Cuba lies just 90 miles from the tip of Florida. The two areas share a large expanse of ocean – and the huge array of biodiversity contained within it. That’s why EDF staffers are in Cuba this week to discuss ways to eliminate overfishing, protect coral reefs, conserve coastal areas, and tap potential ocean energy in our shared backyard.

Already, in September, EDF hosted a Cuban delegation in a move towards creating greater scientific exchange between the two countries. “The U.S. and Cuba share many ecological resources, but have different ways of managing them," says EDF’s Dan Whittle. "Fishing, coastal development, and offshore oil and gas exploration in Cuba can have impacts in the U.S., and vice-versa. The sooner we work together to manage shared resources and find solutions to common problems, the sooner we'll see benefits for the people, the environment and the economy in both countries."

We'll have a follow up post to report on the trip when our scientists return.

Last week marked the beginning of a sea change in U.S. and Cuba cooperation on the environment. Our Oceans team invited and secured visas for a delegation of Cuban scientists to come to the U.S. for meetings with EDF and other partners. EDF has been working in Cuba for almost a decade to protect coral reefs, conserve mangroves and other vulnerable coastal ecosystems, and to conduct scientific research with our Cuban partners.

During this historic visit, EDF staff and our Cuban guests discussed future opportunities to collaborate, both in Cuba and the U.S. Of paramount importance are new projects aimed at protecting and sustaining fish populations and other shared resources in the Gulf of Mexico, northern Caribbean, and Atlantic.

Staff from our Climate and Air program and Land, Water and Wildlife program made presentations on their work and initiated discussions on possible collaborations on climate change and agricultural runoff. On Friday, the delegation traveled to Sarasota to meet with scientists from the Mote Marine Lab. Scientists from EDF and Mote are involved in a tri-national collaboration on marine sciences and conservation with our partners from Cuba and from Mexico.

Despite years of political separation, Dan Whittle, director of EDF's Cuba Project says, "The environment knows no borders, and the resources we share are so important. We see the environment as the one issue that can bring the two countries together."

Denise Stetten, manager of the Latin America and Caribbean Oceans Program at EDF says, "The spirit of the meetings was extremely positive and several important projects for collaboration emerged. We will be sure to follow through with those ideas and continue to build on our foundation of cooperation."

News coverage of the visit:

Sometimes sharks are called “killing machines.”  In reality, people have a much higher chance (over 600%) of being stuck by lightning than being attacked by a shark.

Movies like the famous 1975 thriller “Jaws” portray sharks as evil, almost supernatural, beasts that will do whatever they can to taste human flesh.  But, perhaps we should look in our own mirrors to see the real threat.  Sharks around the world are captured by the millions for their meat, skin, and oils.  They are hunted for their fins, used in some countries to make a popular soup, while the rest of the body is thrown overboard to die.  Sport fishermen host tournaments with top prize money for big sharks.

Certainly, shark fishing at a sustainable level is possible, and sharks are an important source of food and income for thousands of people.  However, many are being caught faster than they can reproduce. Some sharks are even at-risk of being classified as “endangered” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Even if the sight of a shark gives you the “willies,” you should care about what happens when they are gone.  The decline of sharks can cause what scientists call “cascading” impacts on oceans.  When large sharks on the U.S. East Coast were depleted, there was a rise in the population of a type of ray called the “cownose” ray.  What’s so bad about that?  Well, the rays damage vital sea grass habitats that are important marine life nurseries.  To make matters worse, the rays like to eat a lot of the same seafood that we enjoy, like scallops and clams.

Recently the Texas Observer published an article presenting an interesting account of the tragic circumstances facing sharks and one struggling Mexican community that relies on them. It tells us that not only do we have to do a good job in managing sharks within our own national waters, but that we need to find ways to work and cooperate with the other countries in the Gulf of Mexico region to conserve sharks – for the benefit of the oceans and coastal communities.

Dan Whittle, EDF's Cuba Program Director, recently wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Times in response to their article on the collaboration between the U.S. and Cuba.  Dan explains how U.S./Cuba cooperation is greatly needed when it comes to not only dealing with weather conditions such as hurricanes, but also environmental protections for coral reefs and fish populations among other environmental concerns.