Conch, Lionfish, Research Programs, SCUBA

Highlighting 3 Fall Interns with the Lionfish/Conch Programs

This Fall semester, The Lionfish and Conch Programs decided to do something new. They instituted a dual internship, which would focus on sustainable fisheries and marine conservation; interns would work with both the lionfish and conch projects. Three lucky interns are being put to the task this fall to work among projects in both programs, and their bios are below.

picAlicia Hendrix: A Washington state native, Alicia finished her B.A. in Biology and Fine Art at Scripps College this past January.  Since then she has been at the University of Washington labs in the San Juan Islands expanding upon the work completed for her undergraduate biology thesis and teaching high school students scientific illustration. During the course of her undergraduate studies, Alicia conducted research on trace metal chelation by jelly DOM at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science and on protein localization in trypanosomes at the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute.  In 2011 she earned her Divemaster certification at Utila Dive Center, where she also assisted with the Coral Watch program on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. She is thrilled to be a part of the internship program here at CEI, and is already learning so much! Continue reading →

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Lionfish, Research Programs

Lionfish Research Manager Dr. Jocelyn Curtis-Quick expands the program over the past year

G0051160This September marks the one year anniversary of the arrival of the current Lionfish Research and Education Program (LREP) manager, Dr. Jocelyn Curtis-Quick.  Jocelyn is a marine ecologist with over ten years of tropical marine field experience from all over the world.  She has a Master’s degree from Plymouth University and PhD. from the University of Essex, both of which primarily focused on reef resilience and how fish respond to habitat degradation.  Many reef fish play important ecosystem functional roles and their demise can have significant implications for the reef system.  The Indo-Pacific, where Jocelyn conducted her studies, has especially high diversity and functional redundancy, which means that reefs in this area are more capable to resist and recover from disturbance.  Jocelyn’s PhD. increased our understanding of niche partitioning and resource utilization by key fish taxa and importantly identified the plasticity of fish to adapt their feeding strategy in response to changing habitat quality. Continue reading →

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Sea turtles, Sharks, Student Research

A Spotlight on CEI’s new Research Assistants

Here are brief bios from CEI’s three fall research assistants:

IMG_2278Ian Bouyoucos graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology. This research assistant position is his third time at CEI, following an internship in the summer 2010 and spring 2013 semesters. Ian’s research background is focused on shark stress physiology, as well as sturgeon bycatch reduction. Specifically, he has conducted research concerned with the secondary stress response in the smooth dogfish, and the potential for electropositive metals to serve as a method of bycatch reduction for Atlantic sturgeon. In addition, he has assisted on projects dealing with nursery habitat use of juvenile lemon and blacktip sharks, and bycatch reduction in sandbar sharks. On top of the research he will be involved in with the shark research and conservation program, Ian will be conducting a project focused on the immunological response in yellow stingrays to a chronic stressor, which will serve as a model for sharks. Continue reading →

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Research Programs, Sharks

Shark team recovers satellite tags as part of ongoing project

An X-Tag on a shark's dorsal fin.
An X-Tag on a shark’s dorsal fin.

Last Thursday our shark team, captained by Dr. Edward Brooks, embarked on another exciting satellite tag recovery to the Exumas – a small group of cays situated due west of the Cape Eleuthera Institute.  This particular project, run in collaboration with Microwave Telemetry Inc, has deployed eight Microwave Telemetry X-Tags  over the last two years.  This particular PSAT had popped off a male Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) after five months, three months earlier than its planned 8 month deployment, due to a failure of the tag anchor.  The X-Tag has been logging the depth and temperature of the shark every two minutes, in addition to logging ambient light levels, from which daily geolocation estimates can be generated from day length and sunrise and sunset times.

The team searching for the tag.
The team searching for the tag.

These tags are not designed to be recovered, instead transmitting their archived data via the ARGOS satellite system.  Typically 100% data transmission is not achieved due to limitations in battery life and satellite bandwidth, so if a tag washes ashore it provides a rare opportunity for 100% of the logged data to be recovered manually.  The two minute resolution data will yield a treasure trove of information on this poorly understood species.

At 6:30am the team readied the boat with all necessary gear for a long day out in the field. The two most important items aboard consisted of a GPS with approximate location of the last transmission, and a VHF receiver and yagi antenna to narrow the search area from the individual burst transmissions from the tag. Timing is imperative, as detections from the tag only transmit during a two-hour window when the satellite is directly above the tag’s location. Transmissions were in one-minute intervals, between 9:15 and 11:15, meaning the team had to arrive at the Exumas no later than 9 am in order to anchor the boat and assemble the GPS and satellite receiver. Continue reading →

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Flats, Outreach, Visiting Scientists

Rapid Ecological Assessment in Abaco, aided by CEI staff

Bonefish measurements recorded in Cross Harbor.
Bonefish measurements recorded in Cross Harbor.

Last weekend, Bahamas National Trust (BNT) made headway in their Rapid Ecological Assessment of Cross Harbour, Abaco. This REA will gather important ecological data to help establish a baseline for long-term monitoring activities and the creation of the proposed Cross Harbour Protected Area. A group of volunteers headed out on Friday, August 20th, to tag and recapture previously tagged bonefish. Tiffany Gray, lead outdoor educator for Cape Eleuthera Institute, helped in the tagging of 199 bonefish on Friday. The rest of the tagging crew continued through Sunday with at total number of 578 bonefish tagged!

Catching bonefish with nets to tag and measure.
Catching bonefish with nets to tag and measure.
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Educational Programs, Flats, Outreach, Research Programs, Sea turtles, Sharks, Student Research

Students come to CEI to participate in Sharks, Flats, and Turtles Week

Students from the US and Puerto Rico came to the CEI campus for a week of working with researchers in the Shark, Flats, and Turtle Programs. Here is an update from each group.

Campers tagging and measuring a fish.
Campers tagging and measuring a fish.

Flats Team: Campers working the with flats team got a crash course in learning about flats ecology, mangrove ecosystems, and the economic and ecological importance of one target flats species, the bonefish. They gained experience seining, where they caught bonefish and lemon sharks and were able to practice tagging and releasing. Campers also got to try their hand at fly fishing on the flats, and each group caught a few bonefish. Continue reading →

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Educational Programs, Flats, Outreach, Research Programs, Student Research, Visiting Scientists

Abaco Flats Program – a joint effort between CEI and Friends of the Environment

Last week Justin Lewis, from Grand Bahama, Zack Jud, from Florida International University and Tiffany Gray, from Cape Eleuthera Institute, worked with Cassandra Abraham at Friends of the Environment in Marsh Harbour, Abaco on a flats program with local students from Abaco. This flats program was like a shorter version (just 3 days) of our 7 day sleepover Flats Week summer program at Cape Eleuthera Institute. It gives students a chance to not only learn the basics of flyfishing, but also immerse themselves into the ecology and conservation of the flats ecosystem. We had 5 students, all Bahamians, participating in the course.IMG_1273The program started out on Tuesday, August 13th, with an informational presentation on bonefish and flats ecology. Zack and Justin also spent a bit of time that first day teaching students the basics on flyfishing where they had the chance to practice casting, some of them for the first time! That afternoon we headed over to Great Cistern to do an introduction on methodology and how to use the seine net. We saw lots of turtles, a shark, and caught some shad (mojarra), crabs, shrimp, and other fun stuff in the seine net.

Measuring a bonefish.
Measuring a bonefish.

The second day we tagged 20 bonefish around Crossing Rocks, about 12 miles south of the Marls. Clint Kemp from Black Fly Lodge in Schooner Bay took us out with two of their flats boats for a beautiful day on the water. After tagging and doing a little fishing, he took us over to the Black Fly Lodge to check out their facilities. It was very quaint and personal lodge, right on the newly developed Schooner Bay. Clint provided a wealth of information on not only what it’s like to be a top notch fly fishing guide, but also some of the background on the development of the unique “Live, work, and play” community of Schooner Bay.
Check out their website:
Black Fly Lodge - http://www.blackflylodge.com/

Schooner Bay - http://www.schoonerbaybahamas.com/

For the last day, we headed out flyfishing to get more practice using the fly rods and to catch a few bonefish. We went out in Cherokee Sound with local guide Buddy Pinder and found LOTS of bonefish. Those spooky Cherokee bones are known to be tough to catch, but we did have two students get the chance to catch two bonefish that morning! Once the tide got a little high for fishing, we had lunch at the Pinder’s house in Casuarina. Students then learned to make their own flys to take home and use next time they are out fishing!
Check out Buddy Pinder at:
www.worldwidefishing.com  
skeeterone@coralwave.com
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Conch, Educational Programs, Flats, Student Research, Sustainable Systems

Camden Hills returns for their fourth year joined by Oceanside and Medomak

This blog was written by the 18 incredible students visiting us from Maine.

Campus Life

Students at Lighthouse Beach
Students at Lighthouse Beach

The Island School/CEI is located in Cape Eleuthera. The campus faces the water with exotic beaches and fish-filled boat launches as a part of its grounds. Everything about the campus is energy efficient, from its compost at meals to their homemade biodiesel for the vans. The food waste is fed to the pigs on campus and the rest is composted and used for their gardens. The gardens are then used for meals creating the basis of permaculture. We’ve already become aware of the energy we waste every day and can’t wait to put our new energy efficient methods to use at home.

Research

Students socializing at the sand bar.
Students socializing at the sand bar.

A big part of our experience here on Eleuthera has been conducting research through the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI). Our Camden Hills students have been split into three different research groups, led by CEI researchers: conch, bonefish (field), and another bonefish team (lab). The Oceanside-Medomak students are studying patch reefs, and the effects of their complexity on the abundance of fish. All four groups will be presenting their findings to an audience of peers, interns, researchers, graduate students, and staff next week. Continue reading →

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Educational Programs, Flats, Outreach, Sharks

Second Deep Creek Camp of the summer at CEI

CEI just completed the second Eleuthera Explorer’s Camp this summer! Camp culminated with presentations for parents at Island School. This gave campers a chance to share what experiences got them most excited throughout the week and to show their parents a tidbit of what they have learned.

The first day started out with a snorkel and sustainable systems scavenger hunt to get everyone acquainted to campus and life at The Island School. Later, they got to do some kayaking, Bahamian dance, and attend a presentation from our plastics research enthusiast, Miss Kristal Ambrose.

Campers in the Deep Creek Explorers camp explore the mangroves.
Campers in the Deep Creek Explorers Camp explore the mangroves.

On their second day, they had a chance to go on a discover scuba dive! This is for youngsters who are not certified yet but still want to try their hand at breathing underwater. Even Gwyndolyn Domino, who is already open water certified, got a chance to get another full dive under her belt. The day continued with a reef snorkel and presentation on shark ecology.

Continue reading →

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Educational Programs, Outreach, SCUBA, Student Research

Space 2 Explore Camp teaches Eleutheran youth about marine conservation

Space 2 Create, a non profit summer day camp for the youth of Harbour Island, Eleuthera, joined forces with The Cape Eleuthera Institute to initiate Space 2 Explore, a program based around marine ecology and conservation. Founded in 2007 by William Simmons (DCMS Teacher), this comprehensive youth development program aims to enhance the academic, artistic and character development of young people on Harbour Island. Students this summer explored diverse marine habitats under the guidance of Cape Eleuthera Institute researcher Kristal Ambrose and DCMS teacher Carola Walker in partnership with divemaster Shawn Springer.

Students’ eyes were opened as they learned to identify countless organisms in the habitats they explored and also grasped the importance of these threatened ecosystems. These activities were not only academically enriching but helped students to build character as they faced their fears and accomplished things they never thought possible. This learning experience is highly relevant, as Harbour Island is experiencing the pressures of rapid development. It is important that the next generation understands the role of conservation in sustainable development.

Check out this video of their experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP4Jq-ARndE&feature=youtu.be

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