P-1

Geographical range of the Long-nosed Bat meta populationof the ABC islandsImage credit: Google Earth

BREAKING NEWS: Dutch Caribbean Long-nosed Bats Now Recaptured in Venezuela

Editor’s Notes This month’s issue is all about migration. An ex-citing discovery in Venezuela of bats originally tagged on Aruba and Bonaire, confirms their long distance travel between our islands and the South American continent. In St. Maarten waters, Humpback Whales were tagged to gain insight in their migratory routes as a way to improve conservation strategies for these majestic marine mammals. Several Humpback Whales were fitted with satellite transmitters that provide a ‘live feed’ of the animal’s loca-tion. On St. Eustatius research efforts are be-ginning to shed more light on a very elusive bird species: The Bridled Quail-dove.

Welcome to BioNews

BioNews is a monthly

newsletter featuring recent

biodiversity research and

monitoring on and around

the six islands of the Dutch

Caribbean as well as an over-

view of recent publications,

current efforts and upcoming

events.

For any questions or

feedback, or if you would

like to make a contribution,

please contact us at

research@DCNAnature.org

Photo credits:

All photos courtesy of SHAPE Photography

& Brenda S. & R. Duncan Kirkby unless

otherwise credited.

Layout & Design: Robert Jan van Oosten.

15ISSUEAPRIL2014

This IssueBats Recaptured in Venezuela 1

Reports And Publications 2Monitoring Overview 3

Whale Tracking on St. Maarten 4Bridled Quail-dove on St. Eustatius 6

Reports And Publications 7Calendar 8

Bringing you the latest in research and monitoring

news from the Dutch CaribbeanBioNews

Dutch Caribbean Nature AllianceSafeguarding nature in the Dutch Caribbean

Exactly one year ago, researchers from STINA-

PA Bonaire’s Natural and Historic Resources

Unit recaptured a Long-nosed Bat (Leptonyct-

eris curasoae) on Bonaire originally tagged on

Curaçao, confirming that this species migrates

between the islands. Over the last year, Aruba

was added to the list when bats ringed on Bo-

naire were recaptured on Aruba. These recap-

tures demonstrated that there is a meta-pop-

ulation of Long-nosed Bats moving between

all three islands. Thanks to ongoing monitor-

ing of this nocturnal flying mammal by a team

of dedicated researchers, we now know that

these bats migrate as far as Venezuela.

In March 2014, three Long-nosed Bats tagged on Aruba and one on Bonaire were recaptured in Venezuela by a team of scientists, led by Dr. Jafet Nassar from the Venezuelan Institute for Scien-tific Research (IVIC). The recaptures took place close to the city of Coro in the state of Falcón in mainland Venezuela. This was the ‘missing piece of the puzzle’ of the migratory and long-distance movements of these amazing creatures. This exciting discovery is the product of more than five years of monitoring by STINAPA Bonaire, CARMABI, Fundacion Parke Nacional Arikok and IVIC. During this time, more than 6,000 individual bats were captured and tagged.

The Long-nosed Bat has an important ecologi-cal role on the ABC islands as a key pollinator species for several species of columnar cacti. This discovery adds to our understanding of mammalian ecology and the population dy-namics of this keystone species and could have significant implications for the management and conservation of bat populations on the Dutch Caribbean islands and abroad.

P-2

Long-nosed Bat hanging upside down from the ceiling of a cave in the Aruban Parke Nacional ArikokPhoto credit: Christian König

Below you will find an overview of the research work underway in the Dutch Caribbean in March 2014.

Category Subject Islands Organisation: Lead Scientist

Mammals Invasive Vervet Monkey survey SXM Nature Foundation: Etienne Lake

Mammals Bat species inventory SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Birds Pilot study of post-fledging survival of Yellow-shouldered Amazon Parrots BON Echo: Sam Williams

Crustaceans Assessment of discards and size-at-maturity of female lobsters SAB SCF: Jimmy van Rijn

Corals Growth and regeneration capacities of Staghorn corals in coral nurseries BON IMARES: Erik Meesters

Plants Statia Morning Glory habitat characteristics EUX STENAPA: Hannah MaddenVHL: Sheila de Leeuw

Plants Phenology study of Yellow-shouldered Amazon food tree species BON Echo: Sam Williams

Plants Seagrass beds assessment (extent, health impacts and threats) SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Invasives Invasive seagrass colonisation, productivity and herbivory by sea turtles in Lac Bay BON

STCB: Mabel NavaSTINAPA Bonaire: Sabine EngelVU: Tineke van Bussel

Invasives Possible suppression/eradication methods for the White Leadtree EUX STENAPA: Hannah MaddenVHL: Sheila de Leeuw

Geological Vulcanic vents assessment SAB ANU: Richard Arculas

Social Attitudes towards Lesser Antillean Iguana EUX STENAPA: Ian Docherty

Ecosystem research

Quantitative community/ecosystem (flora & fauna) population ecology assessment and neural network models SAB Adrian Delnevo

Don’t see your research or would you like to learn more about the projects on this list? Email us: research@DCNAnature.org

BioNews Issue 15 P-2

Research Overview

P-3BioNews Issue 15 P-3

Below you will find an overview of the monitoring programmes for which fieldwork took place on the islands in March 2014. Please check our website for a complete overview of all long-term monitoring programmes that are in place in the Dutch Caribbean (www.dcnanature.org/resources/research-monitoring)

Category Subject Islands Organisation: Lead Scientist

Mammals Marine mammal sightings1

BON,SAB, EUX, SXM

BON: Martin de GraafSCF: Kai WulfSTENAPA: Jessica BerkelNature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Mammals Whale tagging project SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio BervoetsRésèrve Naturelle de St. Martin

Mammals Bat abundance, distribution, reproduction and behaviour ARU, BON

FPNA: Indra ZaandamSTINAPA Bonaire: Fernando SimalCARMABI: Clifford de LannoyIVIC: Jafet Nassar

Birds Aruba National Bird Count 2014 ARU FPNA

Birds Terrestrial bird surveys according to habitat type BON Echo: Sam Williams

Birds Red-billed Tropicbirds diet composition SAB Adrian Delnevo SCF: Kai Wulf

Birds Red-billed Tropicbirds breeding success (and egg loss) SAB, EUX

Adrian Delnevo SCF: Kai Wulf STENAPA: Hannah Madden

Birds Flamingo abundance (monthly counts) BON DRO: Frank van Slobbe STINAPA Bonaire: Fernando Simal

Reptiles Sea turtle nesting and beach patrolARU, EUX, SXM

TurtugarubaSTENAPA: Jessica BerkelNature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Reptiles Sea turtle in-water surveys SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio BervoetsReptiles Sea turtle foraging grounds monitoring BON STCB: Mabel Nava

Reptiles Sea turtle sightingsBON, EUX, SXM

STCB: Mabel Nava STENAPA: Jessica Berkel Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Fish Fisheries landingsBON, SAB, EUX

IMARES: Martin de Graaf, Teun Boon, Erik Tichelaar (Bonaire)SCF: Jimmy van Rijn (Saba)LVV: Erik Boman (St. Eustatius)

Fish Shark tagging and migration SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio BervoetsFish Shark observations by divers SAB IMARES: Martin de Graaf & SeaSaba

Mollusks Queen Conch reproduction, distribution & abundance SAB, EUX

IMARES: Martin de Graaf SCF: Jimmy van Rijn LVV: Erik Boman (St. Eustatius)

Crustaceans Lobster reproduction SAB,EUX

IMARES: Martin de GraafSCF: Jimmy van RijnLVV: Erik Boman

Crustaceans Lobster larvae abundance SAB, EUX

IMARES: Martin de Graaf SCF: Jimmy van Rijn LVV: Erik Boman

Plants Reforestation project on Klein Bonaire BON STINAPA: Elsmarie Beukenboom

Plants Phenology study of cyclic activity columnar cacti and agave(associated with ongoing bat monitoring programme)

ARU, BON

FPNA: Indra Zaandam STINAPA Bonaire: Fernando Simal

Plants Phenology study of columnar cacti and native tree species on Bonaire BON STINAPA Bonaire: Paulo Bertuol & Fernando Simal

Plants Ongoing study of flora of Aruba, Bonaire and CuraçaoARU, BON, CUR

Naturalis/WUR: André van Proosdij

Terrestrial Biodiversity Habitat structure, composition, and diversity; remote and automated monitoring of invertebrates, mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles SAB Adrian Delnevo

SCF: Kai Wulf

Invasives Lionfish abundance

ARU, BON, CUR, SAB, EUX, SXM

STINAPA Bonaire: Ramon de Leon CARMABI: Mark Vermeij SCF: Jimmy van Rijn STENAPA Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

Environmental Water quality in Simpson Bay Lagoon and Great Bay and ponds SXM Nature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets with SLAC

Environmental Water quality sampling Mullet Bay, Oyster Bay, Little Bay SXM EPIC: Rueben Thompson

Environmental Cloud forest monitoring of variable environmental parameters on Mt. Scenery, Windwardside and Fort Bay SAB SCF: Tom van ’t Hof & Kai Wulf

Human impact Diver visitation

BON, SAB,EUX, SXM

STINAPA Bonaire: Ramon de LeonSCF: Kai WulfSTENAPANature Foundation: Tadzio Bervoets

1. As part of fisheries monitoring on Saba and St. Eustatius by Meike Scheidat and Martin de Graaf (IMARES).

Don’t see your monitoring programme or would you like to learn more about the projects on this list?

Email us: research@DCNAnature.org

Monitoring Overview

Would you like secure storage

and dynamic analysis for your

research and monitoring

data? Work with Alterra and

IMARES to develop a user-

friendly process for data

input, management and basic

analysis, including statistics,

graphics and maps, within the

Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity

Database (www.dcbd.nl).

P-4BioNews Issue 15

In 2008, the Regional Activity Centre of the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Protocol (SPAW-RAC) adopted a Marine Mammal Action Plan at their Conference of Parties, which rec-ommends the implementation of a cooperative strategy for conservation and management of marine mammals in the Caribbean. The aim of this plan is to facilitate the management of ma-rine mammal migration corridors and protected areas for marine wildlife populations common to several countries.

At the Second International Conference on Marine Mammal Protected Areas (ICMMPA) in 2011, the Dominican Republic, France for the Agoa Sanctuary, covering Guadeloupe, Mar-tinique, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, the Netherlands for the Dutch Caribbean islands, and the U.S.A. for the Stellwagen Bank Sanc-

tuary, demonstrated their commitment to this initiative, by establishing “twinning” partner-ships. In 2012 regional parties adopted a stan-dardised scientific protocol on observation and identification of marine mammals in the EEZ of the French Antillean islands, the Dutch Carib-bean islands and the British island of Anguilla. The sanctuaries of these collaborating govern-ments together make up an enormous area designated for the conservation and protection of marine mammals.

The first phase of the “Megara Project” took place between 24 March and 3 April 2014 in the waters of Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy and Anguilla. The St. Maarten Nature Foundation joined La Résèrve Naturelle de Saint-Martin, the conservation organisation for the Agoa Sanctu-ary, and its marine conservation partners for

P-4

The marine mammals in Dutch Caribbean waters, from the smaller dolphin species to the larger

Humpback Whales, have always received a lot of attention. Not so long ago the plan to desig-

nate the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) around Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten as a marine

mammal sanctuary was set in motion. However, little is still known about the exact migratory

routes species like the Humpback Whale use, or where these whales that frequent the waters

of the northern Lesser Antilles from January to June migrate to, or even why they come to our

waters. Other species, like the Sperm Whale, also frequent our waters, but are they the same

individuals that are seen in Guadeloupe and Dominica? And are these waters also used as a

nursery by Sperm Whales? These are some of the questions a ten-day scientific mission bap-

tised “Megara Project” hopes to answer.

Humpback Tagging Project in St. Maarten Watersby Tadzio Bervoets (Nature Foundation)

Humpback Whale mother with calf spotted in the waters around Saint-Martin.Photo credit: Megara Project

The Agoa Sanctuary The Agoa Sanctuary cov-ers the territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zones of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy and is a vast 138,000 km2. It was established in 2010 to reinforce the protection of emblem-atic yet threatened cetaceans, to sustainably manage their habitats and to ensure that they are considered in the development of human activities.

The Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic The Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic was established in its current form in 1996 and meas-ures around 25,000 km2. It encompasses not only the shallower calving and breeding grounds of the Silver Bank, Navidad Bank and Samana Bay, but also all of the deeper ocean waters between, which are heavily trav-elled migration routes for whales headed to other parts of the Caribbean.

P-5BioNews Issue 15

Humpback Whale on the Stellwagen BankPhoto credit: Kai Wulf

With the information from this project, the Na-ture Foundation and its partners will lobby for a whale sanctuary to be established in local waters. The research also suggests that whale-watching activities done under proper guide-lines may be a beneficial activity and help to boost the economy of St. Maarten.

P-5

the duration of the project. Argos marine trans-mitters were implanted into the fatty tissue of seven Humpback Whales which will allow sci-entists to follow their journey via satellite track-ing. Led by Mads Peter Heide-Jørgenson of the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, the project also included taking skin samples of the tagged Humpback Whales for DNA analy-sis. These samples will be analysed by Dr. Per J. Palsbøll at the Dutch University of Groningen to determine the sex and origin of each individual. The samples will be compared to a database of over 8,500 samples collected from animals in the Northern Atlantic. This may help to resolve speculation within the scientific community that local Humpback Whales migrate to Green-land or the coast of Norway.

The project also includes an exciting edu-cational component. The deployed satellite tags transmit real-time information on their location via satellites, so the public can fol-low the migratory path of the whales live on the internet (http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=979). At the time of writing, one Humpback Whale is travelling in northeastern direction towards the open At-lantic Ocean, one is travelling in northwestern direction towards Florida and one is currently residing in Barbudan waters. The remaining four stopped transmitting several days after deployment.

Geographical location of four Marine Mammal Sanctuaries in the northern Caribbean and western Atlantic.Image credit: Google Earth

The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctu-ary was established by US Congress in 1992. Measuring over 2,180 km2, the area is heavily used by maritime ship-ping and as a migratory route for several whale species. Close monitor-ing of marine mammals is necessary to prevent ship strikes and net entanglement and consists of visual and acoustic monitoring and tagging whales to better understand their behav-iour in the sanctuary and nearby waters.

The Dutch Caribbean Marine Mammal Sanctuary The Dutch Caribbean Marine Mammal Sanctu-ary will be officially established later this year. It encompasses the Exclusive Economic Zones of Dutch Caribbe-an Windward Islands and measures roughly 22,000 km2. It includes the well-known Saba Bank, which takes up 10% of the total area. Whales visit the area frequently on their migratory routes and the Saba Bank is thought to be a calving area for Humpback Whales due to its relatively shallow depth compared to the surrounding waters.

P-6

Bridled Quail-dove Research on St. Eustatiusby Catherine McLaughlin

BioNews Issue 15

Little is known about the Bridled Quail-dove. It is endemic to the Caribbean. Resident in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and parts of the Lesser Antilles, the species is considered uncommon to extremely rare throughout much of its range.

Due to their rareness, sightings of Bridled Quail-doves scurrying along the forest floor, bobbing rhythmically on a branch or showing off their rich rust coloured under-wing often cause such excitement that a study of their real abundance and distribution was called for.

Recent research on the Bridled Quail-dove has been conducted on St. Eustatius by STENAPA, under the leadership of Dr. Adrian Delnevo. The study aimed to use the dove’s habitat prefer-ences to determine their distribution. In combi-nation with abundance data from surveyed ar-eas, this was used to extrapolate the island wide population. Vegetation and topographic data were also collected and used to find predictors of Bridled Quail-dove abundance that could be used to inform management strategies. A total of 25 birds were observed throughout six weeks of field study, sometimes in such close succes-sion that was hard to verify them as indepen-dent sightings. This figure is worryingly small.

Given the rarity of sightings and general lack of information on this species, there are concerns that the population may be in decline.

This may be due to the presence of introduced predators. Cats and rats have frequently been linked to population crashes in other bird spe-cies as a result of predation on chicks and eggs. Cameras traps deployed in Bridled Quail-dove habitat have shown that cats are indeed present, and there is a noteworthy abundance of rats.

Habitat fragmentation may be limiting their range and hence population size of the bird. However, the limited knowledge of habitat pref-erences makes this hypothesis difficult to test. The extent of this problem is likely to be related to how specific the needs (such as dietary and

nesting preferences) of the Bridled Quail-dove are. There are records of them foraging through the leaf litter for fruits and seeds, however more extraordinary is an account of a bird consuming a gecko, suggesting their tastes may be quite di-verse. Information about their nesting preferenc-es is limited to a few accounts of individual birds.

Habitat change associated with Climate Change may be having an effect; the birds predominantly live in tropical dry forest, and where this forest type is undergoing climate-induced shrinkage, the remaining habitat may not be able to sup-port the entire population. Should temperature change cause phenological changes to the bird’s dietary components (for example, when the life-cycles of seasonally affected fruiting plants and their pollinators lose synchronicity as a result of temperature changes), food may become scarcer.

The preliminary study findings show that Bridled Quail-dove presence is best predicted by high percentage leaf litter, independent of tree spe-cies, and relatively smaller trees (low diameter at breast height). These habitat traits are found within crater of the Quill where the dove density was highest. Leaf litter is likely frequented by these ground-dwelling birds for the nourishing fruits and seeds hidden within. Management of the dry forest for the benefit of Bridled Quail-doves should support the maintenance, and possible enhancement, of tree density to sustain the canopy cover that yields a foraging leaf litter habitat.

P-6

The Bridled Quail-dove (Geotrygon mystacea) is member of the Columbidae, better- known members of which include the notorious city pigeon and the luminous white bird famed for having alerted Noah of improving weather conditions. Doves and pigeons are frequently con-fused and there are no concrete distinctions between the two, other than size perhaps. Bridled Quail-doves are more vibrant and beloved than their city-dwelling relatives and a further, more worrying difference is their abundance, or lack of it.

Bridled Quail-dove on St. EustatiusPhoto credit: Hannah Madden

Conservation Organisations ofthe Dutch Caribbean

ArubaFundacion ParkeNacional Arikoktel: +297-585-1234www.arubanationalpark.org

BonaireSTINAPA Bonairetel: +599-717-8444www.stinapa.org

BonaireSTCBtel: +599-717-2225www.bonaireturtles.org

BonaireEchotel. +599-701-1188www.echobonaire.org

CuraçaoCARMABItel: +599-9-462-4242www.carmabi.org

P-7BioNews Issue 15 P-7

List of Acronyms

ARU Aruba

BON Bonaire

CUR Curaçao

BON Bonaire

SAB Saba

EUX St. Eustatius (Statia)

SXM St. Maarten

ANU Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

CaMPAM Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Management

CARMABI Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

CIEE Council on International Educational Exchange

DCBD Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database

DCNA Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance

DRO Directorate of Spatial Planning and Development, Bonaire

EPIC Environmental Protection In the Caribbean, St. Maarten

EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone

FPNA Fundacion Parke Nacional Arikok

IMARES Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies

IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature

IMO International Maritime Organization

IVIC Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research

LVV Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries

Min EZ Ministry of Economic Affairs

NBC Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands

NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, The Netherlands

SCF Saba Conservation Foundation

SLAC Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation, St. Maarten

STCB Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire

STENAPA St. Eustatius National Parks

STINAPA Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire

TEEB The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity

UoS University of Sheffield, UK

VHL Van Hall Larenstein University, the Netherlands

VU Amsterdam University, the Netherlands

WIDECAST Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network

WKICS WolfsKater International Consultancy Services B.V.

WUR Wageningen University and Research Center, the Netherlands

Below you will find an overview of the reports and publications on biodiversity related subjects in the Dutch Caribbean that have recently been published. The listed publications can be downloaded from the Dutch Carib-bean Biodiversity Database (DCBD) - www.dcbd.nl/resources

Beek, I.J.M. van; Debrot, A.O.; Walker, P.A.; Kingma, I. (2014)Shark protection plan for the Dutch Caribbean EEZ. Wageningen IMARES Report no. C209/13 - p.104

Burg, W.J. van der; Freitas, J.A. de; Debrot, A.O. (2014) Seed germination methods for native Caribbean trees and shrubs: with emphasis on species relevant for Bonaire. Wageningen. Plant Research International Report no. 551 - p.60

Côté I.M.; Darling, E.S.; Malpica-Cruz, L.; Smith, N.S.; Green, S.J.; Curtis-Quick, J.; Layman, C. (2014) What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Wary? Effect of Repeated Culling on the Behaviour of an Invasive Predator. PLoS ONE 9(4): e94248. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0094248

Johnson, A.E.; Saunders, D.K. (2014) Time preferences and the management of coral reef fisheries. Ecological Economics 100: 130-139. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.01.004

Luksenburg, J.A. (2014) Prevalence of External Injuries in Small Cetaceans in Aruban Waters, Southern Caribbean. PLoS ONE 9(2): e88988. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088988

Meijer zu Schlochtern, M. (2014) Population status and reproductive biology of queen conch (Lobatus gigas) in the coastal waters around St Eustatius. MSc Thesis Report. p.69

Mueller, B.; Goeij, J.M. de; Vermeij, M.J.A.; Mulders, Y.; Ent, E. van der; Ribes, M.; Duyl, F.C. van (2014) Natural Diet of Coral-Excavating Sponges Consists Mainly of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC). PLoS ONE 9(2): e90152. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0090152

Smith, S.R.; Burg, W.J. van der; Debrot, A.O.; Buurt, G. van; Freitas, J.A. de (2014)Key elements towards a Joint Invasive Alien Species Strategy for the Dutch Caribbean. Wageningen IMARES Report no. C020/14. Plant Research International Report no. 550 - p.102

Reports and Publications Conservation Organisations of the Dutch Caribbean

CuraçaoStichting Uniek Curaçaotel: +599-9-462-8989 / 6632www.uniekcuracao.org

SabaSaba Conservation Foundationtel: +599-416-3295www.sabapark.org

St. EustatiusSTENAPAtel: +599-318-2884www.statiapark.org

St. MaartenNature Foundation tel: +721-544-4267www.naturefoundationsxm.org

St. MaartenEmilio Wilson Estate FDNtel: +1-721-524-1516www.sxmconservation-foundations.org/ewef

SABA CONSERVATIO

N

FOUNDATION

P-8

Conservation Organisations of the Dutch Caribbean

CuraçaoStichting Uniek Curaçaotel: +599-9-462-8989 / 6632www.uniekcuracao.org

SabaSaba Conservation Foundationtel: +599-416-3295www.sabapark.org

St. EustatiusSTENAPAtel: +599-318-2884www.statiapark.org

St. MaartenNature Foundation tel: +721-544-4267www.naturefoundationsxm.org

St. MaartenEmilio Wilson Estate FDNtel: +1-721-524-1516www.sxmconservation-foundations.org/ewef

SABA CONSERVATIO

N

FOUNDATION

BioNews Issue 15 P-8

DCNA Contact Information

Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance | Kaya Finlandia 10a | Kralendijk, Bonaire | Dutch Caribbean+599-717-5010 | info@DCNAnature.org | www.DCNAnature.org | www.DCNA .nl

DCNA’s activities are generously supported by the Dutch PostcodeLottery and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.BioNews is funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

If you do not wish to receive future issues of BioNews, or if you have suggestions of colleagues you would like us to add to our mailing list, please contact us on research@DCNAnature.org

More events to add to this

calendar? Please contact us-

and we will include them in

the next issue. April7 - 11 Symposium Mangrove Symposium. Annual Meeting of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society -

Mazatlan, Mexico

8 - 9 Meeting Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network (WIDECAST) annual meeting

9 - 12 Meeting 2nd Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Dialogue Seminar on Scaling up Finance for Biodiversity - Quito, Ecuador

10 - 17 Meeting 34th Annual International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation - New Orleans, Louisiana (USA)

21 – 25 Event STINAPA Bonaire Junior Rangers Exchange with Saba Conservation Foundation (Bird and fish monitoring) - Saba

23 - 24 Meeting UNEP-CEP Meeting on Scenarios for Transboundary Marine Mammal Management in the Wider Caribbean - San Juan, Puerto Rico

24 - 25 Event Opening of the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI) - St. Eustatius

28 Event Caribbean Endemic Bird Festival - St. Eustatius

28 - 8 Meeting 27th Meeting of the CITES Animals Committee, 21st Meeting of the CITES Plants Committee and Joint AC/PC Session - Veracruz, Mexico

May5 - 9 Workshop Wetland Education Workshop - Bonaire

6 - 7 Workshop Workshop "Towards the creation of a strategy for the control of lionfish in the Mesoamerican reef" -

Guatemala City, Guatemala.

6 - 9 Conference 33rd Session FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and Caribbean - Santiago de Chile, Chile

8 - 13 Meeting Capacity Building on Heritage Conservation in the Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) -

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

12 - 14 Workshop Workshop on "Invasive Alien Species management strategies" - Saint Martin

14 Conference World Coral Reef Conference - Manado, Indonesia

19 - 23 Meeting NetBiome CSA meeting - Canary Islands, Spain

26 - 30 Conference 39th Annual Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association - Mérida, Mexico

June2 - 6 Symposium 2nd Sharks International Symposium 2014 - Durban, South Africa

3 - 5 Meeting 7th Meeting of the Consultative Committee of Experts of the Inter-American Sea Turtle Convention (IAC) - Tampa, Florida

23 - 27 Meeting 18th Meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) - Montreal, Canada

JulyTBD Meeting SPAW Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting - Cuba

2 - 4 Conference 38th Annual Conference of the Society for Caribbean Studies - Glasgow, Scotland, UK

7 - 11 Meeting 65th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee - Geneva, Switzerland

August14 - 18 Congress Third International Marine Conservation Congress – “Making Marine Science Matter” - Glasgow, Scotland, UK

28 - 4 Conference Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) - Apia, Samoa

SeptemberTBD Meeting 11th Meeting of the Scientific Committee of the Inter-American Convention for the Protection of Sea Turtles - Lima, Peru

11 - 18 Meeting 65th Meeting of the International Whaling Commission - Portoroz, Slovenia

CalendarBioNews provides you with an overview of nature conservation and management related events coming up in

the next months.