A tide gauge installed at the port of Galisbay

Thanks to the support of the European cooperation program Interreg Caribbean IV (period 2007-2013), the Community of Saint-Martin worked in partnership with the community of Saint-Barthélemy, to equip the two northern islands with a station tide gauge. Last Thursday, May 19, President Aline Hanson and the partners of the Interreg program inaugurated the Saint-Martin tide gauge, on the port of Galisbay.

The strategy of the INTERREG IV Caribbean program 2007-2013 aimed to sustainable development, based on economic growth that respects the environment and creates jobs. The deepening of regional cooperation and the strengthening of territorial cohesion by improving competitiveness, attractiveness, integration and valorization of the resources of the Caribbean area were also part of prerogatives. The cooperation area is large, it concerns the entire greater Caribbean.

Aware of the absence of data in the Northern Islands, the community of Saint-Martin, leader of this project, has chose to equip its territory with a tide gauge station. This ocean measurement tool is capable of providing real-time data for warning and forecasting tsunamis and marine flooding. Tide gauge networks allow sea level to be measured continuously.

These measurements can be used for numerous applications:

- contribution to tsunami warning
- determination of tidal cycles
- determination of average sea level and its evolution
- response of ports to particular meteorological requests…

In the presence of Marie-Luce Penchard, 2nd vice-president of the Guadeloupe region, authority management of the Interreg Caribbean program, the territorial advisor of Guyana, Jocelyn Ho-Tin-Noe, the deputy of Saint-Martin and Saint Barthélemy Daniel Gibbs, the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten William Marlin and the prefect Anne Laubies, the President Aline Hanson has lifted the veil on the tide gauge. Charlotte Terrac, head of the major risks unit at the community, enlightened elected officials on the technical prowess of this extraordinary tool.

As part of this inter-island partnership, the community of Saint-Barthélemy will soon install its own tide gauge. The installation of tide gauge stations in the Northern Islands completes the network of monitoring stations in the Antilles Arc. It thus makes it possible to improve the tsunami risk warning system, but it also supports the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (PNACC).

As leader of the operation, the community of Saint-Martin received an FEDER grant of €75,000, under the Interreg Caribbean IV Program, which represents 75% of the overall cost estimated at €100,000.