Protect and Restore Marine and Coastal Ecosystems
Winns Morass, located on the north coast of Jamaica in the town of Falmouth, Trelawny, is a wetland area that through an escrow fund was established as part of a mitigation strategy to counter the loss of mangroves, and has been in the process of being restored.
Restoration actions commenced in 2020 on approximately one hectare of the Winns Morass, which has since expanded to include a wider area.
The work has been conducted in collaboration with the University of the West Indies and has led to the promise of a Tree Preservation Order being placed over the area in partnership with the Municipal Corporation.
Approximately 57 hectares of wetland were secured for ecological restoration as part of the mitigation effort, stemming from the development of the Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier.
The wetland restoration process has allowed for the resumption of tidal influence.
Replanting seedlings and diversifying the soil has led to an increase in the resilience of the soil and a higher level of biodiversity within the wetland area.
Challenges
Heavy equipment was needed to remove approximately 368 cubic metres of dumped material to restore the land to optimal forest floor level. Similarly, to successfully refurbish the area, 450 mangrove seedlings harvested from their parent trees needed to be planted—300 Rhizophora mangle (red mangrove), 149 Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) and 1 Laguncularia racemosa (white mangrove).
Recipe for Successful Implementation
The intervention used for Winns Morass can be replicated in other areas by both improving the hydrology of the area and strategically planting seedlings.
