Earlier this month was the return of Camden Hills Regional High School for their sixth visit to CEI, and Oceanside High School’s second trip alongside Camden. It was another stellar year of exploration, science, research and reflection.
Students focused on research during their time at CEI. They were not only getting out there and assisting our resident scientists with their data collection, but also coming back to the lab, sifting through video footage, % cover of seagrass and trying to work out where all the conch have gone. For these students science came alive. They were able to see what goes into real research, where time, weather, tide, and sharing resources play factors into every minute of every day.
Two students IDing some seagrass out in the field
The students final presentations were outstanding. With only three – four field days and approximately 10 hours of data analysis and thought time, they provided the community with well-rounded projects. Not only did they analyze data, they were able to offer thoughtful insights into why their research matters. Continue reading →
The Island of Grand Bahama. The dark blue color on the south side of the island indicates deep water. The red line is the Grand Lucayan Waterway built in the 70’s that connects the north and south side of the island.
Major man-made changes to the geography of Grand Bahama in the 1960s – 1970s altered the connection between the shallow Little Bahama Bank on the North side and the deep New Providence Channel on the South side of the island. In particular, the construction of the Grand Lucayan Waterway created a new connection, while construction of a shipping harbor obstructed a natural waterway, Hawksbill Creek. These land-use changes potentially altered the spawning migration patterns of fish around Grand Bahama.
VR2 receiver that was placed in the waters around Grand Bahama to record bonefish locations.
Bonefish, sometimes referred to as the gray ghost by anglers because of their elusive nature, are extremely important sport fish in the Bahamas. Recent research on Eleuthera, Abaco, and Andros has shown that these fish migrate from shallow flats to form pre-spawning aggregations near deep water. The goal of this project was to assess present-day movement corridors of bonefish around Grand Bahama during the spawning season (October to May).
Bonefish tag implanted in October 2013.
To accomplish this task, CEI in collaboration with Fisheries Conservation Foundation, College of the Bahamas (Freeport), University of Illinois, Illinois Natural History Survey, Carleton University, and H2O Bonefishing surgically implanted 30 acoustic tags into bonefish and deployed 17 acoustic receivers around the island in October 2013. The receivers were downloaded in June of 2014 and revealed that 7 of the 24 fish tagged on the North side used the Grand Lucayan Waterway as a corridor from the north side to the south side of the island. 2 fish were recorded swimming around the west end and 2 others around the east end of the island, which are each over 80 km journeys. This indicates that bonefish are most likely forming pre-spawning aggregations on the South side of Grand Bahama and will guide research efforts during the next spawning season. The outcomes of this project will be shared with decision makers so they can make informed decisions about protecting migration corridors from spawning grounds to aggregation sites.
Bonefish spawning aggregation. Photo by A. Danylchuk.
Mark Hixon’s Ph.D. students from Oregon State University have returned to CEI for a third summer of invasive lionfish research! This year, they have been busy both above and below the water, performing field and lab experiments. Alex Davis is observing the natural locations of lionfish on large reefs in order to understand whether different types of habitat affect whether lionfish frequent certain areas of a reef and/or leave a reef altogether. Tye Kindinger is testing for competition between two native basslets (popular aquarium fish) by comparing basslets on reef ledges where the two basslets co-occur versus on ledges where she has removed all the individuals of one basslet species. She is interested in seeing whether basslets are less or more vulnerable to lionfish predation when they are competing under ledges.
OSU team diving the patch reefs
Lillian Tuttle wants to know if lionfish harm the cleaner goby, a small but important reef fish because it keeps other fish healthy by picking parasites off their skin. To do this, she moved gobies to small reefs and is now comparing their survival, growth, and behavior before and after adding lionfish, and between reefs with lionfish and those without.
Led by Eric Dilley and Dr. Stephanie Green, the OSU team is also working on a lab experiment that measures how 3 small fish species react to the presence of native predators versus invasive lionfish. Can small native fish recognize and evade this novel predator? How “appropriate” is their reaction given the serious threat that lionfish pose to their survival? Alex, Tye, Lillian, and Eric are excited to be back working at CEI, and we can’t wait to see what they discover this summer about the ongoing lionfish invasion!
The Island school summer term went out with the deep-water research group, led by Mackellar Violich to pull up traps from 1200 meters deep. The baited traps are set off the wall, and traps are pulled in the following day. Researchers then identify, measure, and record all of the organisms from the traps.
IS students out with deepwater research team,
This research project is focusing on finding the biodiversity and abundance of benthic scavenging species that live between 500-1400 meters deep in the Northeast Exuma sound.
The team recently pulled up Bathynomus giganteus, a large isopod and some Simenchelys parasitica, or pugnose eels.
Students working up organisms collected in deep water traps.
Queen conch are an important animal in The Bahamas, both economically and ecologically. Conch reproduce via internal fertilization and females lay extensive egg masses that hold hundreds of thousands of eggs. However, recent years have shown a marked decrease in conch populations, in the greater Caribbean region, and in The Bahamas.
Robin Bater (Newcastle undergraduate researcher) records size categories of conch from Taylor Witkin and Lisa West (CEI Interns) during a tow
In 1993, dive and tow surveys were conducted that assessed the breeding populations of conch off Cape Eleuthera. This summer we are reinvestigating this area to determine whether conch are still utilizing the same breeding grounds as they did in the 90s, and if their population is undergoing any variation or decline.
To accomplish this, CEI is running a series of conch tows and dives to assess conch population density. This involves either pulling researchers behind a boat or diving in small groups and noting how many conch are present as well as the size category of those conch (either adult, subadult, or juvenile). These size categories have to do with the age and sexual maturity of the conch and are determined by the presence and thickness of a flared lip on the conch’s shell. We will continue to update you on our findings throughout the summer.
Last week CEI was graced with 13 kiddos here for our annual Eleuthera Explorers Summer Camp! It was a jam packed week full of smiles, snorkeling, adventures, challenges, tears, homesickness but most of all LOTS of laughs!
Both Eleuthera Explorers Kids Camp, ages 9-12, and Eleuthera Explorers Teen camp, ages 13-15, had the opportunity to head ‘down island’ as far as glass window bridge. The group stopped up at the Governor’s Harbour Junkanoo shack for a little creative pasting and rush out. Teen camp had the chance to scuba dive and Kayak during their program, both a highlight for all!
A camper explores the reef at fourth hole beach after learning about coral reef ecologyThe campers make traditional bahamian junkanoo headdresses out of recyclable materials
This year, CEI had a booth at Deep Creek’s Homecoming, called Conch Fest, that was geared towards promoting sustainable fisheries. The team was frying up lionfish samples, so local community members can sample the invasive fish that is abundant on the reefs, but also delicious to eat. The team was also promoting the “You slay, we pay” campaign, where fishermen can bring in lionfish, fillets or whole fish, to sell to CEI. The goal is to create a market for lionfish on Eleuthera.
Aside from free fish, the team also had a board with conservation trivia, hoping to dispel some common misconceptions. For example, do green turtles eat conch? The answer is no! Green turtles eat plant material like turtlegrass, and their serrated jaw is perfect for this type of diet.
The booth was open for two nights, and hundreds of lionfish samples were handed out. Thanks to everyone who participated, and the team enjoyed the opportunity to spread the word about the invasive lionfish and what we can do to help (Eat them!).
Members of CEI promoting sustainable fisheries at Conch Fest 2014by
Students on the lionfish team discuss their project with Dr. Stephanie Green.
Congratulations to all of the Spring 2014 Island School students who gave oral and poster presentations at the Research Symposium. This event is a culmination a semester-long research class, where students become involved in all aspects of research. It is a chance for them to showcase the data that they collected, along with real world implications of the work.
We had many special guests in attendance this semester:
David Knowles, Director of Parks, Dr. Ethan Freid, Chief Botanist, and Camilla Adair Deputy Preserve Manager at Leony Levy Preserve, the Bahamas National Trust
Dr. Andy Danylchuk, past Director of the Cape Eleuthera Institute and currently Assistant Professor of Fish Conservation at UMass Amherst, collaborator with Flats Ecology program at CEI
Dr. John Mandelman, Director of Research and Senior Scientist at the New England Aquarium, collaborator with Shark Research program at CEI
Dr. Brian Silliman, Associate Professor of Marine Conservation Biology at Duke Marine Lab
Fig. 1. Anglers target mahi for their strong fight, showy leaps, tasty fillets, and beautiful colors.
Dolphinfish (aka mahi mahi or dorado) are a highly sought after sportfish targeted by offshore anglers, and they also support commercial fisheries in the Caribbean and US. Until recently, little was understood about their movements, stock ranges, and population structure. Recent findings suggest that these fish complete long-distance migrations and are quick to mature. However, little information exists about dolphinfish movements or harvest in The Bahamas – a location identified by the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council in critical need of further stock assessment.
Fig. 2. A tagged dolphinfish ready for release. Note the orange tag, printed with contact information for reporting a recapture of this fish.
The Cape Eleuthera Institute has been working with the Cooperative Science Services’ Dolphinfish Research Program (DRP; http://www.dolphintagging.com/) to mark dolphinfish in The Bahamas with external tags (fig. 2). After recording the fish’s size and location of capture, the fish is tagged and released to be captured again by an angler or commercial fisherman. Upon recapture, essential information such as distance travelled and growth of the fish can be determined.
Recent recaptures in the Bahamas have further demonstrated both the distances travelled by dolphinfish, as well as the large geographic range of the north Atlantic stock. One fish tagged in Florida last year was recaptured 309 days off Rum Cay in the southern Bahamas. It is estimated that the fish travelled up the East Coast of the US before swimming back to the Bahamas – a total of nearly 4,000 miles (fig. 3)!
Fig. 3 A potential dolphinfish migration route. This individual dolphinfish grew in length from 18 to 53 inches in the 309 days between initial tagging and recapture, and might have travelled nearly 4,000 miles (map courtesy of DRP).
These findings are critical to protecting the Atlantic mahi fishery. By quantifying movements of dolphinfish across political boundaries (i.e., US, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean nations), a regional management plan can be devised and enforced, ensuring a sustainable fishery for all countries.
If you will be fishing in the Bahamas and are interested in tagging dolphinfish, contact zachzuckerman@ceibahamas.org, or visit the DRPs website. Many anglers release small dolphinfish; tagging is a great way to contribute to our increasing knowledge of this economically important species!
Dolphinfish regulations in the Bahamas are not based on current stock assessments. Collecting data on recreational harvest and movements can ensure proper management of the fishery.Tag and release small dolphinfish, or those too large for you cooler. Tagging is also a great way to enjoy fishing if you have reached your limit of fish. This dolphinfish smiles at the camera as it is being released.
To date, we have had a total of 220.6 lbs of lionfish brought in for the lionfish slayer campaign. Last Wednesday, much of the lionfish was dissected and filleted for the upcoming Parents Weekend. In total, 98 fish were filleted, 65 of which were fully dissected and documented. The whole day was a huge success as a steady flow of fish were photographed, de-spined, and measured, then dissected to determine sexual maturity and stomach content, and finally filleted. One giant fish set the record for the largest yet seen and documented at CEI; it weighed in at a whopping 967 grams, or 2.13 pounds, and measured 41.5 centimeters in length.
Biggest lionfish on record for Eleuthera
By the end of the day over 80 pounds of lionfish had been filleted and ready for the kitchen to prepare for visiting Island School parents. The fins were harvested for the creation of jewelry, demonstrating the multiple ways lionfish can generate income.
Students focused on research during their time at CEI. They were not only getting out there and assisting our resident scientists with their data collection, but also coming back to the lab, sifting through video footage, % cover of seagrass and trying to work out where all the conch have gone. For these students science came alive. They were able to see what goes into real research, where time, weather, tide, and sharing resources play factors into every minute of every day.
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