easygrants id: 18741 national fish and wildlife foundation

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Easygrants ID: 18741 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation NFWF/Legacy Grant Project ID: 2009-0057-903

Coral Program Directed Projects Summer 2009 - Submit Final Programmatic Report - Basic

Grantee Organization: United Nations Environmental Program - World Conservation Monitoring Center

Project Title: Coral Reef Investigation Workshop in Guam

Project Period 05/31/2009 - 12/31/2010

Award Amount $59,628.00

Matching Contributions $

Project Location Description (from Proposal)

Project Summary (from Proposal) Hold a regional field-based training workshop in Guam for resource

managers and enforcement officers, focusing on techniques for

collection of evidence and formal documentation of human-induced

injury events.

Summary of Accomplishments The CSI workshop was successfully implemented in Tumon Bay,

Guam, June 14-18, 2010. 16 individuals, 11 from Guam and 5 from the

CNMI, participated in the workshop, along with 5 local Guam

observers. The diversity of experience of participants enabled a highly

collaborative and productive learning environment. Two local

divemasters and three international instructors together implemented the

workshop, with substantial help from a Regional Coordinator and

Instructor. There were over 36 hours of classroom instruction and land

and water field work, including two half-days each of shore diving and

boat diving. All participants were awarded with a Training Certificate

for completing the course, along with a toolkit and other relevant

equipment.

Lessons Learned 1. Adapt content of workshop to match skill level of participants

2. Develop SOPs for regional instructors to provide specifics and

clarification of expectations and roles.

3. Ensure equipment being shipped is labelled appropriate to avoid

problems with US customs.

4. Role-playing and land-based practice sessions of in-water activities

are highly effective - these should be continued

5. Minimise distance between training location and dive sites to ensure

maximal value from participation in the workshop.

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Interim Programmatic Report Narrative

Instructions: Save this document on your computer and complete the narrative in the format

provided. The final narrative should not exceed five (5) pages. Once complete, upload this

document into the on-line interim programmatic report task in Easygrants as instructed.

Coral Reef Crime Scene Investigation

(CSI) Guam

Final Report: March 31st 2011

1. SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

In four to five sentences, provide a brief summary of the project’s key accomplishments and outcomes that have been

observed or measured to date.

The Guam/Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands Coral Reef CSI workshop was successfully implemented in

Tumon Bay, Guam, June 14-18, 2010. A total of 16 individuals, 11 from Guam and 5 from the CNMI, participated in the

workshop, along with 5 local Guam observers. All participants and observers were from local and federal natural

resource agencies and departments as well as the local university, and all serve in some capacity as a member of their

local coral reef damage assessment response team. This diversity of experience enabled a highly collaborative and

productive learning environment. Two local divemasters and three international instructors together implemented the

workshop, with substantial help from a Regional Coordinator and Instructor. There were over 36 hours of classroom

instruction and land and water field work, including two half-days each of shore diving and boat diving. All participants

were awarded with a Training Certificate for completing the course, along with a toolkit and other relevant equipment.

Rapid Response Assessment Training – CSI Maldives 2009

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2. PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES

A. Activities

Describe and quantify the primary activities conducted under this grant.

Site Visit

Following the identification of Jesse Cruz, Guam Environment Protection

Agency, as the Local Coordinator for the CSI project, preparations were made

for Pat Ramirez, one of the core CSI Instructors, to undertake a three day site

visit to Guam to assess potential locations to serve as a venue for the CSI

workshop. The site visit is a critical component of the planning process to

ensure the selection of resort, classroom facilities, and dive concession etc is

adequate for the needs of this intensive training. Four hotels were assessed and

it was decided that the workshop would be held at Holiday Resort, a hotel that

is adjacent to a beach and grassland area where the dry training exercises

could be set up. The hotel was also close to a dive concession that could be

contracted for the duration of the training. The concessions agreed that their certified dive masters could be contracted to

oversee and conduct all diving activities to ensure appropriate health and safety measures are in place. On site facilities at

both the hotel and dive centre were ideal for instruction & training, housing, and meals.

A key feature of the training is a number of marine-based “crime scenes” that the participants investigate using the toolkit

and techniques learned during classroom and dry run sessions of the workshop. The scenarios are set up to be as realistic

as possible and involve actual field investigations and analysis by teams of six participants. These scenarios are site

specific, and highlight impacts that are common to the area. It was determined that the following scenarios would be used

in the training – boat grounding, including anchor damage; sediment plumes; illegal take of marine species; and

destructive fishing.

Participant identification and selection

Past lessons have shown that very careful selection of participants is critical to ensuring the success of the workshop.

Participation in the field training course is by invitation only and through a strict vetting process to ensure appropriate

selection and maintenance of the programmes excellent safety standards. Efforts were made to have a diverse participant

base related to areas of regional expertise and responsibility. Workshop participants were solicited from Guam and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), based on consultations with the Local Coordinator for the

workshop and members of the ICRI Committee on Coral Reef Enforcement and Investigation.

• 11 participants from Guam and 6 from CNMI were selected to join the workshop

• An additional 5 observers participated in the workshop

• Participants and observers were primarily either natural resource managers, technicians, or enforcement officers

from natural resource agencies, but also included planners and academics who have experience in assisting

government agencies in both Guam and CNMI. There was an excellent range of disciplines an excellent range of

disciplines attending who, because of their close associations, already worked extremely well together. Their

knowledge bases and ability to share with each other resulted in a highly collaborative training environment.

Coral Reef CSI Toolkit

The toolkit currently exists in English, French and Spanish, enabling a more regional

approach to the workshops. The toolkit has been produced using a layout program called

Pages™, which allows for drop-in of translated text into the existing format. The English

version of the toolkit will be used for this workshop, representing the primary teaching text

for what is quickly becoming recognised as a new field of investigation: underwater natural

resource injuries. • 22 toolkits were printed and shipped to Guam in preparation for the workshop

Underwater Field Flipbook

In addition to the three-ring binder toolkit, a 4” x 6” flipbook has been produced, designed specifically for field use and

patterned after the successful US Coast Guard Incident Management Handbook. The flipbook is waterproof and can be

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used to take data underwater; the primary role is to serve as a step-by-step field guide for conducting the assessments

taught in the toolkit. The flipbook is currently available in English and will be translated and a print ready format

produced in both French and Spanish in order to complement the toolkit.

• 22 Flipbooks were produced and shipped to Guam in preparation for the workshop

Coral Reef CSI Field Investigation Kit

In order to conduct the training workshops, Coral Reef CSI field kits are used. The kit is

prepared and produced by Dave Gulko, CSI Lead Instructor, and contains contain a

variety of elements essential to conducting field investigations including:

• Site Documentation Gear

• Communications Gear

• Underwater Assessment Equipment

• Evidence Collection and Storage Gear

• Documentation Equipment

In addition to the two training kits, materials were sourced to produce one field kit that

was left on site, with Guam EPA, to help facilitate the formation and effective operation

of a CSI team post training.

Implementation of the workshop

The workshop took place on the 14th – 18

th June 2010 (see outcomes). All activities have now been successfully

completed, as summarized in Table 1.

Table 1 Summary of activities and their completion status

Performance Measure Progress Comments

Identify workshop coordinator Complete Jesse Cruz, Guam EPA fulfilled this role

Solicit workshop invitees Complete 16 participants and 5 observers attended the workshop

Conduct site visit Complete Site visit undertaken in collaboration with Guam EPA

Produce and print toolkit and flipbook Complete Materials were produced and shipped to workshop location

Prepare workshop CD Complete CDs were produced, containing a range of relevant

documentation, and provided to all workshop participants,

Workshop conducted Complete Took place June 14 – 18 2010

Workshop evaluation Complete International Instructor Patricia Ramirez compiled

participant evaluations of the workshop. The results from

these evaluations are provided in a separate upload.

Website updates Complete The CSI Alumni website (www.csialumni.net) was

updated and maintained during the course of the project.

Produce Progress report 1 for funding agency Complete Submitted

Produce final report for funding agency Complete Submitted

B. Outcomes The workshop took place on the 14

th – 18

th June 2010. A total of 16 individuals, 11 from Guam and 5 from the CNMI,

participated in the workshop. Also present were five local Guam observers. All participants and observers were from

local and federal natural resource agencies and departments as well as the local university. All attendees serve in some

capacity as a member of their local coral reef damage assessment response team. The CNMI government was represented

by their Division Coastal Resources Management, their Division of Environmental Quality, and their Division of Fish &

Wildlife. The government of Guam was represented by the Coastal Management Program, the Division of Aquatic and

Wildlife Resources, the Environmental Monitoring Program of Guam EPA, and the Marine Laboratory of the University

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of Guam. The federal government was represented by the NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office of the National Marine

Fisheries Service, War in the Pacific National Park.

The objectives of the workshop centered on presenting established scientific monitoring and data collection techniques

and methods and then reapplying them into a crime scene scenario. A major component of the workshop involved the

participants learning to re-apply known monitoring techniques to a new legal/enforcement framework. This

allowed for efficient knowledge transfer. The work was taught through several marine “crime/injury scenes” that the

participants investigate using the skills learned during the workshop. The scenarios were as realistic as possible and

involved actual field investigations and analysis by teams of workshop participants. An outline of what was covered is

listed below and summarised in Table 2

Overarching workshop themes

• Introduction to Crime Scene

• Investigations (CSI) on Coral Reefs

• Setting an Event Perimeter and Securing the Scene

• Coral Reef Investigation Field Kits

• Conducting Rapid Ecological Assessments to Support

Investigations

• Sampling for Coral Reef Laboratory Forensics

• Collecting Physical Evidence Underwater & Documenting

Damage

• Chain-of-Custody Issues

• Courtroom procedures

• Regional Issues

Table 2. Agenda for CSI Guam/CNMI workshop

Day Activity Type

1 Pre-assessment Lecture

Dive 1

2 Initiating Investigation

Pre-Assessment

Pre-Assessment

Impact Assessment

Chain-of-Custody, Lab Sampling,

Evidence Issues

Dry Run

Dry Run

Dive 2

Lecture

Lecture

3 Impact Assessment

Impact Assessment

Impact Assessment

Rapid Ecological Assessments

(REAs) & Quiz

Dry Run

Dive 3

Dive 4

Lecture

4 REA

REA

REA

Coastal Investigation

Data Analysis, Presentation,

Courtroom Prep

Data Analysis

Dry Run

Dive 5

Dive 6

Activity

Lecture

Data

Analysis

5 Mock Trial

Ecological Risk Assessment/Risk

Management

Final Comments, Review, Certificates

Mock

Court

Lecture

Lecture

The workshop made use of survey methods already used by many of the participants for scientific data collection and

monitoring. The instructors therefore did not need to teach the participants how to do the methods, but instead focus on

how to adjust them to collect the information suitable for ‘evidence’. Additional outcomes from this workshop were that

both the CNMI and the Guam participants realized the need to develop new regulations enforcing penalties for

damages caused to corals, along with the need to have a “Rapid Response Team” set-up, formalised, and fully

supported. Talks were also initiated by both the Guam and CNMI teams to attend and participate in an annual refresher

training that the State of Hawaii hosts for its response teams.

At the end of the workshop, each participant received a 278-page toolkit, an underwater flipbook, a book on

investigating coral reef resource damage events, a CR CSI hat and t-shirt, sample underwater data forms, and sample

evidence collection materials. Each participant constructed their own CR CSI underwater data slate and metric

photographic pointer tool. Each participant was awarded a Training Certificate.

3. LESSONS LEARNED There are various lessons learned from this workshop which could inform future workshops:

1. Adapt content of workshop to match skill level of participants

Some of the techniques taught, whilst integral to the content of the workshop, were also not necessary to teach

because the participants already had these skills. Rapid assessment of the skillset of the participants at the

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beginning of the workshop could enable to the workshop content and agenda to be adapted dynamically to the

specific context.

2. Develop SOPs for regional instructors to provide specifics and clarification of expectations and roles.

The Regional and logistics coordinators would benefit from having SOPs so that they can be well-prepared for the

full list of work that is needed to be done, and by when in relation to the schedule for organizing the workshop.

3. Ensure equipment being shipped is labelled appropriate to avoid problems with US customs.

There were some problems with the ‘toolkits’ getting through customs as they were misunderstood by US

Customs to be actual mechanical toolkits. As such they were opened up and taken apart, with some necessary

pieces removed. In future they should be labeled ‘Written Documents’.

4. Role-playing and land-based practice sessions of in-water activities are highly effective - these should be

continued

Throughout the workshop dry-runs of water-based activities were held and these were very useful for preparing

the participants for the in-water activity.

5. Minimise distance between training location and dive sites to ensure maximal value from participation in the

workshop.

Distance between training location and some dive sites led to logistical problems which were compounded by the

majority of the participants commuting to/from the workshop daily (which resulted in a inability to run evening

lectures).

4. DISSEMINATION

The CSI workshop is presented and advertised at the website http://csialumni.net. A review of the overall effectiveness of

the CSI workshop model and content is currently underway through a separate grant. This will include a review of this

workshop, so lessons learned from this particular experience will be disseminated more broadly throughout the workshop

design process once the review is complete (due August 2011).

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Coral Reef CSI Guam

Workshop EvaluationWorkshop Evaluation

Tumon Bay, Guam

June 14-18, 2010

ICRI Committee on Coral Reef Enforcement & Investigation

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HOME COUNTRY

GUAM, 6, 46%

Home Country

ICRI Committee on Coral Reef Enforcement & Investigation 2

N=13

GUAM, 6, 46%

CNMI, 7, 54%

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Natural Resource

Trustee

0%

NGO

0%

Others

23%

Affiliation


Goverment Agency

69%Enforcement Agency

0%

0%

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1. THE TOOLKIT


1. THE TOOLKIT

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How Helpful Was The Toolkit To Your Learning, And The Training Process?

3. Useful

15%

4. Very

helpful

54%

5. Extremely

helpful

31%

Practical Exercises

3. Useful

15%

4. Very

helpful

39%

5. Extremely

helpful

46%

Classroom work


54%2. Of some

help

0%

3. Useful

46%

4. Very helpful

39%

5.

Extremely

helpful

15%

Private Study39%

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Your opinion of the content, user friendliness and format of CSI Toolkit:

Content

3. Average

15%

5. Excellent

23%

User-Ability

Format


3. Average

23%

4. Above

average

39%

5. Excellent

38%

Content

4. Above

average

62%

3.

Average

8%

4. Above

average

54%

5. Excellent

38%

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Suggestions of improvement:

•Need to have a clearer print of the text and photos


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How likely are you to use the toolkit as a reference in your work:

2. Once or twice

16%

5.Often

15%


3. Occasionally

46%

4. Many times

23%

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2. THE FLIPBOOK


2. THE FLIPBOOK

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Your opinion of the content, user friendliness and format of CSI Flipbook

3. Average

23%

5. Excellent

38%

Content

User-Ability

1. Poor

0%

2. Below

average

0%3. Average

8%

4. Above

5.

Excellent

38%

Format


4. Above

average

39%

3. Average

15%

4. Above

average

62%

5.

Excellent

23%

User-Ability4. Above

average

54%

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•Provide a formula for time to death temperature

gauge.

• More training for CROC position

•Check inches/ cm scales


•Check inches/ cm scales

•Depending on the audience, less emphasis on

tools, more time spent with dry runs

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Do you feel that the CSI Flipbook is a valuable additional product?


yes

100%

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3. THE TRAINING


3. THE TRAINING

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Your opinion of the following aspects of the CSI training:

3.

Average

8%

5.

Excellent

38%

0%

Content

1. Poor

0%

2. Below

average

0%

Format (classroom vs

practical work)

1. Poor

0% 2. Below

average

23%

5. Excellent

15%

Daily work schedule


4. Above

average

54%

3. Average

39%

4. Above

average

38%

5. Excellent

23%3. Average

31%

4. Above

average

31%

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1. Poor

0%

2. Below

average

15%

3. Average

8%

4. Above

average

62%

5. Excellent

15%

General Organization

3. Average

15%

4. Above

average

54%

5. Excellent

31%

Meals provided

ICRI Committee on Coral Reef Enforcement & Investigation

3. Average

15%

4. Above

average

62%

5. Excellent

23%

Instructions 1. Poor

0% 3. Average

8%

4. Above

average

46%

5. Excellent

46%

0%

Dive operator/Gear

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3. Average

15%

4. Above

average

54%

5. Excellent

31%

Dive scenarios

3. Average

23%

4. Above

average

54%

5. Excellent

23%

Classroom facilities


3. Average

31%

4. Above

average

31%

5. Excellent

38%

Calssroom work

4. Above

average

56%

5. Excellent

44%

Housing Facilities

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•I think a scenario start-to-finish “chronological approach would have helped to

cement the linkages between all the methods & tools, as well as clearly outlining

what might be our local limitations.

•More water time

•In-depth presentations of previous cases are good examples and an excellent

learning resource.


•More time spent on “forensics”, identifying various types of injuries

•Start on time, end on time, spend less time on CSI gear kit, a lot of us are already

familiar with some tools & gear. Let presenters finish before entertaining questions

•Hands on training on equipment in the toolkit

•More practical than classroom work

•Need more time for court training

•Deemphasize surviving cross-examination and focus more on building confidence

with evidence collection, documentation and chain of custody

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Thing that you found beneficial, or enjoyed most:

•Diving- evidence collection & scene setting

•CROC position

•Introduction to chain of custody process

•How the class sessions connected to the practical application in the field

•The field training and classroom scenarios

•Evidence collection scenario

•Evidence collection, pre-assessment & impact assessment


•Evidence collection, pre-assessment & impact assessment

•Practical training

•Understanding how courts are a dangerous place

•Diving

•In field hands on training, Evidence handling training

•It was very helpful that Dave spoke about actual trials and always addressed

things through his experience

•Taking stand in mock court

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Thing that you did not find helpful, or did not enjoy

•Keep the lights on during presentations… even if the projector is

hard to see

•Beach side scenario was too big, used too much time.

•REA, already done several

•Explanation of the use of certain items that are common sense (e.g.


sharpie)

•Too much court room

•Reading

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4. FOLLOW-UP


4. FOLLOW-UP

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Do you think You will apply any of the Coral Reef CSI techniques learned in your daily

work in support of improved investigation an enforcement around coral reefs?


YES

100%

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If YES, what particular aspects?

•Without set responsibilities & SOPs I may be called in for various injury cases

•Some of all parts

•Include some of the learned techniques in standard surveys

•Marine environment health

•Most likely vessel grounding and oil spills

•Evidence collection and documentation


•all

•More formal aspects of survey structure

•Depending on the circumstances, mostly the anchor damage & boat grounding

•SOPs for dive surveys, evidence handling, court procedures

•The thoroughness and attention to protocols necessary to conduct work suitable for

court procedures

•Being able to assist local government agencies if called upon to assist

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If NO, what are the barriers/constrains to implementing the Coral Reef CSI

techniques learned here in your home country/work:

•We fall to prosecute poachers who have been caught red handed,

local politics make must natural resource cases disappear

•Extreme grounding events that require court. Not enough capacity


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Do you think a National level rapid response natural resource injury investigative

team could be established, and become effective in your home country?


YES

100%

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What would be the next steps following this training process

for this to be achieved in your home country?

•Scenarios & training

•More training

•Follow up on local cases & annual training event

•Not so much a task force, but an inter-agency committee to monitor

continued training scenarios

•Form a coral reef response team, have agreements in place with


•Form a coral reef response team, have agreements in place with

other agencies, come up with an SOP, conduct continues trainings

•More practice exercises, acquiring equipment

•Start up a real CSI team

•Provide funding

•Train other enforcement officers

•Additional involvement of key resource personnel

•Law that would make this training useful

•Press lead agency to follow through

•