While some may not enjoy days in which we spend most the time in various forms of transportation, especially because they always seem to fail us, I find it to be very calming. After leaving The Education Center Lodge a bit late (classic), we drove across the country yet again to Belize City. I was very surprised as to how small it was, especially seeing as the two cities I live in are Houston and Philadelphia.
Anyway, the next challenge that we had to overcome was the boat ride to the actual marine sanctuary. I was a bit worried about the seasickness. I have previously experienced this on a ferry. In the end, it was not a big deal, a pleasant experience. I am now looking forward to being on the boat as we go on to explore the rest of the patch reefs.
The rest of the day was spent getting acquainted with the research station and the nearby sea grass beds. I immediately saw my taxonomic group (soft corals). My initial impression was that Gorgonia ventalina is extremely common the patch reefs. I also saw many other soft corals, including Briareum asbestinum and several species of sea rod.
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Day 10: Strangers in Paradise
It takes time to build trust with a person you’ve just met. In a similar way, we TFBs need time to adjust from the forest into the surf. I’m learning that the insects at the ocean are much more bloodthirsty than those in the dry forest. We also practiced some diving research methods, most notably using hand-made quadrants to measure density and abundance of certain kinds of green algae. Navigation through water, as well as diving well took a lot of effort and many problems were encountered.
In a way, I feel like a stranger in a paradise setting, unaware of how to cope with the surroundings around me. Glover’s reef is one of the prime pristine locations of the world, with a great amount of biodiversity. Yet today, I realized that this paradise has some caveats. During a dive, I located a mangled box jellyfish (Cubuzoa, species: Alatina alata) swimming near the sea grasses. Box jellyfish are some of the most complex jelly-like creatures out there, not only due to their unique shape, but also to their notoriously strong stings and their advanced invertebrate nervous system that allows for complex visual tasks. In the picture I took, you may be able to notice small brown dots in the jellyfish, that may resemble pieces of sand but are actually its eyes.
Box jellyfish aren’t really commonly seen in Glover’s reef, and those that do make it to shore are often torn apart by the currents and sharp corals that surround the atoll. But this sighting is cool but firm reminder for all of us to be careful of the things around us.
Jellyfish don’t seem too common by the Middle Caye, the island that we are residing. Perhaps, tomorrow’s boat ride out to deeper reefs will yield waters with these phenomenal creatures.
P.S.: I found a special stranger joining me on this paradise. Wish it luck on this isolated place and hope it can send postcards to the forest!
Quadrats and the Coral Graveyard
Our first day out on the reef started with a scavenger hunt. We search for all sorts of reef creatures and their various interactions on the patch reef just beyond the island. Many species of herbivorous fish feed on algae here; I was able to spot another blue tang surgeonfish and several species of damselfish. Damselfish can be seen patrolling their gardens, which are small patches of algae that they feed on. I found cocoa damselfish (Stegastes variabilis), dusky damselfish (Stegastes fuscus), and threespot damselfish (Stegastes planifrons). The patch reef also contained a number of initial phase striped parrotfish (Scarus croicensis) and even a brightly colored stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride).
The real science started when we learned the art of using transects and quadrats to collect quantitative data on the reef. We began on land and then transitioned to an exploratory study of green algae (spoiler alert: we didn’t find any).
We finished the day with a visit to what can only be described as a coral graveyard. Coral skeletons litter the shore of Middle Caye, their polyps perfectly preserved due to mineralization. We studied the common reef species, using the dead corals to learn their morphologies and create a search image for the reef. Though I’ve visited reefs before, I’ve never been able to do much more than say that corals are colorful. Thanks to our grave digging adventure, I’m now able to appreciate the diversity of corals and might even be able to name some of them.
And then, with a beautiful sunset in the background, our first day at the reef was done.
Day 10: Aneme- Anemo- ANEMONE.
Today was our second time out to patch reefs. This morning we had a bit of time to snorkel around looking for certain things. The list we were given helped direct my attention to bits of the reef I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise I don’t think. I think I saw a parrot fish that was red with white spots, but I was having a hard time getting a look at its mouth since it was very close to a coral. I also saw my first anemone. I saw a Condylactis gigantea(Giant carribean anemone) and a Stichodactyla helianthus(sun anemone). Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery before I saw them or I would share a picture. I also saw plenty of coral that I’m still getting the hang of identifying.
In the afternoon we went back into the water, but this time stuck to the sea grass patch. We were surveying squares for the presence of two different macroalgae. Right before getting in we saw a baby nurse shark (don’t worry it’s not a threat). My snorkel buddy and I happened to have a section of the sea grass that had fairly dense populations of one of the algae and it took a while to repeatedly dive down to count. After we headed in, we learned that most of the other groups hardly saw any hadn’t had to do much counting. Among the sea grass we had also seen two spotted rays, another sun anemone, and I think I might have seen a puffer fish.
Lastly, we went to a different part of the island to look at fossilized coral skeletons. I feel significantly better about recognizing different corals on the reef tomorrow, but I’m still a bit nervous. I guess I’ll find out if I really can.
Oh and there was a gorgeous post-card-worthy sunset on the island that already looks like a postcard.
Day 9: Turf to Surf!
This morning, we went to the Belize Zoo to see everything in the daylight. In addition to the animals we saw last night, we also saw a jaguarundi and a harpy eagle. Fun fact: harpy eagles look exactly like hippogriffs from Harry Potter! We then drove to Belize City to catch a boat to Glover’s Reef.
The boat ride to Glover’s was incredible. As we sped across the ocean, the water flashed vivid colors of blue, teal, and green. At one point, the boat stopped and we couldn’t see land in any direction. The Glover’s research station is beautiful. We are living in cabins on stilts overlooking the ocean. It’s also interesting to look at the differences in resources between Las Cuevas and Glover’s. Las Cuevas had limited generator power, but plenty of water pumped from a nearby cave. Glover’s has 24-hour electricity, but rainwater is the only water source on the island for drinking and bathing.
We went for a quick swim before dinner to test out our snorkel gear. I saw several species of red algae, but was only able to identify Laurencia papillosa without my id guide. We also saw a ray and lots of colorful fish. After dinner, we built our quadrats that we will use to do reef research tomorrow.
Marine Buddies!
Two dives today. The morning dive consisted of a reef scavenger hunt. Some of the best things I spotted included a damselfish garden, green algae, and SPONGES. Aplysina fulva (Scattered Pore Rope Sponge)
was one of the larger morphologies I spotted today. I found some Callyspongia vaginalis (Branching Vase Sponge)
as well, which was particularly interesting since I got the change to see it earlier this semester in photo data of my independent research from the Flower Garden Banks; this guy is everywhere! Orange Lumpy Encrusting Sponge (Scopalina ruetzleri) popped up a few times as well on the patch reef we explored; I love the intricate structure of this lump of sponge. I also may have spotted an Orange Icing Sponge (Mycale laevis), which has a morphology that allows it to seem to seep out of cracks in the coral reef.
Diving to the bottom of the reef and seeing corals and reef fish up close was truly exciting. The visual intrigue of the day kept my spirits high enough not to notice or care about my cramping feet and exhausted legs. My only wish is that I could hold my breath longer so that I could stay down and observe without coming up for air so soon.
After lunch we collected data on the abundance and density of two different green algae found here at Glover’s. It was good training for using the tools of marine biology, the transect and the quadrat. Like most things, using these tools was easier said than done. Holding onto the cumbersome square and keeping the end of the transect tape from blowing about in the current were laborious chores, but hey, we got some data so whoopee.
I’ve enjoyed the down time here in our tropical paradise, for instance slamming coconuts against coral skeletons washed ashore and drinking the sweet water inside. Good times. Most of all I’ve enjoyed playing with the plethora of hermit crabs that call Middle Caye their home. I have named on Fred, but since they all look alike, I lost my ten-legged friend very quickly. But not before serenading him with a heartfelt ode and reassuring him I would never ever put him in a seafood stew. Buddies don’t do that to buddies.
Day 10: Aneme- Anemo- ANEMONE.
Today was our second time out to patch reefs. This morning we had a bit of time to snorkel around looking for certain things. The list we were given helped direct my attention to bits of the reef I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise I don’t think. I think I saw a parrot fish that was red with white spots, but I was having a hard time getting a look at its mouth since it was very close to a coral. I also saw my first anemone. I saw a Condylactis gigantea(Giant carribean anemone) and a Stichodactyla helianthus(sun anemone). Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery before I saw them or I would share a picture. I also saw plenty of coral that I’m still getting the hang of identifying.
In the afternoon we went back into the water, but this time stuck to the sea grass patch. We were surveying squares for the presence of two different macroalgae. Right before getting in we saw a baby nurse shark (don’t worry it’s not a threat). My snorkel buddy and I happened to have a section of the sea grass that had fairly dense populations of one of the algae and it took a while to repeatedly dive down to count. After we headed in, we learned that most of the other groups hardly saw any hadn’t had to do much counting. Among the sea grass we had also seen two spotted rays, another sun anemone, and I think I might have seen a puffer fish.
Lastly, we went to a different part of the island to look at fossilized coral skeletons. I feel significantly better about recognizing different corals on the reef tomorrow, but I’m still a bit nervous. I guess I’ll find out if I really can.
Oh and there was a gorgeous post-card-worthy sunset on the island that already looks like a postcard.
Boat Ride + First Snorkel at Glover’s Reef
Hi everyone! We finally made it to Glover’s Reef! This morning we woke up and got another chance to visit the zoo. We visited Charlie the Scarlet Macaw (who said hello to me!) and also saw some other animals that we didn’t get a chance to see last night such as a howler monkey. It was cool to see so many extraordinary animals that we had been so close to in the rainforest in such close proximity again.
After our quick zoo stop, we took a bus to the Princess Marina, had a quick lunch at Calypso restaurant at the pier, and then loaded a boat to head to Glover’s Reef. The scenery along the boat ride was absolutely glorious; the water color varied from beautiful shades of turquoise to cerulean and the sea breeze was really refreshing after so many days in the rainforest. Soon after we got here, we all headed to the water for our first snorkel.
Being in the water here was exciting but also a little bit of a struggle for me because I had some trouble with my snorkel and getting it to attach to the correct side, so I was not able to explore quite as long today. On that note, my taxa here is echinoderms (sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and brittle stars), and I know where they’re supposed to be on the reef so expect to read more about them in the coming days as I get a chance to search the crevices in the coral and sand in more detail! I’ll be sure to share my sightings here. For now, I’ll share a couple fun facts about echinoderms instead: sea stars can push their stomachs outside of their body and externally digest their prey and echinoderms can regenerate parts of their body if necessary. Isn’t that cool? 🙂
Day 9: Identity Crisis!
At this point, I’m having an identity crisis of sorts. Even though I’ve officially left the forest, I still feel compelled to find and analyze any cockroach that I find. While doing the ocean portion of the course, I am to look out for ctenophores and other jellyfishes, which I will explain more as the days keep going.
Today, we did a first dive from the boat dock near the Middle Caye (the island we will be residing in). During the dive, I managed to find the notorious upside down jellyfishes (Cassiopea sp.) resting on the bottom of the sand. Their notoriety comes from their abundant numbers and annoying stings. As their name implies, these jellyfish prefer to orient themselves with tentacles facing up and bell facing down. This orientation is due to the photosynthetic symbionts that rest within the tentacles and require sunlight. The jellyfish protects them by surrounding with a mat of stinging tentacles and is fed the photosynthetic products from its buddies.
Hopefully, we will be able to protect ourselves.
Glovers Atoll
Today we left land and moved out to sea. I enjoyed our long boat ride out to Glover’s Atoll, its been a while since I’ve been on the ocean and the waves felt great. It’s a beautiful place out here. After orientation we hopped in the water for a quick snorkel on the patch reef. I ended up having a few technical difficulties towards the end that hopefully practice will resolve.
I am already having more luck with this taxonomic group. I saw two orange Pomatostegus stellatus (star horseshoe worms) growing on a coral, and apparently Grace found Spirobranchus giganteus (christmas tree worms) as well. Besides annelids I saw staghorn coral, a queen conch, a ray, and a ton of fish, soft coral and sponges I couldn’t specifically identify.
Sophia Streeter
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