10
UWI TODAY
– SUNDAY 5 AUGUST, 2018
CAMPUS NEWS
Nestled between themain ridge
of the Northern Range and
the North Coast of Trinidad lies the charming and isolated
coastal community of Grande Rivière. Despite continuous
population decline since the 1930s, every year fromMarch
to August, the village is a hive of activity, welcoming visitors
averaging more than the actual resident population.
They come to see one of the most enduring and
remarkable creatures of the oceans, the giant leatherback
turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea)
(Figure 1). These turtles cross
oceans to return to the place of their birth to spawn new
generations.
From the anticipation at night as the large leatherbacks
slowly emerge from the rumbling coastal shores, to the fresh
local food, fish and therapeutic nature walks, Grande Rivière
is a captivating and peaceful getaway.
Despite its recognition as a unique site of ecotourism, its
existence continues to be precarious given its vulnerability to
the impacts of natural and anthropogenic forces. The beach
where the turtles nest is constantly subjected to cyclic high-
energy wave and river channelling events, causing erosion
and loss of or damage to turtle eggs or hatchlings.
Episodic extreme flooding of the Grande Rivière River
has led to the shifting of the river mouth and resulted in
backshore beach erosion, with the most recent recorded
event in 2012. It is anticipated that the magnitude and
frequency of extreme events may increase. Furthermore,
sea-level rise on the north coast of 1.3mm per year (EMA,
2007) has implications for beach erosion and nesting
success.
Grande Rivière offers us a “living laboratory” to
measure and study topics such as the cost of inaction, the
benefits of timely interventions, the impacts on people and
planet and the challenges to and opportunities for good
sustainablemanagement and effective governance. Studying
this area can promote better decision-making in similar
areas globally.
Against this backdrop, our team at The UWI’s
Department of Geography is working on a research
project at Grande Rivière, which we call “Society, turtles
and environmental change in Grande Rivière – towards
sustainable management of a vulnerable community.”
One objective is to understand the dynamic nature
of the beach habitat. The project evaluated beach impacts
and recovery in response to river discharge and the
ON THE BACKS OF THE TURTLES
The village that the leatherbacks built
B Y J U N I O R D A R S A N , C H R I S T O P H E R A L E X I S A N D S A Y Y I D A A L I
hydrodynamic conditions of the bay under extreme and
episodic tides and storm events.
We also collected data on turtle nesting and analysed it
against the changing beach morphology. Turtle nests were
GPS-located and then mapped and analysed using GIS
software. Historical turtle nesting data was used to analyse
nesting trends and assist in the discussion of the eco-tourism
potential and its sustainability. The ecosystem services
provided by Grande Rivière were investigated alongside
a baseline community-based assessment to determine
perceptions on the future of development inGrande Rivière.
Environmental Challenges
The Grande Rivière beach is subject to a high wave
energy environment year-round with the highest waves
occurring between November and April. This wave energy
results in a highly dynamic beach with frequent changes on
the beach such as the presence of a berm, scarp or even the
river charting a new channel (Figure 2).The beach sediment
reflects these changes in the sorting of the sediment.
Turtle nesting is concentrated at the eastern end of
the beach during the early nesting period (Figure 3) but
expands westward as the season progresses. Nesting is
concentrated adjacent to the river mouth, however, loss
of these nests occurs during high river discharge in the
rainy season as the river widens and sometimes shifts the
position of its mouth (Figure 4).The research has yet to fully
analyze the relationship, if any, between turtle nesting, beach
morphology and sediment characteristics on the beach.
Social Challenges
Research indicates that the population in Grande
Rivière is currently decreasing. While this suggests a positive
ecological future on account of a reduced human influence,
it leaves less human resources for community development.
However, the fact that young women became caregivers for
the elderly, while young males emigrated for employment
but send remittances back home to support families, shows
a psycho-social commitment to the community as a home.
Having to leave to provide a better economic future, or
having to stay to take care of those who were once the
caregivers themselves, suggest a stake in Grande Rivière.
Community mapping revealed a total of 165 buildings
in the community, 26 of which were commercial enterprises
and 139 were residential. Of the residential buildings,
23% were abandoned houses scattered around the village.
Despite the high numbers of tourists (approximately 10,000
visitors according to the Forestry Division in 2016), and
the employment of additional employees by establishments
to cater for their needs, several respondents agreed that
employment opportunities from the eco-tourism sector
are still lacking.
Survey data collected on sources of income for
Grande Rivière community dwellers revealed that 12.6%
of respondents were involved in tourism-related activities,
43.4%were employed in non-tourism-related activities and
44% of respondents were unemployed.
The Turtle Village Trust (TVT) and the Grande Rivière
Nature Tour Guide Association are the main entities which
organise activities such as tour guiding, beach patrolling,
turtle data collection and conservation initiatives in Grande
Rivière.
As a result, only few jobs are available and the short-
term, seasonal nature is unattractive for those who are able
to seek higher-paying, permanent jobs elsewhere. It was
also found that 16% of surveyed households are highly
dependent on governmental pension as the main source of
financial support for the family unit.
Nesting turtles on the beach at Grande Rivière have
become a typical aspect of life in the community. There are
many residents who feel particularly connected to nature
and their God by the presence of these marine turtles, while
there are those who, during the nesting season, remain
completely disconnected from the beach, disgruntled by
tourist behaviours.
Anoverarchingunderstanding exists of the instrumental
value of nesting turtles to the community despite personal
interests, a point whichmay hold the key to the development
of Grande Rivière.
For more information
or visit:
/
society-turtles-and-environmental-
change-grande-Rivière-bay-towards-
sustainable-management
“Society, turtles and environmental change in Grande Rivière – towards sustainable management of a vulnerable community.”
This project from The UWI’s Department of Geography is being led by Dr Junior Darsan (Coastal Geomorphologist) and postgraduate students Christopher Alexis and Sayyida Ali.
Figure 3:
Early nesting season and beach topography.
Figure 4:
Late nesting season and beach topography.
