The Ocean & Us II
Wednesday 31st August 2022 – Zoom
6pm London
12pm Cayman
1pm New York
The Ocean & Us II is a quarter three Environment & Sustainability Virtual Yard event, focused on oceans and plastics.
On Wednesday 31 August at 12pm EST, 6pm BST, Cayman Connection members are invited to the Virtual Yard for a follow-up discussion on ocean health across the planet, but also, specifically around the Cayman Islands.
This event will feature Cayman Islands representatives from the Amplify Cayman, Plastic Free Cayman, Central Caribbean Marine Institute, Beach Token and others promoting conversation, conservation and action to prioritise ocean health, and ultimately, the health of the planet.
Attendees are encouraged to share thoughts and ask questions throughout the presentations which will look at the marine environment, single-use plastics legislation, Cayman Islands statistics on plastic waste, beach clean-ups, the health of the coral reefs and progress that has been on the Islands as far as recycling and reducing waste in the ocean made since the last meeting.
The Ocean & Us II (2021) meeting recording can be found here: The Ocean & Us – Cayman Connection
Add to Calendar:
Waste Not: Rethinking Waste II
The Ocean & US is a combined event with Rethinking Waste….
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Virtual Yard Meetings are brought to you with thanks to the Cayman Islands Government Office - UK
Katie Ebanks, CCMI Education Manager
Katie first joined CCMI in February 2016 and she recently rejoined the team this year. She has a BSc in Marine Science and Coastal Geology from Coastal Carolina University and training from Nova Southeastern University’s MSc in Marine Biology and Coastal Zone Management. In addition, Katie is a SDI Open Water Scuba Instructor and a DAN DEMP Instructor.
In her current role, Katie is responsible for the development, planning, execution, and support of the education programmes at CCMI, including providing oversight of CCMI’s internship programmes and citizen science programmes. Katie leads all university level courses and further education programming, while assisting various research projects and teaching K-12 programmes as needed.
Katie’s love for the environment and oceans has been a lifelong passion, one that fuels her desire to teach and engage with everyone about its beauty and importance. Her goal is to ensure that every person who comes through CCMI’s doors leaves inspired, with a better understanding of and a passion for our marine environment.
www.reefresearch.org
Facebook: @reefresearch
Twitter: @reefresearch
Instagram: Reefresearch
About CCMI
About CCMI:
In 1998, CCMI was established with a vision to ensure we have vibrant reefs and healthy oceans for the future. We do this via cutting edge research, education and conservation. To date, CCMI has run a 20 year healthy reefs survey, which gives unique insight into how our reefs are performing over time. In 2012, we launched the first coral restoration programme in the Cayman Islands and each year, we host hundreds of students from the Cayman Islands and around the World, as well as visiting researchers, at our marine field station based on Little Cayman. Yet what stands CCMI apart is the year round research programme, that investigates how coral reefs can adapt to changing climate. We believe now is the time to further understand coral reef ecosystems, so we can protect them for the future.
One thing CCMI would ask you to do today:
Reduce your footprint: whilst this may feel daunting, reducing our footprint on the marine environment can be done via simple, easy to achieve changes. Whether it is reducing energy consumption by turning off the lights, using less fuel, investing in sustainable energy, or by halting the use of single use plastic wherever possible, small changes can turn into big differences when billions of people make an effort. Also, please consider that all drains lead to the ocean – so making easy, small changes can have profound impacts if we all consider how our daily lives contribute to the overuse or degradation of natural resources.
Support the Cayman Islands via environmental efforts:
The Cayman Islands is one of the most environmentally developed countries in the region: the marine park areas were established in the 1980s and have recently been upgraded to included circa 46% of the coast; the specific species and biodiversity protection plans have sought to balance human needs vs sustaining key species – yet more is still needed, so please engage with local environmental protection laws (wherever you are) and learn how you can help.
Claire Hughes, Plastic Free Cayman
Claire is originally from the U.K. and came to Grand Cayman as a Scuba Diver Instructor back in 2002. She is the Head of Primary Physical Education at Cayman Prep and is an avid sailor, runner, and Mum of 2 children. She started Plastic Free Cayman as a grassroots movement in 2017 and it became a Not-for Profit Charitable Trust in 2018.
“After watching ‘A Plastic Ocean’ I was horrified at the extent of plastic pollution globally and I took a closer look at how our beautiful island was being affected by it. When I first arrived on island you’d find bamboo, sea beans and sand dollars along the shoreline. My children now find plastic bottles, plastic cutlery, plastic toothbrushes, it’s all plastic plastic plastic! It horrified me to think of the amount of plastic there must be in the ocean. I felt very helpless at first, then I was angry, and then strongly motivated to help be part of the solution. I started an online petition to ban single-use plastic bags in the Cayman Islands and from there started educating myself and others through social media and at school. I found determination to make a difference on our island home, to actually do something about this problem and strongly encourage others, no matter where they are, to do the same.”
About Plastic Free Cayman
About Us: We are a team of volunteers passionate about reducing single-use plastic in the beautiful Cayman Islands. We aim to raise awareness to the growing issues surrounding plastic pollution and help others on their plastic-free journey. We began as a grassroots movement in 2017 with monthly clean ups and were awarded our ‘Not for Profit Charitable Trust’ certificate in June 2018.
Why: Global plastic pollution is horrific and we are not immune to it on our paradise island. It’s going to take a global effort and local action to make a difference. Are you ready to get started? Making changes starts with us all. Check out these tips from Less Plastic UK and be sure to take our ‘345 Pledge’.
Eden Hurlston, Guest Host
Eden Hurlston helped publish an activist underground magazine 30 years ago, and has been interested in social justice and sustainability since then. He learned about permaculture, took a course in the 90s, then practiced, studied and helped to teach permaculture and sustainable landscape design in Hawaii until moving back home to Cayman in 2001. He is a musician, husband, father, full-time rascal, and part of advocacy group Amplify Cayman, who focus on multifaceted sustainability.
Emiliy DeCou
Amplify Cayman
Passionate about her native beloved Isles Cayman, environmentalist Emily DeCou is dedicated to championing sustainable solutions in the Cayman Islands via community outreach as a member of Amplify Cayman.
Do good with every transaction:
beachtoken – incentives-for-our-planet