New generation embraces Trinidad and Tobago’s steelpan - Jamaica Gleaner

In a milestone for Caribbean science, researchers recently conducted one of the most comprehensive surveys ever undertaken in the deep-sea waters off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. It marks the first time a team of predominantly Caribbean scientists have worked on deep-ocean exploration in the region, according to expedition leader Diva Amon, a deep-sea ecologist and Trinidad and Tobago native. The expedition team collected more than 700 specimens, including many Amon believes will be identified as new species, and found 25 cold seep ecosystems formed by methane and other gases emanating from the ocean floor. Amon said she hopes the data gathered on the expedition will be used by decision-makers in Trinidad and Tobago to improve stewardship of the country’s waters, which are threatened by oil and gas drilling, plastic pollution and climate change. During a recent monthlong expedition, a team of scientists conducted one of the most comprehensive surveys ever undertaken in the deep waters of Trinidad and Tobago, a dual-island nation located in the southern Caribbean Sea.