Building pollinator appreciation in Tobago
THE Ministry of Planning and Development, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is implementing the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network Trinidad and Tobago project (BES-Net TT). Its focus is on pollinator and pollination management in three foci: science, practice and policy. On the island of Tobago, research activities began in 2022 to investigate and document the diversity of pollinator species both on land and in coastal waters.
This article shares more on these activities.
Pollinator species and farms
The BES-Net TT project is building public appreciation of pollinator species by sharing information of the value of these 'often overlooked organisms' in providing ecosystem services. Pollinators are a critical component of the plant reproductive process, because of their role in transferring male reproductive cells to the female reproductive structures of flowers. This important role is best appreciated in plants that we depend upon for food production.
A survey of pollinators – particularly native bees - that are active on farms is currently being undertaken through field research. The work features partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club and farmers whose crops are grown in areas surrounding the Main RidgeForestReserve. Trappinga few samples of pollinators will allow for documentation of the species that are found here and which are important for the crops being farmed. The field survey will be completed by the end of the month and DNA barcoding will be conducted (externally) to verify species identification.
Underwater pollinators
A second pollinator survey, exploring pollination in seagrasses found in our coastal waters, is also underway. Seagrasses form an important coastal community, providing habitats for fish and shellfish species, conducting some carbon capture, and protecting the coast during storm surges. Globally, seagrass systems are in decline; in order to assist these systems in maintaining their key roles, research which provides information on their reproductive processes is critical.
Seagrass research currently being undertaken at Bon Accord Lagoon is investigating the flowering pattern of seagrass species found there, and the animals found with these flowers. At the end of February a seagrass workshop was held to demonstrate the research process. Sampling of seagrasses is being conducted weekly and analysis of samples, including investigation of animals that are found with pollen grains, will be carried out in a laboratory. This seagrass survey will generate a database of animals that are assisting in the pollination of the seagrass species.
Future educational activities
The information yielded from the research studies will add to a repository of data for Tobago on pollinators. This data will be used in public education, to build awareness and value of local pollinator species. Additionally, the project hosted an information booth mounted at the finish line of the Main Ridge Forest Fitness Challenge at Bloody Bay on 30th March, 2023. It also hosted a free workshop series on 13 and 14 April 2023 on macrophotography, bat pollination and stingless bee management, to which the public and staff of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources and Forestry were in attendance.
Look out for more in the month of May, as the project partners with the Tobago Apicultural Society on World Bee Day activities!
For more information on project activities, visit the project's webpage and social media pages: Website: http://www.biodiversity. gov.tt/index.php/bes-net.html Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/besnet.tt/ Instagram: https://www.instagram. com/besnet.tt/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube. com/@bes-net_tt/videos TikTok: https://www.tiktok. com/@besnet.tt
