The tropical rainforest in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve and the coral reef at Glover’s Reef Research Station are two of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on Earth, and they share several important similarities that help explain this richness. Both ecosystems are incredibly complex, offering a variety of niches that support countless species. Their structures—multi-layered canopies in rainforests and three-dimensional coral formations in reefs—create numerous habitats. They also rely heavily on mutualistic relationships, like trees with ants and flowers with pollinators in the rainforest or corals with symbiotic algae in the reef, which enhance survival and productivity in nutrient-poor conditions. These tightly woven interactions create resilient systems where biodiversity thrives despite environmental limitations.
Being immersed in both environments revealed great contrasts aswell. The rainforest felt closed-in and shaded, dominated by towering trees, buzzing insects, and constant humidity. In contrast, the reef was breezy, bright, open, and full of visible aquatic life, from beautiful parrotfish to nurse sharks. The main difference I felt that we experienced was our interactions with the wildlife of these areas. In the forest we had to set out camera traps and go on night walks in hopes of seeing animals. On the reef we were able to swim along side all the sea life, and often didn’t spook them until we were within inches. It made the reef an unforgettable opportunity because we got amazing first hand interactions. The course far exceeded my expectations by not only teaching core ecological concepts but also by providing immersive, field-based learning and exposure to real-world conservation issues, which added cultural and environmental depth to the scientific study.
My favorite moments were definitely when I caught Angie the squid, and watching as we dug up the ant hive and seeing just how excited everyone was to see the queen and her fungal garden. The best part of the whole trip was watching how into it everyone was. I absolutely loved watching each person totally nerd out about their taxon groups and get everyone else more excited in the process. A few minor hiccups occurred when I got an infected bug bite, and sunburnt my face, but all and all no issues.
5 years from now I assure you I will remember everything possible to know about stingless bees and their mandibles for biting. I also will never forget how freaking cool seahorses are for making males carry the babies and give birth to them (especially since they often mate for life). Finally I will never be able to burn the image of a cecropia tree out of my brain, and I will remember all about their relationship with Azteca ants.