Vieques Conservation & Historical Trust Ocean Conservancy Clean-up
Mike Martin Bras Vieques
Mark Martin Bras plays an important role in protecting and preserving the ecological environment of Vieques as well as educating the youth through his daily work and Manta programs at the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust. He has helped redefine light pollution standards for Puerto Rico and is working tirelessly to preserve and study the BioBay.
Lionfish hunters capture #1000 - Vieques, Puerto Rico
In 2006 under the Esperanza Pier, Mark Martin and Ali Baker found the first reported and captured Lionfish on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. In 2015, Mark caught number 1000.
The mighty lionfish is an extraordinary fish.
However, it also originates from the indo-pacific oceans and is not part of our systems. It reproduces, hunts, camouflages, defends, and survives extremely well which translates into bad news for local species and ecosystems.
The Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust is part of lionfish tasks forces and alliances to teach, hunt, eat and make videos like this so you will order lionfish for dinner and eat the problem.
It is a yummy, sashimi quality fish that will give you SUPERPOWERS.
MUSIC:
Playa Grande Sugar Cane Mill in Vieques Puerto Rico
A tour of the ruins of Central Playa Grande Sugar Cane Mill in Vieques, Puerto Rico led by Anthony Civitillo for the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust.
Vieques National Wildlife Refuge
Videography and Photography Credit: Amanda Lalezarian and Viviane Feldman
The US Fish and Wildlife Service is in charge of the massive Vieques National Wildlife Refuge in Puerto Rico, but the previous land owners left quite a mess for them to clean up.
Vieques Lionfish at VCHT/ Pez Leon en el Fideicomiso de Conservacion en Vieques
Un Pez Leon capturado en el muelle de la esperanza en Vieques Abril 2010. En Exhibicion en el acuario deel Fideicomiso de Conservacion e Historia de Vieques.
A lionfish captured in the Esperanza pier in Vieques. In exhibit in the Vieques Conservation & Historical Trust at the Smallest Aquarium in the World. U
Lionfish Hunters of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico
Mark Martin Bras of the Vieques Conservation & Historical Trust, filmmaker Karl Alexander and Environmental Educator Captain Sharon Grasso go lionfish hunting on the South shore of Vieques Island, PR.
video: info:
coral reef project la chiva Vieques
A project to grow corals using different methodologies along the shoreline of Vieques Island in La chiva beach. Sponsored by NOAA.Photos taken by student group MANTA of the Vieques Conservation & Historical Trust
Releasing endangered baby turtles on Vieques Fish & Wildlife Refuge
TICATOVE is a non-profit group on Vieques island dedicated to the conservation of marine turtles such as these baby leatherbacks. Often, eggs are relocated from nests in dangerous or developed beaches to the relative safety of the beaches of the largest fish and wildlife refuge in the Caribbean. In this case, these babies are being released on Red Beach, or Playa Caracas.
This video was shot on a Canon C100 with the only light sources being one or two red LED bike lights. The Milky Way was overhead and we captured a few good stills of that as well!
Some of the children in the video were from a conservation camp called Mini-Manta from the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust.
More info:
Banded Coral Shrimp at the Smallest Aquarium in the World
Spent another fun evening with Mark Martin Bras of the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust.
We were filming portraits of lionfish when we decided to grab some test footage of other creatures swimming around in the “Smallest Aquarium in the World.”
This Banded Coral Shrimp (Camerón barbero) was captured beneath the sugar cane pier in Esperanza and brought into the aquarium temporarily and is featured in daily public talks at the museum.
Environmental conservation is a common theme at the Trust and these creatures help to capture interest and underscore important messages.
We used the test footage to create several :30 teaser videos to promote the VCHT via Social Media. The tests were so successful that we will be conducting video archives of almost every creature they bring in from the sea!
INHOFE SENATE FLOOR SPEECH ON THE THE MILITARY RANGE ON THE ISLAND OF VIEQUES
U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) spoke on the Senate floor last night on how the departure of the U.S. military from Puerto Rico beginning in 2003 has contributed to the country's economic turmoil and discussed the strategic importance of reopening the military range on the island of Vieques.