Episode 7 of the Our Shared Ocean podcast heads into the atmosphere above and below the Caribbean via Maynooth & Bermuda to hear about the implications of a changing climate for storm frequency and intensity. Are we getting more storms, are they getting worse and how exactly do we know? This discussion is relevant to islanders and coastal communities all over the world.

Dr. Samantha Hallam from the Irish Climate Analysis Research Unit (ICARUS), Research Assistant Randy Aird and Professor of Environmental Geography from the University of the West Indies, Donovan Campbell joined me in the studio to discuss their Our Shared Ocean funded project.

TOPIM is an ocean-coupled dynamical and statistical model for tropical cyclone intensity prediction that already has proof of concept from Bermuda and the team hope that its success in predicating storm intensity has regional implications. The team will co-develop the TOPIM model for the wider Caribbean in partnership with the University of the West Indies and deliver a state-of-the-art model that can feed into weather and climate adaptation.

However, perhaps the biggest threat to the Caribbean is an existing structural marginalisation and the narrowing solution space as temperatures rise.

--

Are you a Marine Scientist or student based in a Small Island Developing State. Would you like to tell us about your research?

Visit www.oursharedocean.ie to learn more and remember to subscribe rate and review on YouTube or your favourite podcast platform.

The Our Shared Ocean Podcast is a funding initiative by the Government of Ireland through Irish Aid and managed by the Marine Institute.

In Episode 6 of the Our Shared Ocean podcast we learn how the coral reefs of Guam are among the most diverse in the world with over 5,600 marine species identified to date including coral, algae, fishes, molluscs and more. Its international waters are also home to the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world’s ocean.

Dr. Peter Houk from the University of Guam Marine Laboratory tells us about life in Micronesia and the issues that are threatening the abundance and distribution of some of the regions’ most iconic coral reefs including rising sea temperatures, altered community dynamics, pollution and the dreaded Crown of Thorns Starfish! We learn about his applied research on the biology of tropical marine organisms, with emphasis on the conservation and development of marine resources of the near-shore waters of Guam and Micronesia.

On a small remote island where all your neighbours are small and remote islands in a large ocean space it is vital that monitoring programs are well co-ordinated and that data observations are available in real-time via low-cost sensors. With this information you can automate the scientific process to inform policy in real-time and improve coral-reef resilience. Peter tells us how and why.

--

Are you a Marine Scientist or student based in a Small Island Developing State. Would you like to tell us about your research?

Visit www.oursharedocean.ie to learn more and remember to subscribe rate and review on YouTube or your favourite podcast platform.

The Our Shared Ocean Podcast is a funding initiative by the Government of Ireland through Irish Aid and managed by the Marine Institute.

Episode 5 of the Our Shared Ocean podcast brings global expertise in oceanography, engineering and marine biology together, to discuss the use of ecosystem-based adaptation and digital sensing technologies to enhance climate resilience and empower coastal communities in Jamaica and with implications across the Caribbean.

The multi-disciplinary ‘CLIMATESCAN’ team recognise the vulnerability of all islands to climate hazards including sea-level rise, coastal erosion, storms, flooding, and saltwater intrusion. Project-lead, Dr. Salem Gharbia is the Head of Environmental Science at Atlantic Technological University, Sligo and an internationally recognised expert on climate resilience and Environmental monitoring and modelling. Dr. Deborah Villarroel-Lamb is a lecturer at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago specializing in the numerical and physical modelling of coastal engineering processes, including ocean hydrodynamics. Her current research focusses on improving the design of nature-based solutions to promote sustainable approaches to coastal protection and advance the climate resilience goals of the Caribbean region. Finally, Dr. Camilo Trench is a Marine Biologist, Lecturer and Coordinator at the University of the West Indies’ Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory. Where he has spent over fifteen years studying mangrove rehabilitation in Jamaica including the restoration of over 50 hectares of mangrove forests.