I'm working on the very early stages of a research project involving ecosystem regeneration on a small island off the coast of Honduras. The island is small (9 x 3 miles), so when Hurricane Mitch hit (1998 or so?) much of the terrestrial habitat (>95% mangrove forest) as well as the surrounding reef was effectively destroyed. As a control to assess damage there are conveniently several small nearby islands that escaped the full brunt of the storm and have remained relatively intact for the past decade. The island is privately owned, and it's currently being set up as a fly- fishing ecotourism escape. The goal of the fishing operation is to have as little an impact as possible while contributing to volunteer replanting efforts and educating clients about the unique and threatened biology of the area. I haven't visited or really read any literature on the island, so I'm looking for recommendations on relevant primary literature. I foresee the main goals of the study to be: - assess damage from the hurricane - make recommendations to maximize efficiency of the mangrove replanting effort - establish a long-term monitoring effort of recovery - educate tourists and locals on biodiversity and conservation of area
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Toby
