Tropical Coastal and Marine Resource Management

This stream will provide students with the knowledge and skills in concepts, policies, tools and techniques necessary for fishery and coastal zone management, and with a clear appreciation of the transdisciplinary approach required to be either effective fishery and coastal zone managers or effective advisors and consultants to organisations whose activities impact on the coastal zone. Emphasis will be on Caribbean case studies, with ample opportunity for practical experience.


The four specialisation courses offered in this stream are:

ENVT 6122 Fisheries Biology and Management

This course reviews the global importance and state of fisheries production and examines the information, tools and strategies needed for assessment and management of fishery resources.  The course introduces students to biological assessment techniques suitable for tropical fishery resources, and provides an overview of current fishery management practice, needs and constraints. Emphasis is given to marine capture fisheries, tropical species and Caribbean case studies. The impacts of international agreements, the FAO Code of Conduct for Sustainable Fisheries and recent developments in ecosystem-based management are all considered in the context of fisheries management in the Caribbean.

Topics include: importance and state of world fishery resources, aquaculture and current management issues; traditional and genetic-based stock identification techniques; stock dynamics (growth, mortality, reproduction/recruitment rates of individuals and populations); introduction to yield prediction modeling and interpretation; framework of international law and voluntary guidelines; influence of NGOs and market demand (eco-labeling); prioritizing management goals; selecting management objectives and performance indicators; review of management tools for controlling catch and effort (quotas, gear restrictions, minimum size, limited entry, closed seasons, MPAs); implementation strategies (top-down and community-based approaches); policy direction in the Caribbean (climate change adaptation, ocean policy and MSP, blue economy).
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ENVT 6123 Sustainable Tourism in the Coastal Zone (course offered based on demand)

This course exposes students to the resources and experiences through which they will develop analytical and practical skills for the efficient management of natural and cultural resources as part of the tourism product. It looks at the emergence of sustainable tourism and its use as a strategy for both development and conservation. The course also critically assesses the elements of the tourism industry thereby evaluating possible directions for the future of sustainable tourism in the Caribbean.

Topics covered are: the historical development of tourism in the Caribbean; the social, economic and environmental impacts of tourism; the structure and sectors of the industry standards in the tourism  industry; community-based tourism; heritage tourism; sports tourism and sustainable tourism.

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ENVT 6126 Coastal Dynamics and Management

This course examines the dynamics of principally critical abiotic coastal resources of the Caribbean with emphasis on the physical processes that shape them, and the linkages and interactions among them.

Topics will include wind-generated waves and their properties, including refraction, diffraction, and reflection; coastal erosion, transport, deposition and resultant geomorphologic features; the sediment budget and beach stability; and a review of coastal management tools examining their advantages and disadvantages. These tools will include the use of water quality standards, coastal land use controls, coastal protection structures and approaches various approaches to integrated coastal zone management. (Go to Programme Overview)
 

 

ENVT 6127 Ecology and Management of Coral Reef Ecosystems

This course gives students the essentials of oceanography with a focus on the Caribbean. It then introduces students to the distribution, biology, ecology and dynamics of critical tropical coastal marine ecosystems (coral reefs, mangroves and seagrasses) with emphasis on the Caribbean and site visits to examples of these ecosystems in Barbados. The course will provide an understanding of the full suite of values and the key anthropogenic stressors of coral reefs and their associated ecosystems. 

This will include an overview of their current status and possible future scenarios.  Students will consider options for tackling global stressors and discuss appropriate mitigation measures to address specific local stressors including a review of the pros and cons of ecosystem restoration techniques and marine parks.

Students will be introduced to the ecosystem-based management approach, and will gain hands on experience with coral monitoring (rapid appraisal) and mangrove monitoring (long-term) and some of the complex issues of managing a multiple use marine park. 
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