All posts by jas19

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Hard Core Hard Coral Carol

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Day 6 was great! We went snorkeling on the back reef in the morning. We were collecting samples of organisms to bring back to the wet lab. Because I couldn’t take corals from the reef, I had a good time just swimming around and looking at the reef life.

When we brought our organisms back to the lab, we found a tiny octopus that hitched a ride in a shell! He was so cute, and we named him Squishy. We also found a fire worm and a mantis shrimp!

Squishy!

While everyone else was sorting through the organisms trying to identify their taxon group, Adrienne and I went back into the mangroves to collect more. We flipped over logs and emptied out big conch shells. We caught a few fish, some mollusks, and so many crabs.

My Diadema friend and me

After lunch, we did taxon and topic presentations and tried our best to quickly analyze and present our data from the trash pickup yesterday. We found that plastic waste is most abundant by number of pieces and weight.

We finished quickly, so we were able to squeeze in a quick snorkel before dinner. The wind was blowing pretty hard today, so there was a strong current. It was tough, but we were still all happy to be in the water!

To finish off the night, Ellie and I battled off some giant blue land crabs because we forgot our flashlights, and we are getting an early night. We’ll be up bright and early for snorkeling tomorrow morning!

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So Trashy

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Today was a very different day, but it was still exciting! We spent the morning on the back reef. We went through the mangroves of not-so-death and waded out to the patch reefs near the edge of the atoll. I saw a really cool fire coral that looked like a hybrid of the two species and a Caribbean Reef Squid!

Fire Coral
Caribbean Reef Squid

We spent the afternoon out of the water. Scott and Adrienne had us collect data related to marine debris on the island, so we were out in the mangroves picking up trash. We brought it back to the wet lab and had to sort and count all of it. I helped count plastics and we had 2460 pieces!

To help relieve our hot, mosquito-bitten souls, Scott and Adrienne had some fresh coconuts waiting for us after our work. We spent the evening eating coconut and playing sand volleyball. It was wonderful and relaxing even though I got smacked in the face and knocked down by a particularly powerful serve.

Once the sun went down, we went down to the dock, sunk two dive lights, and watched the wildlife come out to play in the light. We saw lots of little fish, a stingray, a shark, and a crocodile! It was a really magical experience.

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Best Birthday Ever!

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What a fabulous way to turn 19! We took an early morning dive on an unprotected patch reef and collected the same type of data as yesterday. Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for… *insert drumroll* … We found that the urchins are significantly bigger and more numerous in the protected reef area!

Me + the Diadema that stung me

I hope everyone appreciated that information because we spent about 3 hours trying to crunch those numbers. I think we’re all a little sleepy and dehydrated! Eventually we put a nice poster together to show all of our data to Scott and Adrienne, and we presented it to them on the dock.

The coral on the patch reef was incredibly beautiful today! I didn’t identify any new species, but I did see a fire coral that had grown over a sea fan. It was so elegant, so check out the picture below. There were also comb jellies floating around the reef. They don’t sting, but they startled me a few times when I swam into them!

Fire Coral growing around a sea fan

The best part of the day was definitely dinner. We were sitting around the table, discussing which character from Finding Nemo best represents Therese, when Scott and Adrienne brought a cake with candles to the table and sang happy birthday. They made a pineapple cake just for me! It was a very delicious and un-Belize-ably sweet surprise.

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Searchin’ for Urchins

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Day 3 is just getting better! We spent most of the day in the water, so I was extra happy.
We started with a small practice experiment in the sea grass just off the island. My favorite part was when Mikey and I’s transect took us into a minefield of upside down jellyfish. There were hundreds of jellies sitting on the seafloor!
After a delicious lunch and some much needed down time, we graduated to the patch reefs by the Southwest Caye. There, we did some more advanced snorkeling, and we practiced one method for assessing coral reef health.
The stony coral presence here was amazing! Adrienne took me on a whirlwind coral tour, and I saw several new corals from my taxon card that I had not seen yet, including Eusmilia fastigiata and Acropora cervicornis.
Eusmilia fastigiata
Acropora cervicornis with bleaching
I think my favorite part of the day was sea urchin hunting. Because urchin diversity is a good measure of reef health, we collected as many as we could in 25 minutes, and we will count and size them tomorrow. We’re going to compare the urchin population from a protected marine area to that of an unprotected area. I’ll let you know what we find!
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Arrived in Paradise

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What a fantastic day for stony corals! We had an early start from the Belize zoo, and we were on the boat to Glovers by 8:00. I loved watching the color of the water change as we went deeper and deeper. There’s a special place in my heart for Galveston beaches, but nothing can compare to the perfect turquoise and deep blue of the Caribbean. We even saw a Green Sea Turtle!
Two and a half hours later, we arrived in paradise. I never want to leave Glovers! After a safety briefing, tour, and lunch, it was finally time for the water. We got all geared up in our dive skins, but I sadly missed the dorky group picture (sorry mom).
We swam out to the first couple patch reefs and got to explore. The reefs were amazing! There was so much to see, although I’m certain my untrained eye missed most of it. Adrienne helped me identify a few stony corals, and after a few very wrong guesses on my part, I’m feeling more comfortable with identification.
Two coral highlights from the reef include Millipora complanata (Fire Coral) and Acropora palmata (Elkhorn Coral). Fire Coral stings if you touch it, so I’m very glad I know what it looks like now. The Elkhorn Coral was a treat to see because this species is endangered.
Acropora palmata 
The stony corals didn’t end after we got out of the water! Before dinner, we walked across the island and visited a coral graveyard (I like to call it the skeleton pile). Imagine a huge pile of rocks that are actually preserved corals; it was pretty amazing.
Adrienne taught us to identify at least 11 coral species from the skeletons alone, so I am excited to see them alive out on the reef tomorrow. It was an amazing experience to be able to study real coral on land, without having to worry about snorkeling.
Skeleton Pile 🙂 
In the evening, I gave my taxon presentation about stony corals. It was nice to have an entire day dedicated to my taxon group, and I feel like I learned so much. Can’t wait for another exciting day tomorrow!
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Spotted Shirley Temple

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Day 1 in Belize was a major success! We’ve all arrived safely, and  traveling was remarkably smooth, considering we have a group of 14 people.

We’re staying at the Belize Zoo tonight. The beds are comfy and bug-free, and dinner involved banana bread. I have no complaints!

In terms of wildlife, I was most excited by the two species of epiphytes I was able to identify from my taxon card research. I feel much better about my identifying abilities already! I even saw my favorite epiphyte, the Shirley Temple plant (it’s small and curly). I also saw Aechmea brachteata.

Tillandsia streptophilla (Shirley Temple)
Aechmea brachteata

We’ve only been here a few hours, but I’ve already learned so much: pack things inside your boots, don’t try to take pictures as you’re getting off the airplane, hydrate or die-drate, and sometimes things look like deer but they’re really just dogs. Our adventures continue at Glover’s Reef tomorrow, and I’m excited for the new experiences that await us!

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I’m Procrastinating Packing by Writing This Blog Post :)

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As I sit here on my couch watching a segment called “Extreme Ironing” on Ellen, the pre-departure anxiety is starting to set in. Do I have enough sunscreen? What if I have no coral-identifying skills? What if Scott and Adrienne ask us to iron a shirt while kayaking?

While some of these anxieties are slightly more realistic than others, I know that once we’re on our way, my worries will be gone. I have come to terms with the personal fact that sunburn is unavoidable, and I have spent a significant amount of time creating taxon sheets and Powerpoint presentations to help me with identification. I feel pretty prepared for this trip after doing the required readings and extra research.

As an aspiring marine biologist, I am obviously jumping for joy at this opportunity to experience field work at a real coral reef. However, the required readings have gotten me incredibly excited to experience the diversity of the rainforest as well! I honestly can’t pick one thing that I am most looking forward to. My biggest goal for this trip is to get a feel for field research and make sure I would be happy doing it for the rest of my life.

After all this preparation, I cannot wait to get to Belize! I’ve been to the tropics before on family vacations, but I’m thrilled to visit again with the perspective of a researcher, rather than a tourist. I’m excited to see all the things I’ve spent so much time reading about up close and in the flesh, and I’m ready to completely immerse myself in the ecosystems we are there to study. The only thing left to do is pack!