From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Bahamian Scientist and her Youth Coral Conservation Team featured in the Natural History Museum of London
By Nikita Shiel-Rolle
Apr 6, 2015 - 1:06:14 PM
Nikita Shiel-Rolle monitoring coral reef health while SCUBA Diving in Cat Island.
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Nassau, Bahamas - Bahamian Scientist and her Youth Coral
Conservation team are featured in a major exhibition at the Natural
History Museum in London. The exhibition, ‘Coral Reefs: Secret Cities of
The Sea’ Includes 250 specimens from the Natural History Museum’s
coral, fish and marine invertebrate collection. Included in this
exhibit is a six-minute documentary about the coral conservation work
that Ms. Nikita Shiel-Rolle, CEO and President of Young Marine Explorers
has been conducting throughout The Bahamas. The documentary was filmed
in New Providence and Cat Island with Young Marine Explorers members
from C.V Bethel Senior High in Nassau and Arthurs Town High in Cat
Island.
The London based film crew spent 10 days in The
Bahamas in December 2014 working with Young Marine Explorers and
capturing their story. In the documentary Ms. Shiel-Rolle describes the
threats to coral reefs in The Bahamas, which include, unregulated
development, poor waste management, and overfishing. It highlights Ms.
Shiel-Rolle’s commitment to being part of the solution to one-day stop
coral reef degradation in The Bahamas. Through her Zoological Society of
London EDGE Fellowship Ms. Shiel-Rolle developed the Coral Conservation
Team model and monitoring protocol.
The Young Marine
Explores Coral Conservation Team trains youth in SCUBA diving, coral
identification, and leadership. Coral Conservation Team members are
developing the skills that will enable them to collect data on the
health of coral reefs and identify local threats that could be harming
the reefs.
Through her conservation work in the Bahamas
Ms. Shiel-Rolle is working with Bahamian youth to ensure that nobody
overlooks the value and vital role that coral reefs play in supporting
the Bahamian economy and lifestyle.
Ms. Shiel-Rolle
stated “It is easy for someone who has never seen a coral reef to think
that they are just underwater rocks and not very important. Corals are
animals, and coral reefs are important ecosystems that can be compared
to underwater cities, where each creature plays a vital role. As
Bahamians we need to make sure we have healthy coral reefs, because
coral reefs contribute significantly to our economy and our health and
wellbeing. “
Ms. Shiel-Rolle further added that
“Ultimately I want to see a Bahamas where citizens have taken proactive
steps to ensure the protection of our environment,
especially
coral reefs. I understand that in order for us to have a sustainable
Bahamas we need to have an engaged society. This is why Young Marine
Explorers places such a great emphasis on leadership development and
capacity building in youth.”
Coral Reefs: ‘Secret Cities of the Sea’ will be at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London until September 13 2015.
Nikita Shiel-Rolle and Cat Island YME Coral Conservation team members snorkeling on a patch reef.
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Cat island YME Coral Conservation Team Members Jurique and Jvon Russell preparing for a research SCUBA dive.
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Nassau YME Coral Conservation Team Members preparing data collection sheets while being filmed by National History Museusm of London documentary producer.
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YME Coral Conservation Team Members celebrate after a successful field session at Clifton Heritage National Park.
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