Result of Service

 

The consultant will:

• Carry out a desk review on the status and threats to the conservation of CBC priority fish species and their essential habitats, based on existing research for the region.

• Participate and lead discussions on Marine biology particularly the status and threats of priority fish species and their essential habitats in the CBC in a regional expert workshop aimed at validating the review findings and prioritizing marine-coastal information gaps that need to be addressed in the CBC, and that should be considered in future projects.

• Prepare a report with the results of the review highlighting the existing information gaps and research needs to inform and improve the conservation of the selected groups of priority fish species in the context of the CBC Initiative’s newly approved scope and strategy.

Outputs

1. Prepare, in close cooperation with the CBC Secretariat and UNEP technical team, a detailed workplan describing the roadmap to compile and report on the state of the knowledge and information gaps on the status, health and threats to CBC priority marine fish species and their essential habitats in the Greater Antilles, carry out bilateral consultations with experts, and support the preparation and implementation of expert workshops.

2. Carried out a desk review on the state of knowledge in the Greater Antilles about the status, health, and threats to CBC priority fish species and their essential habitats (spawning aggregation sites, breeding and feeding grounds, etc.) compiling and assessing existing information with a focus on:
a. State of knowledge and data availability about spatial distribution, movement ecology/patterns, and natural history of these species.
b. Description of existing monitoring initiatives/efforts, detailing its spatial scope, protocol used and data availability/accessibility.
c. A threat analysis including main historical threats and their drivers, as well as emerging threats (if any), such as the impact of climate change, pollution, sargassum floods, emerging diseases, and invasive alien species.
d. A general assessment of the conservation status of the CBC fish conservation priorities and essential habitats, with reference to population size and tendencies, threat grade in the region and level of legal protection (MPAs, OECM and other legal means), including a general assessment of the potential effectiveness of the existing protection measures.
e. Main data/information/knowledge gaps that are key to devising and implementing effective conservation strategies and measures, including an analysis of the availability (or lack) of any data or information relevant and needed for the effective conservation and sustainable management of the populations of the priority species.

3. Carry out bilateral consultations with experts, CBC member country focal points and other key stakeholders as needed to complement, and/or validate findings of the desk review, identifying the status of existing knowledge, main gaps and research needs.

4. Support the preparation and implementation of at least one expert workshop aimed at prioritizing identified marine-coastal information gaps and needs that should be addressed in the CBC; exploring basic indicators and recommended methodologies to monitor and assess the status of priority species and ecosystems, including their climate vulnerability; and providing recommendations for the design of priority research studies to be conducted, including an oceanographic expedition for the region to fill the identified information gaps.

5. Refine and consolidate results from product 2, incorporating the workshop findings, further extending the baseline review, and carrying out additional interviews (as needed), to produce a final report that includes all the information detailed in output 2, as well as a set of recommendations for research and monitoring in order to fill the priority knowledge gaps in the CBC.

6. Compile a list of experts and organizations working in the region on endangered fish species and their essential habitats, including their names, organization and contact information.

Products

Product No. 1: Roadmap and map of the key issues and information that need to be compiled during the desk review.

Product No. 2: Draft report with the preliminary results of the desk review, providing the information, and all bibliography on key marine issues as described in output 2 and considering the results of bilateral consultations as described in output 3.

Product No. 3: Workshop report with main findings and results regarding the issues on CBC fish conservation priorities and essential habitats, highlighting new contributions, data gaps and research priorities.

Product No 4: Final report with the results of the desk review highlighting and including:
• All the information as detailed in output 2.
• The existing information gaps and research needs to inform and improve the conservation of the CBC fish priority species in the context of the initiative’s newly approved scope and strategy.
• Recommendations for research design.
• The relevant bibliography with links to, or the copies of the documents consulted during the analysis.
• The list of experts and organizations working on the topic in the region as outlined in output 6.

 

Work Location

 

Home-based

 

Expected duration

 

6 months

 

Duties and Responsibilities

 

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO Office), located in Panama City, Panamá works closely with the 33 countries of the region and its activities are integrated into the Medium-Term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).

The project “Strengthening Ocean Management in the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC)” is framed within the “Environmental governance” sub-programme. It seeks to take the first steps towards integrating scientific knowledge and climate adaptation strategies to ensure healthy and resilient marina and coastal ecosystems, species and local communities in the Greater Antilles. The project will directly support the CBC initiative to generate coastal and marine data that guides marine research design and will strengthen ocean management in member countries, in the context of the CBC Strategic Plan towards 2030. The project is conceived to create the conditions and strengthen the capacities of the CBC initiative to improve knowledge on the status and vulnerability of marine and coastal ecosystems, species, and local communities in the Greater Antilles. Alliances with programmes and stakeholders engaged in broader field actions will support achievement of the objectives of the CBC in the marine realm.

The Marine Biology Specialist for baseline analysis on fish in the CBC will prepare a desk review on the status and threats of priority fish species and their essential habitats in the Greater Antilles based on existing research for the region. The review will aim to identify information gaps and research needs in the context of the CBC Initiative’s newly approved demarcation and scope. The consultant will liaise with the CBC Secretariat and its technical team at UNEP to build on existing information and knowledge.
The consultant will be under direct supervision of the Programme Management Officer of Environmental Governance Unit at the UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office and will work from home.

 

Qualifications/special skills

 

ACADEMIC:
– Bachelor´s Degree in science, earth and/or life sciences, biology, ecology marine biology/ecology, conservation, environmental management, geography, aquaculture, fisheries, or any related field is required.
– Master’s degree in biology, conservation science, ecology, marine biology, or marine conservation/management or equivalent competency is required.
– PhD´s in similar thematic is desirable.

PROFESSIONAL:
– Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience at the national or international level in marine conservation, research and/or management is required.
– Previous experience carrying out scientific desk reviews is desirable .
– Knowledge of at least one of the CBC priority species or groups of species including but not limited to marine fish in the region is desirable.
– Experience in the Caribbean region is desirable.
– Experience of working across large NGOs or UN bodies in the thematic of marine conservation and or research is desirable.
– Experience in the UN system desirable.

 

Languages

 

– Confident in English is required.
– Fluent in Spanish is required.
– Basic in French is desirable.

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
– Excellent synthesis and summarizing skills are required.
– Excellent writing, reading and comprehension skills in English and Spanish are required.
– Excellent communication skills are desirable.
– Good organizational and team working skills are desirable.

 

Additional Information

 

 

 

No Fee

 

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.