Marine Environment
Endangered hawksbill turtle saved from poachers
(CNS): A large, critically endangered hawksbill turtle was found tied up on an undisclosed beach Sunday and rescued from poachers by DoE conservation officers and the RCIPS. The turtle was still alive when found, and thanks to the fast response of the rescuers, she was released back to sea after a health assessment.
No easy fixes for giant sargassum ‘blob’
(CNS): Dubbed the ‘great blob’, the ever-increasing sargassum belt that circulates in the Atlantic has grown to more than 5,500 miles across and is currently moving through our region. Government officials are warning that the belt is likely to wash ashore in the Cayman Islands again this year. But there is no easy fix. Officials […]
Hawksbill nest ends longest recorded turtle season
(CNS): The 2022 sea turtle nesting season has broken yet another record after the final group of baby turtles emerged from their long incubation on 22 February, almost 11 months after the first early nest was recorded in March last year. 2022 also saw the most nests counted in any season since records began. The […]
Little Cayman deep reefs help in adaption study
(CNS): Researchers at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute are involved in an important study about how coral can adapt to climate change. A team of scientists is seeking answers by studying the corals living down to 50m on the reef walls of Little Cayman. CCMI is partnering with the University of Haifa, Israel, where researchers […]
Turtle nests in Cayman reach decade high
(CNS): The Department of Environment recorded more turtle nests in 2022 than any single year over the last decade. A total of 858 nest were counted, 169 more than the previous high in 2017, when there were 689 nests. The increase resulted from a steep rise in the number of green turtle nests, which topped […]
Hurricane season ends and lobster season begins
(CNS): The first day of December is not only the start of the Christmas season, it is also the end of the six-month hurricane season and the beginning of the short lobster season. But the Department of Environment is reminding people as they look forward to the popular shellfish feast there are still limits on […]
Dart advised to ‘retreat’ as it cleans up Royal Palms
(CNS): There was great consternation within the community last week after people saw boulders dropped into the ocean at the Royal Palms site, as well as the appearance of screens and heavy equipment on the beach. But although Dart, which owns the site, had failed to make any public announcement of the intended clean-up operation […]
Conch season ahead but restrictions remain
(CNS): The local conch season opens next Tuesday but officials from the Department of Environment are reminding people that restrictions remain in place limiting the catch and where conch can be taken. Marine Park rules and boundaries remain in full effect at all times and no conch may be taken from within the Marine Reserve […]
Entangled nurse shark in need of help
(CNS): The Department of Environment is asking the diving and snorkelling community to look out for a nurse shark that became entangled in a thick mesh bag which found its way into the sea. The DoE team said they are already doing their best to locate and assist the shark but so far they have […]
7MB erosion worsens after Ian batters structures
(CNS): The passage of Hurricane Ian this week has revealed the seriousness of the erosion problems on Seven Mile Beach and how seawalls and hard structures, far from solving the problem, are making matters worse. In some places where there are no hard structures on the dynamic beach, the ocean delivered new deposits of sand. […]
Potential glacier collapse would fuel major sea level rise
(CNS): The potential collapse of the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the “doomsday glacier”, could cause the sea to rise by as much as ten feet, scientists are warning. The glacier, which is the size of Florida, could wreak havoc if it falls into the ocean and researchers now say it is hanging on by […]
