Category Archives: Research Programs

April patch reef surveys completed by Lionfish Research team

May 1, 2013 ceiblogger

Last week, the lionfish team here at CEI got out of the office and spent their working hours underwater- about 14 hours to be exact! They conducted a round of patch reef surveys in Rock Sound, counting numerous fish species and looking for and removing lionfish from the reefs. The study is aimed at better understanding the impacts lionfish have in the area. On the 16 patch reefs they surveyed, 56 lionfish were seen and sized. On the 8 patches that were designated as “removal patches,” 19 out of 24 lionfish were removed.

Several exciting encounters with other marine life happened as well, including getting up close and personal with a nurse shark and spotting a unicorn filefish! Seven different people were involved in data collection, including PhD student, Luis, from Simon Frasier University. Luis is back at CEI for 3 months collecting data for his project and helping out the lionfish program any way he can! Continue reading →

Conch, Outreach

Conchservation Launch at Saturday’s Earth Day Event

April 29, 2013 ceiblogger

Claire measuring queen conch lip thickness.

This past Saturday was the launch of the national Conchservation campaign, as part of One Eleuthera’s Earth Day event at the Rock Sound Ocean Hole. CEI had researchers and staff from Educational Programs to man a booth aimed at educating the public on queen conch life history and reproductive ecology.

Deep Creek Middle School students working the CEI Conchservation booth

The booth was also manned by a group of 8 students from the Deep Creek Middle School. They talked to community members about the important of saving conch, so that we have conch in the future! CEI and One Eleuthera are only two parties in the team effort of Conchservation- other partners include Bahamas National Trust, with Jared Dillet spearheading the campaign, BREEF, Friends of the Environment, the Shedd Aquarium (Chicago, IL), the Moore Foundation, Community Conch, and the Department of Marine Resources. Continue reading →

Conch, Flats, Lionfish, Research Programs, Sea turtles, Sharks, Student Research

Island School students present introductions to their research projects

April 16, 2013 ceiblogger

This past week, the SP13 Island School students presented Project Introduction presentations to their peers, staff, faculty, and the many visitors on campus. These presentations gave the students a chance to stand up in front of a crowd, and display their knowledge of the background, purpose, and methodology of their specific research projects.

Research projects this year include 1) lionfish and lobster competition, 2) shark physiology after longline capture, 3) effects of climate change on bonefish swimming capacity, 4) effects of decreasing pH on mangrove fish, 5) identifying juvenile queen conch nurseries, 6) green sea turtle habitat use, 7) the settlement of juvenile lionfish, and 8) coral vs. algae cover on patch reefs. These projects are led by CEI researchers, and the students have the chance to work closely with with researchers for the duration of their Island School research class. The class culminates with a Research Symposium, where the students present a scientific poster on the findings of their projects. Continue reading →

Aquaculture, Aquaponics, Educational Programs, Flats, Outreach, Sustainable Systems

Emma Cooper Primary School visits the CEI campus

April 11, 2013 ceiblogger

Emma E. Cooper Primary school joined us last week for an afternoon tour. However, this was no typical tour of campus! The entire primary school came with Kindergarten through grade 6, a total of 83 students and 8 teachers; we had quite the group! It was their first visit in 4 years and all were more than excited to be here at Island School.

Seven Queens University students, a group of visiting students from Ontario, Canada here fulfilling the field requirement for their teaching degree, came to lend a hand. We split the students into groups where they rotated between three different stations. In the Wet lab, they not only saw all the checkered puffers, bonefish, juvenile lemon sharks, lionfish, yellow stingrays, cobia, tilapia, etc. but they also learned how and why we are studying these marine species. The next station was a virtual tour of a coral reef – a movie by BREEF (Bahamas Reef Environmental Education Foundation) where the students learned what makes a coral reef, its importance in the Bahamas, and how to protect this fragile coastal ecosystem. The third station was split between the farm with pigs, ducks and a permaculture garden, and the sustainable systems of campus. The systems tour exposed students to how we make biodiesel for our school vans, resource/recycle ~90% of what we use, and how we reduce our energy “footprint” by using solar panels and a wind turbine to produce energy. Continue reading →

Research Programs, Sharks

Shark Program at CEI: Spring Research Update

April 5, 2013 ceiblogger

Taking into account the local, regional, and global threats to sharks, the Shark Research and Conservation Program was developed to increase the capacity of basic and applied shark research in The Bahamas. Our research this spring is focused on the stress physiology of elasmobranchs. We are investigating the physiological and behavioral stress response of sharks to longline capture, as well as quantifying the effects of stress on the immune system of yellow stingrays.

Additionally, we are conducting studies pertaining to the basic spatial and temporal patterns of Caribbean reef sharks and oceanic whitetips, an important first step toward addressing the conservation needs of species that likely transcend many different coastal habitats and political boundaries. Continue reading →

Flats, Research Programs, Uncategorized

Flats Program Update: What’s happening this spring?

April 4, 2013 ceiblogger

The Flats Ecology and Conservation Program is continuing to move forward on several lab-based experiments, as well as adding some new work to the agenda for this spring:

-Shuttlebox: To test behavioral avoidance of flats fishes to changes in water pH and temperature in relation to climate change, the Flats program is continuing with its shuttlebox trials. Researchers are manipulating water conditions to determine the avoidance threshold of bonefish, yellowfin mojarra, checkered puffer, and schoolmaster snapper to increasing water acidity and temperature. To better understand the ecological implications of avoidance thresholds, a predator (in this case, juvenile lemon shark) is included as part of the experiment, forcing individual fish to choose between changing water conditions or risk of predation.

-The Bahamas Initiative: The Bonefish tagging program will continue through 2013, with increased tagging efforts aimed at North Eleuthera, and a proposed tagging trip to Grand Bahama this coming April.

-Connectivity of Mangrove Ecosystems: Mangrove creeks across The Bahamas and the Caribbean are highly fragmented by the construction of access roads. Preliminary data is being collected by the Flats program to assess how these roads impact hydrology and ecology of these systems, with the intention of identifying restoration priorities in South Eleuthera. Continue reading →

Aquaculture, Aquaponics, Conch, Flats, Lionfish, Outreach, Sharks, Sustainable Systems

CEI has an outreach booth at the Rock Sound Homecoming!

April 1, 2013 ceiblogger

CEI attended the 2013 Rock Sound Homecoming as part of their community outreach, and engaged the local community members in a conversation about marine conservation.

The CEI booth was packed with information on a range of issues including plastics awareness, conch conservation, sharks, climate change, bonefish best handling practices, aquaponics, and aquaculture info. We also had free giveaways! The fried lionfish and tilapia samples were a big hit, especially with all the local kids! The aquaculture mini system and free lettuce was also very popular. The day in Rock Sound was great fun – thank-you to all the CEI staff and interns who help run the booth. Look forward to the next homecoming!

Lionfish, Research Programs, SCUBA

Oregon State University Lionfish Lab hits the reefs of South Eleuthera

March 29, 2013 ceiblogger

For the past two weeks, Mark Hixon’s graduate students from Oregon State University (Alex Davis, Tye Kindinger, and Lillian Tuttle) have been busy SCUBA diving on their experimental reefs where they are observing the ecological effects of invasive lionfish on native communities. Alex has been filming lionfish behavior at dusk, when lionfish are often actively hunting on the reefs. Tye is monitoring two species of native basslets (one of which is a popular aquarium fish) that could be threatened by lionfish predation. Lillian has been measuring densities of cleaner fishes, potential lionfish prey, which pick parasites off of other larger fishes, and are thus an important part of maintaining a healthy reef-fish community. Continue reading →

Aquaponics, Educational Programs, SCUBA, Student Research, Sustainable Systems

Another visiting program experiences Eleuthera!

March 26, 2013 ceiblogger

This eyewitness account was written by a student in the University School-Hathaway Brown Program:

Before getting started, allow me to explain one reason why the Island School was such an eye-opening, incredible experience for my group and me. We are from Cleveland. Between the incessant snow and cloudy days, it seems that conservation is the last thing on our minds. So when our science research-based school club (the Anderson Scholars) of five boys, in addition to five girls (also interested in science research) from our all-girls sister school Hathaway Brown, received the notice that we would be spending a week in the beautiful, sunny Bahamas, we didn’t know what to expect.

The Island School is its own microcosm of shape shifting individuals. From the engaging curriculum, an individual becomes a motivated student. From the hands-on outdoor activities, one becomes a teammate. From the encouragement of others, one transforms into a leader. While most schools are trying to discover a way to make their curriculum applicable to the outside world, the Island School has already developed several tried and true methods to make it a precedent for said schools. The school is a place where the words “when will I ever use this outside of class?” will never be uttered from a student’s lips. The students are warm, outgoing, and most importantly, passionate; they are passionate about school, conservation, and lifting each other up. The science researchers are driven, and extremely helpful. Continue reading →

Outreach, Research Programs, Sharks

CEI/Island School Bridge to Shark Research in South Africa

March 21, 2013 ceiblogger

On the Maxey’s recent trip to South Africa, Chris Maxey had the opportunity to visit the Save our Seas Shark Research Centre and met with Michael C. Scholl, CEO of Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF). Michael is interested in expanding the educational outreach program at the Shark Centre and is sending two educators to join The Island School Teacher Conference this summer to help enhance the experiential elements of the new curriculum. Dr. Edd Brooks has been working with SOSF and the Shark Centre since 2006 and Chris Maxey’s son Brocq started working as an intern at the Shark Centre when he moved to Cape Town in 2009. Other Island School students have also participated in the research internship program.

There will be internship opportunities available both at the Shark Centre and also through an expeditionary organization, Shark Explorer, where Brocq Maxey currently works as a dive master and underwater photographer.

Picture caption: Chris and Brocq Maxey with Dr. Michael Scholl at the Centre

Education, Research, Outreach