Nature Foundation has actively managed and monitored the sea turtle nesting activities on St. Maarten since 1997 collecting data of Leatherback, Hawksbill, Green and loggerhead sea turtles both on land and in the waters surrounding St. Maarten. The Foundation conducts various activities with regard to nesting including; beach surveys, nest excavations, tagging activities, and nest success research as well as capture and release programs for data collection via scuba diving. By monitoring sea turtles the Nature Foundation is better able to protect these creatures by enforcing existing rules and regulations and educating the public.

On St Maarten, all sea turtle species are protected by international laws and treaties as well as local laws. However, they still face great threats, namely plastic pollution, poor water quality, loss of nesting grounds, and boat strikes. Some turtles mistake plastic bags or debris for their food source. When eaten plastic can cause blockages and even make turtles unnaturally buoyant, meaning that the turtle may starve to death and becomes more prone to boat strikes. Poor water quality can lead to tumor growth or skin disease on turtles. Nesting grounds are often lost to beachside construction and development. Driving on beaches, strong artificial lighting and umbrellas piercing the sand disturb those areas that can be nested. Boats driving through the bay and lagoon areas at high speeds have caused several turtle strikes where the shell is cracked and the turtle dies due to impact. In 2019 there were five fatal strikes reported to the Nature Foundation, while so far in 2020 there have been three.

In addition to local threats sea turtles are declining worldwide. Currently only 1% of sea turtles survive long enough to reach sexual maturity. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Hawksbill Sea Turtles as critically endangered, Greens are endangered and Loggerheads and Leatherbacks are both vulnerable.

By voting for The Nature Foundation to receive this grant you will be supporting the effort to protect these animals locally. The Summer Sea Turtle Sustainability Grant winner will be chosen exclusively by public vote; the organization that receives the most votes will win the full $5,000 to support their efforts to protect these creatures.

Public voting for the grant selection is open from May 4th until June 1st, 2020. To vote please visit the following website www.seaturtles.org/vote and submit your vote for the Nature Foundation St. Maarten today.

The Nature Foundation is the designated focal point for Sea Turtle Conservation according to the Inter American Sea Turtle Convention, the SPAW Protocol on Endangered Species and Country Representative for the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network and has received specialized training in Sea Turtle conservation, including in relocating turtle nests that are in danger due to human activities or natural events such as storm surge. Suspicion of sea turtles nesting and tracks can be reported via Facebook; Nature Foundation St Maarten or by email info@naturefoundationsxm.org and phone numbers of the turtle patrol can be requested.

Photo caption: Beautiful green sea turtle in the Man of War Shoal Marine Protected Area Sint Maarten (photo credit Leslie Hickerson)

The Nature Foundation, St. Maarten is eligible to receive votes for the Summer Sea Turtle Sustainability Grant of $5,000 USD, which has been made possible by the Turtle Island Restoration Network and SEE Turtles to support sea turtle research and conservation projects.

The Nature Foundation has actively managed and monitored the sea turtle nesting activities on St. Maarten since 1999. Endangered Leatherbacks, Hawksbills and Green Sea turtles come ashore during the nesting season that runs from April through November each year. The Foundation conducts various activities with regard to nesting, including beach surveys, nest excavations, tagging activities, and nest success research.

Sea turtles around the world and in St. Maarten are under great threat due to plastic pollution, poor water quality, loss of nesting areas due to beachfront construction and boat strikes. The Nature Foundation could use the funding from this grant to help monitor and protect sea turtles as well as educate the public about the threats these creatures are facing.

Public voting for the grant selection is open from May 4th until June 1st, 2020. To vote you must enter an email address (only one vote per email)

Click here to vote for The Nature Foundation, St. Maarten

  • eggs in a green sea turtle nest on Great Bay beach
  • diver sea turtle
    Diver and sea turtle
  • sea turtle with tape measure
    Measuring sea turtle during research activities
  • tadzio with sea turtle

Last week the Nature Foundation St. Maarten assessed the areas of Middle Region, Madame Estate, Arc Road and Sucker Garden to evaluate the environmental impact of the bushfire that spread throughout those regions in the late hours of Monday, April 20th.

“The bushfire significantly damaged the native vegetation and wildlife of St. Maarten, decreasing our biodiversity, whereby a loss off at least 177,372 square meters of vegetation was recorded. Several wildlife species were found to be affected or even deceased due to the fire. St. Maarten’s native vegetation and wildlife were already greatly reduced and are under significant threats due to development and construction, we urge all residents to be very careful with burning any items, especially during dry periods” stated the Nature Foundation St. Maarten.

In the days after the fire Nature Foundation’s Chief Ranger Etienne Lake and D. Bardfield of the VKS (Voluntary Corps St. Maarten) were able to visit the affected areas to determine the significant environmental impact of this incident. The team was able to assess that at least 177,372 square meters of land were burned or scorched during the fire through the use of a drone, most of this land was covered with native grasses, native cacti and wild growing Tamarind Trees.

The fire has severe negative consequences for the biodiversity of the area and the following species have been recorded as being found dead from either fire or smoke inhalation: mongoose, lizards, iguanas, various bird species, snails, spiders and other insects. In addition to the loss of life from the event animals that could normally be found in the area often flee after a bushfire and cannot return for some time due to the lack of food in the region.

While the negative impacts of such a fire on biodiversity can be obvious and devastating there was also signs of some life still surviving in the region including a mongoose, two doves, one lizard, and several ants. Bush fires are not only negative, as bushfires can trigger new germination of places in the area and encourage new growth that would not have been possible with the dense vegetation already in place.

Thanks to the great efforts by the Fire Department, Police Department and residents of the area there were no human fatalities due to the fire which, if not contained could have spread to several densely populated areas nearby. The Nature Foundation will continue to monitor the area in the coming weeks and hope to see regeneration in a short time period.

Last week the Nature Foundation received a report of a dead sea turtle on Simpson Bay beach close to the Beacon Hill area. The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) clearly died due to a boat strike in Simpson Bay waters and washed up on shore. The year 2020 started not that long ago and already three green sea turtle lost their life due to boat traffic, whereby the cause of death is a strike with speeding boat engines.

“We were very sad to find the dead sea turtle, especially as due to COVID 19 measurements hardly any boat traffic is happening at the moment, apparently some boats still chose to speed in the foraging grounds of sea turtles. Last year we reported also many dead sea turtles, five of them died due to boat strikes in and around the Simpson Bay Lagoon area, two sea turtles died in our trash, ending up entangled in a chair and fishing gear, also an additional amount of sea turtles died on the French side. Sea turtles are vulnerable species, when they forage they need to come up to the surface in order to breath, speeding boats do not provide the sea turtles enough time to escape back into the safe zone” stated Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern Nature Foundation’s Manager.

Sea turtle population numbers have plummeted to dangerously low numbers throughout the past century due to human impacts, bringing many species close to extinction and causing them to be listed as critically endangered. On St Maarten, all sea turtle species are protected by international laws and treaties as well as local laws. Based on ARTICLE 16 and 17 of the Nature Conservation Ordinance St. Maarten it is illegal to kill, wound, capture, pick-up, and have animals that belong to a protected animal species, to directly or indirectly disturb their environment resulting in a physical threat or damage to the fauna or to commit other acts which result in disturbance of the animal. It is also forbidden to upset an animal belonging to a protected species, to disturb damage or destroy its nest, lair, or breeding place, as well as to take the nest of such an animal. Also, it is forbidden to pick-up or to destroy the eggs of animals belonging to a protected species, which Sea Turtles are.

“We are seriously concerned about the survival chances of our sea turtle population and urge to increase and enforce the protection level of our precious sea turtles” stated the Nature Foundation.

The Nature Foundation is asking to contact the Foundation when injured or dead sea turtles are found, as proper burial is needed, besides the Foundation is the designated authority for sea turtle management and other endangered and invasive species issues. Sea turtle nesting season started on the first of April, therefore please report any possible nesting signs and tracks to the Nature Foundation, as all sea turtle nests are being monitored by the Foundation.

The dead green turtle also had several tumors due to the Fibropapillomatosis virus, a common disease found in sea turtles probably facilitated by poor water quality. The animal can live with the tumors for a long time, but it does show us something about its health and health of the surrounding waters. The cause of these tumors is unclear; however polluted water could certainly play a roll. Scientific research found a link between excess nitrogen (sewage) which accumulates in algae that sea turtles eat.  This can cause Fibropapilliomatosis in sea turtles, which forms tumors and is the leading cause of deaths in endangered green sea turtles.

Last week staff of the Nature Foundation St. Maarten and members of IHE Delft Institute for Water Education visited several local high schools to give presentations about the importance of coral reefs and the threats and issues facing St. Maarten’s reef system. During the school visits the team introduced their Coral Competition and encouraged students to participate to come up with ideas to save St. Maarten’s coral reefs and win great prizes at the same time. The Nature Foundation is stimulating all students in between 12 and 19 years old to participate in the creative competition and register their group before the 27th of March.

Students learned about how corals grow, what they need to survive, and the important role they play in our ecosystem from Dr. Erik de Ruijter van Steveninck. “It was nice to see that many students were well aware of the status of coral reefs and showed interest in coming up with ideas to help save St. Maarten’s coral reefs,” said Steveninick a senior lecturer of Aquatic and Marine Ecology for IHE.

The students also learned about the specific threats facing St. Maarten’s coral reefs from The Nature Foundation’s Educational Outreach Officer, Leslie Hickerson. Several of those that attended the presentations had already been introduced to some of the environmental issues on St. Maarten by their teachers and had a basic understanding of what needs to change. However, some of the statistics about the rapid decline in marine environment’s health and problems with Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease were introduced for the first time.

Several students were eager to ask questions about what they could do to help, or even volunteer with the Nature Foundation outside of school. “It was very encouraging to see the student’s reaction to the information we were giving them. Not only were they attentive to the introduction of coral reef basics, but they also were inspired to help make changes in the way we treat our environment to ensure a brighter future for themselves and next generations,” said Hickerson, “Even during the presentations the students were engaged and asking questions about what could be done to help bring a strong coral system back.”

An important part of the presentation was an introduction to the Student Competition: Save St. Maarten’s Coral Reefs by Nirajan Dhakal a lecturer in Water Supply Engineering from IHE. This truly unique opportunity has been launched by the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in an effort to mobilize St. Maarten’s youth into taking a greater role in protecting the marine environment of SXM.

The student competition is available to all students on the Dutch side of SXM between the ages of 12 and 19. Those wishing to participate should form groups of a maximum of 4 members that can be from a mixture of schools. In their groups the students should work together to come up with a way to help save and protect St. Maarten’s reefs. There is no limit to creativity for these projects which can consist of formal presentations, artwork, or any other method of raising awareness or limiting negative effects on our ecosystem. Student groups can register for the project before Friday the 27th of March 2020 by sending an email to education@naturefoundationsxm.org with their proposal name, their names and their contact details.

The only restriction for the project is that the budget for executing their idea should be maximum Euro 4000. The Nature Foundation has received a grant for that amount making it possible for the winning idea from the students to be implemented on St. Maarten utilizing both Nature Foundation staff members and students from the winning team. In addition to seeing their idea come to fruition on the island the first-place team will also receive a cash prize of 800 Euros. The second-place team will win 400 Euros and the third-place team will win 300 Euros.

The opportunities for students to take part in making their project proposals a reality is what truly makes this competition special. “Rather than working on ideas and just thinking about what we could do, with this competition we will actually be able move forward and show the students that they can make a difference. Often people talk about what we should do, or what the government should do, but there is no action. Showing students at a young age that they can make a difference will teach the next generation to be proactive and help them to take pride in our environment and become part of protecting it,” stated Hickerson.  

Today, several environmental Non-Governmental Organizations, Non-Profit organizations and initiatives active in the environmental sector, presented a collaborative support letter to the members of parliament for the implementation of the ban on single-use plastic bags, plastic straws and Styrofoam initiated by Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams. The organizations active in the environmental sector on St. Maarten would like to urge the members of parliament to vote in favor for the proposed legislation to ban single-use plastics in the upcoming public session of Parliament. Nature Foundations St. Maarten, Green initiatives SXM Collaboration, WasteFactory, Waste2Work Foundation, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean, Freegan Food Foundation, Green SXM, Greenbox, Spaceless Gardens and the St. Maarten Pride Foundation have collaboratively showed their support and are looking forward to hearing about a fruitful continuation to implement the single-use plastic ban.

“For several years, the Nature Foundation St. Maarten and along the way numerous other Foundations have joined the effort of encouraging residents and government to ban single-use plastics, due to the tremendous impacts on St. Maarten’s environment, nature and marine life. Recently, many Caribbean islands surrounding St. Maarten have already banned or announced to ban single-use plastics, however until today Sint Maarten stays behind. It is time to take steps to protect our environment and prevent further deterioration of our natural habitats and marine life due to littered single-use plastics. We hope our collaborative support in the legislation to ban single-use plastics will assist in a positive outcome and will lead to the first ban on several single-use plastic items on St. Maarten” stated Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern Manager of the Nature Foundation St. Maarten.

Single-use plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental catastrophes of this generation and these plastics are abundantly littered on St. Maarten. Single-use plastics are also a major contributor to the current situation at the Philipsburg landfill. According to research conducted by the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, a single-use plastic ban would reduce pollution on St. Maarten beaches by almost 50%. A ban on single-use plastic is needed in order to preserve the natural environment for the generations to come and preserve the health of our people.

“We hope that these signatures of the environmental non-profit organizations, together with the signatures of the general public, show the unwavering support of our community towards this ban” confirmed Nina Bijnsdorp Founder of the Green Initiatives Collaboration. Along the support letter, a recent update of the petition ‘Less Plastic, More SXM!’ to show your support towards banning single-use plastics on Sint Maarten, has been presented to parliament. As of today, a total of 6890 signatures are collected in support of the ban, the public can also still show their support by signing the petition online at https://www.change.org/p/less-plastic-more-sxm?fbclid=IwAR0FL3jt-Dpqrz7rSuPYjc_dbB-5–mtBQyvx9XwEzzuMaRJbmkYf8b6I1E

St. Maarten uses a remarkable amount of single-use plastics every day, as plastic bags are given for free for every purchased item and plastic straws with any drink. Also, takeout food in Styrofoam is normal and very popular, this also includes plastic cutlery. Nature Foundation calculated that Dutch St. Maarten alone uses more than 1.4 billion plastic straws a year; straws are used for a few minutes and last forever in the environment. A lot of our single-use plastics arrives in our environment due to littering and poor garbage disposal, ending up eventually in the ocean as wind and rain takes it there. Besides, St. Maarten just cannot handle this much single-use plastic waste, our dump is already overfull, a single-use plastic ban will reduce a large part of St. Maarten’s environmental problems.

Photo caption: Nina Bijnsdorp of the Green Initiative Collaboration and Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern of the Nature Foundation St. Maarten are presenting the collaborative support to ban single-use plastics to Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams.

TelEm Group in collaboration with the Nature Foundation are joining forces to increase public awareness about endangered coral reefs in surrounding St. Maarten waters.

The joint effort has seen the placement of special donation boxes at various TelEm Group locations along with public awareness flyers about the threat to coral reefs around the island and why steps should be taken to protect them.

It also features an SMS fundraiser hosted by TelEm Group and from which all funds raised will be donated to the Nature Foundation.

The public awareness campaign got under way, Monday, February 24, 2020, with the first of nine SMS questions related to coral reef preservation.

Campaign organizers say the questions will be broadcast every Monday and Friday for a month, but persons who want to donate directly can do so through the donation boxes that have been placed at all TelEm Group locations.

The campaign organizers say visitors from all around the world travel to St. Maarten to enjoy the island’s beautiful coral reefs while scuba diving or snorkeling, and say the same coral reefs cause our waters to be crystal clear, protect coastlines and provide a home for many different marine species.

“The economy of St Maarten depends on the tourist industry, however little attention is paid by government and residents to the health and importance of our coral reefs. If we do not have corals, many tourists will choose to enjoy their vacation somewhere else, causing large losses in income for St Maarten, loss of jobs and an average decrease in wealth and access to medical care, increasing poverty,” said the Nature Foundation in a release about its current public awareness campaign.

The foundation points to its own previous studies showing reefs contribute about USD$50 million to the St. Maarten economy annually, yet sadly they have been facing significant challenges despite the current protective legislation.

“Without coral reefs, St Maarten will be much more prone to storms and flooding’s, as waves will hit coastal neighborhoods with more force destroying vulnerable communities and housing. If we do not have coral reefs, local fish stocks will deplete, fishermen will be out of a job and the healthy protein fish sources will need to be imported from other islands, increasing poverty and decreasing the access to healthy food. Enough reasons to show the need to protect our coral reefs and increase awareness of this subject by locals, government and the youth, as currently common knowledge about coral reefs and especially their significance is far under average,” says the Nature Foundation.

TelEm Group customers and members of the public are being asked to give generously to the coral reef cause by helping to full the provided donations boxes with cash. Persons interested in donation can also do so by donating credit amounts via SMS Credit Transfer (CT). To donate between a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $200, please SMS to 6663 CT + 5299000 + (the amount you wish to donate). To donate $5 to save St. Maarten reefs, SMS CT 5299000 5.

In January 2020 researchers from the University of California and Smithsonian Institution, collaborated with the Nature Foundation St. Maarten to collect data about native reptile and amphibian species on St. Maarten. The scientists Michael L. Yuan and Jeffery H. Frederick are trying to understand critical differences between similar species and how their particular evolutionary paths deviated from neighboring populations could prove crucial in the protection of these species moving forward.

The islands of the Lesser Antilles, including St. Maarten serve as biodiversity hotspots within the Caribbean, known to host a great number of endemic species. This research is not only critical for understanding the history of these species, but in designing effective conservation strategies for the future. As climate change continues to threaten global biodiversity, learning to properly protect endemic species will become increasingly important.

 “Each island in the Lesser Antilles has been uniquely colonized by various species of Anolis lizards. Sint Maarten in particular is home to two species of Anolis lizards, A. gingivinus and A. pogus, the Anguilla and Bearded anole respectively. With its diverse habitat range, paired with the fact that the Anolis populations of the island are known to have a wide variety of colors and patterns which may be adaptive to their environment, St. Maarten provides the perfect research site to understand the link between genetic, cellular, and phenotypic characteristics with the environment” explained researcher Michael L. Yuan from the University of California, Berkeley. 

The researchers took a closer look at how Anolis, a genus of lizards, are evolving to match conditions within their specific habitats, specifically dry scrublands versus more temperate climates. The researchers also focused on how the geographical history of the Leeward islands impacted the genetic evolution of local reptile and amphibian populations. To compare the evolutionary history of the Lesser Antilles, three different groups were selected: Eleutherodactylus johnstonei (Antilles whistling frog), Thecadactylus geckos (turnip-tailed geckos), and two species of Sphaerodactylus geckos (least geckos). Each of these is widely distributed throughout the islands yet exhibit distinct historical lineages which should provide an interesting base for comparison.

In addition, invasive species were sampled, the Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) and the house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), to study their impacts on native populations as they are known to introduce diseases. Samples collected will provide insight into how these diseases impacted the evolution and spread of reptiles and amphibians throughout these islands.

Previously, the researchers completed a similar study on the island of Montserrat concerning A. lividus (Plymouth anole), as well the islands of Sint Eustatius, Saint Kitts, and Nevis inhabited by A. bimaculatus (Panther anole) and A. schwartzi (Schwartz’s anole). Here they were able to show a clear relationship between physical characteristics of the lizard and the habitat and climate

Understanding the differences between endemic populations could prove instrumental in designing conservation plans to protect these species in the future. For example, understanding the genetic structure of island populations can identify genetically unique lineages that may be of conservation interest. Finally, through understanding their evolutionary history and adaptation to local environments, researchers can predict how further changes in the environment may impact these populations.

Photo caption: A. gingivinus being measured and photographed (Nature Foundation St. Maarten)

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