About This Project

In a first for the island, a locally-led initiative will survey Montserrat's marine environment, to identify the presence/diversity of megafauna. While some monitoring of Montserrat's marine biodiversity has been carried out via fisheries landing surveys, information is limited, due to a lack of affordable tools and locally based scientific expertise. Using low-cost tools and cutting-edge analysis we aim to gather baseline data cost-effectively to inform ocean management.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

The fundamental question to be tested is whether Montserrat can use a range of new technologies and cutting-edge analysis to gather baseline data in a cost-effective way to inform local ocean management. Timely research, as the UK Blue Belt Programme is currently working to improve scientific understanding of the marine environment and ensure management is sustainable and long-term (Cefas, UK). Yet, according to Mongabay, one of the top reasons that many conservation-focused projects fail is the lack of buy-in from local people. Engagement with the community is crucial to ensuring that our project has an impact and supports an equitable Caribbean Blue Economy.

What is the significance of this project?

This project aims to establish a collaborative, community-led, Marine Megafauna Monitoring project on Montserrat, harnessing the opportunities afforded by new ocean monitoring technologies. The project will work alongside other marine stakeholders to gather baseline data on the diversity and abundance of megafauna in Montserratian waters. The information collected will enable the Government of Montserrat to fulfill its commitments under international agreements and support the development of local plans and policies. Crucially, our project will help to empower Montserratians to take the lead in exploring and protecting their marine environment, ushering in an inclusive and equitable future for ocean exploration and research on Montserrat.

What are the goals of the project?

Our project’s overarching goal is to assess how new technologies, deployed by local people, can improve our understanding of Montserrat’s marine ecosystem, and share what we learn with our community. The project will use a combination of remote underwater video systems and environmental DNA (‘eDNA’) analysis to survey at least 16 sites in representative habitats surrounding the island and construct a baseline of megafauna diversity and abundance. As part of these surveys, we will trial the use of a new low-cost deep-water ocean monitoring camera (Maka Niu) which has the potential to greatly improve access to ocean monitoring technologies on islands like ours. There will be hands-on training, exhibitions, and events to showcase our results for sharing best practices.