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Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database

Central repository for biodiversity related research and monitoring data from the Dutch Caribbean

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Search results: 568

  • Scientific article Saving Saba Bank: Policy Implications of Biodiversity Studies
    Abstract: This paper provides a context for the results of recent biodiversity surveys of Saba Bank. Recent biological surveys of corals, fishes, and...
  • Other resources State of Nature in the Dutch Caribbean: Saba and the Saba Bank
    Wageningen Research recently published an alarming report on the state of nature for the three Dutch Caribbean islands (Bonaire, Saba and St....
  • Research report Towards sustainable management of the Saba Bank
    Findings: The main conclusion from this study is that the Saba Bank is particularly important for several reasons: It is an important and unique...
  • Other resources NIOZ-Saba Bank/Saba Cruise report: Net coral community calcification and hydrodynamics (Saba Bank/Saba)
    Cruise Background Many islands in the Caribbean sea are fringed by coral reefs and/or coral veneers, which produce CaCO3 for their skeletons. Not...
  • Book Saba Bank Research 2011-2016
    This book will let you dive into the underwater worl of the Saba Bank and gives you an introduction to its amazing biodiversity. At the same time you...
  • Other resources Preliminary checklist of extant endemic species and subspecies of the windward Dutch Caribbean (St. Martin, St. Eustatius, Saba and the Saba Bank)
    Keywords: endemic species, Caribbean, Saba, Saint Eustatius, Saint Marten, Saba Bank   Endemic species and subspecies (or “taxa” for short) having...
  • Research report Assessment of the Commercial Fishery of Saba Bank
    The commercial fishery of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, was assessed for six months from June 1 through November 30, 2007, by conducting port...
  • Media Mapping and Studying Changing Coral Reefs:  Is the Saba Bank still growing?
    Researchers aboard the Pelagia research vessel have been collecting invaluable data on the Windward islands in the Caribbean during the sixth leg of...
  • Other resources Changing benthic communities on Saba Bank Is Saba Bank becoming a ‘Sponge reef’?
    Abstract - Due to multiple stressors, many coral reefs are degrading. Shifts from a coral dominated system to an alternate phase are observed. For...
  • Research report Biodiversity of the Saba Bank supports status of Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA)
    Abstract: This report contains a study regarding the biodiversity of the Saba Bank, one of the three largest atolls in the world. All scientific and...
  • Research report Assessing effectiveness of the seasonal closure of the Moonfish Bank of the Saba Bank for two species of concern, the Red Hind and the Queen Triggerfish: the first five years
    Summary Based on traditional knowledge of the Saban fishermen, a spawning aggregation area (SPAG) for the Red Hind (Epinephelus guttatus) and the...
  • Research report Monitoring the Saba Bank Fishery
    Findings The main conclusion from this study is that no new fishing permits should be issued until a long-term fishery monitoring program is in place...
  • Research report Using the perception of fishermen, residents and tourists to support sustainable fishing practices on the Saba Bank
    Summary   Saba is a tropical island in the Dutch Caribbean that is known for its unique ecosystems and rich biodiversity both above and below the...
  • Media Unraveling the Mysteries of the Saba Bank: DCNA Tiger Shark Expedition 2021
    July 31st – August 7th, 2021 – For the first time on the Saba Bank, an expedition team was able to successfully assess the shark diversity by...
  • Research report Saba Bank - Special Marine Area Management Plan 2008
    Findings A management plan was prepared in close consultation with a considerable number of stakeholders and stakeholder group representatives. The...
  • Research report Assessing effectiveness of the seasonal closure of the Moonfish Bank of the Saba Bank for two species of concern, the Red Hind and the Queen Triggerfish: the first five years
    Based on traditional knowledge of the Saban fishermen, a spawning aggregation area (SPAG) for the Red Hind (Epinephelus guttatus) and the Queen...
  • Research report Saba Bank Research Expedition 2013 - Progress Report
    The Saba Bank is the largest submerged carbonate platform of 2,200 km2 in the Caribbean Sea, which lies partially within the Exclusive Economic Zone...
  • Other resources Saba Bank management Unit Activity Report 2016
    The Saba Bank Management Unit (SBMU) is responsible for the operational management of the Saba Bank. Its current tasks are to perform scientific...
  • Media Tiger Sharks and the Saba Bank
    Hi everyone. My name is Ayumi Kuramae Izioka and I work as the as the science coordinator and daily operations manager of the Saba Bank Management...
  • Research report Status and trends Saba Bank fisheries: 2015
    The Saba Bank is a 2200 km2 shallow bank area that lies fully within the Dutch Kingdom’s Caribbean exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters. In recent...
  • Research report Genetic diversity and connectivity of populations on the Saba bank
    From 19-27 October 2013, IMARES (Wageningen UR) organized a research expedition to the Saba Bank, to investigate the ecological functioning of the...
  • Scientific article Population Genetic Structure, Abundance, and Health Status of Two Dominant Benthic Species in the Saba Bank National Park, Caribbean Netherlands: Montastraea cavernosa and Xestospongia muta
    Saba Bank, a submerged atoll in the Caribbean Sea with an area of 2,200 km2, has attained international conservation status due to the rich diversity...
  • Scientific article Population genetic structure, abundance and health status of two dominant benthic species in the Saba Bank National Park, Caribbean Netherlands: Montastraea cavernosa and Xestospongia muta
    Abstract Saba Bank, a submerged atoll in the Caribbean Sea with an area of 2,200 km2 , has attained international conservation status due to the rich...
  • Book The Saba Bank
    Until recently the Saba Bank remained a mysterious and largely unexplored off shore atoll falling mostly within the water of the Exclusive Economic...
  • Scientific article Biodiversity Assessment of the Fishes of Saba Bank Atoll, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: Biodiversity surveys were conducted on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, to assess ichthyofaunal richness and to compare with published...
  • Scientific article Reef Fishes of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles: Assemblage Structure across a Gradient of Habitat Types
    Saba Bank is a 2,200 km2 submerged carbonate platform in the northeastern Caribbean Sea off Saba Island, Netherlands Antilles. The presence of reef-...
  • Other resources Cruise report RV Pelagia 64PE414 Saba Bank
    This research expedition is part of the project “Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems”, funded within NWO’s Caribbean Research Program. This project...
  • Research report Seabirds, marine mammals and human activities on the Saba Bank
    During the HNLMS 'TYDEMAN' bathymetric expedition on the Saba Bank, April - May 1996, two observers spent 7 weeks on board and to collect data on the...
  • Media Exploring the Saba Bank’s Deep Sea
    During the fifth leg of the NICO expedition researchers from NIOZ Sea Research, Wageningen Marine Research and Naturalis Biodiversity Center studied...
  • Research report Some Observations Made From ROV on Mid-Depth Habitats and Reef Fish Communities of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    A small submersible remotely operated vehicle (ROV) was used to explore mid-depth habitats of Saba Bank – a submerged carbonate platform in the...
  • Media Status of Saba Bank’s reefs
    The Saba Bank remained an unexplored and mysterious offshore submerged carbonate platform until very recently. Research on the Saba Bank was first...
  • Research report Fish assemblages on the Saba bank (Dutch Caribbean): the effect of habitat, depth and fisheries
    Many environmental variables may influence fish assemblage structures in terms of abundance, biomass and mean size. The aim of this study is to...
  • Media BioNews 1-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    A dedicated Saba Bank Symposium was organised by the University of Wageningen in December 2016. The Symposium was held in Den Helder and brought...
  • Scientific article Spiny Lobster Fishery of the Saba Bank
    Abstract: Over the past 12 months a comprehensive assessment has been made of the fish stock of the Saba Bank. The assessment was initiated by the...
  • Research report Diversity, abundance, distribution and habitat use reef-associated sharks in the Dutch Caribbean
    Shark are in serious decline in the Caribbean due to fishing pressure and slow reproductive life-history. The Dutch Caribbean Nature Policy Plan in...
  • Research report The Saba Bank- A large atoll in the northeastern Caribbean
    Findings Abundant coral growth within the Saba Bank is restricted mainly to the two large windward reefs. These two reefs carry a very rich reef...
  • Research report Habitat Surveys of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles: An Assessment of Benthic Communities and Fish Assemblages
    Saba Bank is a large and completely submerged carbonate platform in the northeastern Caribbean Sea located approximately 4 km southwest of Saba...
  • Research report Lobster trap detection at the Saba Bank
    Abstract: According to previous studies and anecdotal evidence there are a lot of lost lobster traps at the Saba Bank. One study estimated the loss...
  • Research report Sinkhole expedition Luymes bank, Saba bank
    The Saba Bank is a large (ca 2400 km2 ) submerged carbonate platform of 15-40m depth rising up from 800-1000m depth and fringed with coral reefs. It...
  • Media Status of the Red-Bellied Racer on Saba and St. Eustatius
    The Red-bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventris) is a harmless snake species that is native to the St. Christopher and Saba Banks. Today, it...
  • Research report The effects of trap fisheries on the populations of Caribbean spiny lobster and reef fish species at the Saba Bank
    Abstract: The Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is a widespread crustacean species. It inhabits shallow water reefs and rocky substrates from...
  • Media Saba Bank: a scientific surprise
    Background The Saba Bank, west of the Caribbean island of Saba, is a large (2400 km2) submerged carbonate platform of 15-40m depth rising from 800-...
  • Scientific article Preliminary Assessment of Sponge Biodiversity on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract Background: Saba Bank Atoll, Netherlands Antilles, is one of the three largest atolls on Earth and provides habitat for an extensive coral...
  • Media Expedition on the Saba Bank to Enhance Tiger Shark Protection
    Starting August 1, 2021 a team of researchers will spend a week on the Saba Bank investigating the life-cycle of tiger sharks. Researchers will...
  • Media Sea & Learn 2018
    This year Sea & Learn celebrated their 16thannual event on Saba. A total of 16 experts provided dynamic hands-on field projects and powerful...
  • Scientific article Geological reconnaissance survey of Saba Bank, Caribbean Sea
    Findings The main conclusion from this study is that the Saba Bank has little modern material/ sediment deposited in relation to present sea level....
  • Other resources Research Note: Fish Records from the Saba Bank Commercial Fishery
    Recent investigations of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, have sought to develop inventories of marine biodiversity from this large, submerged coral...
  • Research report Saba Bank Symposium: summary and recommendations
    Introduction: Since 2010, the Saba Bank falls under the jurisdiction of The Netherlands. Spanning an area of 2000km2, the Saba Bank houses the...
  • Scientific article Unforeseen importance of historical collections as baselines to determine biotic change of coral reefs: the Saba Bank case
    Botanical and zoological collections may serve as archives for historical ecologi- cal research on the effects of global change and human impact on...
  • Research report Saba Bank; health status 2010. Cruise report
    Findings: The main conclusion from this study is that the health of the reefs of the Saba Bank has deteriorated since the first observations in 1972...
  • Research report Saba Bank research expedition 2011 – Progress Report
    Abstract: The Saba Bank is a large submerged carbonate platform of approximately 2,200 km2 in the Caribbean Sea which lies partially within the...
  • Scientific article Assessment of an unprotected red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) spawning aggregation on Saba Bank in the Netherlands Antilles
    Although little fisheries data exist for red hind, Epinephelus guttatus (Linnaeus, 1758) on the Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, spawning aggregation...
  • Media Old Power Plant on Saba to be converted to Marine Research Station
    On January 17th, 2022, Mark Zagers, Managing Director of the Saba Electric Company (SEC), officially handed over the keys to Peter Johnson, President...
  • Research report An insight into Saba's heritage properties for the purpose of World Heritage nomination
    In 2011, the Saban government submitted the tentative list for nomination of the UNESCO World Heritage list. On this tentative list, the whole island...
  • Media Big Live Nature Quiz—Winners on Curaçao, Aruba and Saba
    Nederlands, Papiamento and Papiamentu below   Fun Online Nature Game for the Dutch Caribbean  DCNA’s Big Live Nature Quiz local Host Edrieënna...
  • Media Two new nonnative reptiles identified on Saba
    Wageningen University and Research and the University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein researchers have recently identified two new nonnative...
  • Other resources Using Sound to Track Marine Mammals in Saba Bank
    Since 2011, the Saba Bank noise logger research project has been collecting acoustic data of marine mammals, fish and man-made noises within the Saba...
  • Other resources Determining the health status of coral reefs: a case-study of the Saba Bank in the Dutch Caribbean
    Student Report  Coral reefs are impacted by temperature rise, ocean acidification and various local anthropogenic stressors, causing global...
  • Other resources Determining the health status of coral reefs: a case-study of the Saba Bank in the Dutch Caribbean
    Student Report  Abstract  Coral reefs are impacted by temperature rise, ocean acidification and various local anthropogenic stressors, causing global...
  • Research report Multivariate Analysis of Gorgonian Habitats on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    The second Saba Bank Expedition in October 2008 aimed at improving the knowledge of the gorgonacea by generating a comprehensive species list for...
  • Media Rapid Decline in Lionfish for the Saba Bank
    Research conducted by the Saba Bank Management Unit and Wageningen University and Research documented the third incidence of rapid lionfish...
  • Scientific article Rapid Assessment of Stony Coral Richness and Condition on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Findings: Combining the findings of this study with that of other studies, the authors conclude that the coral assemblage on the Saba Bank is diverse...
  • Media Special Edition Tiger Shark Expedition 2021
    The Dutch Caribbean waters are home to more than thirty species of sharks and rays. With the creation of the Yarari Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary...
  • Media Satellites and Sharks: Latest in Saba Bank Shark Research
    The Saba Bank is an important habitat within the Yarari Shark Sanctuary.  Visited by a variety of different species, little is known about the life...
  • Research report An Economic and Social Study of the Saba Marine Park, Saba, Netherlands Antilles.
    The Dutch island of Saba in the North Eastern Caribbean has been surrounded by a protected area since 1987. This area known as the Saba Marine Park...
  • Research report An Economic and Social Study of the Saba Marine Park, Saba, Netherlands Antilles.
    The Dutch island of Saba in the North Eastern Caribbean has been surrounded by a protected area since 1987. This area known as the Saba Marine Park...
  • Research report Status and trends in Saba Bank fisheries: Analysis of fisheries data collected over the period 2011-2020
    This report is an update of earlier published reports on the status and trends in the of Saba Bank fisheries (Graaf et al. 2017, Brunel et al. 2018...
  • Research report Biological Inventory of Saba
    Abstract: Saba is the smallest of the three Windward Islands in the Netherlands Antilles, with an area of 13 km2. Saba is the northernmost island...
  • Media Saba Iguanas Receive Attention
    The Caribbean Netherlands island of Saba is home to a unique but relatively unknown iguana population. Given the many threats faced by islands...
  • Research report Update on the 2016-2017 catch trends in the Saba Bank fisheries
    The recent status and trends in the Saba Bank fisheries up to and including 2015 port sampling data have been previously reported by de Graaf et al...
  • Scientific article Rapid Assessment of Octocoral Diversity and Habitat on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Saba Bank is a large submerged platform (~2200 km2), average depth 30 m, located 4 km southwest of Saba Island in Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean Sea...
  • Media Saba Bank: Sharks
    Want to know the best place to see sharks in the Netherlands? Recent studies would seem to indicate that it’s the Saba Bank! Researchers on early...
  • Other resources Protecting Saba Bank’s Red Hind and Queen Triggerfish Populations
    Wageningen Marine Research and the Saba Bank Management Unit (SMBU) recently published an evaluation of the effectiveness of the seasonal fishing...
  • Scientific article Marine Mammals of the Northeastern Caribbean Windward Dutch Islands: Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, and the Saba Bank
    Abstract: At least 33 native species of marine mammals have been documented from the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). For many of these species, the...
  • Media First silky shark sightings by Saba Conservation Foundation
    Whilst nurse sharks and Caribbean reef sharks are regularly spotted on the Saba Bank, it’s not every day that you see silky sharks. During a routine...
  • Media Unexpected high number of endemics for the windward Dutch Caribbean Islands
    In light of the mounting impact of humans on our planet, there is an urgent need to assess the status of all current living species so as to ensure...
  • Scientific article Rapid declines in lionfish catches in the Saba Bank lobster and snapper trap fisheries, Dutch Caribbean
    Abstract Since its introduction in the Western Atlantic more than 30 years ago, the lionsh (Pterois volitans/miles complex) has spread throughout the...
  • Scientific article Internal Wave Observations Off Saba Bank
    The deep sloping sides of Saba Bank, the largest submarine atoll in the Atlantic Ocean, show quite different internal wave characteristics. To...
  • Scientific article Marine Macroalgal Diversity Assessment of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Background: Located in the Dutch Windward Islands, Saba Bank is a flat-topped seamount (20–45 m deep in the shallower regions). The primary goals of...
  • Research report Priorities in management implementation for marine mammal conservation in the Saba sector of the Yarari sanctuary
    The Yarari Marine Mammal Sanctuary (hereafter simply referred to as the Yarari Sanctuary, or Yarari) was formally established on September 2, 2015....
  • Research report The Total Economic Value of Nature on Saba
    This study is part of the project “What is Saba’s Nature Worth?” The project is part of the encompassing project The Economics of Ecosystems and...
  • Portal Plants and Lichens of Saba. A Virtual Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden.
    Saba is a five square mile island with about 1200 permanent inhabitants located off the coast of St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles (go to map...
  • Media Saba Bank video documentary
    Video documentary describing the importance of the Saba Bank as a natural resource for the island of Saba, including underwater footage and...
  • Research report Humpback and minke whale acoustic presence with reference to fish sounds and ambient noise levels at Saba Bank, Caribbean Windward Dutch Islands
    The Antillean Island chain is a known breeding and calving ground for North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). However, while most...
  • Other resources Cruise report RV Pelagia 64PE433 Saba, St Eustatius and Saba Bank Benthic habitat mapping, and Benthic–Pelagic coupling
    26 February - 10 March 2018  St Maarten-St Maarten (NICO expedition leg 6)
  • Research report Humpback and minke whale acoustic presence with reference to fish sounds and ambient noise levels at Saba Bank, Caribbean Windward Dutch Islands
    The Antillean Island chain is a known breeding and calving ground for North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). However, while most...
  • Research report The local recreational and cultural value of nature on Saba
    his thesis is part of the project ‘What is Saba’s nature worth?’ a collaboration between the IVM, VU University Amsterdam and Wolfs Company. The aim...
  • Research report Predation threats to the Red- billed Tropicbird breeding colony of Saba: focus on cats
    Summary: Feral domestic cats (Felis catus) are recognized as one of the most devastating alien predator species in the world and are a major threat...
  • Scientific article Spatio–temporal variation in stable isotope signatures (δ13C and δ15N) of sponges on the Saba Bank
    Sponges are ubiquitous on coral reefs, mostly long lived and therefore adaptive to changing environmental conditions. They feed on organic matter...
  • Maps and Charts Contour map of the Saba bank
    Contour map of the Saba bank (GIS)    
  • Media Saba Bank: Fisheries
    The Saba Bank supports a vibrant local fishing industry. Fishing effort focuses mainly on a trap fishery, targeting lobster and deep water red fish (...
  • Media Managing the Saba Bank
    This news item is based on presentations given at the Saba Bank Symposium in December 2016. It was published in BioNews 31. BioNews is produced by ...
  • Media Oct. 2015: Third Saba Bank expedition
    A select group of researchers from IMARES and several other institutions came together from October 17th to October 31st 2015 to conduct the third...
  • Scientific article The foraminifera of the Saba Bank Expedition
    Bottom samples obtained by means of a Van Veen grab during the 1972 Saba Bank Expedition ( CICAR cruises 34 and 35) appeared to comprise many samples...
  • Scientific article First Recorded Introduction for the Saba Anole (Anolis sabanus) and an Overview of Introduced Amphibians and Reptiles on St. Eustatius
    The Lesser Antillean island of St. Eustatius harbors two native anole species, the large Panther or Statia Bank and the smaller Schwartz’s or Saint...
  • Scientific article Recent brachiopoda from the Snellius and Luymes Expeditions to the Surinam-Guyana Shelf, Bonaire-Curacao, and Saba Bank, Caribbean Sea, 1966 and 1969-1972
    Recent brachiopods collected by the Snellius and Luymes expeditions to the Surinam-Guyana shelf, Bonaire-Curacao region and Saba Bank area in 1966...
  • Media Saba Bank: coral status and trends
    The University of Wageningen (IMARES) has participated in research voyages to the Saba Bank in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Monitoring of coral reefs has...
  • Media NIOZ Saba Bank Expedition: Environmental impacts on carbon metabolism of reef ecosystems
    NIOZ organised an expedition to the Saba Bank aboard the research vessel “Pelagia” from 19th August to 8th September 2016. Thirteen scientists from...
  • Media Underwater Sounds around Saba Bank
    Powerpoint Presented at the Saba Bank Symposium 2016 Introduction  Aims of acoustic research Methods Acoustic results and life sound analysis Future...
  • Other resources Intervention Needed to Save the endemic Sabal Palm of Bonaire
    An update to a 40-year-old Sabal palm survey for the islands of Bonaire and Curaçao highlighted the striking differences between the two islands....
  • Research report A National Park for Saba
    Options for acquisition and management of the northwestern part of Saba. Since 2004, Saba’s overall economic objective has been to generate growth of...
  • Research report Pilot study on behaviour of sharks around Saba using acoustic telemetry
    Worldwide many shark populations are in strong decline mainly due to fisheries. Population status of sharks in the Caribbean is still poorly known....
  • Research report Monitoring cetacean occurrence in coastal waters of the Caribbean Netherlands (Saba, St. Eustatius & Bonaire) using port sampling
    Knowledge on the density, distribution and occurrence of whales and dolphins in the Caribbean Netherlands is sparse. This knowledge is needed as...
  • Research report ANALYSIS OF THE SEAFOOD SUPPLY CHAIN ON BONAIRE, SABA AND ST. EUSTATIUS
    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fisheries on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius (Caribbean Netherlands) are important for the local economy and food provision on the...
  • Media Saba Bank: marine mammals
    The Northern Caribbean is a well-known breeding and calving ground for North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and considerable ...
  • Other resources A self-financing marine park: the Saba case
    Short case study prepared for the CANARI Workshop on Revenue Generation for Protected Areas, Saba, Netherlands Antilles, June 5-9, 1995. The Saba...
  • Research report Cruise report seabird and cetacean survey Saba bank expedition October 2011
    Abstract: In October 2011 an expedition took place to the Saba Bank, on board of the ship the Caribbean Explorer II. Main aim of the expedition was...
  • Other resources The tourism value of nature on Saba (policy brief)
    Policy Brief The Challenge The tourism industry is the most important source of income for Saba, which is marketed as “the Unspoiled Queen” of the...
  • Media BioNews 10 - November 2013
    This month’s issue highlights the Saba Bank Expedition that took place from 19 to 27 October. As a follow up to the Saba Bank survey in 2011, an...
  • Scientific article Wave-swept coralliths of Saba Bank, Dutch Caribbean
    During a recent reef coral survey at the submarine Saba Bank (Eastern Caribbean), an uncommon and diverse assemblage of unattached scleractinian...
  • Media Saba Bank: recommendations
    This news item comes from the Saba Bank Symposium in December 2016 (Becking & Meesters, 2017) .   This news article was published in BioNews 31....
  • Media Saba: Hurricane Impacts
    Since the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria through the windward islands, the staff of the dive operators on Saba, comprising Saba Divers, Sea...
  • Maps and Charts Is Saba Bank becoming a ‘sponge reef’?
    Poster: Objectives • Assess sponge and coral cover • Quantify the diversity and health of the sponge assemblages on Saba Bank 
  • Media Upcoming Shark Tagging Expedition on the Saba Bank
    Little is known about the current state of shark populations in the Dutch Caribbean, even less is known about their behavior and which areas they use...
  • Media Unique shark tagging expedition to the Saba Bank
    In October 2016, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) organized a unique shark tagging expedition to the Saba Bank. Little is currently known...
  • Media Exploring the Saba Bank
    Overview of expeditions to the Saba Bank.   This news article was published in BioNews 31. BioNews is produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance...
  • Other resources The recreational and cultural value of nature on Saba (policy brief)
    Policy Brief   The Challenge Local people call Saba ‘The Unspoiled Queen’, showing how proud Saban residents are of their history and the ‘unspoiled...
  • Research report The Tourism Value of Nature on Saba
    Tourism is an important source of income for most Small Island Developing States (SIDS), including Saba. This study aims to value the services...
  • Research report Mapping the Economic Value of Ecosystems on Saba
    This report will specifically focus on the spatial distribution of the ecosystem values and eventually visualize these values geographically in a...
  • Book Present day geothermal and seismic activity on Saba and St. Eustatius, the status of activity of the volcanoes, and possible future precursor activities
    Since the European settlement of St. Eustatius in 1636 and Saba in about 1640 there has been no eruptive activity on either island. Westermann and...
  • Research report Use of satellite data for the monitoring of species on Saba and St. Eustatius.
    Abstract: On 10 October 2010 Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius became ‘special municipalities’ of the Netherlands, making the Dutch government...
  • Media NICO Science Expedition to the Dutch Caribbean
    December 13th marked the beginning of an incredibly exciting and ambitious research expedition organized by the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea...
  • Media Sababank: onderzoek 2011 -2016
    1. Inleiding Dit boek neemt u mee in de bijzondere onderwaterwereld van de Saba Bank. Tegelijkertijd geven we u een overzicht van de resultaten uit...
  • Raw data Raw Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV), Saba bank
    Raw underwater videos 'Baited Remote Underwater Video' (BRUV). The video material is many Terabytes large. Please contact the DCBD administrator...
  • Scientific article Sabalpalm (Sabal antillensis) Recovery Over 40 Years: Lessons for Successful Palm Conservation.
    Sabal antillensis is endemic to the Dutch Caribbean islands of Curagao and Bonaire. Both island populations were thoroughly assessed in 1979, and...
  • Research report Testing the effectiviness of two methods for selectively trapping lionfish and estimating the feasibilty of a commercial lionfish fishery on Saba
    Student Report The invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) started invading the Caribbean Sea since the 1980's and were first sighted...
  • Other resources What is Saba’s Nature Worth? (policy brief)
    Policy Brief The Challenge Healthy ecosystems such as the corals reef patches and forests on the characteristic Mount Scenery are critical to the...
  • Other resources Benthic Habitat Mapping in the coastal waters of Saba Dutch Caribbean
    In this research benthic habitats of the Saba Marine Park were mapped. There were several reasons for an updated benthic habitat map: (1) to compare...
  • Other resources Satellite observations as a tool to monitor the volcanoes of Saba and St. Eustatius
    The Dutch islands of Saba and St. Eustatius are located in the far north of the Lesser Antilles arc, a subduction zone hosting seventeen active...
  • Other resources A new catalogue of orchidaceae for Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    The Orchidaceae on the island of Saba, Netherlands Antilles, have only briefly been studied and described. In January 2003, in cooperation with the...
  • Scientific article Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Saba Island, Lesser Antilles: Unusu- ally high species richness indicates the Caribbean Biodiversity Hotspot is woefully undersampled
    Abstract: Saba Island (Caribbean Netherlands) is one of the northernmost islands of the Lesser Antilles. It is only 13 square kilometers but contains...
  • Book Hiking on saba: a guide to the trails of Saba
  • Other resources A novel colour morph of Sphaerodactylus sabanus Cochran 1938 from Sint Eustatius
    Abstract. Reptiles often display substantial intraspecific variation in dorsal colouration and pattern. Such variation is often, but not always,...
  • Other resources Saba and St. Eustatius (Statia)
    Saba and St. Eustatius/Sint Eustatius (Statia) represent geologically young (less than a million years) Pleistocene island arc volcanoes that rise at...
  • Other resources Volcanology of Saba and St. Eustatius, Northern Lesser Antilles
    The two small islands of Saba and St. Eustatius (Netherlands Antilles) lie on the northernmost subaerial end of the active arc of the Lesser Antilles...
  • Research report A landscape ecological vegetation map of Saba (Lesser Antilles)
    A semi-detailed landscape-based vegetation map (scale: 1: 37,500) is presented for the 13 km2 Lesser Antillean steep volcanic island of Saba,...
  • Research report Status and trends of the coral reef ecosystem around Saba 2016 – Netherlands Antilles
    The Caribbean coral reefs showed drastic degradation over the last decades. As most Caribbean islands, Saba is economical dependent on their...
  • Research report Status and trends of coral reef health indicators on Saba (Caribbean Netherlands)
    Coral reefs are threatened globally and their trajectories of decline are very similar worldwide. In the Caribbean coral cover has declined by 80%...
  • Media Two Dutch Caribbean Tagged Tiger Sharks Follow Similar Migration Patterns in the Caribbean
    Two years ago the DCNA organized the first of its kind shark tagging expedition to the Saba Bank and St Maarten as part of the Dutch Postcode Lottery...
  • Scientific article A post-hurricane rapid assessment of reefs in the Windward Netherlands Antilles (stony corals, algae and fishes)
      Reefs of the windward Netherlands Antilles (Saba, Saba Bank, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten) were assessed at 24 sites in the late 1999. The...
  • Raw data Raw data of terrestrial bird observation on Saba 2019,2021
    Raw data of terrestrial bird monitoring  on Saba collected for the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA)  and Saba Conservation Foundation. ...
  • Scientific article Conservation of the herpetofauna on the Dutch Windward Islands: St. Eustatius, Saba, and St. Maarten
    The Dutch Windward Islands (St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Maarten) support a collective herpetofauna consisting of two frogs (both introduced), six...
  • Other resources Coastal region and small island papers 3: Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    In comparison to other CARICOMP sites, the tiny island of Saba, in the Windward Islands arc of the Lesser Antilles, can be described as atypical in...
  • Scientific article Saba en zijn orchideeën
    Bijzondere uitgave van ‘Orchideeën’, tweemaandelijks tijdschrift van de Nederlandse Orchideeën Vereniging, met een special over Saba. Michiel Boeken...
  • Scientific article Bats of Saba, Netherlands Antilles: a zoogeographic perspective
    Data presented herein provide records of four species of bats new to the fauna of the Antillean island of Saba — Monophyllus plethodon, Ardops...
  • Media Study reveals large number of new bird species for the island of Saba
    The birds of Saba were studied for two years to clarify the composition of the island’s avifauna, with the addition of observationsmade by reliable...
  • Media New beetles discovered in the Dutch Caribbean
    Nederlands below   Two recently published studies document 35 new beetle species for the islands of Saba and St. Eustatius.  Even with these latest...
  • Media Caribbean Marine Park Managers Dive into Fisheries Management
    Representatives from 15 Caribbean marine national parks recently met on the island of Saba in the Caribbean Netherlands to focus on their role in...
  • Research report Quantifying the state of the coral reef ecosystem in relation to biophysical benthic and pelagic indicators and biological drivers of change in the Saba National Marine Park, Dutch Caribbean
    Abstract   Coral reefsare experiencing large scale degradation. Motivated by the need for regular data monitoring and forquantification of the state...
  • Research report Quantifying the state of the coral reef ecosystem in relation to biophysical benthic and pelagic indicators and biological drivers of change in the Saba National Marine Park, Dutch Caribbean
    Student Report Coral reefs are experiencing large scale degradation. Motivated by the need for regular data monitoring and for quantification of the...
  • Research report Radar Surveys for Audubon’s Shearwater on Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri), known locally as Wedrego on Saba and St. Eustatius, is a medium-sized seabird species that feeds at sea...
  • Media Exciting Changes for Nature Conservation in 2022 on Saba
    From big litigation to renovations for their new sea lab, 2022 promises to be a banner year for the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF).  SCF recently...
  • Research report Important Bird Areas in the Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract: The Important Bird Area (IBA) programme is an initiative of BirdLife International aimed at identifying, monitoring and protecting a...
  • Maps and Charts Archaeological Predictive Map Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    In 2015 ARGEOgraph created the Archaeological Predictive Map of Saba for the Dutch ministry of Education, Culture and Science. This map has been made...
  • Portal SabaGIS
    SabaGIS contains many GIS related data products for Saba, such as : Scanned topophical map High resolution aerial photograph Topography layers...
  • Scientific article Two small beetle collections from Saba (Coleoptera)
    In January and February 2009 the third and fourth authors visited Saba to sample the invertebrate fauna of tank bromeliads. They also collected a...
  • Scientific article Establishment of two nonnative parthenogenetic reptiles on Saba, Dutch Caribbean: Gymnophthalmus underwoodi and Indotyphlops braminus
    The native herpetofauna of the Lesser Antillean island of Saba (13 km2; 17.63°N, -63.24°W) includes one snake, Alsophis rufiventris, and four species...
  • Other resources Comparative Investigations of Red Hind (Epinephelus guttatus) spawning aggregations under different management strategies
    A red hind spawning aggregation was found on the northeast edge of the Saba Bank, a large submerged platform in the leeward Antilles of the Caribbean...
  • Maps and Charts Trail map of Saba
    Trail maps of Saba 2016 (GIS) source : Saba Conservation Foundation
  • Other resources Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean - Saba
    The Saba coastline IBA (AN006)—the island’s site priority for bird conservation—has been identified on the basis of nine key bird species (listed in...
  • Scientific article Drie nog niet vermelde landslakkensoorten van Saba en Sint Maarten, Nederlandse Antillen, verzameld in 1991
    Three not yet reported land snail species from Saba and St. Martin (Netherlands’ Antilles), collected in 1991 Summary. During a one-day visit to Saba...
  • Media Saba: Goat Buy Back Project
    The 2013-2017 Nature Policy for the Caribbean Netherlands flagged the threat of invasive species as a high priority, with recent inventories...
  • Research report Monitoring water quality parameters of the coastal waters of Saba and the possible effects on the coral reef
    MSc intership report Coral reef systems have been declining all over the world. The project “Restoration of resilience of nature and society in the...
  • Research report Monitoring the effect of cat removal on reproductive success in Red-billed Tropicbird colonies on Saba, 2013-2014: first season of results
    One of the most deleterious invasive introduced predators worldwide is the domestic cat which has been found responsible for many island extinctions...
  • Scientific article A Post-hurricane Quantitative Assessment of the Red-bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventris) on Saba and Comparison with St. Eustatius
    We estimated occupancy, abundance (lambda), detection probability, density/ha and abundance of a regionally endemic snake in the Colubrid family on...
  • Media Second whale and dolphin research program in the Caribbean
    Nederlands and Papiamentu below   The whale and dolphin research program  Ti Whale An Nou started March 25, 2022 and the objective is to study the...
  • Other resources Stony corals of St. Eustatius
    Previous surveys of the coral fauna of St. Eustatius were usually of short duration and part of a larger research that included all of the windward...
  • Research report The influence of terrestrial erosion on Acropora palmata occurrence on Saba, Dutch Caribbean
    A high influx of sediment resulting from terrestrial erosion, imposes a major threat on coral reef ecosystems worldwide by inducing sedimentation and...
  • Research report Mas Piska pa Boneiru: A social mapping study of the fisheries sectors of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius
    Why is it so difficult to manage the fisheries sector on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius and how should this be tackled in the future in order to...
  • Research report Growth assessment of Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata fragments using in-situ coral nurseries, Saba – Dutch Caribbean
    Internship Report As part of the program for the Restoration of Ecosystem Services and Coral Reef Quality (RESCQ), this study aims at contributing to...
  • Media Molluscs of the Dutch Caribbean Islands
    The journal of the Netherlands Malacological Society, Vita Malacologica, dedicated its December 2017 edition to the malacofauna of the Dutch...
  • Research report Linking spatial gradients and habitat to reef fish assemblages: Insights from a remote coral reef system
    Student Report  Drastic loss of Caribbean coral reef habitat in the past decades has recently begun to negatively affect reef fish assemblage...
  • Research report Cetaceans of Saba, Sint Eustatius & Sint Maarten: current knowledge and future monitoring
    Abstract: In December 2012 IMARES conducted workshops on the identification of whales & dolphins in the Caribbean on the islands of Sint Maarten...
  • Media New Diadema project aims to restore sea urchins in Saban and Statian waters
    The new RAAK PRO Diadema project aims to restore long spined sea urchin populations (scientific name Diadema antillarum) on the coral reefs around...
  • Scientific article Molecular and Morphological Species Boundaries in the Gorgonian Octocoral Genus Pterogorgia (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae)
      Abstract Most gorgonian octocoral species are described using diagnostic characteristics of their sclerites (microscopic skeletal components)....
  • Scientific article New Locality, Depth, and Size Records and Species Character Modifications of Some Caribbean Deep-Reef/Shallow Slope Fishes and a New Host and Locality Record for the Chimaera Cestodarian
    New geographic localities are noted for chimaera cestodarian, Gyrocotyle rugosa, from the central Atlantic; it and Antillean snake eel, Ophichthus...
  • Media Blue Marine Foundation launches new partnership with Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance
    Nederlands, Papiamentu and Papiamento below   Ocean charity makes initial grant of $90,000 to marine parks on six Dutch Caribbean islands. Award will...
  • Other resources Plan land and water: Nature and environment plan Caribbean Netherlands 2020-2030
    The Caribbean Netherlands consists of three islands: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, all located in the Caribbean Sea. Since 2010 each island is...
  • Media BirdsCaribbean Landbird Monitoring Workshop
    Nederlands, Papiamento and Papiamentu below.   The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) recently supported the attendance of representatives from...
  • Research report Bescherming en Beheer Mariene Biodiversiteit in de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba. Een analyse van het internationaalrechtelijk en nationaalrechtelijk kader.
    Samenvatting: Het Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (LNV) heeft TNO Bouw en Ondergrond en het Netherlands Institute for the Law of...
  • Scientific article The Dynastinae of the island of Saba, Dutch Caribbean (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
    The fauna of Dynastinae (Scarabaeidae) on the island of Saba, Dutch Caribbean, was investigated through fieldwork during 2006 to 2015. Three species...
  • Raw data Raw data of turtle, sharks and fish inwater observations by SeaSaba
    Observations by SeaSaba dive instructors which include turtles, sharks, rays, snappers, groupers and marine mammals. Observations are made during...
  • Scientific article An Annotated List of Orthoptera from St Eustatius and Saba, Dutch West Indies, with Descriptions of Two New Cricket Species (Trigonidiidae, Mogoplistidae)
    Orthopteran species on the Lesser Antilles islands of St Eustatius and Saba are poorly known. Recent field surveys and examinations of museum...
  • Media Saba: Horticultural Project
    Thanks to generous funding from The Netherlands Ministry of Economics Affairs through the Nature Fund, the Island Government of Saba is implementing...
  • Research report AN ANALYSIS ON CHLOROPHYLL A AND TURBIDITY IN SABA
    MSc internship report The project Restoration of resilience of nature and society in the Caribbean Netherlands aims to improve the resilience of the...
  • Maps and Charts Terrestrial park map of Saba
    Terrestrial park map of Saba (GIS)
  • Maps and Charts Road map of Saba
    Road map of Saba 2016 (GIS) Source : Saba Conservation Foundation  
  • Media Protecting Saba’s Painted Black Iguanas
    New research describes a unique species of iguana for the islands of Saba and Monserrat. The painted black iguana, with its distinct black coloration...
  • Media The Virgin Forest of Saba
    Nederlands Bosbouw Tijdschrift 1989: De hoogste berg van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden ligt op Saba, net zoals het meest oorspronkelijke bos....
  • Scientific article De landslakken van Saba
    Summary.   Based on the literature and own observations a checklist is provided with 27 species of land- and freshwater snails that may occur on Saba...
  • Research report Goat Culling on Saba
    Student Report After six months of ethnographic fieldwork on Saba, a small island in the Caribbean Netherlands, the student developed her thesis...
  • Scientific article Breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus on the Caribbean island of Saba
    In 2011 and 2012 the breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus mesonauta was monitored on Saba, a 13-km2 island in the Caribbean...
  • Scientific article The impact of hurricanes Irma and Maria on the forest ecosystems of Saba and St. Eustatius, northern Caribbean
    In September 2017, Irma became the first recorded category 5 hurricane to hit the Caribbean Windward Islands. The second category 5, Maria, followed...
  • Media Using Lemon Trees to Combat Coralita on Saba
    Between December 2017 and June 2018, members of the St. John’s community planted five lemon trees to bring attention to and work towards the...
  • Media Scientists study Saba tropicbirds
    The Red-billed Tropicbird, a unique seabird that largely nests on Saba, direly needs more protection from predators such as feral cats and rats....
  • Scientific article POPULATION ESTIMATE, NATURAL HISTORY AND CONSERVATION OF THE MELANISTIC IGUANA IGUANA POPULATION ON SABA, CARIBBEAN NETHERLANDS
    Abstract.– Intraspecific diversity is among the most important biological variables, although still poorly understood for most species. Iguana iguana...
  • Scientific article An integrative approach to assess non-native iguana presence on Saba and Montserrat: are we losing all native Iguana populations in the Lesser Antilles?
    Abstract Invasive alien species are among the main drivers of the ongoing sixth mass extinction wave, especially affecting island populations....
  • Maps and Charts Marine park map of Saba
    Marine park map of Saba (GIS)    
  • Other resources Report on observations of coral bleaching St Eustatius Marine Park, Saba Marine Park, St Maarten Marine Park
    Coral bleaching has been observed in the Windward Islands since late August 2005. Reports and observations have been received from marine parks and...
  • Scientific article Bromeliad Invertebrate Communities on Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    We sampled tank bromeliads and censused their invertebrate fauna at four elevations on the small Caribbean island of Saba. We expected that...
  • Scientific article Nieuwe Nederlandse vlinders op Saba
    Saba ligt in de Caribische Zee en is een van de drie eilanden die vroeger behoorden tot de bovenwindse eilanden van de Nederlandse Antillen. Sinds 10...
  • Research report Mapping erosion on Saba, How to keep the Unspoiled Queen from tumbling down
    In this report; it is discussed where on Saba erosion risk reduction should receive highest priority. This is based on an erosion hazard map and a...
  • Media More than half of Saba’s nature affected by Irma
    THE BOTTOM – About 60 percent of Saba’s nature in general was devastated as a result of the recent hurricane Irma. According to Kai Wulf, Park...
  • Scientific article Bridging the Seismic Monitoring Gap around Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten in the Caribbean Netherlands: The NA Network
    ABSTRACT The seismic network NA (Caribbean Netherlands Seismic Network) in the Caribbean Netherlands is deployed by the Royal Netherlands...
  • Scientific article New avifaunal records and checklist for the island of Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract The avifauna of the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba has been little studied, as the last comprehensive publication dates from 1983. Here I...
  • Scientific article Presence of the Island Least Gecko, Sphaerodactylus sputator, confirmed for Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    Accurate assessment of species ranges is important not only for conservation planning but also for our understanding of their ecology and evolution (...
  • Scientific article Assessing the preservation of biogenic strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in the pars petrosa ossis temporalis of unburnt human skeletal remains: A case study from Saba
    Rationale:Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of skeletal remains has become apowerful tool in archaeological studies of human migration and...
  • Scientific article Tailoring participatory action research to deal with the latent problem of an invasive alien vine on Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract Participatory action research (PAR) is an approach for fully co-creating research into environmental problems with the public. We argue this...
  • Scientific article Painted black: Iguana melanoderma (Reptilia, Squamata, Iguanidae) a new melanistic endemic species from Saba and Montserrat islands (Lesser Antilles)
    The Lesser Antilles, in the Eastern Caribbean, is inhabited by three Iguana species: the Lesser Antillean iguana Iguana delicatissima, which is...
  • Scientific article Painted black: Iguana melanoderma (Reptilia, Squamata, Iguanidae) a new melanistic endemic species from Saba and Montserrat islands (Lesser Antilles)
    Abstract The Lesser Antilles, in the Eastern Caribbean, is inhabited by three Iguana species: the Lesser Antillean iguana Iguana delicatissima, which...
  • Scientific article Painted black: Iguana melanoderma (Reptilia, Squamata, Iguanidae) a new melanistic endemic species from Saba and Montserrat islands (Lesser Antilles)
    Abstract   The Lesser Antilles, in the Eastern Caribbean, is inhabited by three Iguana species: the Lesser Antillean iguana Iguana delicatissima,...
  • Research report Coastal water quality of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba during a period of restricted tourism
    The traveling restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 created a unique possibility to measure water quality parameters along the...
  • Research report The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Saba (Netherlands Antilles)
    In 1937, 1949 and 1963 P. Wagenaar Hummelinck collected vertebrates with some co-operators. The ants of these expeditions were selected and stored (...
  • Scientific article Dissolution of a submarine carbonate platform by a submerged lake of acidic seawater
    Abstract. Submarine sinkholes are found on carbonate platforms around the world. They are thought to form and grow when 15 groundwater interactions...
  • Media New Insight for Protecting the Future of Queen Conch
    A new survey technique provides insight into Queen Conch populations off the islands of Anguilla, St. Eustatius and within the Saba Bank. This...
  • Media Designing the optimal artificial reef
    A new study compared the effectiveness of three popular artificial reefs to increase fish densities around Saba and St Eustatius. The researchers...
  • Research report CARI'MAM Scientific Survey 2021 Final Report for Saba's Waters
    The CARI’MAM project More than 30 species of marine mammals inhabit the waters of the Caribbean,which makes it a world hotspot. These highly mobile...
  • Other resources Cruise Report Windward Caribbean Nov 6-16, 2016
    The Waitt Institute and Dr. Stuart Sandin’s laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography collaborated to organize an expedition to conduct a...
  • Book The Marine Algal Vegetation of St. Martin, St. Eustatius and Saba
    Although algology deals with a large group of plants, widespread and of great morphological diversity, the history of this branch of botany is fairly...
  • Maps and Charts Geomorphological map of Saba
     Geomorphological map of Saba (GIS), based on historical paper maps updated from field surveys.  
  • Maps and Charts Coral reef map of Saba
    Coral reef map of Saba (GIS)
  • Maps and Charts Historical Geomorphological map of Saba (Karssen)
    The geomorphological map of Saba at a scale of 1:25.000.
  • Other resources ANTS OF SABA, species list
    This list is based on specimen collected by Peter Boer on Saba, March 2018*, supplemented with historical, unpublished data and two data from...
  • Maps and Charts Road map of Saba
    Road map of Saba (GIS)  
  • Maps and Charts Economic value of terrestrial ecosystems of Saba
    Map (GIS) showing the economic values of terrestrial ecosystems on Saba for: Carbon sequestration Cultural and local recreational value Archeology...
  • Maps and Charts Historical Geomorphological map of Saba (Verstappen)
    The Geomorphological map of Saba at a scale of 1:25.000 printed by the cartogrpahy department of the ITC in the Netherlands.
  • Raw data Raw data of vegetation observations on Saba
    Raw data of vegetation observations. Information includes: species (family, genus), habitat,edibility, toxcicity, medicinality, etc. Please contact ...
  • Research report Widely resented yet neglected: latent environmental problems : The case of an invasive alien vine on Saba and Statia
    The invasive alien Coralita vine (Antigonon leptopus) overgrows large parts of Saba and St. Eustatius, posing a threat to agriculture and the unique...
  • Maps and Charts Aerial photograph of Saba
    Orthophoto mosaic of aerial photographs of Saba with a 20 cm resolution. For more information read the report 'Production of Digital Terrain Models...
  • Maps and Charts Coastline map of Saba
    Coastline map of Saba (GIS)  
  • Maps and Charts Geological map of Saba
    Geological map of Saba (GIS) based on historical paper maps updated from field surveys  
  • Maps and Charts Economic value of marine ecosystems surrounding Saba
    Map (GIS) showing the economic values of marine ecosystems on Saba for: Carbon sequestration Cultural and local recreational value Tourism See this...
  • Maps and Charts Historical Terrain map of Saba
    The historical terrain map of Saba was printed by the ITC cartography department in the Netherlands at a scale of 1:25.000.
  • Media Sharks around Saba
    News item on high tech acoustic telemetry research on sharks around Saba.    This news article was published in BioNews 30.  BioNews is produced by ...
  • Scientific article Additions to the marine mollusk checklist for the island of Saba, Leeward Islands, West Indies
    Forty-one species of marine mollusks are added to the checklist for Saba island. The majority of records are from Rüdiger Bieler, who observed and...
  • Scientific article Moss flora and vegetation of Saba and St. Eustatius (West Indies)
    The known moss flora of the small West Indian island Saba (870 m in altitude) consists to date of48 species, while the neighbouring island St....
  • Maps and Charts Bathymetry map of the seas surrounding St Eustatius, Saba and St Maarten
    Bathymetry (underwater depth) map for the seas surrounding St Eustatius, Saba and St Maarten (GIS).
  • Maps and Charts Contour map of Saba
    Contour map of Saba (10m interval) based on aerial photograph interpretaion (GIS)    
  • Maps and Charts Soil map of Saba
    Soil map of Saba (GIS) based on historical paper maps updated from field surveys.
  • Maps and Charts Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of St. Eustatius and Saba
    Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) map of St. Eustatius and Saba (GIS). Includes contiguous zone and territorial sea. Based on the United Nations...
  • Maps and Charts Historical land capability map of Saba
    The land capability map of Saba is produced by the Netherlands Antilles Development advisory bureau (Amsterdam) for the foundation of the welfareplan...
  • Research report Growth of the critically endangered Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata in the coral nurseries of Saba, Dutch Caribbean
    Previously dominant, reef-building Acropora cervicornis and A. palmata abundance decreased dramatically in the Caribbean in the 1970s, mainly due to...
  • Other resources Picture Guide to Common Stony Corals of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
    This picture guide will help with the identification of stony coral species in the Caribbean. Pictures originate from the Flower Garden Bank Marine...
  • Maps and Charts Trail map of Saba
    Trail map of Saba (GIS)
  • Maps and Charts Cliffs of Saba
    Cliffs map of Saba (GIS)  
  • Maps and Charts Marine habitat map of Saba
    Marine habitat map of Saba (GIS)   See this report for more info.
  • Maps and Charts Historical Soil map of Saba
    The land capability map of Saba is produced by the Netherlands Antilles Development advisory bureau (Amsterdam) for the foundation of the welfareplan...
  • Other resources Categories of habitat and depth are structuring reef fish assemblages over no-fishing and fishing zones in the Saba Marine Park (Caribbean Netherlands)
    Reef fish assemblages are structured by many factors like depth, habitat and zonation’s in marine protected areas (MPAs). These fish assemblages can...
  • Media What motivates people to protect nature on the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba?
    That is the research question that, Stacey Mac Donald, a PhD researcher from The Netherlands, is seek- ing to answer through the use of...
  • Research report The status and trends of the coral reefs around Saba, Dutch Caribbean, 2016
    Coral reefs are of great value for millions of people, but at the same time they are facing a lot of threats of which almost all come down to human...
  • Scientific article Tailoring participatory action research to deal with the latent problem of an invasive alien vine on Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    Participatory action research (PAR) is an approach for fully co-creating research into environmental problems with the public. We argue this is...
  • Media Assisted natural recovery of sea urchin populations around Saba and St. Eustatius
    Diadema sea-urchins play a vital role in maintaining a balanced coral reef ecosystem by grazing away algae and creating bare substrate for coral...
  • Research report Saba National Marine Park Management Plan
  • Maps and Charts Riverbeds map of Saba
    Riverbeds map of Saba (GIS)  
  • Media The Netherlands’ Largest National Park
    For the longest time, the Saba Bank has been the largest and richest forgotten treasure within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It lies just 5...
  • Other resources Vegetation changes on the island of Saba, effects of huricanes, people and non-native species
    Powerpoint presentation with findings of a 4 week vegetation fieldvisit on Saba: what is vegetation (research)? historic findings (1956 and...
  • Maps and Charts Reference map of Saba (land/water boundary)
    Reference map of Saba (land/water boundary; GIS).  
  • Maps and Charts Important Bird Areas (IBA) map of Saba
    Important Bird Areas map of Saba (GIS)    
  • Maps and Charts Land cover map of Saba
    The land cover map of Saba gives a coarse representation of the distribution of forest, shrub, pasture and artificial surface. Invasive species (like...
  • Other resources Sabal antillensis (Arecaceae): a new palmetto species from the Leeward Antilles
     A new species of palmetto, Sabal antillensis , native to Curaçao and Bonaire, is described and illustrated. The new species is characterized by a...
  • Raw data Raw photo and video material of the seabed of the Sababank
    Raw underwater towed video transects of the seabed of the Sababank. Originally made to estimate the queen conch densities these video's depict many...
  • Research report Assessing the impact of Antigonon Leptopus on Saba and St. Eustatius
    The spread of invasive species globally has had acknowledged impacts on species extinction, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Gauging the type and...
  • Scientific article Sabal lougheediana (Arecaceae), a critically endangered, endemic palm species from Bonaire
    A new palm species, Sabal lougheediana , is described and illustrated. This critically endangered island endemic, native solely to Bonaire, is...
  • Maps and Charts Vulnerable marine areas of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba
    Vulnerable marine areas of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (GIS). Based on RAMSAR sites, important Bird Areas and Marine Park boundaries. See this...
  • Maps and Charts Sea grass area map of Saba
    Sea grass areas of Saba (GIS).
  • Maps and Charts Buildings map of Saba
    Map (GIS) showing the buildings on Saba
  • Maps and Charts Historical Geological map of Saba
    The historical geological map of Saba was published by the foundation for scientific research in Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles at a scale of 1...
  • Media Shark Tracking on Saba
    News article on: Winter, H.V., D. Vink, I.J.M. van Beek (2015) Pilot study on behaviour of sharks around Saba using acoustic telemetry – Progress...
  • Media BRUV Work In The Dutch Caribbean
    Data collection with stereo Baited Remote Underwater Videos (sBRUV) deployed throughout the islands of the Dutch Caribbean over the past few years is...
  • Maps and Charts Vegetation map of Saba (1956)
    Vegetation map of Saba (1956): hi-resolution scan of paper map geo-referenced scan of paper map digitized map (GIS data) based on geo-referenced...
  • Research report Optimum fragment size of A. cervicornis for out planting and in-situ coral nurseries, Saba – Dutch Caribbean
    Over millions of people around the globe depend on coral reefs for their livelihood and food. Coral reefs also play an important role in coastal...
  • Other resources Spawning behaviour of the stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma Viride Bonnaterre, on Bonaire and Saba (Netherlands Antilles)
    Student Report- University of Groningen  The reproductive behaviour of the stoplight parrotfish, Sparisoma viride Bonnaterre, was studied on two...
  • Research report Saving sharks through a fishermen’s agreement
    Background. For the Save our Sharks project of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance, 7Senses conducted Participatory Action Research on Saba for 7...
  • Media Invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea discovered on Saba
    Park ranger Jelle van der Velde has identified the presence of Halophila stipulaceaat the Queen B. II mooring east of Fort Bay. The discovery, made...
  • Media Caribbean Experts Join Forces for Sea Urchin Restoration
    Nederlands, Papiamentu and Papiamento below   Last week, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance hosted a sea urchin (Diadema Antillarum) restoration...
  • Book Status of Dutch Caribbean Reefs
    Following the Royal Palace Symposium in the Netherlands in December 2016, and the harsh call to action by Professor Jeremy Jackson (Scripps...
  • Media Reef Sharks Move to Deeper Water as They Mature
    A new study from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) showed that reef sharks utilize different areas of the reef throughout their lifetime....
  • Other resources The Wild Orchids of Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    This field guide includes all the orchid species located during the orchid survey conducted between winter of 2002 to date of publication. In keeping...
  • Other resources Project rapportage. Regeling Bijzondere Uitkering Natuur voor Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba (2013 – 2019)
    The Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire, virtually all nature organizations, private companies and most individuals on Bonaire recognize caves as important...
  • Research report The effect of Sargassum on settlement of Diadema antillarum larvae around Saba
    Abstract  Before its mass-mortality in the 1980’s, Diadema antillarum was the most important benthic herbivore on Caribbean reefs. Since then, reefs...
  • Research report Biodiversiteit voor de BES-eilanden: Bonaire, St. Eustatius en Saba: onderzoeksvragen en verplichtingen
  • Scientific article Nemocephalus monilis (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea: Brentidae), an Apparently Recent Arrival and Effective Colonizer of the Oceanic Island of Saba, Dutch Caribbean
  • Media BioNews 38 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Other resources Integrating economic, environmental and social issues in an evaluation of Saba Marine Park, N.A., Caribbean Sea
  • Other resources Soil erosion and prevention on Saba
    Poster presentation
  • Maps and Charts Vegetation map of Saba
    A semi-detailed landscape-based vegetation map (scale: 1: 37,500) is presented for the 21 km2 Lesser Antillean island of St. Eustatius, Netherlands...
  • Other resources Hi resolution satellite imagery Saba, 2018
    Pleiades ortho rectified, 4 band pan sharpened satelite image from January 1, 2018. Res: 50cm   Cloud: 0%   Off-Nadir: 14.05...
  • Media DCNA Junior Ranger Exchange Event 2022
    Nederlands, Papiamento and Papiamentu below.   The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) is excited to announce the 2022 Junior Ranger Exchange...
  • Media Ground-breaking Shark Research Conducted in St. Maarten Waters
    During the week of April 11, 2021, members from the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), the Saba Conservation...
  • Other resources Fish communities and fisheries of the Dutch Caribbean: status and trends
    Abstract in scientific journal or proceedings 1st Annual AcroporaNet Symposium, 2016-06-10 Since 2012 the fish and elasmobranch communities of the...
  • Media A Critically Endangered Palm Found Only on Bonaire
    A recent report describes, for the first time in its history, the critically endangered Bonaire Palm.  Although first documented in 1979, it took...
  • Other resources Multi-destination trips of which St. Eustatius is part of: a network perspective
    St. Eustatius, also known as Statia, is situated in the North-Eastern Caribbean. The islands located nearest to St. Eustatius are Saba, St. Maarten...
  • Media Dutch Caribbean: “home” of unique, and likely vulnerable, populations of Bryde’s and humpback whales
    During the last decade several marine areas in the Wider Caribbean have been awarded extra protection as “marine mammal reserves”, such as the the...
  • Scientific article Taxonomy, ecology and distribution of the mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Dutch Leeward Islands, with a key to the adults and fourth instar larvae
    Abstract Assessing mosquito biodiversity is important for disease surveillance and ecosystem health assessments. Such studies are particularly needed...
  • Other resources Nature Policy Plan for The Caribbean Netherlands 2013-2017
    Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius form the Dutch Caribbean within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Kingdom of the...
  • Research report Management plan for the natural resources of the EEZ of the Dutch Caribbean
    On the 10th of October 2010 the governmental entity known as the Netherlands Antilles is scheduled to cease to exist. Each island will aquire a new...
  • Media Coralita, we’re gonna beat ya!
    Having started in 2015, Utrecht University researchers Elizabeth Haber and Jetske Vaas (a.k.a. The Coralita Girls) thought it time to discuss their...
  • Media Tropical sea urchins move from a marine lab in Leeuwarden to the Rotterdam Zoo
    At Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (HVHL) in Leeuwarden, the sea urchin Diadema antillarum has been cultivated to help restore the...
  • Media First Caribbean cultured Diadema sea urchins are great news for coral reef restoration
    On October 22st, 2021, the first ever recorded Diadema sea urchins in the Caribbean were cultured on Saba. Diadema sea urchins are important grazers...
  • Media Long-spined sea urchins: not trouble but in trouble
    Nederlands, Papiamento and Papiamentu below   Since February 2022 there have been reports of Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema) die off from a number...
  • Media DCNA Launches Bionews Kids – A New Magazine to Empower Youth in the Dutch Caribbean
    Nederlands, Papiamento and Papiamentu below.     Kralendijk, Bonaire –The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) released the first edition of...
  • Media Ants of the Dutch Caribbean
    Between 2015 and 2020, researchers from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center updated the local ant species lists for the Dutch Caribbean. A large number...
  • Media BioNews 14 - February 2014
    This month’s issue focuses on marine monitoring. The results of the 2013 lobster fisheries monitoring project on the Saba Bank are in and on Curaçao...
  • Media BioNews 14 - March 2014
    This month’s issue focuses on marine monitoring. The results of the 2013 lobster fisheries monitoring project on the Saba Bank are in and on Curaçao...
  • Other resources Plan voor land en water - beleidsplan natuur en milieu Caribisch Nederland 2020-2030
    Caribisch Nederland bestaat uit drie eilanden: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba, alle gelegen in de Caribische Zee. Sinds 2010 zijn alle eilanden...
  • Other resources On some telestacea and alcyonacea (coelenterata: actocorallia) from the west indian region
    During several cruises of H.N1.M .S. Snellius and H.N1.M .S. Luymes in the Guyana shelf region and the Caribbean in the period of 1966 to 1972 a...
  • Media BioNews 4 - April 2013
    This month’s issue focuses on the conservation efforts for the Red-billed Tropicbird, which is taking place on the islands of Saba and St. Eustatius...
  • Research report Ten-year assessment of Caribbean Netherlands fisheries monitoring: data challenges and recommendations
    Summary Over the last 10 years, the Caribbean Netherlands fisheries on Saba and St. Eustatius have been monitored and multiple assessment reports...
  • Research report Reconstructing the former Netherlands Antilles marine catches from 1950 to 2010
    The former Netherlands Antilles consisted of Aruba, which became a distinct state in 1986, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, which became countries in 2010...
  • Other resources Reconstructing the former Netherlands Antilles marine catches from 1950 to 2010
    The former Netherlands Antilles consisted of Aruba, which became a distinct state in 1986, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, which became countries in 2010...
  • Media The beetles of the Dutch Caribbean
    Last December, a beetle catalogue for the Dutch Caribbean was published. This voluminous paper provides the first critical review of the beetle...
  • Media Research Expedition for Lesser Antillean Sperm Whales
    The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) and World Wide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-NL) are proud to support Caribbean Cetacean Society’s (CCS...
  • Media Exciting Rare Sighting in the Dutch Caribbean: the Antillean manatee
    Exciting Rare Sighting in the Dutch Caribbean: theAntillean manatee Last month STINAPA’s ranger Luigi Eybrecht was diving near Playa in Bonaire when...
  • Media Innovative Techniques could be key for Sea Urchin Recovery
    Nederlands below. Researchers from Van Hall Larenstein, Wageningen University and Wageningen Marine Research have developed a new approach to assist...
  • Media Special Edition Bionews: 2022 Park Updates
    The Nature Conservation Network Organization the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) hosted its biannual Board Meeting on Sint Maarten between...
  • Media First mosquito survey for the ABC islands in nearly 75 years
    Dutch and Papiamentu below Kralendijk, Bonaire – 10th of November – In 2018 , Naturalis Biodiversity Center conducted the first mosquito survey for...
  • Other resources The value of nature in the Caribbean Netherlands
    The Challenge Healthy ecosystems such as the forests on the hillsides of the Quill on St Eustatius and Saba’s Mt Scenery or the corals reefs of...
  • Media The Nature Funding Projects
    In the wake of the constitutional change in 2010, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (now the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature & Food...
  • Media Kingdom Report Sounds Alarm on Biodiversity Conservation in the Dutch Caribbean
    Only Four of Twenty Biodiversity Targets On Track to Achieve Goals in the Dutch Caribbean A recently published report issued by the Kingdom of the...
  • Media Nature in the Dutch Caribbean is critically threatened and intervention is necessary
    Wageningen University recently published an alarming report on the threatened natural resources on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius. The Dutch...
  • Media Uncovering the mystery of tiger shark reproduction in the eastern Caribbean
    Much of the lives of the most iconic shark species – including the tiger shark – remains a secret, even to shark researchers. This is because these...
  • Scientific article Zoantharia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia) of the Dutch Caribbean and One New Species of Parazoanthus
    Species of the anthozoan order Zoantharia (=Zoanthidea) are common components of subtropical and tropical shallow water coral reefs. Despite a long...
  • Scientific article Geoacoustic inversion in the north-eastern Caribbean using a hydrographic survey vessel as a sound source of opportunity
    During the spring of 2006, hydrographic survey vessel HNLMS “Snellius” ran an extensive multibeam and sidescan survey of the Saba bank, a large...
  • Research report Combatting oil pollution in vulnerable areas
    This report contains an explanation of the vulnerability charts that were drawn up for the Caribbean Netherlands (the islands of Bonaire, Sint...
  • Media Radar surveys of Audubon’s Shearwater
    To better protect Audubon’s Shearwaters, Adam Brownfrom Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC), in partnership with the Saba Conservation...
  • Other resources Researchers explored deepest and largest underwater sinkholes in the world
    From 5 to 20 December 2019, the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and Wageningen Marine Research organized an expedition to the...
  • Scientific article Distribution and ontogenetic habitat shifts of reef associated shark species in the northeastern Caribbean
    Understanding how reef-associated sharks utilise coastal reef habitats throughout their ontogeny is essential for their effective management. In this...
  • Media Tiger shark crosses thirteen maritime boundaries in four weeks
    A tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) tagged with a satellite transmitter by scientists and researchers from Saba, Sint Maarten and the United States has...
  • Media BioNews 24- Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Research report A volcano seismic monitoring network in the Caribbean Netherlands
    The Lesser Antilles volcanic arc on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Plate is part of the Caribbean subduction zone. The subduction process is...
  • Raw data shark tagging dataset
    Dataset 2016-2022   Harmonized shark tagging dataset of different shark species around Saba and Sint Maarten.   This dataset includes variables such...
  • Media Bionews Diadema Special Edition: Restoration Effects
    The Diadema RAAK Project is a collaborative effort between University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein, Wageningen Marine Research and...
  • Scientific article Discovery of the Leeward Blindsnake, Antillotyphlops geotomus (Thomas, 1966), on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    The Leeward Blindsnake (Antillotyphlops geotomus) is a near threatened species according to the IUCN Red list (Powell et al., 2016), and was known...
  • Scientific article Interaction of Physical and Biological Factors in the Large-Scale Distribution of Juvenile Queen Conch in Seagrass Meadows
    Large-scale distribution of a large, commercially significant gastropod, Strombus gigas (queen conch), was investigated in a II ,OOO-haregion of the...
  • Monitoring protocol Marine Animal Monitoring Form
    In an effort to gather much needed information on local populations of whales, dolphins, manatees, sharks, rays and large groupers STINAPA Bonaire...
  • Other resources Conservation species for the Dutch Caribbean (2020)
    This list of species of conservation interest has been developed as part of a project 'Using management effectiveness to strengthen species...
  • Research report A population assessment and habitat description of the Alsophis rufiventris on the Quill and Boven National Park, St. Eustatius
    The genus Alsophis used to be very abundant in the Lesser Antilles. Numbers have declined ascribed to anthropogenic causes and the introduction of...
  • Scientific article Mosses from the Netherlands Antilles
    The Netherlands Antilles comprise the islands Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire of the Leeward Group, and St. Eustatius, Saba and the southern part of St....
  • Research report A population assessment and habitat description of the Alsophis rufiventris on the Quill and Boven National Park, St. Eustatius
    Abstract The genus Alsophis used to be very abundant in the Lesser Antilles. Numbers have declined ascribed to anthropogenic causes and the...
  • Media Pregnant Tiger Shark Expedition 2021 is well underway!
    It’s finally happening! After over a year of corona-related delays the Pregnant Tiger Shark Expedition is finally underway. We just finished our very...
  • Research report Effect of shade on Antigonon leptopus (Corallita) growth and germination rate
    MSc. thesis An experimental research conducted in Saba (Dutch Caribbean) as a potential control method for Corallita Non-native species can cause...
  • Media Extra budget for nature in the Caribbean Netherlands
    Nederlands, Papiamento and Papiamentu below.   The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-NL)  are pleased...
  • Media Importance of Yarari Sanctuary for Minke Whale
    A new collaborative study provides new insight into how two species of minke whales utilize the Caribbean and neighboring Atlantic waters throughout...
  • Scientific article Landschappen van Caribisch Nederland
    Over landschap en erfgoed van de voormalige Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba is relatief weinig gepubliceerd.[1] Toch bestaan de banden tussen Nederland...
  • Media Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance Lobbies Internationally for Increased Support for Nature Conservation in the Dutch Caribbean
    Nederlands, Papiamento and Papiamentu below.   DCNA has been actively promoting a nature focused agenda both within The Netherlands and...
  • Research report Future of Bonaire: Greenpeace review on the impacts of climate change on the Dutch Caribbean island Bonaire
    Bonaire or Boneiru, as it is known in Papiamentu, is a Dutch Caribbean island. An island full of heritage, gorgeous sunset views and a place that...
  • Other resources Roadmap towards effective fisheries management of the Caribbean Netherlands
    For the special municipalities of the Netherlands, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is...
  • Scientific article Vectored dispersal of Symbiodinium by larvae of a Caribbean gorgonian octocoral
    Abstract: The ability of coral reefs to recover from natural and anthropogenic disturbance is difficult to predict, in part due to uncertainty...
  • Scientific article A Permanent, Real-Time Monitoring Network for the Volcanoes Mount Scenery and The Quill in the Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract: The stratovolcanoes of Mt. Scenery at Saba and The Quill at St. Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands, with a total population of about...
  • Media BioNews 17-2018 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media BioNews 26-2019 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Scientific article Spatial dependency in abundance of Queen conch, Aliger gigas, in the Caribbean, indicates the importance of surveying deep-water distributions
    Abstract Aim: To evaluate how the spatial distribution of a heavily exploited marine gastropod (i.e. Queen conch) varies in response to a number of...
  • Other resources Biodiversity Monitoring Strategy - notes from an exploration by parks
    Notes from a series of sessions to jointly define a biodiversity monitoring strategy. The sessions were organized by the Dutch Caribben Nature...
  • Media BioNews 18-2018 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media BioNews 59
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media Yarari Sanctuary established
    During her visit to Saba and Bonaire at the beginning of September 2015, State Secretary of Economic Affairs, Mrs. Sharon Dijksma, publicly announced...
  • Other resources Bedreigde Nederlandse leguaansoort op de kaart gezet
    Door het toetreden van de eilanden Bonaire, Saba en St. Eustatius als bijzondere gemeenten tot het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden is de lijst met ‘...
  • Other resources 10th Meeting of the Fisheries Commission BES
    The Fisheries Commission BES (FCBES) is an advisory body established to enhance the joint management and policy-making of fisheries in the Caribbean...
  • Media NICO Expedition: Mapping the Sea Bottom
    Researchers aboard the Pelagia research vessel have been collecting invaluable data on marine biomes in the Caribbean since January as part of the “...
  • Other resources 9th Meeting of the Fisheries Commission BES - open summary
    The Fisheries Commission BES (FCBES) is an advisory body established to enhance the joint management and policy-making of fisheries in the Caribbean...
  • Media CITES Communication Materials BES
    Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) CITES is an international agreement between governments (...
  • Media BioNews 8-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 8-2017 includes the following news-items:   Status of Saba Bank’s reefs Economic value of Sharks Annual Shark Conference of the European...
  • Other resources 8th Meeting of the Fisheries Commission BES
    The Fisheries Commission BES (FCBES) is an advisory body established to enhance the joint management and policy-making of fisheries in the Caribbean...
  • Media BioNews 46 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 46 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and...
  • Media BioNews 8 - September 2013
    This month’s issue focuses attention on the conservation efforts on the Windward side of the Dutch Caribbean. On St. Maarten, these days sharks are...
  • Research report Production of Digital Terrain Models for the Dutch Caribbean
    Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, islands in the Caribbean, became Dutch municipalities in October 2010. These islands are considered hotspots of...
  • Maps and Charts Yarari Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary
    The populations of sharks worldwide are in sharp decline and therefore in urgent need of protection from illegal fishing and fisheries by-catch.The...
  • Other resources 7th Meeting of the Fisheries Commission BES
    The Fisheries Commission BES (FCBES) is an advisory body established to enhance the joint management and policy-making of fisheries in the Caribbean...
  • Media ROADMAP TOWARDS EFFECTIVE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ON THE CARIBBEAN NETHERLANDS
    EXCERPT FROM: MAS PISKA PA BONEIRU: A SOCIAL MAPPING STUDY OF THE FISHERIES SECTOR OF BONAIRE, ST. EUSTATIUS AND SABA.   For the special...
  • Media BioNews 45 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 45 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and...
  • Media BioNews 9 - October 2013
    This month’s issue focuses attention on a very important species group – butterflies. Due to their sensitivity to environmental conditions,...
  • Media BioNews 9-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 9-2017 includes the following news-items: Bad News For Green Sea Turtles In An Age Of Warming Seas: warmer oceans drive declining growth...
  • Other resources Handhaving Natuur-en milieuwetgeving in Caribisch Nederland
    Enforcement Nature and environmental legislation in the Caribbean Netherlands about free roaming feral cattle, waste management and other nature...
  • Scientific article Marine turtles of the Leeward Islands, Lesser Antilles
    Although marine turtles are conspicuous members of the Caribbean fauna, significant gaps remain in our knowledge of their distribution and status...
  • Scientific article Status of coral reefs in the south central Caribbean
    Caribbean corals have suffered from bleaching, diseases and Diadema die-off. Reefs on narrow shelves adjacent to high human population and many...
  • Other resources Climate Change Predictions for St-Eustatius and its possible impacts on the island
    This report was created to highlight the most important climate change predictions for St. Eustatius and to highlight possible impacts on the island...
  • Other resources Expedition Discovers Marine Treasures
    An underwater mountain that forms the world's third-largest atoll has some of the richest diversity of marine life ever found in the Caribbean,...
  • Scientific article Abundance and population structure of queen conch inside and outside a marine protected area: repeat surveys show significant declines
    ABSTRACT: Effectiveness of a marine protected area (MPA) in supporting fisheries productivity depends upon replenishment patterns, both in supplying...
  • Media BioNews 34-Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media Eleven Species of Mosquitoes found on Leeward Dutch Caribbean Islands
    A 2018 study of mosquito populations on the islands of Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius documented eleven different species, including two new...
  • Research report Coral competition for space
    Coral reefs fulfil many ecological functions such as maintaining the diversity, providing habitats and shoreline protection. One of the most...
  • Research report Reef dissolution : Rates and mechanisms of coral dissolution by bioeroding sponges and reef communities
    Embargo until April 04 2020 PhD thesis For coral reefs to persist, the rate of CaCO3 production must be greater than the rate of erosion to enable...
  • Other resources CITES Brochure Spanish
    ** This brochure is also available in English, Papiamentu and Dutch ** This brochure is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food...
  • Media Distribution of plant species on the Dutch Caribbean Islands now online
    Dutch, Papiamentu and Papiamento below Since 2018 Wageningen University & Research and Carmabi cooperate in bringing together historical and...
  • Media Sixth Caribbean marine expedition ‘Ti Whale An Nou 2022’ taking place this month
    Nederlands and Papiamentu below. Organized by CCS with the support of WWF and DCNA As of August 15th through August 30th, the sixth joint scientific...
  • Other resources Mount Scenary Nature Park Management Plan
    The Mount Scenery Nature Park management plan consists of four sections as outlined below: Part 1: Background Information. The physical, social and...
  • Other resources St. Eustatius joins Yarari Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary
    Excellent news: St. Eustatius has now become part of the “Yarari” Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary. St. Eustatius joined Bonaire and Saba when the...
  • Research report Shark protection plan for the Dutch Caribbean EEZ
    Summary: Shark populations have steeply declined worldwide due to unsustainable overexploitation and in this the Caribbean region is no exception....
  • Scientific article Fish assemblages of three common artificial reef designs during early colonization
    Highlights Fish abundance and biomass differed per artificial reef type. This difference is driven by the availability of small shelters. Artificial...
  • Book The Nature Funding Projects
    In the wake of the constitutional change in 2010, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (now the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature & Food...
  • Media Marine mammals in the Caribbean: a threatened treasure in our waters
    Nederlands and Papiamentu below.   Over the last two years, the Caribbean Cetacean Society (CCS) has been studying cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in...
  • Scientific article Assisted Natural Recovery: A Novel Approach to Enhance Diadema antillarum Recruitment
    The massive die-off of the sea urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983–1984 is one the main reasons for low coral recruitment and little coral recovery in...
  • Media Sustainable Tourism: Current State
    Each of the six Dutch Caribbean islands have their own unique draw, enticing visitors from around the world each year. From environments ranging from...
  • Scientific article The 2022 Diadema antillarum die-off event: Comparisons with the 1983-1984 mass mortality
    The 1983-1984 die-off of the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum stands out as a catastrophic marine event because of its detrimental effectson...
  • Media Grant from the European Union to enhance nature protection and sustainable tourism
    Nederlands and Papiamentu below. Lac Bay is a unique tourism hot spot which boasts a wide array of habitats from fringing coral reefs to expansive...
  • Scientific article Forensic Genetic Analyses of Melanistic Iguanas Highlight the Need to Monitor the Iguanid Trade
    Simple Summary: The illegal pet trade remains an ongoing, substantial threat to wild populations, especially small insular populations, and can even...
  • Other resources St Maarten Marine Park Management Plan 2007
    The St Maarten Marine Park was first established in 1997. It surrounds the Dutch side of St Martin from the average high water mark to a depth of...
  • Media Environmental DNA reveals tropical shark diversity in contrasting levels of anthropogenic impact
    Increased and targeted fishing pressure has led to the collapse of shark populations around the world. According to worldwide estimates, a staggering...
  • Media BioNews archive
    DCNA produces BioNews*, a free monthly digital newsletter featuring recent nature related news-items about the Dutch Caribbean as well as overviews...
  • Other resources Staat van instandhouding van de natuur van Caribisch Nederland
    Sinds de staatkundige herstructurering van het Koninkrijk in 2010, maken de Caribische eilanden van Bonaire, Saba en St. Eustatius als speciale...
  • Media The value of sharks
    My name is Francois Mille, I am a Marine Park Ranger at STENAPA in Sint Eustatius. Sint Eustatius is a small volcanic island, 21km2, that belongs to...
  • Research report Marine assessment guideline for BOPEC and Nustar operations
    As part of the permit, Rijkswaterstaat requested an ecological monitoring and evaluation framework guideline to accompany the permit-application for...
  • Media International Meeting on Protection of Sharks
    From November 20-24th, 2017 a group of international shark experts gathered at Captain Don’s Habitat on Bonaire to discuss measures for the...
  • Research report WIDECAST Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for the Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: The Netherlands Antilles consists of five Caribbean islands. The leeward islands are Curaçao and Bonaire, close to the mainland of...
  • Media St. Eustatius: Bridled Quail-Dove Population Continues Declining
    In the December 2017 edition of BioNews, we provided an overview of the results of two population assessments of the Bridled Quail-dove (Geotrygon...
  • Media New study aids in sea urchin restoration efforts
    Nederlands below: Diadema sea-urchins play a vital role in maintaining a balanced coral reef ecosystem and their restoration is essential to assist...
  • Research report Biodiversity in a globalized world: The journey of exotic species from origin to impact
    Abstract Invasive alien species (IAS) are species that have been introduced to locations outside of their distributional range via human transport....
  • Research report St. Eustatius National Marine Park Management Plan 2007
    Abstract: The St. Eustatius Marine Park was created in 1996 and extends around the entire island from the high water line to 30m depth contour. St....
  • Research report Naturalised and invasive alien plant species in the Caribbean Netherlands: status, distribution, threats, priorities and recommendations
    Abstract: The Netherlands are signatories of the international Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This implies that the nation will protect...
  • Research report A status report of nature policy development and implementation in the Dutch Caribbean over the last 10 years and recommendations towards the Nature Policy Plan 2012-2017
    The National Nature Policy Plan 2001-2005 (NPP-5) and its current status of implementation was assessed as a first step towards a new Nature Policy...
  • Media BioNews 11 - December 2013
    This month’s issue focuses on the Audubon’s Shearwater. Despite its resounding and unique call, this threatened bird often goes unnoticed on our...
  • Scientific article Host specificity and phylogenetic relationships among Atlantic Ovulidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda)
    Abstract: Ovulid gastropods and their octocoral hosts were collected along the leeward coast of Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. New molecular data of...
  • Media Save our Sharks project
    The Dutch Caribbean is poised to benefit from a new funding initiative provided by the Dutch Postcode Lottery aimed at an essential conservation...
  • Media Ecology and conservation of sea turtles in the Dutch Caribbean
    Early in 2015 the research project “Ecology and conservation of green and hawksbill turtles in the Dutch Caribbean” started funded by NWO.  The six...
  • Research report Biological Inventory of St. Maarten
    St. Maarten is one of the islands forming the inner arc of the Lesser Antilles. It is older than Saba and St. Eustatius. The oldest rock strata date...
  • Research report Status and trends reef fish and coastal fisheries Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands): report card 2014-2015
    Caribbean coral reefs have been declining for decades due to a combination of anthropogenic drivers and natural phenomena like hurricanes. The...
  • Media BioNews 12-2018 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media BioNews 21- Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Research report The Distribution and Dispersion of the Alsophis rufiventris on the Quill, Sint Eustatius
    The Lesser Antilles are home to four different colubrid snakes of the Alsophis genus. Alsophis used to be common around the Lesser Antilles, but has...
  • Research report Achteruitgang koraalriffen Caribisch Nederland: oorzaken en mogelijke oplossingen voor koraalherstel
    Koraalriffen zijn de belangrijkste economische hulpbron voor de eilanden van Caribisch Nederland. Zij verkeren in een slechte toestand en zonder...
  • Media BioNews 27 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media Special Edition: State of Nature in the Caribbean Netherlands
    Wageningen Research recently published an alarming report on the natural resources of the Caribbean Netherlands islands Bonaire, Saba and St....
  • Scientific article Using participatory action research to operationalize critical systems thinking in social-ecological systems
    We present a research approach that seeks to develop and strengthen participatory action research (PAR) when applied in social-ecological systems (...
  • Other resources CITES Brochure Dutch
    ** This brochure is also available in English, Papiamentu and Spanish ** This brochure is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food...
  • Research report The vegetation of the Netherlands Antilles
    This vegetation survey is the outcome of an investigation of the islands of the Netherlands Antilles carried out under the auspices of the Foundation...
  • Media BioNews 56
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Other resources Werkbezoek Caribisch Nederland
    Doel en achtergrond werkbezoek Sinds 10 oktober 2010 maken Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba deel uit van Nederland. Rijkswaterstaat heeft wettelijke...
  • Research report A status report of nature policy development and implementation in the Dutch Caribbean
    The National Nature Policy Plan 2001-2005 (NPP-5) and its current status of implementation was assessed as a first step towards a new Nature Policy...
  • Research report Interactions between invasive mammals and their effects on Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) nesting productivity
    Abstract: Red-billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) are cavity-nesting seabirds with important nesting colonies on Saba and Sint Eustatius in the...
  • Research report An archaeological assessment of Steward plantation, St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    In November 2011, the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research was asked to conduct an archaeological assessment of Steward plantation. The...
  • Research report Status and trends of St.Eustatius coral reef ecosystem and fisheries: 2015 report card
    Caribbean coral reefs have been declining for decades due to a combination of anthropogenic drivers such as unsustainable fishing practises,...
  • Media Financing Nature Conservation
    Ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources in the Caribbean Netherlands: a look into the financial needs of Protected Area Management...
  • Media Effect of invasive predators on breeding success of threatened Red-billed Tropicbirds
    Update on one of the world’s largest nesting population on Saba and St. Eustatius.   This news articles was published in BioNews 20 BioNews is...
  • Other resources Trends in the Caribbean Netherlands 2017
    How large was the population of Bonaire, Saba, and St Eustatius on 1 January 2017? How did the economy of each island develop in 2015? What were the...
  • Scientific article Global analysis of the effect of local climate on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles
    The most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures along with precipitation changes throughout the 21st century....
  • Other resources Benefits of valuing nature for the Caribbean Netherlands
    The Natural Capital of the Caribbean Netherlands Ongoing developmental pressures in a context of global environmental change and economic...
  • Scientific article Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective.
    Somatic growth dynamics are an integrated response to environmental conditions. Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are long-lived, major...
  • Research report Sea level rise and its spatial variations
    This report was written at the request of Dirk Jan Sloot (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat, Directoraat-Generaal Water en Bodem). It aims...
  • Media State of Nature: Bonaire
    Wageningen Research recently published an alarming report on the natural resources of the three Dutch Caribbean islands Bonaire, Saba and St....
  • Media Special Edition: Transboundary Species
    There has been a recent increase in public awareness of environmental issues as the effects of climate change have become ever more noticeable in our...
  • Research report Chapter 12. Status and trends of coral reefs of the Caribbean region
    Regional Context: The Caribbean Region represents only 1% of Earth’s marine surface but hosts 10% of the world’s coral reefs, including fringing...
  • Media BioNews 53 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 53 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and...
  • Media Informational material on protected species (CITES) developed for the Caribbean Netherlands
    Informational material for regulations outlined in the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna (also known as...
  • Research report Climate change effects on the biodiversity of the BES islands
    In this report we review and assess possible consequences of climate change for the biodiversity of the Dutch BES islands (Bonaire, Saba and St....
  • Scientific article Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective
    Somatic growth dynamics are an integrated response to environmental conditions. Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are long-lived, major...
  • Media BioNews 6-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 6-2017 includes the following news-items: Saba: hurricane impacts St. Eustatius: rat control program Fieldwork on seagrass ecosystem services...
  • Scientific article One-Third of Reef-Building Corals Face Elevated Extinction Risk from Climate Change and Local Impacts
    The conservation status of 845 zooxanthellate reef-building coral species was assessed by using International Union for Conservation of Nature Red...
  • Media BioNews 12-2018 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter PRINT
    In BioNews 12-2018 you will find articles on: Aruba Shoco Conservation Project First Silky Shark Sightings by Saba Conservation Foundation! NICO...
  • Other resources Coralita, we're gonna beat ya! The social and ecological contexts of invasive plant management in the Caribbean
    Power point Recommendations Coralita management on Statia Reforestation efforts and Coralita management can reinforce one another, and we should...
  • Research report The influence of herbivorous keystone fish species on the recruitment and growth of corals on artificial reefs: a study regarding the influence of Acanthuridae and Scaridae on coral recruitment and growth on three different types of artificial reefs: reef
    Student Report  Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems in the world, in terms of both biological diversity and economy. These...
  • Media BioNews 31 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media Tropische natuur in Nederland
    In oktober 2010 kregen Sint Eustatius, Bonaire en Saba de status van bijzondere Nederlandse gemeente. Dit houdt in dat Nederland de...
  • Scientific article First record of the Mourning Gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bi-bron), from Bonaire
    On the 14th of December, 2020, an individual of Lepidodactylus lugubris was found and photographed in Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean) by Hans Smulders in a...
  • Media BioNews 49 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 49- Dutch Caribbean Newsletter BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and...
  • Media The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance will discuss three critical topics at the upcoming DCNA Convention
    Kralendijk – The upcoming convention of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) will focus on governance, climate change, and youth engagement in...
  • Scientific article Separate but equal in the protection against climate change? The legal framework of climate justice for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands
    Abstract The experiences of overseas territories and how their varying degrees of self-governance influence climate (in)action are overlooked topics...
  • Other resources Biodiversity Monitoring on the BES-islands: …Past, Present and Future
    Abstract With the transition of the islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (BES) from the former Netherlands Antilles to special municipalities...
  • Other resources Blue carbon in the Dutch Caribbean
    Recently, the Dutch state of play regarding blue carbon in the Netherlands was reviewed (Tamis & Foekema 2015)1. Since the review was focussed on...
  • Media The Humpbacks are Back!
    We have some wonderful news to share! The magnificent humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have returned for their four-to five-month long stay...
  • Media Dutch Caribbean sharks celebrated throughout the Kingdom
    During Dutch Caribbean Shark Week that was scheduled from June 18th thru 26th, the entire Dutch Kingdom celebrated sharks, both as important ocean...
  • Research report The Tourism Value of Nature on St Eustatius
    This study aims to value the services provided by nature to tourists on St Eustatius. The natural landscape, the coastal waters, the tranquillity and...
  • Research report The impact of invasive species on tourism
    Since the first sightings of the lionfish in the Caribbean, the local marine ecosystems have experienced severe problems due to predation and...
  • Other resources Harmful invasive alien species (IAS) in the Caribbean Netherlands
    Following climate change, IAS are recognised as the second-most serious long-term threat to island ecology, worldwide. Of all IAS issues, by far the...
  • Media Mas Piska pa Boneiru: Less talk more action
    Identifying and overcoming bottlenecks in fisheries management on Bonaire. Fishing is one of the oldest professions in the Dutch Caribbean. Many...
  • Other resources CITES Posters- BES islands
    * Also available:  CITES brochures in English, Dutch, Papiamentu and Spanish Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna...
  • Media BioNews 48 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 48- Dutch Caribbean Newsletter BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and...
  • Scientific article The effect of artificial reef design on the attraction of herbivorous fish and on coral recruitment, survival and growth
    A B S T R A C T Fish assemblages of different types of artificial reefs can differ greatly in abundance, biomass and composition, with some reef...
  • Media SPAW: new protected areas, new species!
    In December 2014, the 8th SPAW (Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife) Protocol Conference of Parties (COP8) in Cartagena, Colombia, recognized...
  • Media Sea and Learn: An innovative Approach to Raising Environmental Awareness
    This past October marked the 13th consecutive month-long Sea and Learn event on Saba. This award- winning event, organized each October since 2003 by...
  • Scientific article Reproductive patterns of queen conch, Strombus gigas (Mollusca Gastropoda), across the wider Caribbean region
    Queen conch, Strombus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758), is a species of significant economic importance in the Caribbean Sea, exploited mainly for consumption...
  • Other resources Year 1 Results of Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles
    Environmental Protection In the Caribbean (EPIC) carried out breeding seabird research in the Lesser Antilles between February and June 2009, to...
  • Book Antillean Fish Guide
    This booklet is meant as a guide to identify the fishes and turtles of the reefs of the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St....
  • Scientific article Orange-bellied racer (Alsophis rufiventris); diet and arboreality
    The orange bellied racer, Alsophis rufiventris (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854), is one of four Alsophis species endemic to the Caribbean Lesser...
  • Media BioNews 20 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media 71st annual conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
    The 71st annual conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) was held in San Andres, (Colombia) from 5–9 November 2018. This...
  • Media BioNews 23- Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Media The path to Coral Recovery: Scientific Foundations and Practical Lessons
    During the 2019 edition of the DCNA Convention on Bonaire, biologists from local protected area management organizations including Aruba National...
  • Other resources CITES Signs airport and harbors
    * Also available:  CITES brochures in English, Dutch, Papiamentu and Spanish * Also avaiable: CITES posters Convention on International Trade in...
  • Research report Ontwikkelingsmogelijkheden voor de agrarische sector in Caribisch Nederland
    De huidige voedselproductie op de eilanden Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba is beperkt. Zowel de overheid als de lokale bevolking hebben de afgelopen...
  • Media Comparative Study on Artificial Reefs of the Caribbean
    University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein and Wageningen University and Research recently conducted a comparative study of artificial reefs...
  • Media Bionews Diadema Special Edition - Background and Current State
    As previously mentioned, a new wave of long-spiced sea urchins (Diadema antillarum) die-offs are happening throughout the Caribbean, including...
  • Scientific article The marine mammals of the Dutch Caribbean: a comparison between EEZ sectors, contrasts and concerns
    We here provide a synoptic overview and preliminary update of the marine mammals of the Dutch Caribbean EEZ based on 279 cetacean sighting and...
  • Scientific article Nederlandse vlinders op tropisch eiland
    Sinds 10 oktober 2010 maken de eilanden Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba onderdeel uit van het Nederlandse staatsbestel. Met deze tropische eilanden...
  • Research report The non-use value of nature in the Netherlands and the Caribbean Netherlands
    Since 10 October 2010 Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius (Statia) are part of the Netherlands. These three islands are referred to as the Caribbean...
  • Scientific article Diver Depth-Gauge Profiling beyond Wading Depths: A New Simple Method for Underwater Surveying
    Abstract Surveying subaqueous beach profiles and features beyond wading depths can be a costly process, requiring use of expensive equipment and...
  • Media Endangered Dutch Iguana species put on the map
    With the accession of the islands of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius as special municipalities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the list of ‘Dutch...
  • Scientific article The Genus Pustulatirus Vermeij and Snyder, 2006 (Gastropoda: Fasciolariidae: Peristerniinae) in the Western Atlantic, with Descriptions of Three New Species
    Western Atlantic species of the New World genus Pustulatirus Vermeij and Snyder, 2006 are revised. Types of previously named taxa are figured....
  • Scientific article A historical review of records of the West Indian manatee and the American crocodile in the Dutch Antilles
    We discuss the significance of two manatee records for the Dutch Windward Islands (Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten) as well as six manatid and one...
  • Media Sargassum management brief
    In light of recent and recurring influxes of sargassum on the islands of the Dutch Caribbean, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance has drafted a...
  • Media State of Nature in the Caribbean Netherlands: St. Eustatius
    Wageningen Research recently published an alarming report on the natural resources of the three Caribbean Netherlands islands (Bonaire, Saba and St....
  • Scientific article A new species of frog from the Caribbean island of Montserrat (Eleutherodactylidae, Eleutherodactylus)
    Abstract I describe a new species of frog, Eleutherodactylus montserratae sp. nov., from Montserrat, previously confused with E. johnstonei Barbour....
  • Scientific article Community Change within a Caribbean Coral Reef Marine Protected Area following Two Decades of Local Management
    Structural change in both the habitat and reef-associated fish assemblages within spatially managed coral reefs can provide key insights into the...
  • Research report Koraalriffen in Nederland
    Abstract: The accession of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba (the BES islands) to the Netherlands has considerably increased the government’s political...
  • Scientific article Observations on the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the Dutch Caribbean
    Abstract: Records of whale sharks in the Caribbean are relatively sparse. Here we document 24 records of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus Smith 1882)...
  • Scientific article Révision et mise à jour taxonomique de la liste et de la distribution des orchidées des Petites Antilles [An updated catalogue of Lesser Antilles Orchids and of their distribution]
    Since the publication of a checklist of Lesser Antilles’ orchids not far of twenty years ago, the orchid family has been the subject of many studies...
  • Scientific article The evolution of the reproductive system of Urodasys (Gastrotricha: Macrodasyida).
    Abstract Macrodasyidan gastrotrichs are hermaphrodites with complex reproductive organs that function in sperm transfer and receipt, but homology...
  • Other resources Trends in the Caribbean Netherlands
    As of 10 October 2010, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) is responsible for the collection and publication of statistical data on the three islands of the...
  • Media Shark sightings around the SSS Islands
    Shark sightings around the SSS islands (Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten) are currently being recorded to provide information on the occurrence of...
  • Scientific article Anthropogenic Mortality in the Critically Endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on St. Eustatius
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana, Iguana delicatissima (Laurenti 1768) is a Lesser Antillean endemic (Anguilla to Martinique, with the exception of Saba...
  • Media BioNews special: Yarari Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary
    The Dutch Caribbean is an important area for marine mammals, sharks and rays. More than twenty marine mammal and thirty shark and ray species are...
  • Research report Studies on the flora of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands
    This vegetation survey is the outcome of an investigation of the islands of the Netherlands Antilles carried out under the auspices of the Foundation...
  • Scientific article The butterflies of St.Eustatius with faunal comparisons among the adjacent islands of the Lesser Antilles
    Based on four years of butterfly monitoring in four contrasting natural habitats on St. Eustatius, we document large and consistent differences in...
  • Media Dutch Government Announces New International Shark Strategy
    The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) has recently published a strategy to manage and protect sharks and rays within...
  • Media New Butterfly Census for the Dutch Caribbean Windward Islands
    The results of a four-year study were just published, cataloging the butterfly species of St. Eustatius over the winter months of 2009- 2012. This...
  • Research report Staat van de natuur van Caribisch Nederland 2017
      Sinds de staatkundige herstructurering van het Koninkrijk in 2010, maken de Caribische eilanden van Bonaire, Saba en St. Eustatius als speciale...
  • Scientific article In-situ incubation of a coral patch for community-scale assessment of metabolic and chemical processes on a reef slope
    Anthropogenic pressures threaten the health of coral reefs globally. Some of these pressures directly affect coral functioning, while others are...
  • Book The Flora of the Dutch West Indian Islands vol 2
    Endemic species found on St. Martin, Saba and St. Eustatius
  • Scientific article High peak settlement of Diadema antillarum on different artificial collectors in the Eastern Caribbean
    The massive die-off of the herbivorous sea urchin Diadema antillarum in 1983 and 1984 resulted in phase shifts on Caribbean coral reefs, where...
  • Media BioNews 41 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 41 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and...
  • Research report ‘Nature-based solutions’ zijn noodzakelijk om Caribische Nederland te behoeden voor de gevolgen van klimaatverandering
    Achtergrond Caribisch Nederland (Bonaire, Saba en St. Eustatius) en de Koninkrijkspartners Aruba, Curaçao en Sint Maarten worden nu en in de komende...
  • Media Dutch cinema hit “The New Wilderness” gets a Caribbean sequel with WOW!
    The unique natural world of the Caribbean part of the Kingdom plays the leading role in a special cinema film entitled WOW!. This was announced...
  • Research report Indicators on the status and trends of ecosystems in the Dutch Caribbean
    The Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Saba, St.Eustatius, Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The islands have a...
  • Media 68th annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) meeting, Panama
    Last November (Nov. 9th to Nov.15th), a Dutch Caribbean Delegation attended the 68th annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) meeting in...
  • Scientific article Diver Depth-Gauge Profiling beyond Wading Depths: A New Simple Method for Underwater Surveying
    Surveying subaqueous beach profiles and features beyond wading depths can be a costly process, requiring use of expensive equipment and boats. This...
  • Other resources The number of insect species on a small oceanic island: two solutions to a Fermi problem
    Where the number of species of a particular taxon is not sufficiently known even to allow an estimate by extrapolation, the question becomes a Fermi...
  • Other resources Patterns in Caribbean Coral Spawning
    Student Report Most corals worldwide are broadcast spawners that rely on synchronous gamete release for successful fertilization. Spawning synchrony...
  • Scientific article Migratory destinations and timing of humpback whales in the southeastern Caribbean differ from those off the Dominican Republic
    Humpback whales wintering in the entire West Indies chain are widely treated as comprising a single breeding population. However, most areas outside...
  • Raw data Raw fisheries data
    Raw data of landings of fisheries on Saba. The data include: triplogs, fishing area, catch, fishing method, species composition, whale sightings, etc...
  • Other resources CITES Brochure English
    ** This brochure is also available in Dutch, Papiamentu and Spanish ** This brochure is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food...
  • Maps and Charts Basic island maps (for use as background images in reports and web apps)
    Georeferenced artwork (maps) for use as background in thematic maps, e.g. in reports or in web-apps: Saba St.Eustatius St.Maarten Aruba Bonaire...
  • Media BioNews 51 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 51 - Dutch Caribbean Newsletter BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and...
  • Media Sharks found with dangerously high levels of heavy metals in The Caribbean
    In a new study, researchers from the non-profit research institute Beneath the Waves (BTW) documented and revealed alarmingly high levels of 12 heavy...
  • Other resources CITES Brochure Papiamentu
    ** This brochure is also available in English, Dutch, and Spanish ** This brochure is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality...
  • Media Obituary – Dr. Walter (Wòti) Bakhuis, Carmabi/Stinapa director 1981-2006
    On the 25th of March this year, Dr. Walter L. (Wòti) Bakhuis passed away at the ripe old age of 80 in Maarssen, The Netherlands. With his passing,...
  • Media Two species of endangered elasmobranch are recommended to receive additional protection in the Caribbean
    Thanks to the efforts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the critically endangered largetooth sawfish and the threatened silky shark have...
  • Media DCNA to Hold Subsequent Board Meeting on Sint Maarten
    Receives Letter of Support from Royal Patron Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands The Nature Conservation Network Organization the Dutch Caribbean...
  • Research report Research and Monitoring Results for the Size Class Distribution and Abundance of the Queen Conch, Strombus gigas, and Seagrass Characterization in Lac Bay, Bonaire
    Executive Summary This report provides a comprehensive coverage of accomplishments completed to date by Environics for the Lac Bay queen conch (...
  • Scientific article Reproductive Success of Red-Billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract The daily nest-survival rates of Red-billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) were estimated over six breeding seasons on St. Eustatius in...
  • Scientific article Global seagrass distribution and diversity: A bioregional model
    Seagrasses, marine flowering plants, are widely distributed along temperate and tropical coastlines of the world. Seagrasses have key ecological...
  • Scientific article Patrimoine marin caribéen et perspectives écotouristiques : vers un développement durable des petites îles?
    The Caribbean Sea is home to a diversity of coastal habitats that support the installation of three rich and complex ecosystems - coral reefs,...
  • Media Special Edition: Safeguarding Nature Projects
    In the wake of the constitutional change in 2010, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature & Food Quality, as part of its Nature Policy Plan for...
  • Scientific article Post-breeding migration routes of marine turtles from Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    The management of small rookeries is key to conserving the regional genetic diversity of marine turtle populations and requires knowledge on...
  • Scientific article Field Evaluation of DNA Based Biodiversity Monitoring of Caribbean Mosquitoes
    Mosquito borne diseases pose a threat to human health worldwide. Disease risk is primarily determined by presence and abundance of vector species. A...
  • Scientific article Population structure and connectivity of the mountainous star coral, Orbicella faveolata, throughout the wider Caribbean region,
    As coral reefs continue to decline worldwide, it becomes ever more necessary to understand the connectivity between coral populations to develop...
  • Scientific article Assessment of the Distribution of Seed Plants Endemic to the Lesser Antilles in Terms of Habitat, Elevation, and Conservation Status
    The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean biodiversity hotspot and a priority for conservation of its flora is its endemic taxa. Using data from...
  • Scientific article Assessment of the Distribution of Seed Plants Endemic to the Lesser Antilles in Terms of Habitat, Elevation, and Conservation Status
    Abstract - The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean biodiversity hotspot and a priorityfor conservation of its flora is its endemic taxa. Using...
  • Media Aruba’s Value of Nature
    There is strong link between economy and nature in the Dutch Caribbean due to our economic dependence on nature-based tourism. TEEB Aruba - The...
  • Research report Avifaunal and Botanical Survey of The Jan Thiel Lagoon Conservation Area, Curaçao
    The Jan Thiel lagoon can be considered the most important wetland of Curaçao based on its combined value as a feeding habitat for terns. As is likely...
  • Maps and Charts WERBATA historical topographical maps
    In 1911, J. Smeulders & Co. at The Hague published the “Topographic map of Curaçao” in 18 pages, measuring 46 x 46 cm; nowadays known as the “...
  • Media Parental Behavior Linked to Declining Nest Success
    New Red-billed Tropicbird data suggested declining nest survival rates may be more related to parental behavior than previously thought. A researcher...
  • Research report Bonaire's Southern Wetlands Management Plan
    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The southern wetlands of Bonaire represent a unique environment for the island. Consisting of a wide variety of habitat types...
  • Other resources Tunicates of St. Eustatius
    Tunicates belong to the subphylum Tunicata in the phylum Chordata, which includes all animals with dorsal nerve cords and notocords. Some tunicates...
  • Other resources Small populations on small islands: what chance does an orchid have?
    Premise of research. Small populations on small islands are intrinsically more vulnerable to population decline and extinction. Nevertheless, small...
  • Media Special Edition Bionews: Caribbean Cetacean Society Expedition
    Whale and dolphin research expedition 2022 This year, the third and sixth joint scientific expeditions of the Ti Whale An Nou program took...
  • Media Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance Provides Platform for Youth Engagement in Nature Conservation During Symposium Held in Curaçao
    Willemstad – A group of engaged teens and young adults had the opportunity to discuss youth engagement in nature conservation and nature education...
  • Research report CARI'MAM Scientific Survey 2021 Final Report
    The CARI’MAM project More than 30 species of marine mammals inhabit the waters of the Caribbean,which makes it a world hotspot. These highly mobile...
  • Research report Sustainable Funding for Nature Parks in the Netherlands Antilles. Feasibility Study of a Protected Areas Trust Fund
    In 1998 the Dutch Parliament called for a feasibility study for a trust fund and the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations agreed, under...
  • Other resources Towards Marine Ecosystem- based Management in the Wider Caribbean
    Introduction Countries of the Wider Caribbean have committed to principled ocean governance through several multilateral environmental and fisheries...
  • Media Hurricane Impact on Statia
    Sint Eustatius was hit by two major hurricanes, Irma and Maria, during the high-intensity season of 2017. Two new studies aid our understanding of...
  • Research report Rare and/or Endangered Land and Freshwater Molluscs of St. Martin
    Rare and/or Endangered Land and Freshwater Mollusks of St. Martin. In this article, Sint Maarten means the Dutch part and Saint-Martin the French...
  • Research report Preliminary inventory of key terrestrial nature values of Bonaire
    Abstract: A preliminary inventory is given of key terrestrial nature values of Bonaire in order to determine their occurrence in relation to areas...
  • Media Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database: The Future of Data Sharing
    A big obstacle in nature- policy, management and research is to access excising long-term data in an environment that experiences a high turnover in...
  • Research report Bonaire 2050, putting the vision into numbers
    Bonaire is facing major challenges including (mass) tourism, population growth, urban expansion, climate change, biodiversity loss and the unilateral...
  • Media Half a year after hurricane Irma, St.Maarten
    Zes maanden geleden raasde Irma, een orkaan van de zwaarste categorie, over Sint Maarten. De verwoesting was gigantisch. De bewoners pakken sindsdien...
  • Research report Ecologyand Microeconomics as "Joint Products": The Bonaire Marine Park in the Caribbean
    FOREWORD Many countries are strugglingwith the task of meeting ecological and economicgoals associated with the establishment and management of...
  • Media Island(er)s at the Helm awarded with funding from the NWO Caribbean Research programme
    On January 7th Minister van Engelshoven of Education, Culture and Science of The Netherlands announced that the project Island(er)s at the Helm: Co-...
  • Research report Key Elements Towards a Joint Invasive Alien Species Strategy for the Dutch Caribbean
    Summary: Recent inventories have documented no less than 211 exotic alien species in the wild for the Dutch Caribbean. These amount to no less than...
  • Research report Begroting en financieringsplan voor de beheerskosten van belangrijke natuurgebieden van de Nederlandse Antillen december
    Dit rapport vloeit voort uit de beslissing van het Nationale Natuurforum 2000, bijeen op Curaçao in september 2000, om een werkgroep aan te wijzen om...
  • Other resources Exciting New Nature Conservation Projects for STENAPA in 2022
    From cutting edge 3D models to innovative management techniques, 2022 poses to be an exciting year for St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation (...
  • Media Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance Paints Bleak Picture of the Impacts of Climate Change in the Dutch Caribbean
    Concerned at Lack of Mention of the Impacts of Climate Change During Address of King Willem Alexander at the Joint Session of the States-General of...
  • Media 2022 promises new nature parks on Curaçao
    The Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI) recently highlighted some big changes and impressive achievements for Curaçao during...
  • Media Call of action to reduce plastic pollution on St. Maarten
    Residents and businesses of St. Maarten are being urged to abandon the use of single-use, non-biodegradable plasticsto help create a cleaner and...
  • Media Vegetation Study informs Spatial Planning on Sint Maarten
    Commissioned by Sint Maarten’s Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), a color vegetation map produced...
  • Media Bonaire’s Yearly Parrot Count
    Every year on Bonaire, dozens of dedicated volunteers wake up before dawn with one simple but important mission: count as many yellow-shouldered...
  • Research report St. Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme - Annual Report 2005
    Abstract: The St Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme was initiated in 2001 due to concerns that the island’s sea turtle populations were...
  • Other resources Mogelijke beheersvormen voor particuliere natuurgebieden en conserveringsgebieden op de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba
    Deze studie werd gedaan in opdracht van Wereld Natuur Fonds Nederland door EcoVision N.V. Curaçao. Juni 1999. Het doel van de studie is in de eerste...
  • Research report St. Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme - Annual Report 2006
    Abstract: The St Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme was initiated in 2001 due to concerns that the island’s sea turtle populations were...
  • Other resources 71st annual conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) Book of abstracts
    Abstracts: TOURISM IN THE CARIBBEAN: CHALLENGES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF FISHERIES & CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS (Sponsored by CORALINA & GCFI) Kyne,...

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