La Réserve naturelle de Saint-Martin est une aire marine protégée de 30km2 située au nord-est de l’île de Saint-Martin. Créé en 1998, cet espace préserve les cinq principaux écosystèmes de l’île : récifs coralliens, mangroves, herbiers de phanérogames, étangs et forêt sèche littorale.
The LIFE BIODIV’OM project promoting the conservation of the Nassau grouper and the Goliath grouper continues. Aude Berger, head of the project, organized the creation and installation of four large informational panels put into place at Marina Fort Louis, the marina at Anse Marcel, and the Baie Blanche beach on the small island of Tintamarre. The idea is to encourage the population at large to participate in the “See A Grouper” observation...+ infos
On January 14, 2022, the scientific committee for the LIFE BIODIV’OM project met to examine the recent advances made. Amandine Vaslet, an expert ichthyologist, Antoine Lechevalier, an expert geographer, Margot Mesnard, an environmental expert, and Sofia Rockomanovic, an expert biologist, validated the documentation and the strategies to put into place. They also provided their advice to adapt and optimize the actions already deployed. The next...+ infos
Completed in early 2022, after a few months of bad weather, the first underwater study done by the Réserve Naturelle revealed that the crowned sea urchins present at specific sites were not impacted by the epizootic disease that has periodically affected this species since the early 1980’s, from Bermuda to South America. Sadly, since April 2022, this epidemic has once again been causing devastation to the sea urchins near the reefs on the...+ infos
Kimani Kitson-Walters, on the staff at the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI), has published a thesis on the arrival of Halophila stipulacea, a species of exotic, invasive algae that comes from the Red Sea, and which arrived in the Caribbean Sea during 2022. To write his thesis, titled “The loss of biodiversity loss in Caribbean seagrass ecosystems may be exacerbated by invasive algae”, the scientist requested the support of...+ infos
The quality of the coastal and sea water is one of the preoccupations of the European Union, and benefits from a water framework directive (DCE), whose goals should be directed by all members of the union with an eye toward improving these waters. At the request of the DEAL (Direction for the environment, development, and housing) in Guadeloupe, the scientific department of the Réserve Naturelle participated on June 9 and 10, 2022 in a series of...+ infos
After his first visit to Saint Martin in 2020, Julien Lopez Pardo, agent of the OFB (French Office of Biodiversity), made a second visit to the Réserve Naturelle in April 2022, in order to present the first results of his work. His mission, related to the illegal sale of conch in the Caribbean, is based on the development of a tool that will help the police to determine the origin of this protected species, which is now endangered, and...+ infos
During the summer of 2022, the scientific department of the Réserve worked hand-in-hand with Fleur Wintzer to refine a project under consideration by the French Office of Biodiversity (OFB), whose goal would be to reinforce the number of ecological moorings—at Rocher Créole, Tintamarre, Pinel, and Caye Verte— and the maritime buoys of the Réserve. This project was previously submitted to the OFB by the Réserve, in response to the call for...+ infos
At the request of GTM, the company in charge of the construction site for the renovation of the collective swimming pool at the Mont Vernon Residence, located in direct proximity to the egg-laying spot for sea turtles at Orient Bay, Julien Chalifour intervened again at the site to lecture the crews about the protection of sea turtles. The goal was to explain how the fragility of the island’s biodiversity could be impacted by...+ infos
More than 40 eco-Volunteers participated on April 15, 2022 at the first informational meeting about the study of sea turtles, as led by Julien Chalifour, head of the scientific department at Réserve Naturelle. The beach patrols are already and regularly on watch along the beaches, where they are looking for eventual tracks of sea turtles who came to lay their eggs, and the presence of nests throughout the egg-laying season, March 1 to...+ infos
On January 18 and 20, the Réserve hosted Océane Beaufort, coordinator of ReGuar, a network for sharing information about sharks in the French West Indies, for a second data-gathering campaign about these animals in the coastal waters of Saint Martin. The goal was to create an inventory of these large fish by way of videos created by cameras that were installed, then recovered, at several sites. Various species were observed, including a hammerhead shark in...+ infos
The goal of the second France Relance project is to fight against the proliferation of rats on the small island of Tintamarre. The rat traps being used have the advantage of being automated and killing the rodents immediately, in contrast to the kind of traps used in the past. Each baited trap is designed for one rat to enter and be immediately bludgeoned by a small hammer that is released by compressed gas in a cartridge. The rat then...+ infos
Axelle Verdière, 24 years old, studied biological sciences at the University of Louvain in Belgium. With a Master 2 degree, she specialized in organism biology and in ecology. She did an internship at the Réserve at the end of her studies.
Alice Aune, a Master candidate in environmental studies as well as student at the political science institute, served as an intern at the Réserve Naturelle in June and July 2022, to work on the two...+ infos
How to maintain and/or restore a “mare”, or waterhole in a tropical* context? This question was the object of a mission commissioned by the Humid Zones Department as part of the REMA project—Restoration and Maintenance of “Mares” In The Antilles. Two experts were mandated to evaluate the current state of such waterholes in Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Saint Martin, where they were working on February 14, 2022. Their goal was to select a group of...+ infos
On May 19, the correctional court finally dropped the charges against the representative of the company, Sindextour, accused of destroying essential habitats for sea turtles on the beach in Orient Bay, during the post-Irma reconstruction of restaurants, as well as the collection of sargassum seaweed. The case was originally based on constatations made by official agents of AGRNSM (Association for the management of the National Réserve...+ infos
Between January and June 2022, the Réserve signed three new agreements: two with elementary schools Marie-Emilie Leydet and Jean de la Fontaine; and the third with the association Cobraced. When school started in fall of 2022, 17 schools and nine associations had ongoing agreements with the Réserve Naturelle. These agreements align these partners with the Réserve, which in turn presents free presentations, in the classroom and in the...+ infos
The 20,000 euros of funding allocated to the Réserve Naturelle by Te Me Um in 2021 for a project on “the reappropriation of Saint Martin’s natural heritage by its children,” allowed the Réserve to augment its teaching materials: activity notebooks for the students, baseball caps, T-shirts, and most importantly anatomic sculptures of several species on sharks, which are frequently used in classrooms. Te Me Um, a program designed to support the...+ infos
Once again this year, the Réserve Naturelle hosted several interns, notably tenth and eleventh grade students for “discovery workshops”, in which they spent a week learning about Réserve and what it would mean to work there. The result is positive; the students found the experience enriching as did the Réserve, which can see the benefits of these regular academic interventions. These workshops also provided an occasion for the students to learn...+ infos
In 2022, the Réserve Naturelle signed a new agreement with EDF Guadeloupe for the organization of the “Fête de la Nature”, which features explorations of marine eco-systems and milieux. This agreement is matched by a donation of 3,000 euros, destined for the purchase of pedagogical materials, such as a 3D printer, which will facilitate the fabrication of small animal figurines—sea turtle, dolphin, conch—that the students will be able to paint...+ infos
The Réserve Naturelle At the “Fête Of The Whale”
The Réserve Naturelle accepted the invitation from the association Métimer (nautical professionals) to participate in the “Fête Of The Whale”, on Sunday, April 3, 2022. A total of 198 visitors stopped by the Réserve’s stand and especially liked the dives using a virtual reality mask into the underwater world of Saint Martin. The AGOA sanctuary for the protection of marine mammals was there, of course, and allowed people to listen to the...+ infos
Two Exhibits At Grand-Case Airport
The Réserve Naturelle organized two exhibits at the Grand-Case airport in 2002. In January and February, in the check-in area, passengers were able to encounter marine mammals through a display of anatomic sculptures and kakemonos. And in the arrival hall, a presentation by Life BIODIV’OM informed travelers about the protection of two grouper species. In September and October, an exhibit in the departure hall was dedicated to coral reefs and their...+ infos
The Réserve Naturelle continues its exploration on the development of eco-tourism activities, a study launched in 2021. The challenge is to give visitors access to learn about the natural sites in Saint Martin and showcase the destination differently, by highlighting the specificities of the island’s natural resources. As a result, since 2021, the Réserve has been leading narrated tours of the marine milieu for the clients of La Samanna hotel, which...+ infos
At the request of the Tourist Office, the Réserve Naturelle hosted an American journalist who wanted to discover Saint Martin beyond the beaches and off the beaten track, in order to better write about the undeveloped side of Saint-Martin, its salt ponds, its mangroves, and its rich bird life. At the Réserve office, she enjoyed a presentation led by the staff on the management and conservation of biodiversity. Then to get a real-life look at these...+ infos
Launched in August 2021, the Récréafish program came to an end in August 2022. In spite of bad weather conditions that limited the number of fishing trips operated by the participants, 13 panelists from Saint Martin participated, of which only three were actually active. Saint Barthélemy saw participation of 42 fishermen, with 50 excursions reported and 400 fish caught during the same period. This project took place at the same time throughout the French...+ infos
Better Knowledge About Protected Areas And Protected Species
Every year, Europe asks its member to suggest projects that can be supported by LIFE, a financial instrument to fund initiatives that are positive for nature, the environment, and the climate. Since the summer of 2022, the scientific department of the Réserve has participated in video conferences—most notably with the National Forestry Office (ONF) and the Herpetological Society of France (SHF), as well as other partners on other islands— whose goal is to present a proposition to the LIFE...+ infos
Directeur et Conservateur de la Réserve Naturelle Nationale de Saint-Martin, assermenté.
Tel : 0690 38 77 71
Responsable du pôle police de la nature et logistique, assermenté. Tel : 0690 57 95 55
Responsable du pôle scientifique, assermenté
Tel : 0690 34 77 10
Responsable du Pôle Education à l’environnement, assermenté.
Tel :0690 53 59 01
Garde animateur et technique, assermenté
Garde animateur et technique,
Chef de projet LIFE BIODIV'OM - Pôle scientifique .
Lot 11 et 13 Rue Barbuda, Hope Estate, 97150 Saint Martin
Gestion : +59 0690 889 909
Police : +59 0690 579 555
Science : +59 0690 347 710
Education : +59 0690 53 59 01
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