- Project Leader on the Best 2.0 medium grant awarded project 2016-2019 (value c.450,000 USD) entitled “Saving the sea turtles of Anguilla: combining community action with scientific evidence to drive legislative change“. This project is in partnership with the Anguilla National Trust and the University of Roehampton. Currently in Anguilla there is a moratorium protecting all species of sea turtle from harvest which is due to end in 2020. It is crucial that before this date is reached thorough research is conducted to assess populations around the island (both nesting and foraging) to be able to properly inform future management. The project will conduct in-water foraging population surveys and on land nesting beach surveys to attain this information, combined with the deployment of satellite tags to track their movement and provide insights into life history aspects. The project will also trial turtle ecotourism tours using existing experienced islanders, while providing training to interested unqualified individuals. Training will also be provided to ensure all staff members are able to continue all aspects of this project after its three year duration is complete, with outreach and qualitative studies to educate local residents and ensure anthropogenic considerations have been fully accounted for.
- Project Leader on the Darwin Initiative grant awarded project 2017-2020 (value c.360,000 USD) entitled “Pioneering a new model of marine park management in Anguilla“. This project is in partnership with the Anguilla National Trust and Flora and Fauna International. Backed by recommendations made by a recently developed management plan for Anguilla’s Marine Park System, this project aims to bring a new style of management to the marine parks here by fully integrating terrestrial, coastal and marine resource management. As a number of the marine parks around Anguilla contain or are bordered by privately owned land to accomplish this land owner support and understanding is essential. Prior to submitting the project proposal this support was gained, and with funding secured this new model can now be tested, with Prickly Pear Cays Marine Park as the focus area. This area was especially important to focus on as the Anguilla National Trust have recently introduced Lesser Antillean Iguanas (Iguana delicatissima) there to protect them from the invasive Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) dominating mainland areas. The aim for the terrestrial side of this project is to a conduct full biodiversity assessment of these two offshore cays and to eradicate the invasive Black Rat (Rattus rattus) and allow this biodiversity to flourish. In-water work will involve full a full biodiversity assessment also along with the installation of vessel moorings and park marker buoys to demarcate the area. This will all be complimented by new legislation proposed by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, recently accepted by Executive Council and awaiting drafts this year.
- Project Partner on the Darwin Initiative grant awarded project 2017-2020 (value c.275,000 USD) entitled “Regional collaboration to achieve sustainable Caribbean fisheries management“. This project if being lead by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (UK), and will be conducted on Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks & Caicos Islands. In terms of Anguilla, the project will set out to conduct a full assessment of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery, including offshore benthic habitat assessments and socio-economic analysis. This work has never been conducted on island before and is essential due to concerns that exist regarding this fisheries sustainability.