Outreach, Research Programs, Sustainable Systems, Visiting Scientists

CEI Director visits field station on Little Cayman Island

pic1Dr. Bill Louda (PI) and Aaron Schultz, a co-PI and director of the Cape Eleuthera Institute, visited 3 marine laboratory facilities between August 13-18, 2013. The major part of this trip was a visit (Aug. 13-16) to the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) on the Island of Little Cayman just south of Cuba. Following their return to Miami Florida, they then visited two labs in the Florida Keys (post to follow).

CCMI (LCRC) is built very close to the shore line on the northern side of Little Cayman. The outer reef (~ 150 – 175 yards offshore) rising out of hundreds of fathoms of water was effective in decreasing hurricane storm surge several times and it is predicted that future storms, without the influence of sea-level rise, will only push saltwater up under these structures and not into the first floor level.

Dorms over work/dive shop with the NSF-FSML funded lab building being built in the background.
Dorms over work/dive shop with the NSF-FSML funded lab building being built in the background.

The lab area occupies about one-third of the first floor of the yellow building. The rectangular 1/3 of that floor is itself divided into 3 separate labs, each about 10 x 20 feet (this is from memory, not measurements). In this way, wall and bench linear footage (space) is maximized and lab functions are segregated. This concept should roll into the plans for laboratory upgrades / building at CEI.

Thanks to Dr. Carrie Manfrino, CCMI President and Director of Research for coordinating the visit. Continue reading →

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Conch, Educational Programs, Research Programs, Student Research

Gap Year Students Perform Shallow Water Conch Surveys

This fall the gap year team has undertaken the task of completing Fall 2013 shallow water conch surveys. Once complete this data will be a part of a larger effort to conserve this economically and culturally important species.

IMG_1753The sites we are surveying are in the Bight of Eleuthera; there are 18 sites total, and so far 10 have been completed. They involve snorkeling three transects, each 30 meters in length and 2 meters wide, and counting and measuring the conch we find. So far the juveniles are pulling through, and almost 100% of the conch found have been juveniles, demonstrating the environment still able to support the nursery for this species.

IMG_1761The surveys prove to be quite exciting, and we have spotted a plethora of other species while surveying (such as lemon sharks), and there are a lot of Echinoderms who share their habitat with the queen conch. During the surveys we are often fighting strong currents, dodging an array of jellyfish, and dealing with the hot sun. However, as tough as these times are we know we are doing something awesome for this gastropod.

Continue reading →

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Lionfish, Research Programs, SCUBA

Lionfish Team Fall Update

Check out this video to see what the lionfish team has been up to this fall!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EbQE-qp33JM

The start of the semester has been an extremely busy and exciting time for the lionfish program. In November, Dr. Jocelyn Curtis-Quick, head of the team, will be heading to Texas to present her work on lobster-lionfish displacement at the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute conference. The purpose of this study is to determine whether lionfish are displacing spiny lobsters in critical habitats and what this means for the economically important lobster fishery. We were also pleased to welcome gap year student Ryan Hodges to our crew, who will be working with us for the next four weeks.  His extra set of hands is needed considering we have over 150 hours of video to analyze before the GCFI conference! Continue reading →

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Educational Programs, Flats, Outreach

CEI Flats Ecology team collaborates with DCMS to learn about mangroves

Tiff Gray teaches DCMS students about mangroves.
Tiff Gray teaches DCMS students about mangroves.

On Friday, September 27, students from Deep Creek Middle School (DCMS) met with staff from the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) at Paige Creek to discuss mangrove ecosystems. Tiffany Gray, lead outdoor educator for CEI, led the eighth grade science class through an interactive lesson covering mangrove identification, their importance and threats to the ecosystem.

Stacey Dorman and Kylie Bloodsworth, CEI Flats Ecology interns, also gave the students an overview of research carried out by the institute and how mangrove ecosystems might be affected by climate change. The students then snorkeled up the creek system, taking note of important biota residing in the mangroves, such as juvenile barracuda, schoolmaster snapper, checkered puffer and juvenile lemon sharks. The DCMS students happily came away from class with the knowledge that mangroves are important ecosystems worth researching and protecting!CEI Flats Ecology interns educating DCMS students about CEI mangrove research

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Conch, Educational Programs, Outreach, Plastics, Research Programs, Sea turtles, Sharks, Student Research, Sustainable Systems

Time flies when you are turtling!

DSCN1321Our Gap Year crew has been very busy in their first month here at CEI with marine research, road trips, classes and community service. We’ve studied human ecology, coral reefs, mangroves and more.  We analyzed sustainable aspects of our Island School/CEI community here and compared them to our home communities with the ultimate goal of designing a solution to an issue of sustainability at home.

Outside of our classes, we’ve helped out with many on-site research projects studying everything from green sea turtles to Caribbean sharks to a local favorite, queen conch. We’ve also conducted plastic surveys and helped out in our permaculture garden. Last week we explored outside our immediate community and volunteered at the Tarpum Bay Arts & Cultural center doing a landscaping project (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eleutheras-Art-and-Cultural-Centre/234550843232729). There we met the lovely director, Audrey Carey, who regaled us with stories about what life was like when she grew up in the Bahamas (very sustainable!) and showed us the local students’ and artists’ work.  Continue reading →

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Sustainable Systems

New graduate housing facility

The Island School along with Cape Eleuthera Institute and the new Center for Sustainable Development are attracting young professionals from around the world looking for post graduate level experience in the tropical marine and applied sciences as well as more teaching focused fellowships.  Through the generous support of Ed Anderson and Linda Cabot, Island School parents, Georgiana (SP 11) and Noelle (SP 13), we will be able to build-out the first phase of the project that includes all the living spaces, capacity to house up to 40 graduate students. Ed Anderson shares, “With expanding resources and an ideal location, Cape Eleuthera Institute promises to be the next Woods’ Hole of the Caribbean.”  Now we can properly take care of the people engine that helps support research and a range of design and build projects.  In addition Anderson- Cabot Hall promises to be an ultra-green building. With state of the art lighting and passive cooling the building will be a net exporter of energy from its 10 kW solar array.  A 40,000 gallon basement cistern will collect more than enough water to care for the inhabitants and an advanced waste water system will recycle and responsibly manage all discharge.  We imagine that this ecologically designed building will do more than just provide comfortable living space; Cabot- Anderson Hall will inspire all who come to live and work our campus to believe that we can design for a more sustainable future.

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Outreach, Sustainable Fisheries

CEI represented at Ecological Gap Analysis workshop in Nassau

At the end of March, Kate Barley represented CEI and attended a stakeholder workshop on Ecological Gap Analysis at the Wyndham Nassau Resort.  Decision makers from government, policy makers, academics, and NGO’s were also in attendance.  This workshop was a part of the larger Global Environment Fund (GEF) Project titled “Building a Sustainable Network of Marine Protected Areas for The Bahamas.”  The main objective of this is to expand the coverage of Marine Protected Areas in The Bahamas.

An ecological gap analysis is an assessment to check if the the goals and objectives for the area are being met.  An ecological gap is where a certain species or ecosystem (e.g., A reef, mangrove, forest, etc.) is not represented enough for the long term protection that it needs.  This is important because The Bahamas is part of an international agreement, The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and as part of this, has agreed to protect at least 17% of the land and 10% of marine environment by 2020.  This protection does not all have to be in the form of closed areas, but does need to be effectively managed, ecologically representative, and connected to other ecosystems with the overall goal of reducing the pressure on biodiversity and promoting sustainable use of resources. Continue reading →

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Educational Programs, Research Programs, Student Research

Meet our Fall Gap Year Students

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Here are short bios from our three Gap Year students:

IMG_1223Eryn Dioli: My name is Eryn Dioli and I just graduated from high school in June of 2013. I’m taking a gap year before I start college, and in the fall of 2014 I will be attending The University of Colorado at Boulder where I hope to study international relations. I was drawn to CEI because of the way sustainable living is so much a part of life here. I have grown up on the ocean and it’s a great experience to be living in a  place that is so dedicated to conserving it. I’m looking forward to learning more about permaculture and how I can implement that in to my own community at home, and to take part in the turtle research project. Continue reading →

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Outreach, Research Programs, Sea turtles

CEI’s Sea Turtle Researchers visit Fishbone Tours in Savannah Sound, Eleuthera

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Up-close shot of a juvenile green sea turtle.
Up-close shot of a juvenile green sea turtle.
Meagan spotting a turtle.
Meagan spotting a turtle.

Annabelle Brooks and Meagan Gary, researchers with the CEI Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program, recently spent a day in Savannah Sound, Central Eleuthera, with Fishbone Tours (http://www.fishbonetours.com/). Established by Julius Rankine, resident of Savannah Sound, Fishbone Tours offers fishing trips and adventure tours that include a variety of activities including snorkeling on reefs and in mangroves, visiting a conch ranch, lunch on a secluded beach, and catching sea turtles. Not only a fun day out, Julius and his wife also take the opportunity to educate visitors about the various marine environments and species of the Bahamas.

Julius Rankin from Fishbone Tours measuring the carapace length of a green sea turtle.
Julius Rankine from Fishbone Tours measuring the carapace length of a green sea turtle.

CEI’s Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Program has teamed up with Fishbone tours, training them on measuring sea turtles that they catch and release, gathering valuable data about the sea turtles using the rich habitat of Savannah Sound. This collaboration will allow us to expand our existing data set from South Eleuthera. During their time in Savannah Sound, Meagan caught a juvenile green turtle and recorded carapace measurements, and the team explored the variety of different habitat types found throughout the sound. This was a great way to start collaborations on Eleuthera and start planning for future research in the rich ecosystem of Savannah Sound.

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