Monthly Archives: March 2017

TEPIC, MEXICO

Twice a week, fisherman Romould Compton puts on scuba gear to dive to the seabed and clean tiny elkhorns growing in the coral nursery off the Caribbean island of Carriacou, tending them until they can be transplanted to a damaged reef nearby.

He hopes his conservation work will help to bring back more of the fish, such as red snapper, king butterfish and hind, that many islanders depend on.

"In my area we depend on the reef for our survival and livelihoods, and a lot of reef is dead," said Compton by phone from Windward, Carriacou, one of the lush, mountainous islands that make up Grenada in the southeast of the Caribbean.

"A lot of unemployment has been happening so we've got to turn to the sea to keep our livelihood going."

Across the Caribbean, scores of projects are underway to restore battered coral reefs and replant damaged mangroves, crucial to livelihoods from fishing and income from the millions of tourists who flock to the tropical beaches each year.

The intricate reefs and salt-tolerant mangrove swamps also offer protection against storms and hurricanes on climate-vulnerable islands which often lack resources to build extensive engineered coastal defenses.

Insurers are now looking closely at how ecosystems can help bolster coastal resilience, while high-tech models help determine how new hotels and infrastructure might impact the fragile ecological balance as well as local communities.

"When you talk to the prime minister of any country in the Caribbean, they absolutely recognize the path of climate change," said Luis Solorzano, executive director of The Nature Conservancy's (TNC) program in the Caribbean, which is working to restore marine habitats.

"They're also thinking, instead of providing assistance, what can we do to prevent, to try and minimize the expected damage of what we know is going to be an increasing frequency of extreme events," he said.

Using ecosystems to help buffer against extreme events such as hurricanes and storm surges could generate cost-savings of "billions if not trillions" of dollars, he said.

Climate resistance

At the Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, scientists are trying to replicate the sea conditions they expect to see in 50 to 100 years to determine which corals are the hardiest, then cross strains to produce climate-resistant species that can be transplanted onto reefs across the Caribbean, said David Vaughan, who manages Mote's reef restoration program.

One of Vaughan's most important discoveries came by chance: He accidentally shattered an elkhorn coral and found micro-fragmentation can cause it to grow up to 40 times faster.

"If people think climate change is just a theory, they should just look at that wonderful thermometer in the field that's called corals and that'll tell them differently," said Vaughan, whose laboratory works with TNC and produces 1,000 corals a day, including bulbous brain and mountain corals.

He hopes the new coral "offspring" will be "better prepared in the future for whatever man or mother nature hands to them."

The 63-year-old, who has vowed to plant a million corals by the time he retires, said Mote is planning a laboratory to train up to 50 people each week from around the world, who could eventually replicate its coral restoration project.

With that scale-up, "we could literally plant a billion corals around the world," he said.

Getting ahead

Alongside bringing in tourist dollars, healthy coral reefs, seagrasses and salt-tolerant mangroves provide habitats for many species that generate an income for fishermen from spiny lobsters in Belize to bonefish in the Bahamas.

Reefs can also act like breakwaters to dramatically reduce wave strength, while mangroves can buffer against hurricane winds and storm surges.

Marine scientist Michael Beck calculates coral reefs can slash up to 97 percent of the wave energy that would otherwise hit the shoreline, while a 100-meter-wide (330 feet) band of mangrove can cut wave height by up to two-thirds.

High-tech modelling is helping Caribbean governments bolster coastal resilience by demonstrating how development can affect coastal ecosystems, livelihoods and property, said Katie Arkema, lead scientist at the Natural Capital Project, which has used its technology in Belize and the low-lying islands of the Bahamas.

"What we seek to do is understand how will our decisions and the decisions of governments ... affect ecosystems and how in turn will those ecosystem changes affect people," said Arkema.

The World Bank, which is helping pilot a coastal insurance project offering reduced premiums to governments working to make the region's over-exploited fisheries more resilient, said Jamaica, Grenada and St. Lucia were among those interested.

But payouts would likely hinge on countries agreeing to invest a slice of the money in marine habitats, he said.

"Increasingly, Caribbean governments are finding ways to make better use of their marine resources, [to] take advantage of their marine ecosystems, the natural assets that are so important to them," said Miguel Angel Jorge, senior fisheries specialist with the World Bank.

"They want to be much smarter about how they invest and plan with the likely climate impacts in mind."

In Grenville, Grenada, where many low-income families depend on fishing, efforts to boost coastal resilience were partly driven by the community which is involved in projects to replant mangroves and establish an artificial reef, said Nealla Frederick, TNC's Eastern Caribbean conservation planner.

"Just everybody has recognized this is happening and wants to try to get ahead of it," she said.

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Caribbean Islands Count on Coral to Build Up Coastal Resilience - Voice of America

Now that you've finally decided to take your dream trip to the Caribbean, its time to choose where you should stay.

Will it be Anguilla, St. Lucia, the Bahamas, or Turks and Caicos?

Regardless of where you end up staying, you'll enjoy spectacular views of see palm trees, pearly-white sand, clear, turquoise water, and incredible waves from your resort balcony.

For those of you looking for crazy Caribbean adventures, these resorts have also got you covered. Imagine staying at a resort that offers complimentary watersport activities, or one that allows you to rent yachts and jet skis. Go paddleboarding, kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding, and even rappel down waterfalls.

If luxury and relaxation are more your style, each resort on this list offers wellness opportunities for guests, too. Enjoy getting a magical massage on the beach in St. Barts, practicing beachfront yoga in the Dominican Republic, or relax in luxurious pools and cabanas in Puerto Rico.

Here are some of the craziest and most luxurious Caribbean resorts you have to book to believe.

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5 crazy Caribbean resorts you have to stay in before you die - Fox News

Why is Disneylands Pirates of the Caribbean still a must-see for theme park fans, 50 years after its debut?

Not even the most dominant sports teams enjoy a 50-year winning streak. No movie or Broadway show has played to paying audiences in one place nearly every day for 50 years, much less to packed crowds for almost all of those days. And no other theme park ride has spawned a multi-billion-dollar movie franchise. Pirates success is unique.

But why? Its a boat ride past a bunch of singing pirates. Why would it become one of the greatest hits in the history of the entertainment business?

Pirates continues to amaze millions of fans each year because its not that simple. A writer trying to analyze this ride is like a dentist trying to fix a pirate crews teeth its a never-ending, possibly impossible, task.

In one sentence, Disneylands Pirates of the Caribbean is a mild thrill ride that offers a family-friendly view of some of the most brutal criminals in history, who are all fake but look, act and sound real, in a series of outdoor scenes all staged indoors.

Thats a lot of contradictions. And thats why fans keep lining up to ride. There are a couple of drops for thrill fans, but the drops arent long enough to scare anyone, or even get you very wet, which makes the ride accessible to a wide audience. The use of audio-animatronic characters in richly detailed and convincingly lit sets makes the experience seem real, but of course its all totally fake. That means that even though you feel like youre in the middle of a pirate raid, you always feel happy and safe.

As Ian Malcolm said in Jurassic Park, If Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, the pirates dont eat the tourists. Hows that for a show of respect from Disneys archrival Universal in its Jurassic Park movie.

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction isnt just influencing writers and moviemakers. Among theme park designers and fans, it provides the standard by which all new projects are judged. You know a new ride might actually be pretty good if you ask Is it as good as Disneylands Pirates? and the people youre asking dont roll their eyes or laugh in your face.

Even today, few rides offer the immersive scenery, memorable song and engaging story that Pirates delivers.

And Pirates of the Caribbean sucks up people like the crew of the Black Pearl going through barrels of rum. The ride is famous among Disneys cast members for its huge hourly capacity.

When I worked on the East Coast version at Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom, we routinely put through 2,400 people an hour, more than double the capacity of many of the other popular rides in the park. That kept our wait time under an hour on all but the busiest days of the year. So enjoyment of the ride isnt compromised by having to endure a long wait for it.

Ultimately, Pirates of the Caribbean satisfies our need to not be simple. Sure, people want to simplify their lives by eliminating, or at least reducing, the debt, stress, clutter, chores and long commutes that make our lives miserable. But what if you actually did that? Simple is boring.

We want excitement in our lives. We want to see something so elaborate it confounds us. We want to sense danger without feeling risk. We want to experience something thats special, that we dont see, and cant see, every day.

And thats when its time to go ride with the Pirates of the Caribbean again.

.Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com. Follow him on Twitter @ThemePark

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Why Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland is so great at 50 years old - The Mercury News

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2017 A deeper economic integration among Latin American and Caribbean countries will make the region more competitive in international markets and boost long-term growth, according to a new World Bank report.

Better Neighbors: Toward a Renewal of Economic Integration in Latin America, argues that a renewed integration strategy that takes advantage of the complementarities between regional and global economic integration can contribute to growth with stability. This is particularly relevant for a region that is just coming out of two years of recession.

In todays world, regional economic integration offers a way forward to reactivate the economic growth needed for reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity, said Jorge Familiar, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean. A more robust intraregional integration will make us more competitive in the global arena. Effective integration will require investment in infrastructure, connectivity and logistics, which will offer an additional boost in economic growth.

Since the 1960s, the region has been pursuing regional integration, with efforts intensifying since the mid-1990s. Still, intraregional exports in Latin America remain at a persistent 20 percent of total exports, much less than the 60 and 50 percent intraregional exports in the European Union and East Asia Pacific, respectively.

Therefore, the report proposes an open regionalism that reaps unexploited synergies between regional and global economic integration, on the premise that pro-growth integration with the world cannot be achieved without first strengthening the regions own neighborhood. To do so, the report lays out a five-pronged interdependent strategy:

The report concludes that in order to be successful, the region will need to design and implement these smart but complex policies to enhance intraregional economic integration while also lowering barriers to international trade with the rest of the world. While it will not be simple, the report argues that the time is ripe to bring these efforts to the forefront.

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Learn more about the work of the World Bank in Latin America and the Caribbean: http://www.worldbank.org/lac

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Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BancoMundialLAC

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Deeper Integration Vital for Growth in Latin America and the ... - World Bank Group

The Coast Guard will convene a two-week hearing into the Aug. 17, 2016 fire on the 561 ferry Caribbean Fantasy that forced the evacuation of 511 passengers and crew off San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The sessions will open March 20 at the Caribe Hilton hotel in San Juan, with testimony from the Panamanian-flagged vessels chief engineer and ships officers.

The hearing will focus on the cause of the marine casualty, the adequacy of fire fighting protection systems, regulatory compliance including any physical or design concerns, adequacy of the vessels safety management system and evacuation procedures, and the Coast Guards mass rescue operation and procedures, according to a statement from the Coast Guard Seventh District headquarters in Miami.

The National Transportation Safety Board will join in the hearing, and ultimately issue its own report separate from the Coast Guards marine casualty investigation.

TheCaribbean Fantasyfire was reported around 7:40 a.m. as the vessel approached San Juan at the end of its thrice-weekly run between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. A massive response by the Coast Guard, local agencies and the ports tugs, fire boats and pilots resulted and almost all the passengers and crew getting off the ship by 10 a..m

Several passengers were injured on emergency exit slides and about two dozen reported hospitalized, but with few serious injuries.

Investigators will be questioning top managers with vessel ownerBaja Ferries,La Paz, Mexico, and looking closely at conditions on the vessel. Firefighters boarding the stricken vessel found a fire source in the engine room.

InCruise Control, a 2015 investigation of the cruise industrys health and safety records, the nonprofit journalism group Pro Publica reported theCaribbean Fantasywas cited for 107 deficiencies during Coast Guard inspections in recent years. One Jan. 21, 2015 inspectors report said of the engine room: Oil fuel lines shall be screened or otherwise suitably protected to avoid oil spray or oil leakages onto hot surfaces, into machinery air intakes or other sources of ignition.

The Coast Guard is soliciting information from passengers with an online survey in English and Spanish, where people can pass information to the investigation board. There is also an email account, CaribbeanFantasy@uscg.mil , for interested parties to make comments and ask questions. The hearing itself will be video live-streamed on the internet at https://livestream.com/USCGinvestigations/CaribbeanFantasy .

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Coast Guard hearing set for Caribbean Fantasy fire investigation - WorkBoat (blog)

Pirates of the Caribbean celebrates its 50th anniversary on Saturday, March 18, 2017, at Disneyland Park. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland)

Let us begin by going out on a plank and say this: The bulk of major theme park rides are generally remembered for that One Big Moment, like an upside-down loop-di-loop, or a giant splash, or a final scare.

And hurrah to that; leaving an impression is no easy task in the world of fantasy-making.

But then... there's Pirates of the Caribbean, an attraction that's so atmospheric, and evocative, and mood-laden, that longtime devotees can cite the smallest details as enduring favorites: The fireflies near the ride's start. The spots on the fur of the dog, the one cheekily holding the jail key in his mouth. The smell when you first enter.

Oh, that smell.

The dog, and the smell, and the parrots and pigs and ships and lanterns and ghostly figures have ruled the waves of Disneyland Resort for decades now, five decades to be specific, meaning millions of people have visited one of the best-known theme park must-dos in the world. And, of course, millions upon millions have seen the major movies inspired by the ride.

The low-lit, water-filled attraction is flat-out iconic, no ifs, ands, or bones about it. And it took far less than a half century to unlock that achievement.

But now we've gone and tipped our (tri-cornered) hat to what this is all about:Pirates of the Caribbean is marking its 50th anniversary on Saturday, March 18.

Do you need to know the whole yo, ho, ho before you sail for Anaheim? Because of course Disneyland is opening its proverbial treasure chest of celebratory to-dos for this party.

On March 17 and March 18 look for "pirate-themed entertainment" to bring the arrrr to the park's New Arrrrleans Square (actually, yes, New Orleans Square).

Special anniversary merchandise will also be for sale.

And edibles will be the theme on March 16, when a number of close-by restaurants, including the Blue Bayou, French Market, and Mint Julep Bar, break out the swashbuckling sweets and eats.

Not only has Pirates, which is now pretty much called "Pirates" by legions of on-the-go park guests, become one of Disney's most famous offerings in both the theme park and film realms, but it boasts historical importance to a nostalgia-minded company that's rife with meaningful milestones.

Of note to fans? Walt Disney himself famously worked on the ride before his passing in December 1966. That gives Pirates of the Caribbean additional gravitas for buffs of Disney history, and emotion, too, as the legendary creator of Disneyland missed its debut by just a few months.

And that it is truly one of the attractions that we most associate animatronics with, a legacy that continues to be both lively andalive-ly. As in lifelike, but then you knew what we meant.

Intrigued, buccaneers of ye olde SoCal? Best steer your ship for the harbor, we mean Harbor Boulevard, in Anaheim, and the theme park that's long sat grandly upon Harbor Boulevard's western shore.

Published at 2:19 PM PDT on Mar 15, 2017 | Updated at 5:14 PM PDT on Mar 15, 2017

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Happy 50th, Pirates of the Caribbean | NBC Southern California - NBC Southern California

Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)

Royal Caribbean shares new fleet wide Room Service menu | Royal ... Royal Caribbean Blog (blog) In light of the announcement that Royal Caribbean will begin charging a convenience fee to guests who order room service, the cruise line has published a copy ... Royal Caribbean to Charge Room Service Fee : Cruise Law NewsCruise Law News Royal Caribbean to Charge for Room Service Starting March 27 ...Travel Agent all 3 news articles »

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Royal Caribbean shares new fleet wide Room Service menu | Royal ... - Royal Caribbean Blog (blog)