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17 Aug 2009 08:39:40
There has been no lounging around in the sun for one scuba-diving professor at the University of Bedfordshire this summer.
James Crabbe, Dean of the Faculty of CATS (Creative Arts, Technologies and Science), has been conducting research on his beloved coral reefs in Jamaica.
He said: “Most of the fortnight was spent data collecting. Working there is always challenging with the pace of life on the island!
“For my work, I need calm seas and it was very windy to start with. I managed to get round that and all my dives were very successful.”
He also gave two 15 minute live television interviews while out in Jamaica – one on Nationwide News Network with veteran journalist Naomi Francis and attorney-at-law and lecturer Clyde Williams and the other for CVM.
James said: “Climate change and protecting the environment is so important and we need to find the solutions.
“There are so many wonderful things about the island of Jamaica and they don’t need to pander to things you can get elsewhere at other holiday destinations like Florida.”
James is next jetting off to China in early September where he will lecture at several prominent universities and undertake University of Bedfordshire business on behalf of the Vice Chancellor.
He has also just published another paper, ‘Crabbe, M.J.C., Martinez, E., Garcia, C., Chub, J., Castro, L. and Guy, J. (2009) Identifying management needs for coral reef ecosystems. Sustainability: Science, Practice & Policy. 5, 42-47’.
This paper identifies strategic priorities for the sustainable development of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Southern Belize, in the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. A key outcome was the merger of a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to improve reef protection.
And his latest article - a book chapter - has also just been published. It is ‘Crabbe, M.J.C., Walker, E.L.L. and Stephenson, D.B. (2009) El-niño and coral reefs. In: (Eds. J.A. Long and D.S.Wells) Ocean circulation and El-niño: New research. Pp. 265-274. Nova Science Publishers, New York, USA’.
This describes that ENSO (El-niño Southern Oscillation) events result in high sea surface temperatures, resulting in coral bleaching and ultimately coral mortality. This effect, combined with raised carbon dioxide levels, leads to unsustainable habitats for coral reefs.
Latest news» 2009» August» 'I don't like Jamaica... I love it!'
