Water activities’ impacts on environment

(This week, we are introducing a new series on this page. For the next seven weeks, we will highlight the activities of the Coral Reef Initiative summer interns stationed at CRM and DEQ. To start off the series, CRM’s permit intern James Arriola describes his experiences.)

The islands of the Marianas are beautiful islands steeped in rich culture, beauty, and history. The people of the Marianas have endured occupations, natural disasters, a World War and today, although not as apparent, we are in a battle to maintain our environment. Our ethereal island forests and beaches are something many have taken for granted, as they have always been a part of our island. However, due to commercialization and modernization of our islands, we have seen the effects of pollution, soil erosion, the destruction of the reef and more, all in the goals of making a profit.

As a repeat permit intern at the Coastal Resources Management Office on Saipan, these issues are of great importance to me. I have learned so much by seeing the incredible changes in our island habitats and also through the hard work that employees at offices such as Coastal Resources Management have to do in order to maintain the splendors of our island home.

Interns at the Coastal Resources Management office are each given specific tasks to complete during their employment at CRM over the summer. These projects are presented upon the conclusion of the internship. This summer, my project focuses on the Saipan shoreline and lagoon areas in which water sports activities take place. These water sports activities include jet skiing, scuba diving, banana boating, water skiing and parasailing, just to name a few. It is important to monitor the environmental effects of these activities over time, to make sure that they are not detrimental to our oceans and beaches. Information provided by the water sports companies can help us in this task, as the operators spend every day in the field and can note changes to the marine life in their operational areas. My project is to research these water sports activities and areas in which they operate in order to assess not only the biological but also the economic impacts of these water sport providers.

Parts of my project include items such as making surveys and interviewing different water sports providers on specific issues regarding the environment and permitting regulations in their areas of operation. I will also be assessing the economic benefits of these water sports providers in relation to the impacts on our environment. I know that through this research project I will gain a better understanding of our island habitats and the human activities that may threaten them.

I have gained much experience and knowledge from the Coastal Resources Management internship in the past and continue to do so this summer. Not only have I learned from the accommodating and friendly staff, but also from the copious amount of resources they provide that the public is often unaware of. I have gained important and valuable knowledge about our island ecology and local laws. This has furthered my passion for preservation of all aspects of island life, whether it is our cultures or our oceans. I encourage those interested in a career on our islands to take advantage of programs such as this when offered, as the experience will aid you tremendously.

As people who call these islands home for whatever length of time, we are blessed with the tremendous beauty this Pacific paradise has to offer. We must not take advantage of this fragile island environment and we must work together to preserve this jewel of the Pacific we call the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (James Arriola)