Over two semesters Dr Jocelyn Curtis-Quick and Alexio Brown led an Island School Research class focused on exploring and assessing the inland ponds of Eleuthera. These inland ponds are fragile and are under threat from human disturbance, but are rarely visited and poorly studied. The students assessed 16 sites across Eleuthera; 69% of the ponds were impacted by humans. In the few non-impacted sites, species that are new to Eleuthera were found.
Two species of critically endangered cave shrimp found on Eleuthera\
Island School students collecting shrimp.
Just last week, expert Professor Mary Wicksten of Texas A&M University confirmed Eleuthera is home to not one but two species of critically endangered cave shrimp, Parhippolyte sterreri and Barbouriacubensis.This further highlights the need for immediate conservation of the anchialine systems in order to protect this unique habitat and the life it supports. The ponds project is a new and exciting area of research for CEI. Dr Jocelyn Curtis-Quick presented the research at the 3rd International Symposium on Anchialine Ecosystems in 2015, and two of The Island School Bahamian students will present at the Abaco Science Alliance and the Bahamas National Natural History Conference in 2016. We hope to create awareness for this unique ecosystem and ensure its protection.
This semester, the Sustainable Fisheries Team has been surveying the waters of South Eleuthera in search of juvenile queen conch. In 1993, South Eleuthera had the largest surveyed juvenile conch nursery in The Bahamas.
An aggregation of juvenile queen conch piled on top of each other in South Eleuthera
On the seashores of The Bahamas, it is common to see conch middens, or large piles of discarded conch shells. When fishermen return from their fishing trips, they take the fleshy meat from inside the shell and then throw that shell away. Recent conch shell midden data shows a significant increase in the harvest of juveniles. In South Eleuthera, 49.2% of the conch shells in one local midden are characterized as juveniles (lack of a flared lip).There has also been a significant decline in the number of adult conch mating aggregations in South Eleuthera.
Understanding if there is still an important juvenile conch nursery in South Eleuthera will help determine the current status of this economically and ecologically important species. Using methods created by researchers at the Shedd Aquarium, snorkelers are towed behind a boat on a manta-tow board with a Gopro attached. Images are taken continuously to document the number of conch, life stage and habitat type throughout the tow. The images are then pieced together to create a visual map of the tow. This methodology allows a rapid, accurate assessment of conch, and also documents the habitat types conch are being found in. The depths and temperature are also recorded for each tow.
During many of the surveys, only a small number of queen conch were observed, and in some tows no conch were found. But, recently, a high density of juvenile queen conch was discovered. These findings could help inform future sustainable harvesting strategies and conservation management for queen conch.
Our partner, the Shedd Aquarium, have a research team that is currently conducting further research to investigate the dispersal of conch eggs throughout the oceans currents. This further research is vital for understanding the full life cycle of queen conch and the locations of important habitats for this species.
We recommend that you only harvest conch with a fully flared lip with at least a 15mm thickness. This is when conch is considered sexually mature and can reproduce. It is important that species are able to reproduce before they are harvested, otherwise populations will most likely crash and possibly become endangered or even extinct.
The Sea Turtle Research team held an in-reach for local staff on Tuesday, December 1. Local staff members who had never gone “turtling” before, and many who had never seen a sea turtle, were given an opportunity to visit one of the research team’s study sites, Starved Creek, in order to catch turtles. The aim was to have everyone at least see a green sea turtle in its natural habitat.
Facilities team holding the turtle of the day!
During the day, the staff members came out in two different groups. In the morning, the Facilities team came out and this was when we caught our first and only turtle of the day! For someone who has never caught a sea turtle before, or even for someone who has, it is not debateable that Arlington has the most graceful technique for catching turtles. Once Arlington surfaced with the turtle, the entire boat erupted in cheers! Johnny, who was a bit apprehensive about coming along to catch turtles, turned out to be the most excited person on the boat! There was a point where all his fears disappeared and he looked as though he was going to jump in the water and catch the turtle himself! Once the turtle was caught, the entire boat broke out in singing and dancing, as Johnny lead the boat in the chorus of “Oh Happy Day!”
The Accounting team on their way to Starved Creek
The second group that came out in the afternoon consisted of the Accounting Team. Although this group came mere inches from catching a turtle, they were not able to do so. Yes, sea turtles are indeed very efficient swimmers! Chasing this turtle, however, had the boat filled with a mixture of elated, excited, enthusiastic, and adrenaline-pumped individuals who, put simply, were revelling in the experience.
The sea turtle in-reach experience was a successful one and truly one of the best ways to conclude the final days of the semester. It was refreshing to share knowledge and excitement with our extended family, who are so genuinely appreciative to be a part of the research. It was undoubtedly our pleasure to give our local staff a “Happy Day.”
The Cape Eleuthera Institute Sea Turtle Research and Conservation team finished off an awesome year of Earthwatch trips with the 8th and final Earthwatch team of 2015. Participants from the US, the UK, and Canada joined the expedition for 9 days of exciting research. The participants were enthusiastic to get involved in the many facets of sea turtle research happening at CEI. The volunteers got hands on experience setting baited remote underwater video surveys (BRUVS), doing abundance surveys at various locations, as well as catching plenty of turtles!
These Earthwatch participants joined the Cape Eleuthera Institute Sea Turtle Research Team from across the globe for a week filled with research and education
The Earthwatch team also got the chance to hear from other researchers at CEI about projects going on during nighttime presentations. These presentations varied from sustainable fisheries management to coral reef health and ecology.
A substantial amount of data was collected over the week, with 259 turtles spotted during abundance surveys across the creeks of South Eleuthera. We also had two record-breaking days in a row during abundance surveys, with exactly 127 turtles spotted, on both days, in Half Sound!
Earthwatch participant Bill Creasy learns how to take the curved carapace length of a small juvenile green turtle
There is a unique opportunity to own a piece of deep sea history!
The MEDUSA is an autonomous camera platform used in deep sea research. It was responsible for capturing the first ever footage of the giant squid! More info on the giant squid footage can be found here.
The Cape Eleuthera Institute has also used the MEDUSA to conduct its own deep sea research. Please check out videos on our MEDUSA projects here and here.
By purchasing a piece of the syntactic foam (used for flotation purposes on the MEDUSA), you are donating to the Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA), and will help to fund repairs on the MEDUSA.
This year, 15 new marine parks were created in The Bahamas, bringing the country closer to their goal of protecting 20% of their coastal waters by 2020. The inclusion of several additions to the protected areas system, including The Marls of Abaco National Park, East Abaco Creeks National Park, and Cross Harbour National Park in Abaco, as well as the North Shore Gap National Park and the East Grand Bahama National Park, was influenced by bonefish research conducted in collaboration with CEI and other partnering institutions.
Freshly tagged bonefish being released.
Specifically, bonefish telemetry projects were conducted around Grand Bahama for the N. Shore Gap National Park and the East Grand Bahama National Park. Also, CEI contributed data from tagged and released bonefish in Abaco - this research fed into the decision to protect the areas due to the presence of a healthy bonefish population and the economic potential of bonefishing as a major player in the tourism industry.
The 26.5 inch fish tagged and released by Flats researchers. Note the white tag near the fishes’ dorsal fin, containing an individual number and contact information for reporting when, where, and who recaptures this fish.
Last Thursday was The Island School Research Symposium! It is a highlight of Parent’s Week, and a time for parents to hear about the good work being done by their sons and daughters. Throughout the semester, The Island School students have collaborated with CEI researchers, contributing to ongoing research projects. They have been studying various ecosystems around Eleuthera, including inland ponds, the pelagic zone, the deep sea, shallow water sandbars, and tidal creeks .
Dr. Craig Dahlgren discussing the current state of coral reefs in The Bahamas.
In all, nine projects were presented, and Dr. Craig Dahlgren, Senior Research Scientist for the Bahamas National Trust, concluded the event with a talk on the state of coral reefs in The Bahamas. All nine projects are being featured on our Instagram (@CEIBahamas) and Facebook pages, so please check them out for more details on the amazing research done this semester!
Here at the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI), members of the Shark Research and Conservation Program are trying to unlock some of the many mysteries surrounding stingrays. Much like their shark ancestors, there are still many myths and misconceptions about these typically mild mannered creatures. Once believed to be nothing more than vermin on local reefs, scientists are now beginning to appreciate their true value as mesobenthic predators. Through a process called bioturbation, rays can alter ecosystems physically, chemically, and biologically. Often overlooked and underappreciated, these amazing animals play a vital role in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem.
Ray in net
The CEI Stingray Project, led by Dr. Owen O’Shea, began in January of 2015, and is the largest study of its kind in The Bahamas. The purpose of this research on stingrays is to gain valuable baseline data regarding their habitat use, growth rates, behavior, daily activity budgets, genetic connectivity, demography and feeding preferences. Rays are caught via spot seining along local creeks, coasts and offshore sand cays and are measured, tagged, sampled for tissue and blood, and released. Together with the help of our Island School students, visiting Educational Programs and undergraduate students, Dr. O’Shea has caught 175 stingrays across both species, including 59 recaptured individuals.
Successful release with accelerometer
Since these rays occupy coastal and nearshore environments, it is believed they are actually more susceptible to anthropogenic impacts such as habitat loss and degradation and overfishing when compared to offshore populations of fish. It is critical that further research is conducted to learn more about these animals. This research will allow for the formation of a more solid knowledge base as well as an efficient conservation and management framework for both species and the habitats that support them.
Throughout the fall semester, The Sustainable Fisheries team, with help from the conch Island School research class, has been assessing the abundance and distribution of juvenile queen conch in South Eleuthera. Queen conch are ecologically, economically, and culturally important to The Bahamas. Queen conch consume algae and detritus and maintain the health of the sea grass beds. In exports alone they bring in an estimated $7 million annually. Queen conch are also a part of many traditional food dishes in The Bahamas. Collecting data on their populations is useful for fishermen, scientists, and residents of Eleuthera.
Two students being towed by a manta tow board observing the bottom for queen conch.
Using a towing method, snorkelers are pulled behind the boat on a manta tow board that allows them to dive down to observe the benthic habitat and keep an eye out for queen conch. During each tow the number of conch are counted and recorded along with life stage: juvenile, sub adult, or adult. Juveniles are characterized by the absence of a flared lip, while sub adults have a flared lip, and adults have a fully formed flared lip. This methodology allows the group to rapidly assess large areas and to identify the abundances and locations of queen conch aggregations in South Eleuthera. Preliminary findings are showing a big decline in juvenile populations, however the team will be conducting more tows this week to cover more area in search of queen conch! Stay tuned for more information on queen conch in South Eleuthera.
Last weekend, programs from the Cape Eleuthera Institute, including the Reef Ecology and Restoration Team, Sustainable Fisheries Team, Sea Turtle Team, and Aquaponics Program travelled to Governor’s Harbour Homecoming to spread the word about each of their fields.
The CEI team in front of their booth at Governors Harbour Homecoming
Many people showed great interest in the lionfish and aquaponics displays. They were amazed at the use of plants to filter the fish waste out of water holding tilapia in the aquaponics system, while others who had never tried lionfish fritters are now converts!
The CEI booth with information on lionfish, queen conch, sea turtles, and aquaponics
The Sea Turtle Team and Sustainable Fisheries Team also educated the attendees about the protection of sea turtles through some fun word games, and the life stages of conch through a display with varying sizes of shells, ranging from juveniles to adults.
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