Bridport man’s role in protecting threatened Caribbean coral reefs

since 2016 to establish the largest community-based coral restoration network in the Eastern Caribbean.

DR OWEN DAY lives with his family near Bridport but his mind and his cutting-edge science is spent protecting some of the most beautiful important and threatened coral reefs in the world.

Coastal communities in the Caribbean rely heavily on coral reefs for their livelihoods, food and coastal protection. In the last five decades, coral reefs worldwide have been heavily impacted by over-fishing, diseases, hurricanes and mass bleaching, with the latter three projected to increase with climate change. Active coral restoration—where resilient genotypes are identified, propagated in nurseries and then out-planted to assist natural recovery, is increasingly recognised as a useful tool in reef conservation and an important climate change adaptation strategy. Coral restoration is also an effective way of engaging and empowering local communities with the management of their coastal environment. While governments, communities and private sector companies are interested in supporting coral restoration efforts, the framework, funding and technical resources are often lacking. This talk will describe the work done by CLEAR and partners

Dr Owen Day is a marine biologist with over 25 years’ experience working in the Caribbean with a wide range of partners, including UNEP, World Bank, USAID, UKAID, GIZ, CDB, CBF and several private foundations. Much of his work has involved creating partnerships between the private sector, governments and local communities to improve the management and resilience of coastal ecosystems and the sustainability of livelihoods. He is the Executive Director of CLEAR Caribbean, a not-forprofit company that operates the largest coral restoration programmes in the Eastern Caribbean with nurseries in St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Oxford University in 1988, and his masters and doctorate in marine biology from the University of Wales in 1991 and 1996 respectively.

The HOP talks are an initiative started by Philip Howse OBE (Professor Emeritus, University of Southampton) with Professor Sir Ghillean Prance FRS VMH CBE (former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) George Monbiot, Clive Farrell, Dr George McGavin and the late James Lovelock CBE. The project aims to inspire and inform individuals, families and local communities with tangible actions to help combat the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, and to raise money for charities working in these areas. Each month the charity is chosen by the speaker.

Community-based Coral Restoration in the Eastern Caribbean by Dr Owen Day is on Wednesday 25 May at 7pm at Sladers Yard in West Bay. Doors 6pm hot snacks and bar available. Tickets: £10 (concessions and under 21s £5). All ticket proceeds to The Fossil Fuel NonProliferation Treaty Initiative. Call 01308 459511 to reserve tickets.

LABNEH

Labneh is a fresh Middle Eastern cheese made by hanging whole milk yogurt in muslin until it is as thick as cream cheese, but with a tangy, lightly salty flavour reminiscent of feta. If you want to keep it for longer than a week, you can make it into balls and cover these with olive oil, which will sit happily in the fridge for up to a couple of months. Use it like feta in salads, dotted over a tray of still warm roast vegetables or to make a labneh cheesecake in place of cream cheese. Utterly delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo live whole milk yogurt (cow, sheep or goat)

• 2 tsp fine sea salt

• A large square of clean muslin

Makes about 500g

NAOMI DEVLIN

Directions

1. Stir the sea salt into the yogurt. Line a mixing bowl with muslin and scrape the yogurt into it. Tie up the corners of the muslin and suspend over the bowl, so that the whey can drip out and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. I do this by hanging the muslin from a camera tripod on the worktop, or by tying the muslin around a wooden spoon and placing this on top of a tall jug. You can also use a jelly bag with a frame.

2. The labneh should have the texture of cream cheese after 24 hours and be firm enough to use for cheesecake or dips. If you allow it to hang for another 24-36 hours it will be more of a goat cheese consistency (transfer to the fridge for this longer period). Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Rinse and boil your muslin cloth before washing in the washing machine.

Watercress Soup

Hampshire and Dorset are centres of watercress production. Yet while we will happily munch our way through a pile of rocket, we neglect our local peppery equivalent. So often watercress ends up as a garnish, left behind on the plate instead of being eaten and enjoyed as a nutritious vegetable. As with most soups and sauces made with leafy green herbs, overcooking can kill the flavour and colour of watercress. So cook briefly and chill quickly to preserve the delicate taste of this underused English leaf. Eaten raw it can be so strong it helps to mix it with other leaves, or try it with orange. Asian flavours, too, suit it well. It also makes a great, tasty and quick soup.

Directions Ingredients

• 250g watercress, stalks removed

• 1 leek, well rinsed, trimmed and roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp vegetable or corn oil

• 1.5 litre vegetable stock (a good cube is fine)

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Goats curd for garnish

Serves 4

Naomi Devlin at The Oyster & Fish House

Naomi will be joining Mark and the team on 17th May to cook a delicious 4-course meal and share her expertise on gluten-free foods and how you can boost your gut health by choosing the right food and drink. Naomi will be serving her homemade ferments and letting you know how you can make your own at home. You don’t need to be coeliac to enjoy this evening—you simply need to enjoy your food as much as we do!

For more information visit https://theoysterandfishhouse.co.uk/news-events/ an-evening-with-naomi-devlin/

1. Cut the stalks from the watercress and put the leaves to one side. Gently cook the leek in the vegetable oil in a covered pan until soft, without allowing it to colour. Add the vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the watercress stalks and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add two-thirds of the watercress leaves and blend the soup in a liquidiser, or with a stick blender, until smooth.

2. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Chop the remaining watercress leaves and add to the soup. Bring back to the boil briefly if necessary and serve. Add a spoonful of goat’s curd before serving.