The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday that itself and the National Park Service are partnering with the Cuban government's environmental agency to study and manage some of the two nations' marine protected areas that are most proximal to each other.
NOAA, NPS and Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday morning so the agencies can share data, better understand conservation areas in the waters surrounding both countries and conduct educational initiatives on conservation, according to a media release NOAA sent out Tuesday.
“We recognize we all share the same ocean and face the same challenges of understanding, managing, and conserving critical marine resources for future generations,” said Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, NOAA administrator, who was in Cuba for the signing of the agreement, in a written statement. “The opportunity for international cooperation in marine conservation is invaluable and this moves us closer to ensuring a healthy and productive ocean for everyone.”
The marine areas in question include Cuba's Guanahacabibes National Park (and its offshore Bank of San Antonio) as well as the U.S.'s Flower Garden Banks, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuaries and the Dry Tortugas and Biscayne national parks.
“Cooperation among protected area managers of Cuba and U.S. national park and marine sanctuaries is a great way to preserve our shared natural heritage of the wider Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico regions," said Jonathan B. Jarvis, National Park Service Director, also in a written statement. "After all, fish, marine mammals, sea turtles, birds and other marine life exist in ecosystems that rarely fall within maps drawn by man.”
The agreement is just the latest in a chain of events set off with President Obama's announcement last year that the U.S. and Cuba would begin to repair the relationship between the two countries.
It also comes at a time when environmental degradation in general and phenomena like coral bleaching and sea-level rise specifically are becoming an urgent focus of scientists who study coastal and marine areas.
This article appears in Nov 12-18, 2015.