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This research estimates willingness to pay (WTP) to avoid high numbers of encounters with other divers at dive sites in barbados and Tobago. A survey of scuba divers from 2007 to 2010 examined demographics, experience, satisfaction with conditions (e.g., coral cover, visibility, diversity of fish and marine life, crowding), dive characteristics (e.g., divers encountered), and maximum WTP for the dive. WTP was a function of dive location, diver income, encounters, and amount paid for the dive. On average, divers may be willing to pay up to US$4.51 per additional diver to avoid encounters with others. results can inform management regarding pricing and spatial planning of reef use and can aid in policies for maximizing economic returns from diving while reducing impacts of diving on reefs and diver experiences.

Trinidad and Tobago present three main contrasts to other Caribbean islands in terms of herpetological conservation. (1) They are continental shelf rather than oceanic islands and have a diverse Neotropical fauna and a low level of endemism. (2) They were developed relatively late in the European colonial period, and the delayed population and agricultural growth has left relatively large areas of original habitat. (3) Industrial development is the major feature of current economic growth in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad is more divergent from the typical Caribbean island than Tobago in all these respects. The herpetofauna is incompletely known, but about 112 terrestrial and freshwater species and five sea turtles have been recorded. Trinidad has 103 species, Tobago 52, with 43 species in common; 83% of the species are also found in South America. There are 12 endemic and seven introduced species. Iguana and tegu lizards, as well as caiman, are hunted under licence, and there is a legal artisanal fishery for sea turtles. Venomous snakes (absent from Tobago) are classed as vermin and may legally be destroyed. Other reptiles are classed as protected animals under the Conservation of Wild Life Act; amphibians are currently unprotected by law outside of Environmentally Sensitive Areas. The amphibian chytrid fungus is present on both islands. The endemic Critically Endangered (IUCN) golden tree frog Phytotriades auratus will probably receive protection as an Environmentally Sensitive Species in the near future; this status was recently rejected for the sea turtles. There is effective practical conservation of nesting turtles by community-based ecotourism projects on some beaches, recently coordinated by the Turtle Village Trust, and efforts to replace the turtle fishery by non-destructive economic use as an attraction for dive ecotourism. A large bycatch of leatherback turtles in the gillnet fishery remains a major conservation issue. Future problems related to the development of industry and effects of global climate change are discussed, and recommendations given for conservation of the herpetofauna.

Amphibian chytridiomycosis occurs on a small proportion of West Indian islands, but the entire Caribbean region, including Trinidad, offers a suitable environment for the infection. We report the presence of the causative agent Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in 2 out of 12 populations sampled of the Vulnerable Trinidad stream frog, Mannophryne trinitatis. We analyzed 184 skin swabs collected from wild frogs using real-time PCR analysis. Follow-up sampling determined a prevalence of Bd infection of 3 and 23% in these 2 populations. We did not find any evidence of associated clinical disease. Bd-positive populations were located at the highest elevations studied (425 to 450 m). These 2 populations had more juveniles than other populations, and juveniles were more likely to be infected than adults. Our results suggest that sampling juveniles may provide the greatest sensitivity for any future monitoring for the presence of Bd in M. trinitatis populations in Trinidad.