Episode 4 of the Our Shared Ocean podcast journeys to Haiti to discuss a vital initiative from Quisqueya University and the Haiti Ocean Project who are building a citizen science and engagement programme in the least developed country in the western hemisphere against the backdrop of continued political instability. These conditions, coupled with a growing population, have taken their toll on the surrounding environment, resulting in degradation and stress on already scarce natural resources. The coastal and marine environment, in particular, is experiencing a wide range of challenges including, overfishing, mangrove harvesting, solid waste & sea turtle exploitation.

We meet Alexandra Pierre an Engineer studying for a PhD in geography and climate change; Jaime Aquino, founder of the Haiti Ocean Project and Francklin Barbier, a volunteer from Petite Riviere de Nippes, a small coastal fishing village in the Nippes Department, to discuss the “Haiti Citizen Science Sea Project” based in Île-à-Vache Natural National Park (IAV-NNP) and the Baradère-Cayemites Marine Protected Area (MPA) both located in the South Peninsula of Haiti. Their project aims to protect sensitive ecosystems & emblematic species and strengthen the overall management and local governance of marine protected areas in Haiti and the Caribbean. It’s a bottom-up approach focussing on working with community leaders, coastal communities, youths and fishers to convey the importance of marine conservation and biodiversity.

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