Jennifer Gray serves as Bermuda's expert on sea turtles and their salvage.

Question and answer interview with the Gazette's Beverley Causey-Smith about some of Bermuda's environmental issues and how they affect Bermuda's marine animals.

Question: 1. What is your exact title at the Aquarium and exactly what do you do? Answer: "My exact title is head aquarist and Bermuda turtle project coordinator.

For the past 23 years I have been employed by the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) and serve as head of the Aquarium section of the facility.

Exhibit development and enhancement, husbandry of aquarium animals and plants, data collection and record keeping, and staff management are just a few of my many responsibilities as head aquarist.

As a key member of the BAMZ development team, driven to inspire care and appreciation of our island environment, I am proud to have produced, both on my own and with teams, a number of dynamic educational exhibits.

I serve as country coordinator for the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, and as a liaison for the Marine Mammal Stranding Programme.

Among my list of priorities these days is directing the Bermuda Turtle Project in affiliation with the Caribbean Conservation Corporation. This valuable research project continues to make great advances in completing a life history model for the Atlantic green turtle populations, with a hope of better protecting these endangered animals throughout their range.

I have a keen interest in the intricate balance and complex interactions between nature and people on our fragile oceanic island and over the years have developed a yearning to educate and foster care in the youth of Bermuda.

I am a natural history lecturer for the Bermuda Biological Station and BAMZ and often serve as the public liaison contact for environmental issues.

When not conducting research, building exhibits, organising team efforts or educating the public, I can likely be found exploring the hidden corners of our island with my two precious daughters, or spending time with animals.'' What is your educational background? Answer: "I attended the Bermuda High School, Grier School in Pennsylvania, and then followed on to Juniata College in the same state to pursue a degree in marine biology. I continue my formal education today through distance learning.

During my tenure within the Ministry of the Environment, I have completed courses at the Bermuda Biological Station and the Bermuda College and have attained scuba certification and a Marine & Ports Pilots Licence.

In 1981, an internship at the New England Aquarium in Boston brought me a wealth of new knowledge and motivation for future development at BAMZ. This was further enhanced by internships at more than ten North American aquarium, zoo and museum facilities in 1988.

By far my greatest educational experience has been life itself and the hands-on knowledge gained working in this field.'' Question: In your opinion, what are the top threats of the environment to marine animals? Answer: "Man's impact, in my opinion, has to be the greatest threat to any environment in the world today. Most threats can be traced backed directly to our actions many of which are irresponsible and avoidable.

The marine environment is of particular concern here in Bermuda because there is so much of it and because it is critical to our economic well being.

Without our pink sand beaches and pristine coral reefs what would be left to attract our valuable visitors in a period of worldwide competition for tourism. What would be left to nurture the souls of our youngsters? Encroachment into habitats critical to other species is a problem as we continue to construct buildings, walls, marinas, docks, roads and ramps along the shoreline. The process of building alone increases sedimentation in these areas that can lead to a smothering or suffocation of life.

We need to remember that the quiet harbours and bays, the remaining mangrove tracts and the seagrass beds are the nursery grounds for local fish stocks.

Because we are an island isolated in the mid Atlantic we cannot depend on recruitment of larval life from islands in the Caribbean but rather we need to protect and conserve in our back yard so our stocks can be self sufficient.

There are few of these areas left that have not been impacted by human activity. In addition to siltation these areas are threatened by chemical contamination from surface run-off.

The proliferation of moorings has caused damage to the habitat through scouring of the seafloor by ground chains not to mention the detrimental output of our marine vehicles which spew contaminated bilge water, oils, detergents, toxic compounds from leaching bottom paints and a host of other nastiness into the environment.

Over fishing, the cruise ship industry by-products, shipping, sewage disposal, agriculture runoff and increased boat traffic are all weighing heavily on the health of the marine environment.

Our deplorable disregard for the environment can be seen in the amount of trash that accumulates in inshore bays, washed up on the shoreline and beaches and lodged along our roadsides daily. This amount is nothing compared to what floats off into the ocean. We cannot continue to use the ocean as a dumping site.

Question: How can these problems be curtailed? Answer: "We must avoid quick and temporary solutions for specific situations and focus on the bigger picture and the accumulative effect of interactions.

We must change the every day lifestyle of each citizen and provide our government with a means to implement effective long term management and protection programmes and policies.

Environmental awareness is a fundamental step toward saving the marine environment. Armed with the right information the people of Bermuda can make informed and responsible decisions on issues that impact the environment.

Often ignorance is to blame for our disregard.

The formal education system should consider environmental awareness as important as history, geography or language. It will be the necessary language of the future.

We need to completely protect the remaining critical habitats and consider restoration where possible of damaged areas.

Waste reduction on the island must be encouraged and comprehensive recycling and hazardous waste programmes implemented.

We must ensure that species harvest rates do not exceed regeneration rates.

We need to make people accountable for inappropriate actions through improved legislation and effective enforcement. Daily the media is filled with court details on rapes and theft of people but how often do we hear about rapes and theft of the environment and when we do what are the punishments.

I think the time has come to teach by example and set a path for the future that will become an accepted way of life for future generations, a way of life that lives in harmony with nature and protects our most precious resources both on land and in the sea.

We need to closely monitor and assess the environment in a meaningful, scientifically detailed and ongoing manner so that early indications of degradation are recognisable. With this in place it is more likely that appropriate action can be taken before it's too late.

Question: How does Bermuda's environment compare to other Islands in the world? Answer: "Bermuda has been recognised for years as leaders in the field of conservation. We have what could be the worlds first written conservation legislation which was put in place to protect threatened species of sea birds and sea turtles.

We may have been the first to place complete protection on all coral species.

Our reefs are certainly in much better health than most other islands in the South Atlantic and we are still considered to be cleaner and more beautiful than many places on earth.

We must however remember that the state of the world is in a major environmental decline and such comparisons do not mean that we are out of harm's way.

How does Bermuda compare to itself of 100 years ago with less people and pollution? Answer: "Only environmental impact assessment and close monitoring of species and habitats can provide us with a clear understanding of what changes take place over time.

We know that we have lost critical marshlands to landfill and waste disposal and that we have lost critical shoreline habitat for juvenile fish species.

We know that overfishing has led to the demise of a number of fish species. In the 1950's it was estimated that a million pounds of grouper could be harvested annually from Argus and Challenger Banks. Today, with the exception of the black Grouper, all of the local grouper species are commercially extinct and some may have been completely wiped out.'' Question: Do you have any other comments? Answer: "Bermuda needs to devise a comprehensive management plan that encompasses a range of both short term and long term goals and objectives set against a supporting background of new and revised legislation and regulations.

One would hope that the forthcoming white paper on MARINE RESOURCES AND THE FISHING INDUSTRY IN BERMUDA will encompass such a plan.'' Two of my favourite quotes are; Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed it's the only thing that ever has.

...Margaret Mead In the end...

we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we are taught...Baba Dioum Turtles which live in Bermuda have two enemies, man and sharks.

Jennifer Gray examines the latest dead turtle at the Aquarium.

Sea turtles are killed in collisions with boats. This little fellow deserves a chance. Be careful at sea.