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Day 11: It’s a sponge type of day!

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today’s general agenda: morning dive —> debrief —> seagrass exploration —> presentations 

Out first research project at Glover’s Reef involves us using transects to address a question about Marine Protected Areas and the reef. Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are designated areas where fishing is restricted or prohibited. We wanted to use this opportunity look at the amount of live coral in MPA and non-MPA reefs. The beauty of fieldwork is that you never know what to expect. This morning, since waves were generally calm, we quickly got geared up and went out to two different patch reefs. We got our clipboards, transect tape, and quadrats and started our data collection. 

Surprisingly, Anna and I were a lot faster today. In comparison to the first two days, we managed to stay afloat and communicate effectively with hand signals. As we were collecting, we were also trying to avoid getting stung by fire corals. I also came to terms that wounds are almost inevitable. I would swim around and another finger would randomly start feeling some sharp pain. Was it the crab, fire corals, or urchin? who knows! 

Anna signaling “corals” to me

While exploring the different patch reefs, we came across so many sponges! We saw Azure vase sponge, Ailochroria crassa, branching vase sponge, and red boring sponges! I want to highlight red boring sponges because they are literally embedded within corals. They compete with corals and cause a ring of dead corals where the corals and sponges meet. 

In the afternoon, we went to explore seagrass patches near the research station. Seagrass patches are good nurseries for animals, and it was shallow enough for us to swim around without fins. I was able to find a diadema skeleton and some chicken liver sponge. These sponges were scattered all over the seafloor, with some firmly attached onto seagrass. When we went back to the station, someone found what might be Aiolochrorio crassa, which is a lobe shaped sponge. 

me explaining types of sponges we found to the group PC: Dr. Shore

Of course, after we’ve examined them all, we scattered them back to the seagrass and called it a day! 

Brendan Wong

Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Belize

5/24/2019

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Day 10: Turns out, not all sponges live in a pineapple

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today’s general agenda: morning land skeleton activity —> seagrass & patch reef exploration —> presentations! 

A way that biologists use to quantify and address questions about corals reefs is through using transects and quadrats. Basically, it is a measuring tape and a square! The idea is that you can lay down quadrats over a certain distance and make general observation about the reef. To practice these methods we were brought to a graveyard… a coral skeleton graveyard! Spoopy! 

We put on our imaginary goggle, pretended all the coral skeletons are live corals, and proceeded to counting them. We practiced using the transects and quadrats, and, while we were getting used to the techniques, I was actually fascinated by just how much coral skeletons there were. A lot of these coral skeletons may have eroded over time, but they generally still retained a defined shape. 

Anna and I counting corals PC: Dr. Solomon

In the afternoon, we once again headed out to the open water. This time, we are using the quadrats and transects to describe areas containing seagrass and algae. As a beginner in snorkeling, I tried my best trying to stay afloat, but I somehow keep getting water into my goggles. At one point, my goggles were entirely filled with water. Salty eyes! After being in the water for two hours and the last group to finish, Anna and I were completely exhausted. We, however, decided to celebrate by swimming to a nearby patch reef and observing coral reefs. Being able to see corals and an entire patch reef invigorated me, and I am more determined than ever to get better at snorkeling. 

Finally, the sponge-department, I present to branching vase sponges (Callyspongia vaginalis)! If you look closely, you will notice the ridges along the sponge. Sponges help filter water and recycle nutrients in the ocean, and they certainly do not live in a pineapple under the sea. 

branching vase sponges!

Brendan Wong

Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Belize

5/23/2019

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Day 9: AhhHhHhHhh!!

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today’s general agenda: travel to Glover’s Reef —> Test snorkeling —> scavenger hunt —> presentations! 

On a scale from 1-10 with 10 being “I’M fREaKinG oUT aHHHH,” I think today was definitely an 8. 

After three long hours on the boat, we arrived at Glover’s Reef Research Station either a shade tanner or burnt. We got to meet Kenneth, the station manager, Annett and Jamel, our cooks, and Herbert and Javier, our guides. We also had the greatest pleasure of meeting CLIVUS, the water-less, composting toilet. Because the station is predominantly powered by wind and solar power, we had to be extra mindful of energy we consume.

Dr. Solomon and Dr. Shore on the boat ride to Glover’s Reef

Now that we’re at Glover’s, I have shifted gears and am now the “sponge” expert. Without much delay, we got suited up in our snorkel gear to test our gear and explore a nearby patch reef. Everything seemed fine until my gear started to malfunction. My snorkel tube would randomly close, preventing me from breathing smoothly. I was surprised how easy things can spiral downwards. I accidentally drank saltwater and I could feel myself get progressively more dehydrated. Luckily, we got back to shore and fixed my gear. In situations like these, I realized just how important it is is to remain calm.

Later today, we got to explore some coral colonies in shallow water. Sadly, I did not see any sponges today, but it was definitely exciting seeing corals for the first time. Moving forward, I am hopeful that my snorkeling experience will improve and there will be more sponges!

I counted 22 Anna’s. Introducing buddy pair Anna and Brendan. PC: Dr. Solomon

Brendan Wong

Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Belize

5/22/2019

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Day 8: Beyonce: “Okay ladies, let’s look at formations”

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Today’s general agenda: leave Las Cuevas —> ATM Cave —> tropical education center —> Belize Zoo 

I am very tempted to use words like “amazing”, “incredible”, “jaw-dropping” to describe my experience today, but I think I should unpack my thoughts to give you a sense of why I am feeling exactly that way. Specifically, I am referring to our expedition into the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave. 

As our pitstop between the rainforest and coral reef, we visited the ATM cave. Even before getting to the entrance of the cave, we had to cross three rivers. Certain parts of the cave required us wading in the shoulder-deep water and some climbing up tall, complex structures. 

I remember I audibly gasped as I looked at the cave formations all around me. When light is shone on these formations, they look like thousands of crystals all glistening back at you. At one point, I even lost a sense of where I was because I was merely taken aback by the view.

As we venture deeper into the cave, we got a better understanding of how caves play a role in Mayan culture. Historically, priests of mayan societies were in the caves performing rituals. Since we were the last group to explore the cave that day, we were able to switch off our lights and just listen to the cave. There was absolutely no light, so my eyes could not adjust to anything. We switched our lights back on, and one of us went missing! I’m just kidding- everyone got out of the cave unscathed. And the craziest thing of it all? Turns out, we only explored about 500m of the 5.3km cave.

Unfortunately, we were not able to document anything with cameras, so hopefully you have been well convinced to go explore the cave yourself. 

lunch at 2:40pm after a 3 hour cave expedition
night zoo with a boa constrictor

Brendan Wong

Belmopan, Belize

5/21/2019

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Day 7: chant with me: ants! ants! ants!

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Today’s general agenda: retrieve camera traps —> finish poster for project mutualism —> check out leafcutter ant colonies —> look at camera trap photos 

Here’s a missed opportunity: Ant-Man should really be Ant-woman instead

Did you know that if you see an ant on the ground, you are most likely observing a female worker ant? These ants are infertile ants that do many important tasks to keep the colony up and running. Male ants only appear during mating season. Today was definitely another fruitful day in the ant department.  In the early afternoon, we got to make a poster and present on our project focused on Azteca ants and their mutualistic relationship with Cecropia tree. We found that, on average, uncolonized trees have tougher leaves, meaning they are less likely to be eaten by herbivores. However, we definitely need more data to validate our results.

In the late afternoon, Dr. Solomon, the actual ant-expert, took us around the research station to compare leafcutter ant colonies of different ages.  We were specifically looking at colonies of A. cephalotes. These colonies can have millions of individuals residing in them, and they can be seen as one of the earliest farmers.These ants collect leaves to grow fungus, and the fungus is then fed to ant larvae. When aggravated, these ants can use their sharp mandibles and actually chew through rubber boots. It was a surreal experience getting to observe what I have been researching in preparation for the trip. 

leafcutter ant soldier!

As our grand finale for the rainforest, we all sat in the classroom to look at the photos the camera traps took over the course of the five days we were in Las Cuevas. We were all on the edge of our seats because we just were not sure what to expect. I think we can all agree that the best picture that was taken was of a tapir walking on the path. On that note, I think we are all ready to further explore Belize and head to the coral reefs. 

camera trap viewing party! It’s a tapir!
unidentified male captured by camera trap

As a mid-trip reflection, I am already amazed by how much we have learnt in such short amount of time. Even though I was initially worried about having minimal internet access, I think the disconnection allowed us to be fully immersed in our environment. I 

Brendan Wong

Las Cuevas, Belize

5/20/2019

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Day 6: we did not want to take any risks

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Today’s general agenda: project leaf diversity —> project mutualism —> bird tower 

Having given my presentation on ants, I was beyond excited that we were going to focus on ants even more on this trip! In particular, today, we were tasked to examine the relationship between Azteca ants and Cecropia trees. These two different species form a mutualistic relationship where both parties benefit by working together. The ants get food while the tree gets protection. We wanted to know how Cecropia trees, before hosting these ants, protect themselves from being eaten. 

click for video showing the Azteca ants and Cecropia trees

720p

We have been constantly examining organisms on the ground that we decided to change up our perspective this evening. Near the research station is a bird tower that is three stories high. From the bird tower, we got to observe the Chiquibul forest in its entirety. We also got to see the Belize sunset. I don’t know if it was the wind, the greenery, or sunset, but, in the moment, I never wanted to get off the tower. Of course, all good things have to come to an end, so we turned on our headlamps and hiked back. 

selfie on the bird tower!

As I was carefully walking in the front, I hear Pierce call out “snake!” in the back. The snake turned out to be a venomous jumping viper hidden in the leaf litter! Though the snake was small in length, we did not want to take any risks. We kept our distances and safely moved forward.

Each night, as you may know, we give presentations that focuses on either specific taxonomic groups or topics. Today, Liz addressed tropical diseases. I was excited to learn more about Dengue Fever because the disease is somewhat prevalent in Taiwan. We even talked about how climate change can affect Dengue Fever. In short, climate change can exacerbate Dengue Fever and increase its range. 

Brendan Wong

Las Cuevas, Belize

5/19/2019

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Day 5: “You’re in” good hands

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Today’s general agenda: project P —> presenting project P —> lectures 

Right before we were about to head out to collect our vials in the forest, we had an unforeseen circumstance. This situation was probably one of the most unique situations I have been in- we were stopped by two Scarlet Macaws that were roaming around the research station. We looked at them through the scope once again, and this time I was able to capture their interaction on camera! It’s hard to imagine having your plans delayed because of Scarlet Macaws but that is essentially what happened. 

Morning interruption: Scarlet Macaws!

I was the first to collect my samples and boy was I surprised. My urine sample actually had two beetles in them! We took all our vials back, and, as part of our methodology, I was tasked to examine and group ants that shared similar body structures. Through a microscope, I was actually able to look super closely at the facial and body structure of the ants that we collected. Keegan’s vials contained a Strumigenys ludia, which is this really small ant, roughly 2.5mm, with a yellow coloration. In total, I sorted the ants into 16 different groups or morphospecies. We unfortunately were not able to draw any definitive conclusions for our research because we need more data points to support our question. 

my “powerful” and nitrogen-rich urine sample PC: Dr. Solomon

Prior to this trip, most of us were not too familiar with each other, but I was so impressed how we were able to put together a presentation. I think having to pee in vials definitely brought our whole group closer together as well. Tonight was also the night that I gave my presentation on ants to the class. After learning so much about ants in such a short period of time, I was able to draw connections to my presentation. I am very lucky to have very supportive classmates, and hearing their presentations have been so much fun. Moving forward, I look forward to presenting my other two presentations on sponges and coral reef formation. 

Brendan Wong

Las Cuevas, Belize

5/18/2019

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Day 4: Peez in the Trap

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Today’s general agenda: project P —> mayan trail exploration —> cave expedition —> night hike 

“ It has to be a joke” – Michael at 7am breakfast

At 5am, I woke up bright and early to watch birds at Las Cuevas. To our delight, we actually spotted some toucans! These toucans have very bright beaks, and, luckily, through the telescope, we were able to capture them preening themselves. 

 

5AM Bird-watching: Toucans!

As we were eating breakfast, we were presented with vials and asked by Dr. Solomon and Dr. Shore to pee in the vials. Two vials each with 25mL of urine is what we were told. Drug test? Not quite! We were actually using our urine sample to test the diversity and nitrogen levels in the rainforest floor and canopy. I present to you.. project P! 

In short, nitrogen is an important resource for organisms to function properly, and nitrogen can come from any decomposing plants, animals, and other organic matter that you commonly find on the rainforest floor. Using our urine as a nitrogen source, we wanted to test  We set up these pitfall traps with either our urine or water around Las Cuevas to see which ones bugs and other organisms preferred. 

Setting up my traps! PC: Dr. Solomon

At night, I actually was able to observe ants hard at work. Leafcutter ants are specific ants that exhibit leaf cutting behaviors. They lay out this path on the ground, which is basically a highway for them to transport to leaves back to their nest. 

Brendan Wong

Las Cuevas, Belize

5/17/2019

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Day 3: and they came out of nowhere!

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Today’s agenda: Las Cuevas research station —> exploring trails and setting up camera trap —> Las Cuevas Research Station 

Part of our trip objective is to conduct a research project around Las Cuevas Research Station. Our group came up with the plan to examine how the research station itself may serve as a disturbance for species diversity around Las Cuevas. To give some context, we are currently in a circular shaped clearing surrounded by the rainforest. We think that as we move farther away from the research station, we will see more diverse animals in numbers and species. 

We are using this technique called camera trapping where we pick certain locations and set up a camera to take pictures of anything that moves in front of it. I am hopeful that we would be able to spot some big cats (jaguar or puma) because on our way to our first camera trap spot, we saw what appeared to be some recent paw print on the floor. 

one of our camera trap locations

Speaking of travels, we hiked a total of 5 hours today, climbing up and down hills. With our field gear on, we were able to explore the rainforest in-depth. We saw spider monkeys, blue morpho butterflies, spiny orb weavers, Xaté fishtail palm, and so much more! In the ant department, we spotted army ants, Pseudomerymex ants, Dolichoderus ants, and fire ants. Somehow, twice today, I had ants all over me. One even bit me under my shirt. These ants are not so forgiving when you come across their nests. Oh, and did I mention that I also ate a termite, but we’ll just have to save that story for another time. 

At the end of the day, after seeing almost something from each taxonomic group that each of us had, we ended up finding ourselves with either a few ticks or maybe 100 of them! They came out of nowhere! Turns out, ticks are hard to kill. To effectively kill them, you have to use your nail on one finger and press it against your other finger so it effectively cuts ticks in half. 

 

Spotted two upside-down Scarlet Macaws

Brendan Wong

Las Cuevas, Belize

5/16/2019

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Day 2: “More scientific way of describing their golden butt”

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Today’s general agenda: Crystal Paradise Ecolodge —> Rio on River —> Caracol —> Las Cuevas Research Station 

It’s another day in Belize, meaning we got to eat more rice and beans! Rice and beans is a traditional Belizean cuisine, and, to my surprise, there is a subtle but not so subtle difference between rice and beans and beans and rice. Rice and beans have beans incorporated in the rice; beans and rice have separate rice and beans. Now, you know the differences! I recommend trying the rice and beans and most certainly with Marie Sharp’s hot sauce. 

I would say what makes today unique is that we were able to contextualize our trip through understanding more history of Belize. Belize is rooted in Mayan culture and artifacts. We had an in-depth tour by Leo, our tour guide, in Carcaol, a Mayan ruin. We explored how social class translates to how and where buildings were built. We also got to explore Mayan structures used for astronomy and religious purposes.

group at Caracol

While we were exploring Mayan structures, we got to see Montezuma oropendola nests hanging from the tree. These nests were woven by the birds themselves and are very sturdy structures. I was very fascinated by these nests because I have never seen birds build these type of basket-like nests. This trip is continuously opening my eyes to more to amazing animals! 

Low-Hanging Montezuma oropendola nest

Finally, today, in the ant-identification department, I present to you the “Golden Butt ant” in the Camponotes genus. These ants were found on tree trunks when we were on our way to Rio on River. They were roughly 2cm long, and they had golden-colored gaster region, which is just a more scientific way of describing their golden butt. Next stop: Las Cuevas Research Station! 

“Golden Butt Ant”

Brendan Wong

Las Cuevas, Belize

5/15/2019

Rice University