SAERI is just finishing up its work on Phase 4 of the EMODnet Seabed Habitats project in partnership with JNCC, the Anguilla Government, and the Anguilla Community College. The European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) is a group of organizations functioning as a data initiative that collates, standardizes, and publishes marine datasets as freely available and downloadable products. The EMODnet Seabed Habitats project commenced in 2009 and over the first three phases of the project (running until 2021) produced a broad-scale seabed habitat map (EUSeaMap) that covered European waters at multi-resolutions. The fourth phase ran from the end of September 2021 to September 25^th, 2023, and aimed to expand the scope of the EUSeaMap to include the Caribbean Sea. Project Manager Ms. Elayna Daniels (SAERI) worked with JNCC, the Anguilla government, and the Anguilla Community College to support this expansion and develop connections in the region.

As part of this work, Ms. Daniels has been on the Caribbean island of Anguilla, working with local stakeholders to collate regional habitat data and deliver a habitat data submission and management course. As her work grows to a close, she is finishing up submission of nearly 70 habitat maps the team collated from different entities in the region, including NOAA, The Nature Conservancy, the Allen Coral Atlas, and the Waitt Institute. These maps will greatly expand the scope of the EMODnet Seabed Habitats project into the Caribbean and continue to further the EMODnet goal of making marine data accessible to all. In addition, she delivered a 6-part data-training course to build future capacity in the region to continue working with the EMODnet Seabed Habitats project. Participants included representatives from the Anguilla National Trust, the Anguilla Department of Natural Resources, and the Anguilla Fisheries and Marine Resources Unit. Photos show data submission and management course in session as well as the participants with their certificates at the end. Ms. Tara Pelembe, International Director at SAERI, also joined Ms. Daniels in Anguilla for several weeks to deliver a grant writing training course which ran both in-person and online, drawing participants from the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, and Anguilla.

Ms. Daniels will be sad to leave Anguilla at the end of September but is grateful for the opportunity to be involved with this project and get to know the beautiful island! Thank you so much to everyone in Anguilla, particularly our partners Ms. Melissa Meade (Chief Natural Resources Officer at the Anguilla Department of Natural Resources), Ms. Carencia Rouse (Director of Environment at the Anguilla Department of Natural Resources), and Dr. Kenneth Williams (President of the Anguilla Community College) for all their support!