Press Releases

An increasing amount of evasive plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm in length (Microplastics) are found in the water of the Caribbean Sea annually. The management of these Microplastics are proving to be an increasing challenge for the Greater Caribbean region. The impacts of these Microplastics on the environment and human health are the subject of ongoing research and studies in the region.

It is necessary to raise awareness of this emerging issue , promote initatives that reduce plastic waste entering the marine environment and develop policy interventions that encourage better management of this pollutant.

In collaboration with the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)- Secretariat of the Cartagena Convention, the Mexican Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AMEXCID), the Centre for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV), and the Regional Training and Technology Transfer Centre of the Basel Convention for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean), the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) invites you to join us for a 5 day seminar that aims to increase regional understanding of the origin of plastic waste, current initiatives to study this waste and its impacts and current attempts find long-term solutions to combat this pollution.

This free webinar will be presented in 3 languages English, French and Spanish and will provide key information on the protection and detoxification of the Caribbean Sea. This week-long seminar will comprise of multiple presentations and speakers and will take place virtually, using the WebEx platform from 31 October to 04 November 2022 from 10:00AM to 2:30PM.

Please see below for more details and click the links below to register.

DAY 1 - The large marine ecosystems of the Greater Caribbean and their importance for tourism, fisheries and new blue economy opportunities

Mangroves micro ecosystems - Oliver Gros, Professor of Biological Organisms, Université des Antilles

Ecosystems in the Caribbean- Dr Anjani Ganase, Coral Reef Ecologist, Institute of Marine Affairs

The Caribbean and Tourism - Tenisha Brown-Williams, Research Assistant/Adjunct Lecturer/PhD Candidate,The University of the West Indies

Click HERE to register for Day 1

DAY 2- Microplastics in the Caribbean Sea - State of Knowledge 

Marine Litter - Aleke Stöfen O’Brien, Assistant Professor (Research/Ocean Sustainability, Governance & Management), World Maritime University

Overview of Microplastics with non-invasive methods in marine species in the Caribbean - Dalila Aldana Aranda, Professor of Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City (Cinvestav)

Microplastics status in the Caribbean - La Daana Kanhai, Lecturer Department of Life Sciences. The University of the West Indies St. Augustine

Microplastics in the Amazon - Caribbean Basin - Martinelli Filho, Professor,

Federal University of Pará, Faculty of Oceanography

Microplastics pollution in water, sediments - Luisa Espinosa, Lead Researcher, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (INVEMAR)

Click HERE to register for Day 2

DAY 3-  Microplastics contamination in different environments

Microplastics in Beaches - Nelson Rangel Buitrago, Full Professor of Geology at the University of Atlantico, Barranquilla, Colombia

Microplastics in fishes - Hector Reyes-Bonilla, Lecturer, Department of Marine Biology, Autonomous University of Baja California Sur

Impacts of microplastics in mangrove/sensitive ecosystems- Mrs Wendy Nelson, Analytical Chemist, Institute of Marine Affairs

Presence of Microplastics in fishes and water -Clare Morral, Professor, Department of Biology, Ecology and Conservation, St. George's University,

Nanoplastics - Pierre-Yves Pascal, Université des Antilles  Systématique-Adaptation-Evolution

Click HERE to registar for Day 3

DAY 4 - Human Health impacts and remediation 

Microplastic Research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency– Kay Ho, Calista Mills; Troy Pierce - USEPA

An overview of the effects of nanoplastics in fish- Mariana Teles Pereira, Ramón y Cajal Researcher, Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona

Bio-remediation - Amelia Ferres, Professor, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México.

Circular Economy - Cristina Cortinas, President of the Cristina Cortinas Foundation

Surveys of perception of plastics and State of cleanliness of beaches - Alethia Vazquez Morillas Professor-Researcher, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana.

Click HERE to register for Day 4

DAY 5- Governance Frameworks, Policies and legal responses & Best practices to address plastic pollution 

Best Practices - legislation to address Microplastics pollution in the Caribbean Sea – Senator Beatriz Paredes; Member of the Senate of the Republic of Mexico and Christopher Corbin, Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Cartagena Convention.

Best practices at landfills- Basel Convention Regional Center- Caribbean

Click HERE to register for Day 5

Please note that the presentations and agenda above are subject to change. Please check back here for the most up to date details of the event.