Wetlands are defined by the Ramsar Convention as areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.
Deputy director of the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) Dr Rahanna Juman says, “Simply put, a wetland is an area that is regularly saturated by water (fresh, saline or brackish) and is characterised by a natural ecosystem of plants and animals that are adapted to such conditions.”
1. What are the different types of wetlands?
There are several different types of wetlands—including marshes, rivers, swamp forest, mangrove forest, and palm forests. There are also submerged coastal and near-shore marine wetlands such as seagrass beds and coral reefs and human-made wetlands (such as dams, rice fields, aquaculture ponds, and sewage ponds.)
2. What are the benefits of wetlands, in particular, mangroves?
Wetlands provide food, water, and fuel which are considered provisioning services, they reduce the impacts of storm, flood, and erosion (regulating services), and at the same time, they are used for recreation and tourism.
3. Why are mangroves important in combating global warming?
Increased amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere due to human activity has caused temperatures to rise, oceans to become warmer, snow and ice to melt and sea levels to rise faster than recorded during any previous century.
Mangroves trap carbon dioxide (CO2) in their biomass and soil, helping to reduce the CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. They also act as shock absorbers during storms, providing provide coastal defence services against waves and storms. Typically, wave height is reduced 13-66 per cent for every 100 metres of mangrove.
4. How you can protect T&T’s wetlands
•SEEK knowledge, learn about your many wetlands and be an advocate for their conservation.
•Do not clear or fill in the wetland for built development.
•ALWAYS maintain a buffer zone between a wetland and development.
•Do not dump garbage in wetlands.
•Do not litter rivers and waterways since the garbage ends up in the wetland.
•REDUCE the use of chemical fertilisers, weedicide, and fungicide and follow dosage instructions
•ENSURE that the liquid waste from your house goes into a treatment system.
•DO NOT use destructive fishing methods like removing mangrove prop roots to harvest oysters.
•DO NOT kill or take endangered/vulnerable species such as manatee, turtles, and Scarlet Ibis.
5- What is IMA doing?
Dr Juman said the IMA researches and monitors wetlands so as to advise the Government and the public on policy intervention and effective conservation action. Through their information centre, they are engaged in public outreach and education and try to encourage citizens to be active participants in wetland conservation efforts through advocacy and actions.
Wetlands are defined by the Ramsar Convention as areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.
Deputy director of the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) Dr Rahanna Juman says, “Simply put, a wetland is an area that is regularly saturated by water (fresh, saline or brackish) and is characterised by a natural ecosystem of plants and animals that are adapted to such conditions.”
1. What are the different types of wetlands?
There are several different types of wetlands—including marshes, rivers, swamp forest, mangrove forest, and palm forests. There are also submerged coastal and near-shore marine wetlands such as seagrass beds and coral reefs and human-made wetlands (such as dams, rice fields, aquaculture ponds, and sewage ponds.)
2. What are the benefits of wetlands, in particular mangroves?
Wetlands provide food, water, and fuel which are considered provisioning services, they reduce the impacts of storm, flood, and erosion (regulating services), and at the same time they are used for recreation and tourism.
3. Why are mangroves important in combating global warming?
Increased amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and other greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere due to human activity has caused temperatures to rise, oceans to become warmer, snow and ice to melt and sea levels to rise faster than recorded during any previous century.
Mangroves trap carbon dioxide (CO2) in their biomass and soil, helping to reduce the CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. They also act as shock absorbers during storms, providing provide coastal defence services against waves and storms. Typically, wave height is reduced 13-66 per cent for every 100 metres of mangrove.
4. How you can protect T&T’s wetlands
•SEEK knowledge, learn about your many wetlands and be an advocate for their conservation.
•Do not clear or fill in wetland for built development.
•ALWAYS maintain a buffer zone between a wetland and development.
•Do not dump garbage in wetlands.
•Do not litter rivers and waterways since the garbage ends up in the wetland.
•REDUCE the use of chemical fertilisers, weedicide, and fungicide and follow dosage instructions
•ENSURE that the liquid waste from your house goes into a treatment system.
•DO NOT use destructive fishing methods like removing mangrove prop roots to harvest oysters.
•DO NOT kill or take endangered/vulnerable species such as manatee, turtles, and Scarlet Ibis.
5- What is IMA doing?
Dr Juman said the IMA researches and monitors wetlands so as to advise the Government and the public on policy intervention and effective conservation action. Through their information centre, they are engaged in public outreach and education and try to encourage citizens to be active participants in wetland conservation efforts through advocacy and actions.
