EPA

UNEP
                         United States
                         Environmental Protection
                         Environment
                         Agency
                               Administration And
                               Resources Management

                               (3404)
    United Nations
    Programme
       CARIBBEAN
       CURRENTS
Volume 6, Number 1
 January 1998
 EPA/220/N-97-001
                    Welcome...
...to CARIBBEAN CURRENTS, Volume Six, Number One. This newsletter
is edited by INFOTERRA/USA in its capacity as the Regional Service
Centre (RSC) for INFOTERRA National Focal Points (NFPs) in the English
and French-speaking Caribbean. Although the CURRENTSis assembled
at INFOTERRA/USA, the content belongs to you, the readers.  You are
encouraged to send in any questions, comments, problems, or interesting
issues relevant to the Region for inclusion in the CURRENTS. Please see
the Guidelines for Contributions on page 5 for more information

Each issue will feature a Directory of NFPs in the Region so that anyone
with international environmental questions can contact their nearest
resource  Please feel free to contact one another as well as your RSC for
assistance or materials.

Please don't hesitate to share CARIBBEAN CURRENTS with your friends
and colleagues, and to make copies as needed.  The Currents should
serve  as an informational forum for anyone who lives, works, or is
involved in environmental issues in the English and French-speaking
Caribbean Region.
                               International Year of the Ocean

         This issue's topic is the Year of the Ocean. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 1998
         as the International Year of the Ocean. Oceans play an integral role in shaping life on earth. Coastal
         and marine waters provide millions of jobs, generate billions of dollars in goods and services, and are a
         source of food and recreation to people all over the world.

         The next issue of CARIBBEAN CURRENTS will look at algae blooms.  An algae bloom is a sudden
         increase in the growth of phytoplankton causing them to accumulate into thick, visible patches near the
         surface of the water. While these blooms are usually not harmful, some algal species produce
         neurotoxins which kill zooplankton, fish, marine mammals and even humans.

         If you have any comments on this topic, or would like to contribute a short article or have a resources
         guide to share, please submit your contribution following the guidelines on page 5, as we would like to
         include it in the next or a future issue of CURRENTS.  Please feel free to fax, write to, or call the RSC
         with any questions or comments you have. Thank you for your assistance.
                                             -1-

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                               Year of the Ocean 1998
                                   By Kathleen Hurld,
                    E.P.A. Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

    Covering nearly two-thirds of the earth's surface, marine and coastal waters are our largest
and most vital resources, influencing global energy cycles and biological processes upon
which all life depends. Yet while we have traveled to the moon, some of our greatest mysteries
still lie beneath the earth's oceans, waiting to be discovered. It has been estimated that the
value of the ocean exceeds 33 trillion USD per year (Constanza,  1997) by providing goods and
services such as food, medicine, natural resources, habitat, recreational areas, and essential
ecological services.

    Recognizing that the oceans play a decisive role in shaping the life of this planet, the
United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1998 as the International Year of the Ocean
(YOTO).  The U.S. is actively involved in this international event, to focus the attention of the
public, governments and decision makers on the importance of the ocean and marine
environment and highlight ways in which marine resources can be sustained through effective
management.

    Marine and coastal waters are valued by many as a place to live and as a place to play, and
are also a favorite recreational destination for vacationers.  In the U.S. alone, coastal and
marine waters support 28.3 million jobs, generate $54 billion in goods and services,
contributes $30 billion to the U.S. economy through recreational fishing, and provide  a
destination for 180 million Americans to recreate each year. Because so many people  are
drawn to, or dependent on, coastal and marine waters, they are under considerable
environmental stress and protecting these resources is important. Therefore, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking an active role  in furthering our
understanding of how we all affect the ocean in our daily lives and how these actions  then
impact us.

    The EPA is working with other U.S. ocean agencies to further the federal government's
contribution to YOTO: this effort is  being lead by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. The U.S. government will be hosting a national  conference on the role played
by the oceans in commerce,  global security, environment, and  education/exploration in June
1998. A series of discussion papers has been drafted addressing ocean issues what is  working
well and what is not, that shall be available in February 1998.  The U.S.  exibit at the World's
Fair, EXPO '98, will focus on technological advances in ocean science.

    The health of the ocean  is not just the responsibility of governments, for every individual
action impacts the oceans. Something as simple as picking up litter and  properly disposing of
oil and other chemicals can prevent millions of gallons of pollution from reaching  the ocean.

    Oily runoff from a city of five million people can contain as much oil as one large tanker spill Oil and grease
    runoff from land and municipal and industrial wastes in the U S exceeds 365 million gallons per year
                                          -1-

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Therefore the U.S. government is partnering with educational, industrial and environmental
organizations in an outreach campaign and other YOTO activities to educate a broad audience
that:
    The ocean and its resources are vital to supporting all life on Earth.

    The ocean affects our daily lives and, in turn, our daily lives affect the health of the ocean

    The ocean's resources are finite, but our demands are not

    The ocean is a key source of food, medicine, energy and commerce

    The ocean is the next frontier with landscapes and life forms that await discovery

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration along with SeaWeb, a non-profit
organization, are coordinating this cross sector effort.

EPA's 1998 YOTO activities include independent and collaborative research, education and
celebratory activities. Efforts include: ocean fact sheets, teachers guides for year of the ocean
activities, cooperative pollution prevention, mitigation and control practices, continued
monitoring and research into the interrelationship between land and marine based activities
and ocean physical and biological processes.  The EPA's vessels  will be promoting the value of
our marine resources at waterfront festivals throughout the year.

We cannot change our society but we can change ourselves, and  if each one of us changes our
behavior a little, we can make great strides"  (D.C.  Martin).  So join us in supporting the
United Nations in its  1998 "Year of the Ocean" campaign. Learn more about the ocean, its
resources and what you can do to protect  them for future generations.

    Contact the U S. Environmental Protection Agency to pledge support and obtain more information. Our
    web site address is1 www.epa.gov/OWOW/oceans/yoto/; the UN at-www.ocean98.org/ocean98.html; or
    NOAA at: www.noaa.gOV//pOyoto98/

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                                       INTERNET SITES ON OCEANS
                                   A few of many sources of electronic information on oceans
                               Ocean Planet: Oceans in Peril
    http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/ocean_planet_oceans_in_peril.html
This site features an exhibit on oceans produced by the Smithsonian Institution. It discusses marine
pollution and the global effects of ocean degradation.

                        Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans
                                  http:// www.ncr.dfo.ca/
Tliis site provides links to Canadian government publications and news releases on marine wildlife
and issues effecting Canada'a fisheries and oceans.

                                American Oceans Campaign
                               http://www.americanoceans.org
This organization advocates protection of water resources through educational programs and programs
with corporate, governmental and environmental organizations.

                   Oceans Information Resources on the World Wide Web
                       http://www.lehigh.edu/~injrl/subindex/oceans.html
This site provides links to ocean-related sites.

     US State Department—Bureau of Oceans and International Scientific Affairs Homepage
                        http://www.state.gov/www/global/oes/index.html
This site provides information on US  foreign policy on global environment, science and technology
issues. It includes links to State Department speeches, events and activities and to related web sites.

                            Oceans & Law of the Sea Home Page
                                http://www.un.org/Depts/los/
This site is maintained by the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs, Office of Legal Affairs. It
contains the text of the "Convention on the Law of the Sea" and links to documents and conference
information.

                           OceanLink Marine Science  Homepage
                                 http://oceanlink.island.net
This site features contributions from several Canadian marine education organizations presenting
information on marine biology, oceanography and pollution.

                                   Ocean98~Conferences
                             http://www.ocean98.org/confl.htm
This site provides information on and links to ocean-related conferences in 1998.
                                                  -4-

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   Conferences on  Current
   Ocean Research
    February 9-13,1998 —1998 Ocean Sciences Meeting, San Diego, California. Contact them at the
    AGU Meetings Dept. 1998 Ocean Sciences Meeting 2000 Florida Avenue, NW Washington, DC
    20009, Telephone (202) 462-6900 or Fax (202) 328-0566, E-mail: meetinginfo@kosmos.agu.org,
    Internet  http://www.agu.org/meetings.

    February 11-14,1998 - Marine Ecosystem Management Obligations and Opportunities, Wellington,
    New Zealand. You may visit the SeaViews web site at http://www.converge.org/seaviews/sea2.html.

    March 3-5,1998 — Second International Marine Environmental Modelling Seminar, Lillehammer,
    Norway. You may contact May Kristin Ditlevsen, Seminar Secretariat at Telephone (47 73) 59 12 12
    or Fax (47 73) 59 70 51, E-mail: may.ditlevsen@chem.sintef.no.
 NEW MULTILINGUAL THESAURUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL TERMS NOW AVAILABLE

      The new Envoc/INFOTERRA Multilingual Thesaurus or Environmental Terms is now available It has been revised to reflect
 emerging environmental concerns and new technologies. The thesaurus is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and
 Spanish  For more information, contact:

     SMI (Distribution Services)  Limited
     PO. Box 119
     Stevenage
     Hertfordshire SGI 4TP, UNITED KINGDOM
     FAX- (44 1234)782878
     E-Mail:  Anthony@smibooks.com
                   Guidelines for Contributions to CARIBBEAN CURRENTS
 Any organization or individual operating or involved in the English and French-speaking Caribbean Region is welcome
 to contribute to the newsletter. Contributions should be addressed to.
        Carribean Currents Coordinator
        IMFOTERRA/USA
        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
        Headquarters Library, 3404
        401 M Street, S W.
        Washington, D.C. 20460
        UNITED STATES
        Telephone: (202)260-5917; Fax: (202)260-3923; E-mail: library-infoterra@epamailepa.gov
 Please note that submissions should meet the following criteria:
     • They should be relevant to environmental issues
     • They must be of interest to or directly involve the Region
     • They must not endorse or recommend any product or commercial service, explicitly or implicitly
     • They must be brief-under 250 words; Bulletin Board requests should be under 100 words
     • They must be received by the posted deadline (see below)
 Please feel free to contact the CARIBBEAN CURRENTS coordinator if you are interested in submitting a longer article.  You
 should contact the coordinator to discuss your topic and any size or content restrictions beforehand. Be aware that once
 your article is submitted, it is subject to editing as needed. Final decisions on editing and inclusion of any contributions
 are left to the INFOTERRA/USA Manager Please contact INFOTERRA/USA using the address above to contribute
 any comments, questions, problems, or ideas.
	DEADLINE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO Vol. 6, No. 2: March 8,1998	
                                                -5-

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        Welcome to The CARIBBEAN CURRENTS

                       Bulletin Board
Each issue, we will publish questions or concerns of interest to CURRENTS
readers.  Anyone who has materials or information that they are seeking or
that they feel will be helpful should feel free to contribute.  We will post
queries and offerings of general interest on the Bulletin Board.   You may
respond by contacting the reader who has placed the item, or the RSC.
                  Bulletin Board
       DOCUMENTS

         AVAILABLE

     INFOTERRA/USA has free copies
       of the following publications
              available.

     If you would like copies of any of
       these documents, please let us
               know.

      •   EPA Office of Wastewater
         Management Publications
         Catalog July 1997 (new edition)

      •   Catalog of Publications: Office of
         Science and Technology, 1997,
         (EPA 820-B97001)

      •   A Commitment to Address the
         Environmental and Development
         Problems of the Wider Caribbean
         (Brochure)

     To request copies of these
     documents, just write to
     INFOTERRA/USA using the
        nformation Needed on
           Algae Blooms
The next issue of Caribbean Currents
will focus on Algae Blooms. We would
be interested in receiving any
information on projects or studies
related to this issue.

These materials will also be kept on file
for the benefit of researchers and
visitors to INFOTERRA.

Please contact INFOTERRA/USA using
the information on page  7 if you can
provide any assistance. Thank you for
your support!
  Send your Bulletins to the RSC for publication in the next issue. See
  the Guidelines on page 5 for information on submitting items.

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