With rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), primarily from anthropogenic impacts, oceans are absorbing CO₂ at an alarming rate. This additional CO₂ changes seawater pH and chemical composition, profoundly affecting marine ecosystems. Future predictions highlight a continual increase in CO₂, which several studies have shown to affect a broad range of marine organisms, including ecologically important plankton, coral and fish species.  A species which lacks any CO₂ related research however, is the invasive lionfish. Lionfish have a resilient nature, with a temperature tolerance range of 10˚C – 35˚C and a salinity tolerance range of 7ppt – 35ppt. Coupled with the ability to produce 30,000 eggs every two to three days, a lack of predators and a broad habitat type, there seems to be no barrier to this well adapted invader. Now prevalent in their invaded range in the Western Atlantic in an area of over 7 million km² in just 25 years, and with the ability to decrease native fish populations by 65%, studies into resilience to other environmental factors is fundamental in predicting future impacts.

Research Technicians Helen Conlon and Rob Drummond, supervised by Dr. Shultz and Dr. Curtis-Quick, started their collaborative independent research project investigating whether future worst case scenario CO₂ levels has the potential to affect invasive lionfish hunting behaviour and physiology. Results will aid the mitigation management of the invasion, either by additional emphasis for the need for immediate control methods, or concluding that hunting will be altered in the presence of increased CO₂. Stay tuned for more updates!

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This semester, the Sea Turtle Research and Conservation team has been collecting seagrass samples from various study sites around South Eleuthera where green sea turtles have been sighted since the start of the program in 2012. The new study will assess the productivity, composition and distribution of seagrass and compare this to the relative abundance of the local green turtle (Chelonia mydas) population on each site.

Seagrass communities are one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems globally. They provide habitats and nursery grounds, and act as substrate stabilizers. Also, seagrass meadows are a major food source for a number of grazing animals and are considered very productive pastures of the sea. For example, an adult green turtle can eat about two kilograms of seagrass a day, which helps to maintain a healthy environment, increasing the productivity and nutrient content of seagrass.

Monitoring seagrass resources is important for two reasons: it provides a valuable tool for improving management practices and it allows us to know the status and condition of these ecosystems.

It is known that the die-off or decline of seagrass has a direct effect on green turtle populations.  We know that seagrass meadows are exploited year-round mainly by juvenile and sub-adult green turtles and their distribution may be related to the dynamics of the seagrass beds. For example, in Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico the loss of seagrass cover during the 1980’s was linked to the ecological extinction of green turtles. The decrease on the cover and density of seagrass and green turtle population worldwide might be in some level due to natural causes (diseases, storms, etc), but the major threat facing both seagrass and sea turtles are human interactions (pollution, habitat degradation, direct or indirect take, among others).

The team and the Island School research class have been collecting seagrass samples, then counting and weighing seagrass shoots and leaves to assess the biomass (above and below ground) and density of the different species of seagrass found in those study sites. The results of this research will be presented by students of The Island School at the end of May Island School Research Symposium.

This event is an opportunity to learn more about the ongoing research carried out at the Cape Eleuthera Institute so please contact Candice Brittain if you are interested in attending (candicebrittain@islandschool.org).

Follow our sea turtle research here.

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The research team led by Dr. Aaron Shultz and Georgiana Burruss (CEI) spent four nights out manually tracking bonefish spawning aggregations near Cape Eleuthera. Bonefish school at a nearby location and move along the coast at night to spawn in deep water. By tracking the fish offshore at night, the team will gain an understanding of where and when the aggregation is spawning as well as how weather, lunar phase, and tidal cycle might impact spawning patterns.

The team deployed two gastric transmitters that signal the receiver every second, allowing the bonefish to be tracked manually using a VEMCO VR100 receiver. To deploy the gastric transmitters, bonefish are captured from the aggregation using a handline. The transmitter is then pushed down the esophagus of the fish using a small tube. Each fish is given an hour to recover and then returned to the aggregation. At sunset, the fish in the aggregation move to the surface of the water, exhibiting a behavior called porpoising, in which the bonefish rush to the surface and gulp air. This behavior typically occurs several hours before bonefish move down to depths of over 150ft. After sunset, the team follows the aggregation overnight, taking GPS waypoints every 15 minutes. This data is used to generate a path that the aggregation takes from sunset to sunrise. Over 4 nights, the aggregation moved from shallow coral reef areas(<2m) to deep open ocean environments (>30m) and then returned to their prespawning site by sunrise. Several studies have suggested that bonefish aggregations move to deep water to spawn; we have tracked two trips to the Exuma Sound so far. Interestingly, one of the tagged barracuda closely followed the bonefish aggregation for over 6 hours!

The team hopes to track bonefish aggregations to their spawning sites over the coming months. For more information about our research and how to support, please contact georgianaburruss@islandschool.org and aaron.dean.shultz@gmail.com. Stayed tuned for more updates!

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In February, the research team led by Dr. Aaron Shultz and Georgiana Burruss (CEI) successfully implanted the last bonefish with an acoustic transmitter, bringing the sample size to 39 bonefish that they will track over the next three years! The data collected from these fish will provide insight into the locations of movement corridors and prespawning aggregations, as well as potential cues for bonefish spawning (e.g., moon cycle, tidal cycle, weather patterns, etc.). These locations can then be used to designate marine protected area that will aid in the conservation of this ecologically and economically important species.

A second study was recently launched to evaluate if bonefish prespawning aggregations  attract predators. Anecdotally, coastal predators such as sharks and Great Barracuda have been observed preying on spawning aggregations of bonefish. Unfortunately, these associations between predators and spawning aggregations are not well-studied, resulting in a knowledge gap regarding how bonefish aggregations could dictate the abundance of apex predators in localized areas. Using a known bonefish prespawning aggregation as a model, this study aims to determine if bonefish aggregations attract predators and if these predators are returning to the aggregation site repeatedly. Barracuda are a known predator of bonefish in shallow flats and they are common near the location of the bonefish prespawning aggregation, making them an ideal species to study predator movement patterns in relation to bonefish aggregation.

With the assistance of Zach Zuckerman, barracuda were captured using SpiderWire and Dyneema fishing line at locations near and far-away from the bonefish prespawning aggregation. VEMCO acoustic transmitters were surgically implanted into 14 barracuda. These fish will be tracked passively, utilizing the receiver array placed around the island, as well as actively, when researchers are tracking bonefish aggregations overnight. Surprisingly, one barracuda closely followed a bonefish spawning aggregation for over 6 hours!

This study will continue to track bonefish and predator movements around Eleuthera over the next three years. For more information about our research and how to support, please contact georgianaburruss@islandschool.org and aaron.dean.shultz@gmail.com. Keep an eye out for more updates!

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Christian McIntosh, a BESS scholar and a Fall 15 Inland Ponds Research Class student, recently presented the group’s work at the Abaco Science Alliance Conference.  This conference is a biannual event hosted by Friends of the Environment, where Christian is currently interning.  The conference invites scientists to present their work and findings to fellow scientists, as well as the local community and school groups.  Christian talked with passion about the unique life he found in the ponds of Eleuthera during his research class.

Exciting news just in – last week Andrieka Burrows, fellow BESS scholar and Fall 15 Island School student, had her abstract accepted to present more ponds research at the Bahamas Natural History Conference this March. The goal of the conference is to inspire new avenues of research and cooperation across disciplines while highlighting the benefits of research of the environment, economy and human society of The Bahamas.  We are sure Andrieka will do an excellent job and create more interest and support for the conservation of these understudied and fragile systems.

We are very proud of our young scientists, Christian and Andrieka, and hope this is the start of not only the protection of anchialine systems, but the beginning of long careers in the conservation of The Bahamas’ natural resources.

If you would like to find out more about the Island School research, check out the posters published online by the Fisheries Conservation Foundation.

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There is a unique opportunity to own a piece of deep sea history!

The MEDUSA is an autonomous camera platform used in deep sea research. It was responsible for capturing the first ever footage of the giant squid! More info on the giant squid footage can be found here.

The Cape Eleuthera Institute has also used the MEDUSA to conduct its own deep sea research. Please check out videos on our MEDUSA projects here and here.

By purchasing a piece of the syntactic foam (used for flotation purposes on the MEDUSA), you are  donating to the Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA), and will help to fund repairs on the MEDUSA.

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Throughout the fall semester, The Sustainable Fisheries team, with help from the conch Island School research class, has been assessing the abundance and distribution of juvenile queen conch in South Eleuthera. Queen conch are ecologically, economically, and culturally important to The Bahamas. Queen conch consume algae and detritus and maintain the health of the sea grass beds. In exports alone they bring in an estimated $7 million annually. Queen conch are also a part of many traditional food dishes in The Bahamas.  Collecting data on their populations is useful for fishermen, scientists, and residents of Eleuthera.

Using a towing method, snorkelers are pulled behind the boat on a manta tow board that allows them to dive down to observe the benthic habitat and keep an eye out for queen conch. During each tow the number of conch are counted and recorded along with life stage: juvenile, sub adult, or adult. Juveniles are characterized by the absence of a flared lip, while sub adults have a flared lip, and adults have a fully formed flared lip. This methodology allows the group to rapidly assess large areas and to identify the abundances and locations of queen conch aggregations in South Eleuthera. Preliminary findings are showing a big decline in juvenile populations, however the team will be conducting more tows this week to cover more area in search of queen conch!  Stay tuned for more information on queen conch in South Eleuthera.

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As a new semester is upon us, Cape Eleuthera Institute community welcomes four new interns to The Sustainable Fisheries Team. Since starting their internship two weeks ago, Helen Conlon, Rob Drummond, Eduardo Lopez, and Logan Zeinart have already dissected over 100 lionfish, helped out with Island School SCUBA week, visited and cleaned the Staghorn Coral Nursery at Tunnel Rock, and practiced fish identification for the quarterly lionfish patch reef surveys coming up this month. Each new member has been an integral part of the team thus far and has offered their valuable insights with their varying backgrounds and experience in marine science.

Helen became interested in the lionfish invasion after working as a Divemaster in Bonaire, the Caribbean, 4 years ago where she took part in regular spearing (lionfish spearing as a way to control population growth). This lead her to complete her dissertation surrounding cooperative hunting in lionfish at CEI last summer, and to her return this year as a sustainable fisheries intern.

Rob Drummond is originally from the UK, although he has been working in The Bahamas since January as a volunteer and intern at Greenforce and Forfar, respectively. Since graduating from the University of East Anglia, with a BSc in Environmental Science back in 2011, Rob has been diving in Madagascar and worked for an environmental consultancy back in England before backpacking around South America last year.

Eduardo Lopez is from Bogota, Colombia and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2015 with a double major in Economics and Environmental Thought and Practice. Eddie is excited to be back on Eleuthera after his time as an Island School student in Spring ’09. Eddie is eager to help the Sustainable Fisheries Research Team here at CEI.

Logan Zeinart is from New Zealand and completed a marine science diploma and degree. He loves everything marine, from the simplest animals (Porifera – sponges) to the marine fauna, and everything in between.

With the help of the four new interns as well as the Sustainable Fisheries RA, Alexio Brown, and RT, Alanna Waldman, the team dissected 132 lionfish last week. Thirty of the fish were collected from the June patch reef surveys and 102 lionfish were brought in from the Slayer Campaign. The Team collected data from all of the fish and filleted the fish brought in by the local fishermen. Amongst the 132 fish dissected, the longest ever recorded here at The Cape Eleuthera Institute was part of the batch at 42 cm.

A notable discovery was the finding of a bar jack inside the mouth of one of the lionfish dissected. The heaviest fish was just less than 1,000 grams and one lionfish, found at one of the patch reefs during our June surveys, had 13 fish in its stomach. This data has implications for the future of our reefs because, if lionfish are constantly consuming reef fish, then the native fish populations will decline and lead to a decline in the health of our reef ecosystems.

The Sustainable Fisheries Team will be conducting their September patch reef surveys in a week and look forward to monitoring the lionfish invasion, as well as removing more lionfish from the patch reefs!

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Kinship Conservation Fellows is an environmental leadership program that emphasizes market-based solutions to environmental problems. Applied Scientific Research Department Head, Candice Brittain, was awarded a place on the prestigious program and headed out to Bellingham, Washington for a month-long fellowship in July.

The eclectic 2015 international cohort of fellows came from far and wide, travelling from Bhutan, India, Argentina, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, The Netherlands, South Africa, Madagascar, USA, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Vietnam, and The Bahamas.

On the first day, each fellow was asked to define conservation and sustainability and to share these definitions with the group. None of the 18 fellows had the same description; an important lesson that these terms can have very different meanings to different people. This set the scene for the coming month and the many challenges that lay ahead.

The Kinship curriculum explores incentives for conservation. The two themes for the month focused on cultivating leadership: skills and strategies & market (incentive) based conservation strategies. Fellows learnt about different types of leaders, how to re-frame their problems, and had invaluable one-on-one coaching sessions. The group grappled with economics and finance classes, learning from agricultural, water management, and carbon examples. Impact investment demonstrated a viable way to fund and sustain conservation initiatives, and there were lively class discussions on how conservation can be implemented and operated as a business, generating either income or other non-monetary gains to motivate stakeholders to conserve.

Taking on the roles of various stakeholders in high conflict conservation scenarios allowed fellows to realise opposing viewpoints, re-evaluate situations, and to practice and develop negotiation skills to find new innovative solutions. Emphasis was placed on how to create the most impact; if a project is successful, could it be replicated and then taken to scale?

Exciting field trips during the month included celebrating American Independence Day while kayaking at Larrabee State Park, 4 days hiking and learning negotiation skills at the Northern Cascades Institute, and finally an unsuccessful, but enjoyable, orca watching trip to Friday Harbour.

The program was concluded with each fellow presenting a site-specific project they are working towards, applying the knowledge they gained from the fellowship and adaptive strategies they intend to develop in the future.

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