Over three billion people rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, and in the Commonwealth, 49 of 56 member states have ocean borders. To ensure ocean health, the Commonwealth Secretariat, in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), launched the GEM-in-a-Box project. This initiative provides tools for Commonwealth nations to test their waterways and monitor eutrophication, a process that harms marine life.
DFO developed the GEM-in-a-Box kits, which have been tested for reliability and are now being used by eight member states, including the Bahamas, Bangladesh, and South Africa. The project offers affordable technology for monitoring ocean health and aims to scale up with further training and support.
The collaboration highlights the power of partnerships in advancing sustainable ocean stewardship. Trainees, such as Ernest Ohandja Nomo in Cameroon and Dr. Brandon J. Bethel in The Bahamas, are now sharing their knowledge to improve ocean monitoring and water quality.
Read the original article here: https://thecommonwealth.org/news/commonwealth-countries-advance-ocean-science-gem-box