“A SMALL black-and-white bird lands in front of me in a clearing in the forest. It hops about on the ground almost within touching distance, eyeing me curiously but seemingly unafraid, before vanishing in a flurry of wings. I have just had my first sight of a Seychelles magpie robin, one of the rarest animals on Earth. My encounter happened on Cousin Island, 29 hectares of glittering white sand and forest in the middle of the Indian Ocean.”

Read more of Graham Lawton’s account of the success story that is Cousin Island at the http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627571.500-living-world-how-to-save-an-island.html

The MASMA-funded project “The spatial behaviour of artisanal fishers. Implications for fisheries management and development”, whose aim is to generate a greater understanding of spatial fishing behaviour in the WIO region, which can be used to improve fisheries management and stakeholder participation, has developed its logo.

For more details about the project, please contact Dr Tim Daw (T.Daw@uea.ac.uk)

In December 2009, in collaboration  with The Global Forum on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands and 40 other international ocean organizations, World Ocean Observatory and our media partner, Compass Light, created Ocean=Climate <http://www.oceanclimate.org> , an on-line presentation of the synergistic inter-action between ocean and climate systems. The initiative was part of Ocean Day at the Copenhagen climate summit, a gathering at the European Environment Agency of ocean experts advocating the need to include the ocean perspective in the climate treaty negotiations.

Ocean=Climate surveys the full range of issues and impacts to include CO2 emissions, polar melt, extreme weather, ocean currents, ocean acidification, fresh water, disease, biodiversity, coastal resources, economic effects, and the particular challenges to small island nations.  The site contains numerous video interviews, surveys the present situation, offers exemplary solutions, and provides a forum for visitors to comment and contribute to an on-going conversation about ocean and climate themes.

The interviewees also address immediate and future responses, advocating for mitigation, adapatation, invention, and public participation through policy, specific projects, education, and individual action.

This initiative is designed to be used by all interested organizations as an informational tool.  We urge you to link Ocean=Climate to your institutional site <http://www.oceanclimate.org/content/badges>  and to forward it to colleagues, friends and family.

Cover page of the third edition of theWIOMSA Magazine

 Read the Third Issue of theWIOMSA Magazine from http://issuu.com/wiomsa/docs/thewiomsa_magazine_issue_no_3 

The Portuguese versions of GCRMN SocMon guidelines, for the Western Indian Ocean, are now complete. PDF files can be requested from iwanyonyi@cordioea.org, and also available on the web at www.cordioea.org/SOCMON.html, http://wiomsa.org/?id=1404 and http://www.socmon.org/regions.aspx?region=Western_Indian_Ocean&centerpoint

Other versions of GCRMN SocMon guidelines, for the Western Indian Ocean are in English, French and Swahili language.

Hard copies of the Portuguese manuals will be available from the following offices, NOAA, ReCoMap-Mombasa, WWF-EAME (Dar es Salaam), WIOMSA-Zanzibar, WWF-Mozambique, IUCN-Nairobi and CORDIO EA-Mombasa.

In the SocMon WIO guidelines you will find a prioritized list of socioeconomic variables useful to coastal managers in the WIO; how socioeconomic information can be useful to their management at their site; simplified methods for data collection, analysis and a case study.

SocMon WIO is part of a continuing regional program to enhance understanding of communities and their relationship to coastal and marine resources through socioeconomic monitoring. The guidelines are intended to provide insight to managers, many of whom come from biology or natural resource management backgrounds into what “socioeconomics” means. Site teams can use these guidelines (alongside the GCRMN Manual) alone or with the help of a local social scientist.

SocMon WIO is the product of substantial collaboration among social scientists, the drafting group and coastal managers in the region. Activities of SocMon WIO are guided by the SocMon WIO Strategy, which was developed by the region partners and site projects and coordinated by CORDIO East Africa. Grants from NOAA have supported the development of the Portuguese guidelines.

For more information on the SocMon WIO initiative contact Innocent Wanyonyi, iwanyonyi@cordioea.org, or visit the WIOMSA website www.wiomsa.org.

I’m writing to you on behalf of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Young Professionals network.  This WCPA network aims to promote better network and information sharing among conservation practitioners under the age of 35 around the world.  

Enhancing involvement of young conservationists in IUCN activities was a key objective of World Parks Congress in Durban 2003.  Former South African President Nelson Mandela, while addressing the Congress, admonished delegates saying “there were too many grey hairs in the room”. His inspiring speech challenged conservationists to engage more meaningfully with young people, to build their capacities, channel their enthusiasm and inspiration into the global challenges of sustaining life on earth and by doing so, safeguarding its most beautiful and inspiring places while respecting and building social equity.

The WCPA Young Professionals group is a rapidly growing global network but is currently under-represented from African, Indian Ocean and European regions, hence the purpose of this e mail to you.

Anyone is eligible to join the network, to receive and share information about partnerships, scholarships, funding and training opportunities.  Our objective is to communicate across a broad global audience of peers working in similar fields, and to get more young people involved in the WCPA, so please do sign up.

I’ve attached the Young Professional Groups newsletters from 2009 and 2010. The next newsletter will be released by mid-May 2010. This will be distributed on the websites below.  Your contributions to the newsletter would be greatly appreciated. We are open to projects you may be working on, news stories from your region, requests for information etc.

The listserves and web groups are listed below:

1. Linked In group is at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2089259&trk=anet_ug_hm, or you can find it by its name IUCN/WCPA Young Protected Area Professionals

2. The YP Yahoo discussion group is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/youth_and_PAs/
You need to create a Yahoo ID for this group.

3. Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110909978925942&ref=mf

4. IUCN WCPA Young Professional Group Website
http://www.iucn.org/about/union/commissions/wcpa/wcpa_what/wcpa_youngprof/

Please feel free to forward this e mail on to colleagues working in these regions.  We look forward to your participation and active engagement in this group.  If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.

By Alasdair Harris

The Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University, in collaboration with the Faculty of Business Administration, is launching a master of maritime management program which will provide those in the marine sector with professional development opportunities to facilitate advancement in management positions. All courses within the program will be offered fully online, attracting students from a global market and addressing the needs of this unique professional population.

The program will provide an understanding of the structure and operation of organizations and the factors that influence business decisions in the context of marine based organizations.

There will be a management focus through the development of knowledge and understanding of the nature of marine operations and the factors that have an impact on their success, as well as the ability to apply these concepts within their organizations. Elective courses will enable students to focus on particular aspects of maritime management most applicable to their situation and interests.

Dr. Peter Fisher, head of the Marine Institute’s Division of Academic and Student Affairs, explained that the new program will be of significant benefit, in terms of career progression to individuals working in the marine sector. “We launched the bachelor of maritime studies and bachelor of technology programs to provide individuals who had followed a technical post-secondary education with the opportunity to earn a degree, to advance in their chosen field. The introduction of the new master’s program is a natural extension of that process.

“The fact that the courses are offered online allows students who are continuing to work and who live at a distance from the institute to complete the program. This also enables us to offer the programs to graduate students around the world.”

Upon completion of the program, graduates will possess the knowledge and skills required for progression in management positions in the marine sector.

The program is open to those who have a bachelor of maritime studies, bachelor of technology or other undergraduate degree and who meet the general admission requirements of Memorial University’s School of Graduate Studies. A minimum of two years related employment experience will also normally be required.

Students can learn more by visiting www.mi.mun.ca/mmm or by contacting the Marine Institute‘s co-ordinator of advanced programs (degree and graduate programs) at 709-778-0522 or 1-800-563-5799 ext. 0522, or by e-mail cap@mi.mun.ca.

The Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) is an international autonomous organization based in Trieste, Italy.

TWOWS is accepting applications for its postgraduate fellowship programme. The TWOWS fellowship supports female students from Sub-Saharan Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) who wish to pursue postgraduate training leading to a PhD at centres of excellence in developing countries.

The fellowship supports research projects in the natural sciences. The minimum qualification of applicants is an MSc degree (or equivalent) or an outstanding BSc honours degree in a field of the natural sciences. Both sandwich and full-time fellowships are available.

Please see www.twows.org/activities for more information on the application procedure, eligibility criteria and to download the application form.

Deadline to apply is 31 July 2010.

The AU-TWAS Young Scientist National Award, which is open to both male and female young researchers, is designed to recognize the scientific achievements of young researchers working and living in Africa and to encourage them to continue to strive for excellence in their scientific careers.

In each African country, the AU-TWAS award will be given annually in the following 2 fields of science:

• Life and Earth Sciences;
• Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation.

For each award, AU and TWAS shall make available a yearly amount of up to US$5,000 as prize money. In addition to the cash award, the winners will also receive a certificate.

This new initiative, to be implemented from 2010, has been developed from the existing TWAS award for your scientists from developed countries. In African countries, the AU-TWAS Young Scientists National Award will replace any previous agreement of collaboration signed with TWAS within the framework of the prizes to young scientists from developing countries.

The deadline is 30 June 2010.

Download the information leaflet http://www.assaf.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/AU-TWAS-NationalAward-Young-Scientists-LEAFLET.pdf  and the application form http://www.assaf.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/AU-TWAS_Award_Application-form.pdf

Deadline: 30 April 2010

UNEP-WCMC is announcing opportunity for international students to undertake a new MPhil in Conservation Leadership at Cambridge University, through the Chevening Scholars Programme.

For more info see the link below and the attached guidelines:

http://www.unep-wcmc.org/latenews/jobs/chevening/Advert10.htm

Applications will be considered from candidates from any country other than those in the European Union (except for the 2004 Accession States), North America and Canada. Priority will be given to candidates from developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

Successful candidates will be:

• Graduates fulfilling the academic requirements for entry to the University of Cambridge MPhil in Conservation Leadership
• Committed to return to their country and contribute to its development through leadership skills and knowledge acquired in the UK
• Clear about how their scholarship will benefit their country on their return
• Able to demonstrate the personal qualities needed to benefit from having a year’s experience of international conservation leadership in Cambridge
• Able to demonstrate good English language skills (with an IELTS of 7 where applicable).

Funding

Each UNEP-WCMC Chevening MPhil Scholarship is expected to cover a stipend, University and College fees, and one return economy-class airfare to the UK.

The UNEP-WCMC Chevening scheme receives generous support from the UK Chevening Scholarships Programme and The Salters’ Company.