It wants to investigate the commercial use of the island's volcanic material, like pumice and ash, for the manufacture of building materials. It is also proposing to stabilise the land through an extensive programme of replanting to prevent erosion, investigate the possiblity of using the volcanic ash as a fertiliser, and run a series of workshops on small business creation to help boost the island's economy. It's like the Marie Celeste' He was joined by three colleagues from Coventry - botanist Dr Georg Waldmann, whose interest in Montserrat sparked the university's involvement with the island, Dr Tom Dijkstra and Dr Martin Underwood. Animal specialist Michael Stevens, from the University of Dusseldorf in Germany, also took part in the visit with a view to becoming involved in a regeneration project. Now it's like the Marie Celeste.
Nobody lives there, and tourism has switched off.
The island is still shell-shocked. Volcanic material was widely used for building materials in Germany, and a couple of tonnes of this material was due to be brought over to Coventry next month to be analysed, he said. Health and safety issues have also got to be considered - the ash contains a form of the mieral quartz which can cause the lung disease silicosis. Tiny particles of dust become embedded in the lungs, eventually leading to suffocation. The people of Montserrat will be involved and consulted every step of the way.