The first of 8 teams for 2014 were at CEI last week assisting with sea turtle research. 9 volunteers, from across America and Canada, spent 9 days collecting data from boats, on foot and by snorkeling in 11 sites across South Eleuthera. They collected vast amounts of data that would otherwise have taken much longer without their support. Using baited remote underwater video surveys for predators, they surveyed 9 sites and ‘captured’ 7 individuals from 3 different species: nurse, lemon and tiger sharks! They also caught and tagged 9 turtles, setting the record for catching 6 using the rodeo method in one day!
Week two was very full as we began to get into the swing of things on campus. As always each day was new and exciting and there was never a dull moment.
Human ecology classes began this week where we were given a deeper understanding of how humans impact the environment. We were all very shocked about the average consumption of an American in a year. For example the average American will use 43,371 soda cans in a life time. The gap students then began presentations on environmental issues. Stef discussed overpopulation and Kaitlin presented on the dredging in Gladstone, Australia.
CEI launched into 2014 with a busy EP season. Amidst the many veteran programs was the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with 8 students visiting for their inaugural trip to Eleuthera!
Students learning snorkeling and transect techniques in boathouse cut prior to starting solo research
Led by Dr. Cory Suski, with years of CEI research under his belt, students spent their first 3 days at CEI learning proper research techniques in various environments. While surveying patch reefs, executing mangrove transects, or seining creeks for live specimens, the students were developing their own research proposals for field research to occur later in the program. Dr. Jocelyn Curtis-Quick and Zach Zuckerman were instrumental in passing along effective sampling techniques to the students. Once equipped with methodology, 4 projects were launched, and the students were scattered throughout the Cape collecting data.
Students seining Rock Sound for bonefish and other flats fish with Zach
Among the topics studied were the impacts of take vs. no-take zones on lionfish presence and biodiversity, abiotic factors in various creeks in relation to the biodiversity of these zones, and anthropogenic impacts among various mangrove communities. A symposium was hosted on the final day of program, during which students presented their findings to the CEI community. Keep your eyes on U of I as these students return home and ready themselves for graduation in the spring – their dedication to science and research will undoubtedly take them far!
Students test out the Manta Tow during a search for aggregate grouper spawning site with Sustainable Fisheriesby
Visiting CEI for the first time, 26 students and 4 professors from the University of Exeter, UK, completed a 12 day program during 6th- 17th January. As part of a field trip module, where students can choose to explore South Africa, Borneo, the Canary Island or The Bahamas, these final-year college students started off the New Year with an immersion into tropical marine ecosystems and conservation. Over the course of 12 days, students got hands-on lessons about the major ecosystems and habitats right on their doorstep here at Cape Eleuthera. What better way to learn about mangrove flats than snorkeling through the creek channels and peaking into the roots of red mangroves and seeing all sorts of juvenile fish species that would normally live in this type of habitat? The team also had a class on bonefishing in the Bahamas, reef fish identification and patch reef surveys.
Edd securing the head of a bluntnose sixgill Hexanchus griseus caught in 700 meters of water
The students spent time with the shark research team at CEI. Highlights included catching a smoothskin dogfish and a rare sighting of a recaptured bluntnose sixgill shark with the deepwater shark team; they also tagged several sea turtles! The group also visited Jacks Bay to survey seagrass and encountered numerous turtles and spotted eagle stingrays there.
Measuring the sixgill
The group also had the opportunity to explore Eleuthera and went down island to check out the most narrow place on the island, Glass Window Bridge. They also swam like royalty in the Queens Bath and paid a visit to the Rock Sound Ocean Hole. Over a BBQ on their last night, students and professors reflected on how anxious they were a year ago while planning for this trip and how fast it went by now it is over. Some students commenting that this trip had exceeded their expectations. Everyone in this group experienced something that they had never seen or done before, whether it be snorkeling, touching a shark or holding a turtle.
A Cuban dogfish Squalus cubensis immediately prior to release
The University of Exeter left CEI and The Island School satisfied.Their first field course to the Bahamas was a fun-filled, educational, and life-changing one. The professors of this group are now planning for another visit next year and more years to come, with more students! Thank you everyone that took part in working with this group. Your hard work is really appreciated!
Shark research associate, Owen O’shea, with juvenile tiger shark caught on longline.
The Maine School of Science & Mathematics blessed us with their presence for the 4th year in a row here at the Cape Eleuthera Institute! Dr. Debbie Eustis-Grandy and Dr. Gregory Hamlin, both teachers from MSSM in Limestone, Maine, lead five brilliant boarding students through a two week research program with Cape Eleuthera Institute’s shark researchers- Edd Brooks, Owen O’shea, Ian Bouyoucos, Ollie Shipley, and Mackey Violich.
Students learning about the anatomy of the invasive lionfish with Alicia Hendrix, CEI’s research technician for the sustainable fisheries program.
Students were specifically looking at the effects of longline capture stress on the blood chemistry of Caribbean reef sharks & nurse sharks, focusing on glucose and lactate levels within the first 30 minutes of capture. Students worked alongside the shark crew in the field longlining for shark. Their first day in the field they caught a juvenile tiger shark with a total length of just 134 cms! This data will contribute to CEI’s shark longlining database and be used to research the potential effects commercial longline on shark species. Students analyzed blood chemistry data on Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks provided by the CEI’s long term database. This data was used to draw conclusions on the different stress response of species with various life history characteristics. Continue reading →
The Spring Gappers are on campus! Our first week was busy getting oriented to all the exciting opportunities that are waiting for us in the next two months.
While we’ve only started our Environmental Issues class we’ve already had so many opportunities to learn, attending Dr. Conrad Speed’s presentation on his work with sharks in western Australia as well as the presentations held by three soon-to-be departing researchers on their work with checkered puffers, bonefish, and personality in sharks and rays.
Team Gap learning to SCUBA dive with Ron
Aside from learning, we’re all training to compete in athletic events organized for the end of our semester. Two of us are training for a more traditional triathlon, with our first run-swim at 6:30 Wednesday morning. Not to be deterred, our very own Stef Tai is in training for the newly created “biathlon” (swimming and now, kayaking). Continue reading →
This past fall, CEI’s resident plastic researcher, Kristal Ambrose teamed up with local high school teacher Joanna Parker’s geography class to conduct two consecutive beach plastic surveys for their BGCSE course work, a national exam required for graduation. Their plastic lesson began when Kristal visited the high school to talk about plastic pollution and her research being done on the island. They were very receptive and interested in learning more about the issue.
The students surveyed two beaches in South Eleuthera and compared how debris levels varied between beaches. Thirty two students from grades 10, 11 and 12 at the Preston H Albury High School in Rock Sound ended their lesson on the beach to test the hypothesis for their project. The educational programs team assisted in this venture and helped to make it a success. Students were impacted by the amount of debris discovered on the beaches and are excited to conduct more surveys!
The Sea Turtle Research Program at CEI was recently awarded funding through the Earthwatch Institute! Starting in February, 8 expeditions are planned throughout 2014 where people of all ages and all nationalities can join the research team and assist with this important study.
Students measuring carapace
Earthwatch expeditions allow individuals to spend a meaningful vacation working with scientists in the field, getting a unique experience, learning new skills and assisting in tackling environmental issues. Participants on the sea turtle expedition will live on the CEI campus and be immersed in all it has to offer, be trained in the skills necessary for field work, collect and enter data and participate in evening activities such as guest lectures and island exploration.
Over the course of the next few years, Earthwatch volunteers will assist in the collection of data that will lead to several peer-reviewed scientific publications. The topics focus on the
Surveying for turtles
selection of and fine scale movements in foraging grounds, by green and hawksbill turtles, so that these areas can be conserved. To better understand this volunteers will be surveying for turtles on nearshore reefs and in tidal mangrove creeks, capturing and tagging turtles, surveying the habitats they are found in, and assessing predator abundance and diversity (sharks!) in these habitats.
Stay tuned for updates from the field and click here for more information:
Stephen, Owen, Tiff, Meaghan, and Joce at the conference.
FRIENDS of the Environment hosted the 6th Biennial Abaco Science Alliance Conference (ASAC). The conference goals were to provide a forum for networking and information sharing for Abaco and Bahamas-based research projects, to encourage the use of research for local education and environmental management purposes and to stimulate further research in The Bahamas.
The research and educational programs team traveled from South Eleuthera to Marsh Harbour, Abaco to represent the Cape Eleuthera Institute. The team presented on various research topics currently conducted at the Institute. From mangrove restoration to deep water sharks, here is list of ASAC attendees representing CEI:
Owen’s presentation
Stephen B Cone Jr, an outstanding 2013 summer flats intern, gave a talk titled “The mangrove action plan: an adaptive outreach and ecosystem rehabilitation initiative.”
Dr Owen OʼShea, research associate for CEI’s shark research and conservation program, gave a fantastic talk on deep water elasmobranch surveys. His deep sea videos caused much excitement!
Dr Jocelyn Curtis-Quick encouraged all to eat lionfish and talked about her study on the interactions between the Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Panulirus argus, and Invasive Lionfish, Pterois volitans.
The whole CEI group!
Kristal Ambrose gave a passionate talk on the spatial and temporal patterns in the abundance and diversity of plastic marine debris on beaches in South Eleuthera.
Megean Gary presented on her turtle research examining the spatial dynamics of immature Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) within a foraging ground on the Atlantic coast of Eleuthera.
January at the Cape Eleuthera Institute is an exciting time: a new year, new interns, and a heap of new students visiting during their university’s January term!
Monmouth University joined CEI for the 9th consecutive January, with two weeks packed full of research. Among other tenets of tropical marine ecology, students continued their investigations of the carbon cycling potential of mangroves, the benthic macroinvertebrate distribution within mangrove flats, and the age and life stage distribution of various conch middens. During their time in the flats, students experienced the full range of Bahamian winter biodiversity, including sharks, turtles, bonefish, and more!
Research of various middens in the Cape Eleuthera area found that newer middens include a high concentration of juvenile shells, affirming the fact that immature conch are being harvested at an increased rate. This is often an indication of a struggling fishery, and students will continue to analyze potential protective measures for queen conch in years to come.
Samples of mangrove roots, leaves, and stems returned to NJ with the students for further analyses in hopes of better understanding the carbon sequestration occurring within mangrove flats. A strong correlation between certain types of mangrove environments and high carbon sequestration may lead to increased protection of such areas.
Professor John Tiedemann talking to students out in the mangroves
Led by Dr. John Tiedemann and Dr. Pedram Daneshgar, and supported by Ph.D. candidates Elizabeth Wallace and Christopher Haak, the students logged countless hours of field time investigating various elements of flats ecology.
Dr. Tiedemann was also instrumental in coordinating a visit from Todd Pover and Stephanie Egger, conservation biologists from New Jersey’s Conserve Wildlife Foundation (http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/). The two scientists gave a campus-wide presentation on the international work they’ve been doing with the piping plover, a shorebird who breeds along the New Jersey shoreline and winters in the Bahamas. CEI is excited about the possibility of partnering in CWF’s educational initiatives in years to come!
by 
