What is a Species of Special Concern?

You've probably heard of Threatened or Endangered species, but there is another category- Species of Concern that aren't considered close enough to extinction for formal listing, but are in bad shape. In CNMI the Atuhong or Bumphead Parrotfish and Tangison or Humphead Wrasse are locally and federally considered Species of Concern. Although the Tangison is still seen around the islands, the Atuhong is becoming rarer and rarer and is currently being considered for Federal listing as either threatened or endangered. Learn more at the SOC website.

Journal of Micronesian Fishing

The Journal of Micronesian Fishing is a publication covering all aspects of the art of fishing in the region. The fifth issue features articles provided by European Union funded community-based conservation projects from Chuuk, Yap and Pohnpei. An independent article discusses the cultural and traditional uses of sea turtles in the Central Caroline islands. The current (and past) issues can be browsed online or downloaded in pdf format at www.micronesianfishing.com

WPCRI Announces Scholarship at University of Guam

The Western Pacific Coral Reef Institute (WPCRI) is a cooperative agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research and the University of Guam (UOG). We are pleased to announce the availability of scholarships to resident students wishing to study at UOG. As part of our capacity building effort, WPCRI will avail opportunities to combine sociocultural and traditional ecological knowledge with technical and scientific perspectives that will foster a stronger interest in natural resource management among local indigenous and other minority groups within the region. WPCRI anticipates issuing 7 scholarships based on a 16-credit semester to five (5) undergraduate and two (2) graduate students to cover the cost of tuition, fees, and books in the amount of up to $4,228 for undergraduate and $5,376 for graduate programs based on the availability of funds.

DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR SPRING 2011 IS DECEMBER 28, 2010. Please help spread the word.

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION at the UOG Financial Aid Website http://www.uog.edu/financialaid
For more information on WPCRI visit our website at http://www.uog.edu/wpcri

Sea Turtle Outreach Meeting

If you are interested in helping to provide outreach at local classes and environmental events, there will be a coordinating meeting at PMRI (next to Naked Fish on Beach Road) this Wednesday Nov. 24 at 1 pm. The group will work on the primary outreach message for the year and also share currently available resources along with coordinating outreach activities.

Importance of water conservation featured at next First Friday Films

Blue Gold: World Water Wars, a film about the conflicts arising from the world’s dwindling freshwater supply, premieres at the next “First Friday Films” at American Memorial Park Visitors Center on Nov. 5. At 6:30 p.m.

Blue Gold: World Water Wars, a film directed by Sam Bozzo, conceives how a seemingly plentiful natural resource, water, could actually spur war. The film examines how large corporations and private investors are buying territories where there are abundant supplies of water, and what everyday citizens can do to collect and conserve water. Blue gold makes a strong case for community awareness and action. It also highlights some success stories of water activists around the globe.

After the film, Derek Chambers, Division of Environmental, will discuss where our tap and drinking water come from on Saipan and highlight ways we can become better stewards of this precious resource. The Visitor’s Center lobby will also feature an exhibit about the declining supply of global freshwater and ways we can help conserve it.

For planning purposes, the movie runs about 90 minutes long. As always, “First Friday Films” is free and open to the public. Find more information at www.firstfridayfilmssaipan.blogspot.com. Subscribe to the blog for regular updates on upcoming events.

Sea Turtle Volunteer Program Meeting

There will be a sea turtle conservation volunteer meeting this Friday at 11:40. The meeting is open to anyone interested in helping sea turtle conservation in CNMI. The meeting will be at the Pacific Marine Resources Institute office next to Naked Fish Bar&Grill on Beach Road. Sandwiches and drinks will be provided or bring your own lunch-- its an informal meeting.

Sea Turtle Books Available for Local Schools

The Pacific Marine Resources Insitute is providing free copies of several sea turtle books to schools on Saipan, Tinian and Rota. The books are part of an effort to build educational capacity in support of the DLNR Sea Turtle Conservation Program and is funded through a contract with NOAA NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Please contact info@pacmares.com if you would like copies for your schools library. Contact the DLNR turtle program for in class presentations at 664-6026.

Watch, Learn, Discover!

In celebration of Environmental Awareness Month, the following films are scheduled to play for free at American Memorial Park Theater:

THE END OF THE LINE
Dates: April 22
Time: 5:30 p.m. (85 minutes)
Place: American Memorial Park Theater
Sponsored by the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance – MINA (minapacific.org)

THE END OF THE LINE delves beyond the surface of the seas to reveal a troubling truth beneath: an ocean increasingly empty of fish, destroyed by decades of overexploitation. Exploring the tragic collapse of the cod fishery in Newfoundland in the 1990s, the imminent extinction of the prized bluefin tuna, and the devastation wreaked by illegal catches and surpassed fishing quotas, the film uncovers the dark ecological story behind our love affair with fish as food.


The Lorax (a family film based on the book by Dr. Seuss)

Dates: April 19 and April 22
Time: 3 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. (30 minutes)
About “The Lorax”
The Lorax, one of the earliest environmentalists in children's literature, attempts to save trees from destruction by the Once-ler. Watch the Lorax fight for his cause in this animated feature, which also includes "Pontoffel Pock and His Magic Piano," about a piano-playing sprite who travels through space and time in a blink.


HOME
Dates: April 20 and 21
Time: 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. (120 minutes)
Place: American Memorial Park Theater

About “HOME”
Award-winning photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand directs this breathtaking ode to planet Earth, an aerial voyage that captures the interdependence of the world's ecosystems -- and the bruises left behind by human indifference. From the agricultural revolution to our ever-increasing reliance on oil, narrator Glenn Close examines the changes that have wreaked havoc on our home, urging viewers to preserve the Earth's remaining natural treasures.


For info: Lisa Eller, DEQ, 664-8500.

MMT gets a 'spot' on Google Ocean. Mariana Islands Biodiversity Survey (Guam), CNMI Sea Turtles (Tinian), and the CNMI MMT's Surveys (Rota) are now highlighted in the Google Ocean layer that is sponsored by the Deep Search Foundation (deepdeep.org). Each post is maked with a blue and white dot that pops up a bit of informatio about an ocean feature and links to related content. You can register to add your own content to the layer through the interface at www.thedeepness.org.

ihaggan.com - Mariana Islands Sea Turtles' Home on the Web

Sea Turtles of the Mariana Islands website launched. 'ihaggan.com' will now feature information about DLNR's Sea Turtle Program. The site will provide educational resources, information about the STP research activities and information about how you can help protect CNMI's sea turtles.

The United Nation's declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity- a celebration of the importance of the myriad species of plants and animals to the function of the earth's systems and their enrichment of our lives.

The United Nation's Convention on Biodiversity's site at:

http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome

Also check out the IUCN's Countdown 2010 website at:

http://www.countdown2010.net/year-biodiversity

The CNMI to Participate in its First Earth Hour

On March 27th at 8:30pm the Division of Environmental quality is encouraging CNMI residents and businesses to turn their lights off for one hour in support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) sponsored Earth Hour event that seeks to raise awareness and promote global action on climate change.

In 2007 the city of Sydney, Australia decided to take a stand against global climate change by turning off their lights for one hour. This was the beginning of what has become the largest world wide event calling for action on climate change: Earth Hour.

Since its beginnings in Sydney, Earth Hour has grown exponentially in its scope and world wide participation. In 2009, 4,159 cities, towns, and municipalities from 88 different countries participated in the event. 100s of millions of people turned out their lights in an effort to raise awareness and promote action on climate change. In 2010 we will add the CNMI to that voice.

Being an island nation, the CNMI will be amongst the countries most affected by climate change. Due to our low elevation, rising sea levels put out buildings, homes, and infrastructure at risk. Increasing ocean temperatures threaten the health of the coral reefs that we depend on for food, tourism, and recreation. Higher probabilities of large storms and droughts stand to greatly affect our local agriculture.

Participating in Earth Hour will help to raise local awareness about the risks and causes of climate change as well as add to the global effort to convince leaders world wide that the time for action on climate change is now.

WWF and its local DEQ partners ask for community support to help spread the word about Earth Hour and to turn lights off between 8:30pm and 9:30pm on Saturday March 27th. More information can be found at earthhour.org or at our local CNMI website: earth-hour-northern-mariana-islands.blogspot.com

For more information about Earth Hour:
Aric Bickel, DEQ Saipan, 664-8513

Carnival of the Blue 34

Carnival of the Blue 34 is now posted at Southern Fried Science.

Carnival of the blue is a rotating monthly compilation of the "best of" ocean blogging, bringing together ocean bloggers and readers and (hopefully) using new media to build a virtual community of ocean lovers. The Carnival lives on the blogs of community members and you can visit Carnival of the Blue headquarters for links to all the carnivals since ever since.