All posts by mla5

2022

Day 2: Snorkeling and the MOD

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After a good nights rest, we rose early in the morning to start off our day snorkeling at Glover’s Reef! We had all our gear and were ready to start our first snorkeling adventure by 8:05 am which was a record breaking time according to our professors. I was amazed by the biodiversity of marine life on our snorkel! I recorded hard corals, soft corals, damsel fish, puffer fish, parrot fish, lion fish, lobster, and many more interesting species! Nyala and Caio pointed out my first annelid- Christmas tree worms! These worms bore into coral and have a spiral-shaped crown that are always seen in pairs of two (even though it is actually one worm). They can come in all shapes and colors and will retract back into the coral as if they were never present if they sense water movement of a big fish or larger creature, like us. (sorry for the poor camera quality!)

Hydrozoa are hard to locate on the reef but I spotted some fire coral today! Fire coral is an interesting creature because it is an athecate hydroid that behaves like a reef-building coral.

We also built quadrates which is a tool used by field biologists to help us measure and collect data!

Later for our second snorkel of the day we were given two choices- the safe choice of the adventurous choice. The safe choice was to snorkel in the reef we had just been at while the adventurous choice required us to walk through the MOD… Mangroves of Death that had swarms of mosquitos that would bite you even as you were running. We of course chose the adventurous path, and the misquotes were terrible but the marine organisms we saw at this next location made it worth it. We saw many fish as well as a nerf shark and sting ray. I also got the chance to observe two more annelid species. The magnificent feather duster worm was a multicolored worm (red and white) with large feather-like bristles shaped like- you guessed it- a feather duster. This worm will also retreat into the coral if there is water movement. I think I also spotted a spaghetti worm’s long white, thin tentacles under the coral, but it was difficult to tell.

Afterwards we listened to some presentations that helped us learn more about different reef creatures and reflect on the journey ahead. More to come! 😉

~Maegan 

2022

DAY 1- ARRIVING AT GLOVER’S REEF

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After a restless night of anticipation and excitement, I woke up 5 am to have plenty of time to meet up with the rest of our tropical field biology class to make it to our flight at 6:15 am. It was a good thing that we arrived early because their was an unforeseen mix up with the requirement of notarized permission slips for our youngest travelers, and someone forgot to print out their boarding pass (you guessed it…it was yours truly).  I am incredibly glad to have such supportive and kind classmates that waited for me. Thankfully, we all arrived in Belize in one piece and took a trip to the local grocery store for some snacks. While noticing the dense, green vegetation and beautiful pastel house colors of Belize City, I had a fascinating conversation with Dr. Correa’s mature and kind 10 year old son. He told me that while snorkeling it is extremely important not to touch marine life. I said that one time while snorkeling he touched a fireworm. He described the fireworm perfectly. It was small and wiggly with a light orange/pink coloring with small white bristles on the sides. After touching the fireworm he said he had burning feeling that felt like glass in his hand. This is probably this annelid’s self defense mechanism so moral of the story- don’t touch marine life but admire their beauty from a distance. I was presently surprised tolearn more about the taxa I researched on the first day!

While buying some plantain chips recommended by Dr. Solomon, I received my first Belizean dollars. One of our leaders, Claudius told me that the woman on the dollar was Queen Elizabeth as the Belize used to be called “British Honduras.” This dollar also pictured the mahogany tree (state tree), tapir (state animal), toucan (state bird), and the black orchid (state flower). Learning the history of Belize was very fulfilling!

 The boat ride to Glover’s Reef was longer, hotter, and more bumpy than expected but there was a part of me that wished that it wouldn’t end because it filled me with a deep sense of nostalgia. There were so many aspects about the boat ride that reminded me about the Marshall Islands, and I really miss it. The salty sea spray, waves crashing upon the boat, and even the appearance of the atolls were similar. The Caribbean atolls are typically much more ancient that Pacific atolls because there is not current major tectonic plate movement. I learned from Dr. Correa and Claudius that Glover’s Reef is the second longest reef in the entire world which spans from Mexico, to Honduras, and to Belize (where most of it is located). I feel so incredibly amazed that we have the chance to snorkel this reef tomorrow!

P.S. HAPPY WORLD OCEANS DAY! 🙂

~ Maegan Aljure

2022, Uncategorized

PRE-DEPARTURE PREPARATION & EXCITEMENT

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Hi my name is Maegan Aljure and I feel so excited and thankful to be part of Rice University’s first tropical field biology trip to Belize since the pandemic.

After reading about Belize’s fauna and flora, I expect to be amazed at biodiversity of creatures we encounter as well as admire the beauty of the rainforests at Las Cuevas Research Station and coral reefs at Glover’s Reef. I have lived on an atoll in the Marshall Islands for most of my childhood. This has enabled me to see many marine organisms while snorkeling, and has inspired me to continue to learn about these ecosystems and a desire to protect them. I am not familiar with many of the Caribbean species of fish, but I am excited to expand my current knowledge. I’m also thrilled about the opportunity to hike through the rainforest!

I researched beetles and hydroids for this trip. I have learned a lot about these creatures including the important roles they play in their ecosystems which as given me a new respect and love for these animals. Hydroids have stung me before in the ocean, but now I know that their goal is not to sting people- but to catch food.  I am very excited, but I am also nervous about lacking in field biology experience and I am worried about being overheated in the climate. I hope that the data I record in Belize will help me decide on my career path and contribute to current conservation efforts.  I am already packing all of my required supplies in anticipation for this amazing trip! I can’t wait to share all our experiences! I’ll see you all in Belize!