Hope College visits Eleuthera

December 31, 2012 ceiblogger

On December 13, six college students from Holland, Michigan’s Hope College arrived on campus to participate in a week-long field course focusing on Island Ecology and Geology. Led by Professor Brian Bodenbender, the group explored the island of Eleuthera- both above and below water. During their many field excursions, they examined the cross bedding of ancient sand dunes and the magnificent coral reefs of Half Sound. Although challenged by the sustainable lifestyle of our small island community, the group returned to the the states with a refreshed understanding of island ecology and the ways in which humans are connected to and impact their environment.

Aquaculture

New Aquaculture intern profile: Thomas Keet

December 28, 2012 ceiblogger

While CEI will be welcoming a new bunch of Spring interns in January, one intern is already at CEI, getting off to an early start in the Sustainable Aquaculture Program.

Tom Keet, from South Africa, attended Stellenbosch University near Cape Town, SA. He just finished his undergraduate degree in Aquaculture, and is putting to use what he learned in the CEI wet lab. Tom heard about CEI while researching sustainable aquaculture projects, and decided to apply for a spring internship.

Tom is helping to establish a pilot study on the feasibility of culturing spiny lobster in the lab. With his knowledge of aquaculture systems and his strong work ethic in the field, Tom is a valuable addition to team CEI. While here, Tom says he plans to enjoy his time working in the ocean, strengthen his experience in aquaculture, and fish in his free time. Tom plans to head back to South Africa in June to pursue a Master’s degree in Aquaculture.

Educational Programs, Lionfish, Outreach

Research Assistant Project Update- Isobel Flake

December 27, 2012 ceiblogger

Isobel Flake, research assistant for the Lionfish Research and Education Program, has been working on a research project during her time at CEI. Here she describes her research:

Like many programs at CEI, the Lionfish Research and Education Program is constantly occupied with fieldwork, data entry, the Island School research class, and miscellaneous other projects. With so little excess time, the program rarely has the chance to get involved with local communities. For this reason, I decided to focus my efforts on community outreach and education by creating lionfish signs for my independent project. Ideally posted in 19 locations across the island, I plan to have these signs posted at community gathering areas such as docks, marinas, and/or community centers. The signs offer information including history of the lionfish invasion in the western Atlantic, why they pose such concerning threats, and what people can do to help. The goals for this project are not only to increase awareness, but also to encourage local consumption of the tasty invasive.

Flats

CEI Flats Team: Trip to Grand Bahama update

December 21, 2012 ceiblogger

Wading in the middle of the tidal flats of northeast Grand Bahama, the untrained eye wouldn’t even begin to recognize the magnitude of life hidden among the cryptic maze of creeks and mangrove cays… but that’s not the case for Greg Vincent, Jason Franklin and the rest of the H2O Bonefishing crew who miraculously navigate this mangrove labyrinth and interpret the slight intricacies at the water’s surface to point out unseen schools of fish all around. It is this often unrecognized magnitude of life and diversity that the CEI Flats Ecology & Conservation team, guided by the volunteered resources and experience of H2O Bonefishing, seeks to understand and protect. This past week, Dave Philipp, Aaron Shultz, Brian Shultz, and Ian Rossiter of the CEI Flats team, along with Jeff Koppelman from the Fisheries Conservation Foundation (FCF), Karen Murchie from the College of Bahamas (COB), and others from the Bahamas Initiative [a joint venture between CEI, FCF, and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT)] have ventured out into the Grand Bahama flats ecosystem with hopes of capturing and tagging 500+ bonefish (Albula vulpes).
So why are we going to so much effort to tag these bonefish? As any sports angler will tell you, bonefish are the fish to catch in the Bahamas. So much so, that the revenue generated toward the Bahamian GDP by catch-and-release bonefishing has been estimated to be over $140 million (that’s a lotta bones… get it). Despite their value, we know very little about the natural history of this species. We don’t know its home range, migration patterns, spawning location/timing/behavior, etc… Without this knowledge, any conservation effort toward this valuable species is really just a shot in the dark. That’s where the tags come in. Continue reading →

Flats, Outreach, Sharks

The Story of Sharks film update

December 14, 2012 ceiblogger

After visiting the Blue Ocean Film Festival as finalists in September, Ian Rossiter (Flats Team intern) and Brendan Talwar (Shark Team intern) submitted their film to the Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous Marine (World Festival of Underwater Images) in Marseilles, France. After a few weeks, they received an email announcing their first award, granted by the French Federation of Film and Video. With this exciting announcement came the news that winning films would be shown across the world at small film festivals everywhere.The first venue to showcase the winning films was the Miami Underwater Festival from November 30 to December 2, 2012, where the Story of Sharks was shown to young audiences at the Miami Science Museum. On the same weekend, the video was shown to the Bahamian Minister of the Environment at the Cape Eleuthera Institute/Island School Research Symposium. The next step is submission to a few more festivals around the Bahamas and United States before distribution online. (Photo of Brendan (L), Ian (R), and their mentor, Didier Noirot).

Sharks, Student Research

Research Assistant Project Update – Brendan Talwar

December 11, 2012 ceiblogger

Brendan Talwar, research assistant for the Shark Conservation and Education Program, has been working on a research project during his time at CEI. Here he describes his research:

My research focuses on the use of unbaited video cameras placed in the mouth of tidal creek
systems. I’m using this method to investigate the behavioral ecology of elasmobranchs, focusing on the lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris). These sharks enter mangrove creek systems during incoming tide to seek refuge from predators, as well as to forage among the mangrove prop roots.Given the plight of shark populations worldwide, and the lack of non-invasive methods of population assessment, the use of unbaited video in coastal ecosystems will lay the groundwork for completely hands off research techniques in the future.

Educational Programs

National Geographic Photo Camp at CEI

December 6, 2012 ceiblogger

Last week CEI had the opportunity to host 20 Bahamian students from Freeport, Nassau and Crooked Island for National Geographic’s Photo Camp. This camp was the culmination of the Youth Expression Against Drugs Competition, put together in partnership by the US Embassy and the Bahamian National Drug Council. Cameras in hand, the youth ambassadors (as they are known) explored our family island of Eleuthera to find new ways to express and describe what they value and what is important to them through the lens of a camera.

Each day the group began their day with short lectures that explored different technical and artistic techniques of photography. These lectures, which were coupled with various photo assignments in the field. were led by National Geographic photographer, Raul Touzon, and photo editor, Todd James. Whether it was shooting in local settlements or shooting underwater at Lighthouse Beach and Fourth Hole, students used their time at The Island School and throughout South Eleuthera to express themselves and dig deeper into what they feel is most important to conserve/preserve in their native land. Over the course of the five day program, the students took thousands of photographs of people, plants, animals and landscapes. Continue reading →

Outreach, Research Programs, Student Research

28th Research Symposium recently held at the Cape Eleuthera Island School

December 5, 2012 ceiblogger

This past Saturday, December 1^st, marked CEI’s 28^th Research Symposium. During the Symposium, Island School students got the chance to showcase the culmination of a semester’s worth of research to a large audience. Visiting scientists, local community members, government officials, and representatives of Bahamian NGOs were all present for the event. The list of guests included members of REEF, BREEF, Friends of the Environment, Community Conch, The Nature Conservancy, Bahamas National Trust (BNT), and Fisheries Conservation Foundation. We also had the Honorable Kendred Dorset, Minister of The Environment and Housing, as our keynote speaker! There were presentations on topics ranging from queen conch conservation and the lionfish invasion to the effects of climate change on bonefish and sea turtle habitat use. Students gave presentations, followed by poster sessions, where visitors had one on one time with the research groups to ask questions on the projects and their larger implications.

The symposium allowed a chance for guests to learn about the great work being done at CEI. After the poster sessions, the students got a chance to hear from some prominent guest speakers. Eric Carey, Executive Director of BNT, encouraged the students and audience members to stay passionate in their goals of marine conservation and sustainable living. Dr. Sandy Mactaggart, Chancellor Emeritus at the University of Alberta, then spoke, telling an inspiring story to the students to emphasize the importance of innovation in problem-solving, a skill that students acquire in their semester at The Island School. Continue reading →

Sharks

Historic Bahamian Shark Abundance Project Update #2

December 4, 2012 ceiblogger 1 Comment

The Historic Project shark team went out to “the bridge” November 21^st and 25-28^th and camped out at Half Moon Cay for their third exciting expedition. The data analysis is currently ongoing, but there were several highlights from the trip. While hauling the gear after a scientific longline set, the shark team witnessed an estimated 2.5 m (8 ft) blue shark free swimming alongside the boat! It was a first for everyone on board to see a blue shark, and came as quite a surprise as blue sharks typically prefer deeper, cooler waters. On a different set the team witnessed another new species – this time up close and personal as a 1.8 m (6 ft) shortfin mako shark was hooked on the line! And as if those species weren’t enough, the shark team caught their biggest shark of the three expeditions, a 4.1 m (13.5 ft) long tiger shark! It was a successful final November expedition, with the data starting to show some interesting trends. A big thank you goes out to everyone at Half Moon Cay for providing food and a warm shower at the end of the day.

Sustainable Systems

Outdoor kitchen expansion- Update #1

December 3, 2012 ceiblogger 1 Comment

Anyone who has been to an Island School Parent’s Weekend knows how crowded the outdoor seating can get when there are guests around, especially on a hot day when everyone is looking for shade. Part One of our outdoor kitchen expansion addresses this shortcoming of the dining hall by installing addition seaside seating in the shade of six beautiful palm trees on a permeable rock patio next to the dining hall. Beginning with student legacy days this semester, the area between the dining hall and the coastal sand dunes was cleared of ground cover and readied for natural stone pavers.

Our campus landscape team, consisting of Joseph, Shivardo, and Fran worked with sixteen students and several faculty to clear the area. After clearing, they taught students and faculty how to shape what Joseph refers to as “wash rock,” or the loose bedrock stones found out in the bush around Cape Eleuthera. Each rock weighs between ten and forty lbs. depending on size and must be “shaped” using a hatchet or machete to attain a strong edge and reasonably flat face for walking on. The sound of chipping rock filled the air! Continue reading →

Monthly Archives: December 2012