11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

23.897
Empowering Fisherwomen Through Ict in Reef Conservation And Management – A
Case Study From Tuticorin Coast Of The Gulf Of Mannar, Southeastern India
Jamila PATTERSON 1 , Eva LINDEN 2 , Christin BIERBRIER 2 , Dan WILHELMSSON 3 ,
Inger LOFGREN 4 , David OBURA 5 , Edward JK PATTERSON* 1
1 2
Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, Tuticorin, India, Nyköpings
Folkhögskola, Nyköping, Sweden, 3 Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden, 4 Lagman
Linds v. 4 A, Stocksund, Sweden, 5 CORDIO East Africa, Mombasa, Kenya
To reduce pressure on coral reef resources and economic vulnerability of coastal
communities, local fisherwomen Self Help Groups (SHGs) were empowered through
provision of Information and Communication Technologies ICT and adult education in 5
coastal villages in Tuticorin district of the Gulf of Mannar (GoM) in the South-eastern
India. Improved literacy levels, environmental education, as well as the provision of
computer training and equipment, improved villages capacity for taking up alternative
livelihoods and enhance their living conditions. The support to SHGs have been
successful in demonstrating the potential as a non-threatening mechanism for mobilizing
resources, providing affordable finance and social benefits to poorer fisher women,
including self-reliance, awareness creation, capacity development, social solidarity and
the empowerment of women.
The village coordinators from the five targeted villages were given training in adult and
environmental education and computer applications. After the training, each village was
provided with ICT components (include computer, printer, mobile phone, and internet).
Several people, including school children are taking part in the adult and environmental
education; and computer training. The villagers are showing keen interest and many old
fisher women now taught to put their signature and also started reading. In addition, the
SHG members in the targeted villages are also trained in other alternative livelihood
activities such as vermi-compositing and hygienic fish drying methods. Now, they started
enjoying the benefits from their livelihood activities. The creation of awareness about the
environment along with the adult education, training in computer applications and other
livelihood options helped the fisherwomen to earn additional income for their families,
which is the key to reduce the destructive fishing practices and enhance living conditions
in the coastal areas of GoM..
23.898
Habitat Similarity Between The Artificial Reef And Surrounding Natural
Hardbottom Of Broward County, Fl: Implications For Future Mitigation Planning
Stacy PREKEL* 1
1 Marine Science and Biological Research, Coastal Planning & Engineering, Inc., Boca
Raton, FL
Abstract: In order to mitigate for anticipated burial of natural hardbottom areas from
Segment III of the Broward County Shore Protection Project, 3.6 x 10-2 km2 (8.9 acres)
of artificial reef were built in August/September 2003. To determine if the artificial reef
was approaching community equivalence to the surrounding nearshore natural
hardbottom, benthic biological monitoring was conducted at five discrete monitoring
events. Twenty-seven, 30-meter transects were monitored on the artificial reef and 26,
30-meter transects were monitored on the natural hardbottom. Biological monitoring
utilized the Benthic Ecological Assessment of Marginal Reefs (BEAMR) methodology.
Non-parametric multivariate analyses were applied to the functional group dataset using
PRIMER-E® (v6) to detect site type similarity. A Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS)
ordination was generated with associated one-way Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM)
from the transect-level data to present the differences between the functional group-level
benthic communities of the artificial and natural substrate at each monitoring event.
Results revealed significant differences (p