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By Nathalie Zenny
Jamaica Program, Pedro Bank Project Manager
The Nature Conservancy

Day 3: Work Begins

Middle Cay, Pedro Bank

Waking up early we filled ourselves with a good Jamaican breakfast of saltfish, callaloo (a spinach-like vegetable that is typically prepared as one would turnip or collard greens) and fried dumplings. We then headed out to the beach where we were met by Shuksman, a local fisherman who would be our main guide and one of the two coxswains leading the team for the week.

Our team had 11 members—5 SCUBA divers, with two from the Conservancy, two from partner organizations and one pursuing graduate studies. The remaining six were fishermen from the Pedro Cays community who provided boat cover and assisted with the survey for lobsters using snorkels.

The boats slogged their way through four to six foot waves and we conducted our first surveys on reefs close to Middle and Northeast Cay. As we emerged from our first day of diving, we were moderately impressed by the abundance of coral and fish. As our surveys progressed over subsequent days, the weather would improve, as would our impression of Pedro Bank reefs.

Research suggests that over 90 percent of Jamaica’s coral reefs are at risk due to heavy fishing pressure, land-based pollution and increased coastal development. The coastal and nearshore marine environments of the main island face severe threats. Pedro Bank’s distance from the mainland and its sheer size (the bank, an underwater plateau rising to just over 160 feet from the deep sea floor, is three-quarters the size of mainland Jamaica) have insulated it from high pressures from land-based sources of pollution.

Next: Press Visit

For more information about Jamaica:

• The Nature Conservancy in Jamaica
  Jamaica's coral reefs, beaches and an extensive coastal plain surround a plateau, rain forests and a backbone of peaks. As Jamaica was never connected with any other land mass, it has a high percentage of unique species.
• Feature: Pedro Bank Photo Slideshow
  View more underwater photos taken during the weeklong coral reef survey on the Pedro Bank.
• Where We Work: The Pedro Bank
  Located approximately 50 miles or 80 kilometers south-southwest of the island of Jamaica the Pedro Bank is one of the country's last remaining healthy marine ecosystems.
• Field Guide: Cockpit Country
  With 5,000 hillocks and valleys rippling across the land, Cockpit Country has been nearly impenetrable for humans—good news for Jamaica's most pristine forests.
• Ecotourism: Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park
  Established in 1990 to provide stricter protection for government land and designated forest reserves. The park covers some 196,000 acres (79,321 hectares) and houses the watershed for the capital city of Kingston, and all communities in the eastern third of Jamaica.
• How You Can Help: Donate Online
  Support conservation by helping to save the last great places in Jamaica.