April 25, 2016

Ma Kôté Mangrove Rehabilitation Project

by SLNT’s Programme Officer-South: Craig Henry

The Saint Lucia National Trust has been collaborating with the Organisation of Eastern

Caribbean States (OECS) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in the implementation of two

projects aimed at contributing to the restoration of the Ma Kôté Mangrove in particular, and

mangroves in Saint Lucia in general. The activities were undertaken with funding provided by

USAID through the OECS under an Environmental Mitigation Programme and TNC under a

broader Mangrove Management Project for Saint Lucia. The SLNT was able to synergise

activities under both projects in order to gain maximum benefit and avoid duplication.

Project funding from USAID covered the cost associated with four components:

Construction of a nursery (labour, materials and transportation);

Supporting logistics for a training workshop;

Purchase of materials for seedling propagation and care; and

Biophysical Assessment of die back area within the Ma Kôté Mangrove

1. Nursery Construction

Construction of the nursery began on April 22, 2016 and was completed by April 30th

. As

can be seen in photographs P. 1 through to P. 3, the nursery has an enclosed component

of a size equivalent to the original dimensions (14 feet x 16 feet), with open internal

shelving and outfitted with a secure single entry way. An open extension is attached to

the enclosed compartment and adds extra storage for seedlings at various stages of

maturity.

P. 1

P. 2

P. 3

2. Training Workshops

Training in effective mangrove restoration and management took place from April 18th

to

21st. The training sessions were led by Gregg E. Moore, Ph.D., Associate Research

Professor at University of New Hampshire and Tyrone W. Buckmire, Executive Director

of the Grenada Fund for Conservation Inc. The participation of these lead consultants was

made possible by funding from the TNC. Participants included Officers from the

Department of Forestry; Staff of the Saint Lucia National Trust, members of the Au

Picon Charcoal and Agricultural Producers group and community members from Praslin

and Vieux Fort North. Participants underwent both theoretical and practical training in

propagation of mangrove seeds as well as transplantation of mature seedlings. Important

aspects such as soil preparation and monitoring of growth conditions (salinity) for

propagules in a nursery were also covered. Two pilot restoration sites were established,

one of them being at the Ma Kôté Mangrove. A monitoring regime was established for

the oversight and care of the propagules at the Ma Kôté mangrove nursery. This would

include regular watering of seeds to facilitate germination and monitoring of moisture

levels and salinity content using a salinometer (saline gauging device). The salinometer

was donated to the Au Picon Charcoal Producers by the TNC for regular monitoring at

the Ma Kôté nursery. The Department of Forestry and SLNT will also provide support

for monitoring of the propagules. An instructional manual on mangrove seed preparation

was also provided to participants for future reference. Funding from USAID facilitated

those meetings as well as provided some of the materials needed for seed collection and

propagation of seeds. This includes buckets, potting soils, wheel barrows and potting

bags. Approximately 1000 seeds and seedlings were collected for restoration purposes.

Mr. Tyrone Buckmire leading a presentation on mangrove propagation

Briefing the group on restoration site selection

Collecting mature seedlings for transplantation from a donor site

Seed collections from host trees at Savannes Bay

Preparation of seeds for transfer into the mangrove nursery for germination

Evaluations on the progress of the seedlings transplanted at the Ma Kôté pilot site and also

germinating seeds within the nursery will be conducted every two weeks from April 21st. These

evaluations will be undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, Au Picon

Charcoal Producers and SLNT.

3. Biophysical Assessment of die back area within the Ma Kôté Mangrove

A ground truthing exercise was carried out in April, 2015 after Google imagery revealed the

existence of major a canopy gap within the Ma Kôté Mangrove towards the northern zone of the

mangrove system. According to a report written by the Chief Forestry Officer, Mr. Adams

Toussaint, the canopy gap is estimated to be about 12 acres of mangrove forest cover. The report

also speculated that ‘toxic chemicals, petroleum hydrocarbons, change in hydrology, fluctuation

in rainfall and climate pattern are four most pertinent and relevant possible causes of dieback

within the Ma Kôté Mangrove. Of major concern was waste water which may contain toxic

chemicals originating from nearby sources and an asphalt plant producing petroleum

hydrocarbons located in the vicinity of the mangroves.

Dieback at Ma Kôté Mangrove (2015) - Photo Credit: Adams Toussaint - Chief Forestry Officer

In order to ascertain the presence of chemical contaminants within the mangroves or surrounding

areas a biophysical assessment was warranted. The assessment would determine not only the

presence but also the levels of contamination of both soil and water samples extracted from

various locations deemed to be critical for this assessment. Additionally, a biophysical

assessment would help to identify the potential source points of these contaminants. Making such

a determination would guide appropriate mitigation measures or actions to be taken by relevant

Government of Saint Lucia agencies and the SLNT. The SLNT, the OECS Commission and the

Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) have so far agreed on a scope and timeline for the

execution of this assessment.

The Ma Kôté Mangrove is approximately 40 hectares in size and is the largest of all major Saint

Lucian mangrove wetlands. It is located on the southeast coast of the island, within the Pointe

Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA) in Vieux Fort and was declared a Wetland of

International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2002.