My research is looking at the abundance and biodiversity of the deep-sea organisms living in the Exuma Sound. I use two specialized deep-sea cameras, the Medusa and the Pegasus. These cameras can be deployed to over 1000 meters deep and observe the animals that live in deep-sea environments. As some of the smaller organisms are extremely hard to identify on the video, I also use a series of deep-sea traps to study smaller benthic organisms.

I just got back from an amazing experience on a deep-sea cruise in the Gulf of Mexico with Dr. Edith Widder. The main focus of the cruise was finding new species that emit light through the process of bioluminescence. We had the Medusa on board, accompanied by the E-jelly, an electric jellyfish that emits small lights to replicate bioluminescence. These lights were used to lure deep sea organisms to the camera. We saw cutthroat eels, rattails, and shrimp on the film. As part of our research we collected samples of organisms that would potentially produce bioluminescence.

It was an unbelievable experience and I’m so excited to continue to research the largest and least explored biome in the world!

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The trip to the Northern Exuma Islands started off as you would expect: everything coming together at the last minute. Team members included Dr. Liz Wallace (FWC), CEI staff: Aaron Shultz, Zach Zuckerman, and Eric Schneider, local guide Manex Newton, and me- Forrest Thomas, the do whatever-he’s-told guy.

The purpose of this research trip was to collect data from the northern Exumas cays for the bonefish genetics study being conducting with research partners Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Fisheries Conservation Foundation, and Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.

A special thanks goes out to the Bahamas National Trust and Department of Marine Resources for giving us permits to conduct this study.

On day one we started out feeling good, had a plan and worked hard. However, the first few spot seines didn’t collect any bonefish, so we found a creek to block with the net. While we waited for low tide, we had lunch on the boat. We worked until sunset, which made setting up camp harder but way more interesting. In addition to the daytime seining to collect adult bonefish, the team deployed light traps in the evenings to collect larval bonefish. This would allow the researchers to better understand bonefish recruitment patterns and how closely related local populations are around Exuma Sound.

Over the next couple of days we explored more of the northern cays. We seined at several promising locations, but found no adult bonefish. However, the light traps, deployed every evening were collecting many larval bonefish. Examining the catch in the traps every morning was fun, as other interesting larvae (like the tiny octopus pictured below) were also observed. Other species seen in the traps included eels, pipefish, filefish, Atlantic silversides, and mantis shrimp.

On day three we captured our first two adult bonefish! Fin clips from their dorsal fins were collected for genetic analysis, and they were tagged with uniquely numbered dart tags to help track their movements.

The next day we collected, tagged, and fin clipped 20 fish. During a fuel stop at Highborne Cay, we got some advice on another spot to find bonefish. After checking the map of the new area, it looked great; we were all excited and couldn’t wait to get there.

On our last field day we got to the new site at high tide, and set the net across the neck of the outlet. However we didn’t see any fish, so went looking. Further up we found a school of 60+ fish. This was a great way to end the trip. It took us a good 2 hours to tag and fin clip all of the fish, but the time flew by because of all the excitement.

In the end we had an awesome and successful trip. We fin clipped and tagged 82 adult bonefish, and captured over 300 larval bonefish in the light traps. I personally can’t wait for the next big adventure with Aaron and the team. Thanks for a great trip guys and I’ll see you all soon!!

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“Hi, I’m Jordan Atherton from Newcastle University, England, conducting research here at CEI for my final year thesis project. I’m looking at how the fish assemblages on the coral reef here are affected by different habitat complexities by method of underwater visual census, so plenty of diving!” “My name is Ashley Bairos and I am conducting field research towards an M.Sc. degree from Green Mountain College in Vermont. Ultimately the goal is to measure habitat suitability across various intertidal creek areas around Cape Eleuthera for the purpose of applying effective conservation strategies for green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). By measuring benthic coverage, predation pressures, habitat structure, and various abiotic factors including water depth and substrate type, I hope to quantify the value of foraging habitats for green sea turtles.”

“My name is Izzy Lake and I am a marine biology student currently studying at Newcastle University, England. I’m here over the summer to work as part of the Sea Turtle Research Team at the Cape Eleuthera Institute. While I am here I will be conducting my undergraduate research project on understanding the environmental variables that could affect green sea turtle abundance. My field work involves conducting benthic mapping transects in local tidal creeks as well as monitoring sea turtle abundance.” We’re looking forward to the results of their work. Any enquiries about this program should be directed to annabellebrooks@ceibahamas.org

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Even though Rachel doesn’t live or work in the Southeast United States, many of the sea turtles that nest or hatch from that area come to The Bahamas to eat and grow, so it is important that the Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program at CEI keep up-to-date with important research from that area of the world. Rachel also had the opportunity to meet with a number of individuals involved in sea turtle research and conservation, including distinguished scientists such as Dr. Peter Pritchard and Dr. Kate Mansfield, as well as Island School alumni.

The Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program is gearing up for a busy year, and hopes to use some of the newly acquired information from the meeting to help the program run smoothly. If you are interested in keeping track of what the program is doing, please check out the Tracking Sea Turtles in the Bahamas page on Facebook!

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On Friday, January 23, the Sea Turtle Research Team was joined by the Grade 7 students from Deep Creek Middle School. The day was started by reviewing the biology of different species of sea turtles and talking about why sea turtle species are declining.  The effects that humans are having on sea turtles worldwide were also discussed, as well as what students can do to protect the threatened species.  The knowledge that DCMS students already had about sea turtles and their habitats was impressive!

Two boats loaded with research gear and students eager to learn were taken out with the help of Ron, the Boathouse Manager.  The group traveled to Starved Creek, one of the CEI Turtle Team’s study locations, and upon arrival the students geared up in masks, snorkels, and fins to explore the mangroves and the organisms that use this area. Despite the cold there was no complaining and the students had a lot of fun! While they were snorkeling, the research team headed out in a small skiff to try and catch a turtle so that the students could experience a work-up of the turtle’s physiological measurements and see one of these beautiful animals up close.

Almost immediately, Ron spotted a green sea turtle and James Murray, a sea turtle research intern, caught the turtle. The turtle was brought onboard and transferred to one of the larger boats so that DCMS students could all watch and assist with the data collection and measurements of the turtle. Luckily for the group, this turtle was a recapture, which means it had already been caught last year and tagged.  This means that valuable growth rate information is now known for “Tim” too. Everyone had an amazing and fun-filled morning. For some students, it was their first time ever seeing a sea turtle and made for a memorable experience.

CEI would like to thank the DCMS students and teachers for accompanying our Turtle Team, and looks forward to more opportunities to work in the field in the future!

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This past week, visiting students from Ohio’s Lillian and Betty Ratner School spent a week at The Island School stretching their comfort zones and exploring what it means to live sustainably while simultaneously learning about the marine life of The Bahamas. As a part of their educational experience, the Ratner students listened attentively to Dr. Jocelyn Curtis-Quick, the head of the Lionfish Research and Education Program, present on the detrimental impact of the non-native lionfish on Caribbean marine ecosystems. The students learned that these fish, originally from the Indo-Pacific, are resilient creatures that can live in environments with a wide range of salinity, depth, and habitat conditions, are seldom predated upon by Caribbean natives, and as a result are ravaging reefs by consuming native fish and invertebrates.  Such intense predation impedes important ecosystems services that otherwise keep the reefs healthy and alive.

After viewing footage of bobbit worm predation in the lionfish’s native range, the school relocated to the CEI wet lab to assist Alanna and Alicia, an LREP intern and research assistant (respectively) with lionfish dissections. The students were able to point out the venomous spines of the lionfish: 13 dorsally located, 2 pelvic, and 3 anal. Once the fins were removed, the kids were enthralled with finding the heart and the otoliths of the fish, and looked on closely as the stomach was removed to check for stomach contents. Many of the students even ventured to touch the ocular lens of the eyeball as well as stick their fingers into the mouth and touch the gills.

Academic exploration did not end with the presentation and the dissection. The next night local restaurateur Sharil prepared a fried lionfish dinner for the Ratner class and each student tried a piece, even those that were initially skeptical. As a way to limit lionfish population sizes, it is important to promote spearing of the lionfish for both the tender, white fillets high in omega 3 and the beautiful jewelry that local artists make from their non-venomous fins. The students even requested a shipment of lionfish jewelry to Ohio before they left!  In using every part of the fish, whether for eating or the creation of jewelry, the lionfish is used sustainably, but also removed from the ocean to create a sustainable and healthy marine ecosystem in the Caribbean. The Ratner students completed a successful trip, leaving with a bit of lionfish in their tummies and a lot of new lionfish knowledge to share with their families and friends back home.

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This past Saturday, the Deep Creek Middle School Early Act and Eco Club teamed up with Preston H. Albury High School’s newly formed Eco Club to sort plastics 1, 2, and 5. It wasn’t the prettiest job – sorting plastic bags and food containers and removing bottle caps from a few hundred bottles – but friendly competition made it fun as three groups each tried to sort the most!

All plastics will be sent to Cans for Kids in Nassau and then sent to the United States for recycling. Cans for Kids is a Bahamian non-profit that recycles cans, and recently plastics, to raise money for schools and youth organizations. This event was an effort to spruce up the recycling center at the South Eleuthera Emergency Partners (SEEP) in Tarpum Bay and to implement a One Eleuthera grant-funded recycling program in South Eleutheran schools over the next few months.

Twenty-two students from both schools and nine adults from One Eleuthera, Cape Eleuthera Institute, Deep Creek Middle School, Rotaract Club of Eleuthera, and the Rotary Club of Eleuthera participated. Big thanks to Nikki for the great pictures from the event, Sophia for rallying her Early Act Club, and Luanette for coming out to support!

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With a successful start to field sampling for its newest project, the CEI Shark Research and Conservation Program broadened its portfolio to include studies of Southern stingrays  (Dasyatis americana).  These rays are elasmobranch relatives to the program’s more traditional subjects. Principal investigator Dr. Owen O’Shea explains, “the research will determine long-term site fidelity, seasonality, and spatial partitioning within this species so as to allow a multi-faceted approach to understanding ontogenetic habitat transitioning in this species.”

Southern stingrays rely on coastal and nearshore habitats for critical life history stages, as they transition from juvenile nursery grounds to offshore habitats as adults. An increase in coastal development and degradation within The Bahamas may affect the quality and continuity of the available habitat this species requires for various functions, impacting them at a tertiary, or population level.

Southern stingrays are frequent visitors to the warm, shallow waters surrounding Cape Eleuthera and are generally more abundant during the cooler months. Like their shark relatives, these rays undertake annual migrations for purposes unknown to us, where they relocate to an as yet unknown destination. This research will employ simple mark-recapture methods to determine site fidelity in returning individuals, population estimates and demography, as well as collecting a range of other important data, such as genetic and stable isotope samples, detailed morphometric data, and blood samples.

This project will be run as an Island School Research Class during Spring 2015 with sampling to occur throughout the year.  Stay tuned for updates from this and other projects of the Shark Research and Conservation Program.

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CEI Director Aaron Shultz and Flats Ecology and Conservation Program Manager Zach Zuckerman attended the 5^th International Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (BTT) Symposium on Nov. 7^th – 8^th at the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame and Museum in Florida. Zuckerman presented findings on movement and growth of bonefish in South Eleuthera, and how development and anthropogenic land use change have resulted in bonefish habitat loss. Shultz moderated a discussion on bonefish management and coastal protection as part of The Bahamas Initiative‘s bonefish management workshop. Workshop attendees included Eric Carey and Vanessa Haley-Benjamin of The Bahamas National Trust, as well as guides, BTT scientists, and conservation-minded anglers.

Also presenting at the Symposium were CEI collaborators Steve Cooke with several grad students (Carleton University, Canada), Fisheries Conservation Foundation (FCF) board member John Tiedemann and Pedram Daneshgar (Monmouth University), Justin Lewis (BTT), Andy Danylchuck and Chris Haak (FCF & U Mass Amhurst), Karen Murchie (College of The Bahamas), Jason Franklin (H₂O Bonefishing), and Liz Wallace (University of Minnesota).

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The Island School and Cape Eleuthera Institute Research Symposium was held last Saturday, November 29. As with previous years, The Island School students prepared scientific posters about their Applied Research Class projects, which they presented to Symposium guests. Some students also manned stations in the wet lab, showing guests how their experiments were run in real time.

Attendees then had the chance to tour the Center for Sustainable Development, and learn about the sustainable systems on campus, such as the wind turbine, the solar panels, and the biodiesel. After the tours, guests moved on to the boathouse, where students had set up games aimed at outreach and conservation.

Hands-on activities included demonstrations of the runoff effects caused by coastal development and illustrations of long-lining’s indiscriminate harvest aimed at educating audiences about the dire need for conservation initiatives.  Trivia games detailing the CEI aquaponics system discussed programs in place to cope with some of these issues.  Other games included a broad-scale true/false game about ocean conservation, and a “Choose the Mature Conch” game, which delved into the incredibly regionally-relevant issue of conch overfishing and explained how to tell if a conch is mature (its lip thickness will be greater than 15mm!).

The event culminated with a keynote address from Imogen Zethoven, Director Global Shark Conservation, The Pew Charitable Trusts that discussed shark finning, one of the largest threats to shark populations globally.  Zethoven described the steps that Pew has taken and is taking to conserve dwindling shark numbers in an inspirational talk that detailed her organization’s success story.  She encouraged students to continue their participation in conservation efforts, wherever their passions may lie.

Other notable guests in attendance:

• Keith and Wendy Bishop, Islands By Design
• Joseph Darville, Save the Bays
• Sharon Glover, Save the Bays, Youth Environmental Ambassadors Leadership Trainer, along with some Youth Ambassador facilitators
• Mallory Raphael, BREEF Coral Reef Sculpture Garden Coordinator
• Eddy Raphael, The Nature Conservancy

A big thank you to everyone who supported and attended the Symposium; it was a huge success!

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