Category Archives: Visiting Scientists

Flats, Outreach, Research Programs, Visiting Scientists

Update on Acoustic Tagging Project: Grand Bahama Jan 2014

April 4, 2014 ceiblogger

A team of scientists consisting of Aaron Shultz and Malcom Goodman from the Cape Eleuthera Institute, David Philipp and Julie Claussen from the Fisheries Conservation Foundation, Karen Murchie from College of the Bahamas (Freeport), and Greg Vincent and Jason Franklin of H2O

Bonefishing from Grand Bahama gathered in Freeport in January to track bonefish movements. This project began in October 2013, when 30 bonefish from around the island of Grand Bahama were captured and implanted with acoustic tags. Electronic receivers were then placed in strategic locations throughout the island and recorded if a tagged fish swam nearby. Fish were also located periodically using a manual receiver.

The first goal of this trip was to retreive each of the receivers and download the data to determine if any bonefish had been recorded. January, however, is still early in the spawning season for bonefish, so that data recorded over the next few months is expected to be highly valuable in understanding bonefish movements and the habitats they use for spawning. The second goal was to use the manual tracking device to determine if bonefish were travelling to possible spawning locations around the new moon.

This early retrieval of data from the receivers was very encouraging, with several of the tagged fish being detected. Two fish with transmitters, likely travelling to spawning locations, were recorded
traveling from one side of the island around to the other and back again, one covering over 140 miles roundtrip. Greg and Jason from H2O Bonefishing were instrumental in finding schools of bonefish to see if tagged fish could be located using the manual receiver. Many fish were
located very near where they were tagged.

Scientist Karen Murchie will be analyzing the movement data from the project, and many thanks to her for providing housing and logistical support during the trip.

Lionfish, Outreach, Visiting Scientists

RSMAS help with the lionfish invasion

February 17, 2014 ceiblogger

This week, the RSMAS group had a class on invasive species. As part of the class, team RSMAS got to go out with the lionfish researchers and help with spearing, dissecting, and filleting of fish.
RSMAS team
Megan Gleason said, “The spears were easy to use, and the lionfish were abundant. We got 14 of them!” Team RSMAS had the opportunity to dive and spear in an uncharted spot which was great.
It was alarming to see the amount of lionfish on a reef that had not been monitored, but it was also a cool experience having so many potential targets to spear!

2014-02-11 17.20.14
They got back to campus and began to dissect the fish in order to see what they had been eating. There were some baby crabs and shrimp in their stomachs; it was incredible that we were able to see them in their whole form. Then it was time to fillet the fish. Afterwards, the group reflected, “We are all looking forward to eating them and experimenting with ways they can be prepared. The cookbook we had the chance to look through gave us some good ideas.”

Educational Programs, Visiting Scientists

University of Illinois’ Inaugural Visit!

February 10, 2014 ceiblogger

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 — 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 Fisheries

Visiting Scientists

Putting Puffers in the Lounge Chair – Personality, Stress, and the Checkered Puffer

February 7, 2014 ceiblogger

Do animals have personality? If so, how do we define and measure it? How would personality types affect an animal’s fitness?

Researchers define “animal personality” as structured differences in the behavior of individual animals across time and context. They have observed a variety of personalities in animals such as shyness and boldness, exploration and avoidance, and activity . These individual differences may affect how animals interact with each other and their environment.

Naomi Pleizier, an MSc. student from the Cooke Lab at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, returned to CEI this January to study the effects of short-term stress on the personality of checkered puffer fish (Sphoeroides testudineus). Living in the ever-changing mangrove ecosystem, checkered puffers thrive despite challenges such as large shifts in salinity and temperature. True to their name, puffers have also developed an unusual defense against potential predators – filling their bodies with air or water to puff up to a surprising size. Despite the resilience of these fish, additional stressors, such as climate change and the destruction of mangrove habitat, may affect their behavior (including personality) and health.

Naomi and her team from Carleton and CEI collected puffers from Page Creek and tested their behavior before, during, and after treating them with a stress hormone, cortisol. Behaviors tested included puffing, activity, and fright response. The puffers were returned to Page Creek and will be caught again in the few days to be sampled in order to measure the activity of their immune systems. With these results, the team will be able to determine how personality differs between puffers and how this personality, as well as immune function, is influenced by an increase in cortisol levels.

Lionfish, Research Programs, SCUBA, Visiting Scientists

Lionfish study focused on South Eleuthera’s patch reefs is accepted for publication!

January 27, 2014 ceiblogger

A photo of catching lionfish by REEF's Lad Akins — A photo of catching lionfish by REEF’s Lad Akins

Good news for the continuing battle against invasive lionfish – a study conducted at CEI in collaboration with Simon Fraser University and Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), and headed by marine ecologist, Stephanie Green (now a postdoc at Oregon State University) was recently accepted by the Ecological Society of America. This 18 month study shows that by reducing lionfish populations below threshold levels, we can help protect native fish communities from predator-induced population declines at a local scale. Even though complete eradication of lionfish is virtually impossible, this finding gives researchers hope that removal efforts are making a difference. So, get out there…save the reef, eat a lionfish!

Check out the recent press about this study, http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-01/osu-wol012214.php

and read the full manuscript here, http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/handle/1957/45163

Conch, Educational Programs, Flats, Research Programs, Student Research, Sustainable Fisheries, Visiting Scientists

Monmouth University students continue ongoing research projects at CEI

January 21, 2014 ceiblogger 1 Comment

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 9^th 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!

Flats, Outreach, Research Programs, Sustainable Systems, Visiting Scientists

Watch this incredible bonefish spawning aggregation video!

January 3, 2014 ceiblogger

Check out this awesome video of a bonefish spawning aggregation, and then read on to learn more about bonefish research being done by CEI’s collaborator, the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuTN0Wj8J_A&feature=youtu.be

A message from the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust:

One of BTT’s top priorities is to learn enough about the biology of bonefish, tarpon, and permit so that we can focus conservation efforts on the most important aspects of these important gamefish. Which habitats and life stages are most critical? As you know from our monthly updates, identifying juvenile habitats, migrations, and adult habitat use are constantly in our crosshairs. Only with this information in hand can we propose effective conservation strategies like habitat protections, which we have long been pursuing in the Bahamas with collaborators Cape Eleuthera Institute, Fisheries Conservation Foundation and Bahamas National Trust.

Continue reading →

Flats, Outreach, Research Programs, Visiting Scientists

Wrapping up a successful bonefish tagging trip in Andros South

December 18, 2013 ceiblogger

Flats intern Stacey Dorman fishes from the bow of the boat.

Interns from the Flats Ecology and Conservation Program and Shark Research and Education Program at the Cape Eleuthera Institute (Stacey Dorman and Carl Treyz) and Zack Jud from the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust finished their four day bonefish tagging trip in South Andros, which was very successful! A total of 654 fish were tagged around South Andros, including the west side and the cays on the southernmost tip of the island. The overall goal was to tag bonefish in areas that are heavily fished by recreational anglers, so that they can be later recaptured, and information about bonefish population movement and growth can be collected. Continue reading →

Flats, Research Programs, Visiting Scientists

New acoustic tracking study on bonefish in Grand Bahama

December 12, 2013 ceiblogger

Throughout the islands of The Bahamas, bonefishing is not only popular sport, but also an important component of the tourism industry that contributes greatly to the economic health of many communities. For such a valuable fishery, surprisingly little is known about bonefish movements, particularly when it comes to migrations associated with their reproduction. A recently implemented joint study in Grand Bahama is designed to help provide that information. Continue reading →

Flats, Visiting Scientists

Bonefish Tagging in Andros South

November 7, 2013 ceiblogger

Bonefish tagging has been taking place on a large scale in the south of Andros this week. Zack Jud from the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust and Stacey Dorman and Carl Treyz from the Cape Eleuthera Institute with the support of Andros South aim to tag, measure and release as many bonefish as possible within a four day period. This tagging study is part of a Bahamian wide project that is investigating the movements and growth rates of bonefish. In addition, clients and guides from Andros South (i.e., Deneki Outdoors) and fishing lodges throughout the country will contribute to this study by re-capturing tagged bonefish in the future..

Before lunch time on the first day, Stacey and Carl had helped tag over 200 bonefish, with the total reaching around 600 by the end of the second day. The largest bonefish caught to date is just over 24 inches or 610 millimeters. Between netting bonefish, dodging storms, sighting turtles and dolphins and kicking back at the fishing lodge, Stacey and Carl are having a great time exploring the ecosystems on Andros. By the end of this research excursion we hope to tag over 1,000 bonefish, stay tuned!

Zack Jud (BTT) showing Deneki guide Sparkles how to tag a bonefish.

Education, Research, Outreach