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2008
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Las Tortugas – Team 1
– Minimizing Impact
10/25/04
- Minimizing impact
- unobtrusive activity
- don't make too many waves
- minimizing pollution - sound, light, etc.
- sustainable: using resources at a slower rate than that
of how
they can be replenished
- self-sufficiency
- Recycling Strategies
- Alternative Energy Sources
- Solar
- Wind - already on San Cristobal
- tidal generation
- geothermal
- fuel cells
- biodiesal
- diversification of solutions needed
- Issues
- limits on immigration currently, but descendents can stay
- reality of situation is that people that are being
focused on
will be outnumbered by others doing other chores
- invasive species from imports
- tourists/residents bringing alien species to islands
- do not build a new village Back
to Top
Las
Tortugas – Team 1
– Ecosystem Monitoring
10/18/04
- physical, chemical, biological processes
- large percentage of world's biomass is microscopic
- why tag (radio transmitters) organisms such as wolves
- reductionism
- modern debate
- What is the most scientifically effective way to
understand an
ecosystem?
- looking at a problem on a variety of scales
- Why is it not a good idea to rely entirely on remote
sensing?
- issue of specificity - e.g. not being able to identify
species
- spatial resolution
- 10-30 m, usually
- costly equipment can get down to 1 m
- sensing
- atmospheric chemistry, water chemistry
- DO, SO42-, NO3-,
PO43- Back to
Top
Las Tortugas – Team 1 – International
Biopreserves?
10/4/04
Is it a good idea, and if so, why?
- Why?
- more resources
- broader ownership leads to respect and responsibility
- borader perspectives - greater vision
- greater prestige, greater cachet
- standards are of a global level
- system of checks and balances is improved
- better link between research and management
- greater international accountability
- ecology doesn't respect international boundaries
- worth trying to see what happens
- Concerns
- unequal contribution
- unequal power
- conflict of opinion
- chaotic interaction
- inability to enforce will
- how do you determine appropriate distribution of costs?
- Why not?
- inefficiency
- sovereignty
- maintaining cultural imperative
- If a country is doing a good job with their biopreserve,
should
it go international?
- David Brower, who led the Sierra Club and founded the
Friends of
the Earth and the Earth Island Institute
- No international biopreserves currently in existence
- International
Las Tortugas - Team 1 -
Galapagos Now
09/27/04
The National Park (1959) was created before the Marine Reserve (1984).
Currently no tourism at the Galapagos due to park rangers' strike.
Breaking news from the Galapagos can be obtained at http://www.gct.org/ (Galapagos
Conservation Trust)
Major players
- Park director
- Current director wants to deregulate fishing
- Is this appointment (policy) economically motivated or is
it
political?
- Park rangers
- Currently on strike
- Disapprove of appointment of latest park director
- Want protection of ecosystem
- Fishermen
- Want higher limits to the take
- Commercial vs. subsistence fishing
- Most agree to regulation, but sensible limits that target
the
right species
Questions
- What qualifications needed for a park director?
- Who is the Ecuadorian government trying to appease?
- Is new park director likely to get international support?
Non-Government Organizations (NGOs)
- Special interest groups
- Many conservation groups
- Funding cut to Ecuador because of current situation
International
community/perspectives
Japanese fisherman are a problem Back to Top
Las
Tortugas -
Team 1 -
Understanding Tasks
09/20/2004
- Task 1: Design world “biopreserve”
- Consider Ecuadorian government
- Consider forming a Constitution that delegates power
- Make complete record of present system prior to
identifying
issued
- Establish organizations with specific tasks
- Environmental impact statements for future projects
- Research/learn more about previous attempts
- Fiscal limitations and responsibility
- Regulate human impact
- Define ecological dependences of biopreserve
- Limit presence of tourists
- Police
- Define reasons why ecosystem warrants being called a
“biopreserve”
- Consider laws of the water
- Task 2: Ecosystem networks
- Population levels
- Current residents - plants and animals
- how to monitor them
- Human interference
- Maintenance
- Natural elements (ex. El Nino, mineral levels)
- Identify criteria for healthy ecosystem
- Boundaries
- Cost
- Monitor waters, rivers, weather
- Task 3: Village design
- Location
- Transportation - trails(?)
- Fresh water resources
- Economy, industry, what people do for a living
- Size of island/village/population
- Subcommunities? - government
- Medical/Social services
- Tourist attractions/accommodations
- Pets/domestic animals
- City limits/boundaries
- Sanitation/waste disposal
- Food resources? Imports?
- Immigration problems? Fishermen moving to islands?
- Cost/maintanence Back to
Top
Las Tortugas – Team 1 – Web Design
Principles
09/13/04
- Handout
- Do not use frames
- Add MIT logo on home page and link to
web.mit.edu Back to Top
Las Tortugas –
Team 1 – Research Methods
09/10/04
- Art of finding factual, reliable information
- Howard - team one leader
- databases
- libraries
- Hayden - bldg. 14
- Lindgren - bldg. 54
- GIS seminars - libraries.mit.edu/gis Back to Top
Las
Tortugas –
Team 1 – Introduction
09/08/04
- It is critical that we preserve the Galapagos.
- complicated ecosystem
- problems
- international illegal fishing
- visitations that introduce new species, e.g. rats
- fastest-growing population area in Ecuador
- intense pressure of tourism
- objectives
- multinational trust, funding, Ecuadorian sovereignty
- ecosystem monitoring
- design idealized "village" for permanent residents and
visitors
- as if money is no object
- contact information on web site
- 2 UTFs
- alumni mentors
- specalty advisors
- 5 groups, each with differnt geographic region
- deliverables
- web sites
- personal
- team (document research) bue by 11/1
- section (document research and design)
- one-hour formal presentation of design on evening of 12/2
- final grade
- 30 percent individual
- 30 percent team
- 40 percent section
- team one
- high risk, away from government - hard to control
- Darwin, Wolf, Pinta, Marchena, and Tower
- tourist pressures are less
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