Judith Gobin

Interdisciplinary research is paramount to addressing ocean sustainability challenges in the 21st century. However, women leaders have been underrepresented in interdisciplinary marine research, and there is little guidance on how to achieve the conditions that will lead to an increased proportion of women scientists in positions of leadership. Her...

Full book here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375039371_Grenada_National_Ecosystem_Assessment_2023

National ecosystem assessments (NEAs) collate and synthesise current knowledge on the status, trends and threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services in target countries. These assessments also provide information on the economic, social and intrinsic value of those ecosystems and ecosystem services for use in national and local level decision ma...

Ocean Census is a new Large-Scale Strategic Science Mission aimed at accelerating the discovery and description of marine species. This mission addresses the knowledge gap of the diversity and distribution of marine life whereby of an estimated 1 million to 2 million species of marine life between 75% to 90% remain undescribed to date. Without impr...

Diverse and inclusive marine research is paramount to addressing ocean sustainability challenges in the 21st century, as envisioned by the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Despite increasing efforts to diversify ocean science, women continue to face barriers at various stages of their career, which inhibits their progression...

Nature Ocean Sustainability

The deep ocean is the largest ecosystem on the planet, constituting greater than 90% of all habitable space. Over three-quarters of countries globally have deep ocean within their Exclusive Economic Zones. While maintaining deep-ocean function is key to ensuring planetary health, deficiencies in knowledge and governance, as well as inequitable glob...

Few States are able to undertake scientific research in the half of the planet that lies in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. Capacity building is therefore a key part of the development of a new international legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdi...

Plastic pollution is one of several anthropogenic stressors putting pressure on ecosystems of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME). A ‘Clean Ocean’ is one of the ambitious goals of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. If this is to be realized, it is imperative to build upon the work of the previous de...

Growing human activity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) is driving increasing impacts on the biodiversity of this vast area of the ocean. As a result, the United Nations General Assembly committed to convening a series of intergovernmental conferences (IGCs) to develop an international legally-binding instrument (ILBI) for the conservat...

Biogenic reefs and sandy, muddy and rocky shores support high biodiversity and a wide range of ecosystem services that benefit human populations. They are under pressure from multiple stressors as a result of climate change, urbanization and the use of resources; storms, land reclamation, contaminants and pollutants have emerged as the main drivers...

Biological collections are fundamental to marine scientific research and understanding of biodiversity at various scales. Despite their key importance, sample collections and the institutes that house them are often underfunded and receive comparatively little attention in the discussions associated with global biodiversity agreements. Furthermore,...

Scientific and technological capacity has emerged as a key focus in the development of a new international legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ agreement), under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Promoting scien...

Aim: We evaluated whether patterns of species diversity (α, β and γ) of rocky shore assemblages followed latitudinal gradients (i.e. LDGs) along the South American coasts, and tested hypotheses related to potential processes sustaining or disrupting the expected LDG pattern at various spatial scales. Location: Coasts of South America. Taxon: Macroa...

There is a global lack of data concerning shark consumption trends, consumer attitudes, and public knowledge regarding sharks. This is the case in Trinidad and Tobago, where shark is a popular culinary delicacy. A Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) survey was conducted in Trinidad and Tobago. Six hundred and seven questionnaires were adminis...

Description World Seas: An Environmental Evaluation, Second Edition, Volume One: Europe, The Americas and West Africa provides a comprehensive review of the environmental condition of the seas of Europe, the Americas and West Africa. Each chapter is written by experts in the field who provide historical overviews in environmental terms, current en...

Exploration of the deep ocean (>200 m) is taking on added importance as human development encroaches. Despite increasing oil and natural gas exploration and exploitation, the deep ocean of Trinidad and Tobago is almost entirely unknown. The only scientific team to image the deep seafloor within the Trinidad and Tobago Exclusive Economic Zone was fr...

The barnacle Megabalanus zebra is largely known from ship hulls, with little information on its biology, ecology, and natural range. We identify M. zebra here from the southern Caribbean, based upon specimens collected as early as 2002. Challenges associated with identifying megabalinine species have delayed recognition of this species as distinct...

The industrialization of the deep sea is expanding worldwide. Increasing oil and gas exploration activities in the absence of sufficient baseline data in deep-sea ecosystems has made environmental management challenging. Here, we review the types of activities that are associated with global offshore oil and gas development in water depths over 200...

Due to climate change impacts and the resulting sea-level rise, saline waters have been found further inland in tropical riverine estuaries such as the Godineau wetland, Trinidad. The saline water intrusion could constrain mangrove vegetation distribution. We investigated the surface water quality of two river channels (2 km and 6 km), emanating fr...

Although initially viewed as oases within a barren deep ocean, hydrothermal vents and methane seep chemosynthetic communities are now recognized to interact with surrounding ecosystems on the sea floor and in the water column, and to affect global geochemical cycles. The importance of understanding these interactions is growing as the potential ris...

The twin island state of Trinidad and Tobago is the Caribbean's southern-most island state located between 10 0 to 11 0 North latitude and 60 0 to 61 0 West longitude. Like most of the Caribbean small-island states, Trinidad and Tobago's coastal waters are an economically important natural resource and at the same time, a vulnerable one. Trinidad a...

Marine Benthos: Biology, Ecosystem Functions and Environmental Impact is a book dedicated to show a series of case studies about how benthic habitats are organized and how they function as a tool for any environmental impact studies. The present book documents how the natural condition of these communities is and aims to expand our present knowledg...

Rocky shores are areas of high diversity and productivity providing goods and services. Since humans are altering nature at an unprecedented rate, producing shifts in important parameters for life such as temperature, habitat availability, water quality, among others, it is expected that species will respond by changing their natural distributions...

The consequences of global climate change present particular challenges to coastal inhabitants and their communities, where nearly one-half of the world's population lives. These consequences include storm surge, flooding, and erosion from more frequent severe coastal storms, and rising seas. This chapter describes an international Canadian–Caribbe...

The seafloor in the southern Lesser Antilles island arc is an area of active volcanism, cold seeps, and mud volcanoes (Figure 1). The Caribbean’s most active submarine volcano, Kick’em Jenny (KEJ), lying only 190 m below the surface, last erupted in 2001. The seafloor near Trinidad and Tobago hosts an extensive province of mud volcanoes and colds...

Introduction: As the frequency of natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes, earthquakes, and tornadoes) has increased, climate change issues have been brought to the forefront, highlighting infrastructure deficiencies. Climate change and adverse environmental issues are noticed globally; and, the accumulating health impact will have profound effects on f...

Dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may pose serious threats to human health. However, within the Caribbean, quantitative assessments regarding the risks associated with dietary PAH exposure remain sparse. This study investigated PAH presence in edible biota from the Caroni Swamp and quantitatively assessed the potential hea...

Mangrove ecosystems are widely distributed in the Caribbean Region, covering c. 2.4 million hectares. They provide numerous ecosystem services, notably they act as nursery grounds for many marine and terrestrial animals, prevent coastal erosion, and act as carbon sinks. Mangrove trees have developed a range of morphological and physiological adapta...

During a major flood in a large river, extremely large volumes of fresh water and sediment can be delivered to near shore areas and the coastal zone. Annual sediment load in the Caribbean is estimated at 109 tons per year, which is approximately 12% of the global sediment input from rivers. The riverine inputs bring a combination of freshwater and...

Metals can have significant impacts on inhabitants of mangrove swamps as well as consumers of mangrove-associated fauna. Yet, for several Caribbean islands, assessments regarding the impact of metals on such ecosystems are particularly sparse. The present study investigated the distribution and potential impact of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the C...

Invasion of sedge in the wetlands of Trinidad is causing an increase in wetland dry season fires and a reduction in coastal pasture, adversely affecting the livelihoods of people living and working in the wetlands. The purpose of our research was to determine if soil properties and water quality could help to explain why the area of sedge is expand...

Gastropod assemblages from nearshore rocky habitats were studied over large spatial scales to (1) describe broad-scale patterns in assemblage composition, including patterns by feeding modes, (2) identify latitudinal pattern of biodiversity, i.e., richness and abundance of gastropods and/or regional hotspots, and (3) identify potential environmenta...

Beaches are frequently subjected to erosion and accretion that are influenced by coastal development interventions and natural variations due to storms and changes in river flow. Climate change may also exacerbate beach erosion and accretion. Natural scientists are concerned with the sustainability of species dependent on the beach ecosystem. Polic...

The twin-island state of Trinidad and Tobago has a thriving yachting industry with numbers of leisure craft having increased 10-fold from 1980 to 2000. Being geographically outside of the hurricane belt, the islands offer a prime hurricane Caribbean shelter with excellent boating and repair facilities. The Chaguaramas coastline (on the north-west p...

Invasive species are often characterised by the introduction of low numbers of individuals and a small genetic pool which could give rise to a population with a lower genetic diversity than the original population. Perna viridis was first reported on the west coast of Trinidad in 1990 in the Point Lisas Industrial estate. They may have been first i...

Wetlands rank amongst the most highly productive ecosystems in the world. They provide several important ecosystem services and are vital to human well-being. However, these ecosystems are facing anthropogenic degradation as a result of the entry of pollutants such as hydrocarbons. Currently, a knowledge gap exists regarding the status of tropical...

Wetlands across the world are currently being degraded as a result of the entry of chemical contaminants into these systems. These contaminants are capable of adversely affecting ecosystem health and the well-being of humans that are dependent upon wetland resources. This study focused on the Caroni Swamp; the second largest wetland in Trinidad and...

Genetic variation can be used to determine routes of introduction of non-native species and whether introduced populations lost variation during establishment. The present study sought to determine whether multiple, geographically isolated non-native populations of the green mussel, Perna viridis, were the product of a stepping stone expansion of a...

This study is aimed to be carried out in most countries of the entire South American continent. As of today, scientists from Colombia (Pacific coast), Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Ecuador and Chile have agreed to participate in this project.

Wetland ecosystems provide a range of important ecosystem services, including provisioning, regulating and cultural services. Globally wetlands have come under increasing anthropogenic pressure, and many need to be restored. An important component of this is understanding the relationship between soils and plant zonation in tropical wetlands. The e...

Assemblages associated with intertidal rocky shores were examined for large scale distribution patterns with specific emphasis on identifying latitudinal trends of species richness and taxonomic distinctiveness. Seventy-two sites distributed around the globe were evaluated following the standardized sampling protocol of the Census of Marine Life Na...

This paper provides an analysis of the distribution patterns of marine biodiversity and summarizes the major activities of the Census of Marine Life program in the Caribbean region. The coastal Caribbean region is a large marine ecosystem (LME) characterized by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses, but including other environments, such as sandy...

Diversity, state of knowledge, and expertise of all taxonomic groups within the Caribbean region. Sources of the reports: databases, scientific literature, books, field guides, technical reports. State of knowledge classified as: 5 = very well known (>80% described, identification guides <20 years old, and current taxonomic expertise); 4 = well kno...

List of zooxanthelate coral (Scleractinia) species of the Caribbean and countries by ecoregion where the species have been reported. Data compiled by Ernesto Weil, Jorge Cortés, and Carolina Bastidas. (0.03 MB XLS)

List of polychaete (Polychaeta) species of the Caribbean and countries by ecoregion where the species have been reported. Data compiled by Judith Gobin. (0.11 MB XLS)

List of echinoderm (Echinodermata) species of the Caribbean and countries by ecoregion where the species have been reported. Data compiled by Juan José Alvarado. (0.10 MB XLS)

Summary of free-living and symbiont clades of Symbiodinium spp. sampled in the Caribbean. (0.16 MB DOC)

List of sponge (Porifera) species of the Caribbean and countries by ecoregion where the species have been reported. Data compiled by Cristina Díaz. (0.12 MB XLS)

List of mollusk (Mollusca) species of the Caribbean and countries by ecoregion where the species have been reported. Data compiled by Juan Manuel Díaz and Patricia Miloslavich. (0.57 MB XLS)

List of amphipod (Amphipoda) species of the Caribbean and countries by ecoregion where the species have been reported. (0.08 MB XLS)

As part of a larger comparative study, marine polychaete hard-bottom assemblages were surveyed using artificial substrate units (ASUs) deployed at four sites off the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The polychaete fauna was represented by 19 families comprising 89 species. The syllid Exogone dispar was the most abundant polychaete followed closely b...

Article on pages 36-51

The UN's Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) targeted coastal wetlands as environments that "are experiencing some of the most rapid degradation and loss worldwide". Mangrove wetlands are important because they provide a buffer, protecting vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems from rising sea levels and storm tides (Ewel et al., 1998). In Tri...

As part of a larger comparative study, marine nematode hard-bottom assemblages from Trinidad and Tobago were surveyed using artificial substrates. The collectors (nylon pan scourers) were used as a standard substratum for the colonization by marine nematodes inhabiting subtidal hard, rocky bottom substrata. The artificial substrate units (ASUs) wer...

The aim of this study was to determine if marine species diversity was influenced by geographical location and whether it was higher at lower latitudes. Artificial collectors (made of nylon pan scourers) were employed as a standard substratum for the colonisation of marine invertebrates inhabiting subtidal (12 to 15 m) hard, rocky bottom substrata....

All the islands of the Lesser Antilles have coasts that border on both the tropical western Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea. Major sills in the passages between these islands control water flow into the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. Horizontal motion below the average sill depth of the Antillean Arc (1200 m) is almost stagnant. These island...

In the interests of nomenclatural stability it is proposed that Johnstonia Quatrefages. 1866 (Polychaeta, Maldanidae) be conserved relative to its senior homonym Johnstonia Quatrefages, 1849 (Polychaeta, Nereidae) and its coexistent junior homonym Johnstonia Basir, 1956 (Nematoda, Thelastomatidae). Type material of all species previously assigned t...

Macrobenthic species abundances and biomasses were determined at 31 stations from Pointe-a-Pierre to La Brea, Trinidad. This area is subject to chronic natural oil seepage and spillage from oil production activities. Multivariate analysis was used to define those environmental variables which best explained community composition. The deeper sites w...

A comparison of the community structure of the macrobenthos and meiobenthos at six stations in Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda showed that the two components were affected differently by environmental disturbance. Univariate statistical analysis of the macrofauna species data gave clear indications of disturbance at two stations, which did not relate to...