Conch

Shallow water conch surveys used to evaluate the local juvenile population

The conch team performs snorkel transects in the shallow waters off CEI beach.
The conch team performs snorkel transects in the shallow waters off CEI beach.

Due to overfishing for food and export, The Bahamas are one of the only countries with a large population of queen conch left, and we are very keen to try and protect them as best we can. One major issue is the lack of enforcement, with juveniles being fished illegally throughout South Eleuthera. Removing juveniles means they never have a chance to reproduce, and the population suffers.

Team member Rey measure conch siphonal length.
Team member Rey measure conch siphonal length.

To try and understand how the local population is doing at the moment, the conch team (consisting of Newcastle undergraduate Rey and conch intern Holly, with the help of others!) has been conducting snorkel surveys of the shallow areas off Cape Eleuthera, which have been shown to be nurseries for juvenile conch. The data will be compared to a study that was done in 2003 (Clark et al. 2005) in order to get a 10 year comparison, and an idea of how the population is responding to the increased fishing pressure of the last decade. Continue reading →

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Lionfish, Research Programs, SCUBA, Visiting Scientists

OSU Research Update – Tye Kindinger

The lionfish are ready for their GoPro camera close-ups!
The lionfish are ready for their GoPro camera close-ups!

As the crew from Mark Hixon’s lab at Oregon State University round the halfway point of their summer field season here at CEI, the team has already logged almost 200 dives while conducting their underwater research.  Ph.D. student Tye Kindinger has started a brand new project this summer investigating the interactive effect of invasive lionfish predation on competition between two native species of basslets.  Fairy and blackcap basslets are popular fish in the aquarium trade due to their bright and beautiful color.

Brightly colored blackcap and fairy basslets may be small and cute, but their aggression towards each other could lead to increased vulnerability to lionfish predation.
Brightly colored blackcap and fairy basslets may be small and cute, but their aggression towards each other could lead to increased vulnerability to lionfish predation.

Off of Eleuthera, these basslets can be found on coral reefs, where they live under the same ledges and potentially compete for plankton (food) that is passing by.  Invasive lionfish could affect these populations of basslets depending on whether lionfish prefer to eat one species of basslet over the other.  In addition, aggressive behavior between the basslet species due to competition could cause one basslet species to be more vulnerable to lionfish predation, depending on where lionfish prefer to hunt under ledges.  Continue reading →

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Research Programs, Sharks, Visiting Scientists

CEI represented at the American Elasmobranch Society Conference

The 2013 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists was held July 10 -15 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The American Elasmobranch Society participated by hosting 5 days of shark and ray research presentations, and was attended by CEI Research Manager Annabelle Brooks. Topics covered the latest research on the movements, biology, physiology, reproduction and ecology of a variety of species, in the deep sea to shallow coastal habitats. The impressive list of presenters came from all over the United States and Europe, including many graduate students.

Three presentations focused on studies conducted at the Cape Eleuthera Institute. Dr. Jeff Stein, University of Illinois, presented the results of the shark population surveys conducted at ‘the bridge’ over the last 2 years, which show an increase in the abundance of Caribbean reef sharks in the area over the last 30 years. Dr. John Mandelman, New England Aquarium, presented the ongoing study investigating the impact of longline capture on the physiology of sharks, and Ian Hamilton, Memorial University, presented the data he collected during his Masters project conducted last year at CEI.  Finally, two past Shark Research and Conservation Program interns attended to present their Masters research projects – congratulations Alexandra Pickard and Jimmy Kilfoil.

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Educational Programs, Flats, Outreach, Sharks, Student Research, Sustainable Systems

Seatrek Fathoms sail into CEI for a 10 day trip

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Seatrek Fathoms students infront of the CEI signThis week we said ‘bon voyage’ to an amazing group of students, staff and crew from Seatrek Fathoms. They graced us with their presence for 10 days of science, fun, research, snorkeling, and much much more.

Shark team and Fathoms students helping work the Reef Shark on the line

 

A new experience for the education team with the group staying aboard their 65ft sailing schooner named the Avalon. Each day the group made it to land and delved into our program.  The focus of this trip was for the students to really get an idea of how a remote field station functions, all the differing aspects of research at CEI and the reality of setting reachable research goals.

Students clearing access road to the Ocean Hole Park in Rock Sound.
Students clearing access road to the Ocean Hole Park in Rock Sound.

We began our trip with a day sharking out with Owen and his team. It was quite the day long-lining with both the Dave & Di and the Avalon, giving all the students an opportunity to be first hand part on the long-lining crew, switching out with the observers stationed on the Avalon. The day was successful, hooking one Reef Shark, all the students were able to see how shark research works out in the field, and it was a great day had by all. Continue reading →

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Educational Programs, Outreach, Student Research, Sustainable Systems

South Eleuthera Explorers Camp at CEI

Students learning about mangrove ecosystems.
Students learning about mangrove ecosystems.

Last week the Cape Eleuthera Institute and the Island School welcomed 18 South Eleutheran children to campus for a sleep away camp focusing on the world we live in and how we can preserve it. Through the camp the kids, who range in age from 9 to 13, are getting to snorkel, dissect fish, participate in research in the fields of conch and bonefish, and travel to the Ocean hole and Rock Sound caves. All of this is coupled with lessons and education on the nature that these children encounter in their daily lives on the island.

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South Eleuthera Explorers ready to jump off the dock!

It is the hope of the camp that the kids will take back some lessons in water preservation, harmful effects of lionfish on native ecosystems and living a more sustainable life, and further their education on these topics in the future. Continue reading →

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Lionfish, Research Programs, SCUBA, Visiting Scientists

Lionfish team completes July patch reef surveys

Jocelyn and Kate recording fish along their transects.
Jocelyn and Kate recording fish along their transects.

The lionfish team has recently finished their fish abundance surveys, which are undertaken every three months. They visited sixteen reef patches in the Exuma Sound over three days. There are generally two or three recorders (who need to have top notch fish identification skills!). Two team members jump in onto the patch and do roving surveys and record all the fish they can see. Since the patches are part of a lionfish removal versus non-removal comparison study, they also record the number and size of both lionfish and competitors for lionfish, such as groupers.

A speared lionfish
A speared lionfish

Next, they lay three random transects over the reef and record the species and size of all the fish within one meter of the transect tape.  The third recorder lays two transects on the sand on either side of the reef – there’s much fewer fish out there! Finally, if the site is a lionfish removal site, they spear all the lionfish on the patch and take them back to the lab for dissection.

A Caribbean two-spot octopus
A Caribbean two-spot octopus

The team was out on the boat the couple of days before tropical storm Chantal was supposed to hit Eleuthera and the weather was crazy! It could change from bright sunshine to lashing rain and waves crashing over the bow in minutes. Despite those moments, the team had a fun time and saw some pretty cool stuff; there was an octopus on one transect, as well as a Dwarf seahorse and a pipefish near different patches. Continue reading →

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Research Programs, Sharks

New staff bio for Dr. Owen R. O’Shea

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Here is a brief background on our new Shark Research Associate, Dr. Owen R. O’Shea:

_POR4543I am a marine ecologist with a background in coral reef ecology and elasmobranch biology. I completed my PhD with Murdoch University and The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) in 2012 where I worked on tropical dasyatids from Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. My research so far has highlighted critical ecological functions of sharks and rays within tropical marine ecosystems, including tidal periodicity of manta rays and sharks to oceanic cleaning stations, biophysical processes at inshore reefs by stingrays as well as assessing the spatial ecology of coral reef associated elasmobranch species. My research ambitions align well with the Shark Research and Conservation Program at CEI and I am looking forward to helping out with existing projects as well as developing further research programs, relevant for elasmobranchs in this region.

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Educational Programs, Outreach, Sustainable Systems

BREEF Seacamp at CEI

IMG_0627After leading the Deep Creek Natural History Camp, two of our Educational Programs staff helped out with the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) week-long SeaCamp. They met up with the campers in Governor’s Harbour (GH) for a field trip. When they got to the Haynes Library, the BREEF camp leader (and IS/CEI alum) – Allanah – had all the kids excited and ready for their first field trip.

IMG_0607The first stop was the Hatchet Bay Caves and then they toured a brand new, organic farm just across from the caves. The kids learned all about the farm including the mango trees that will fruit twice a year and the miracle fruit that makes anything you eat, after eating this fruit, taste like the sweetest thing. It felt like a field trip to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory! Next they went to Cheetah’s pineapple farm and learned about the lost art of farming pineapple in the red soils of Eleuthera. Several kids went home with ‘pineapple slips’, part of the plant you can pop into some water and 19 months late have a fruit to eat. And that was just the morning!
Continue reading →

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