Tag Archives: parrotfish

Uncategorized

Day 11: Parrotfish

Leave a comment

Today we set off to observe some parrotfish in the reef! We decided to highlight 4 species: striped, red tail, stoplight, and red band. Our research methods involve recording and following the fish around for 5 minutes and noting their behavioral patterns in the reef. We split into pairs and designated different portions of the reef to each group as to minimize the potential overlap there may be. Generally, we are asking what the parrotfish eat and which species are eating what. Tomorrow morning we are going to come back and analyze all of these findings.

(Striped parrotfish would occasionally venture in smaller numbers into the reef, but would spend most of their time in larger groups near the edge, constantly eating algae)

While we were out on the reef, I also saw a few piscivorous fish. On the surface of the water, I saw a few needlefish darting by. Near the reef edges, I observed a few groups of Spanish mackerel swimming together. I also saw several yellow jacks while observing the parrotfish. So far, I have not seen any of my piscivorous fish preying or attacking other fish, but I’m sure if I watch them for any extended period of time that’s bound to happen.

(donkey dung sea cucumber found)

I sat out of the afternoon snorkel for some personal reasons, which was definitely the right call for me, and I got to rest up a bit, which felt really good.

This afternoon, we heard some presentations from the people who work here at Glover’s Reef. It was cool to hear about the goals and mission of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which is the parent organization that runs this station and several others. They aim to conserve and protect both the lands and waters of Belize, connecting the two. Also, they are making a special effort to manage the natural resources in a sustainable way.

The marine biologist here told us a bit about the fishing practices allowed that prevent damage to the marine ecosystems. There is a strict limit on the amount of fishing that cane be done, and there are guidlines in place for the popular conch and lobster seasons. There are also coast guards stationed here on the island who carry weapons and scare off any illegal activities.

The taxon presentations highlighted surgeonfish and wrasses, which actually both participate in some unique practices on the reef in which they clean other fish that would often be their natural predators.

-Emily

Uncategorized

Wrapping and Reviewing: Thoughts on the TFB Experience

Leave a comment

Despite their widely different biomes, the terrestrial tropical rainforest and its lush greenery, compared to the vast ocean and its mysterious creatures, both have developed rich, complex ecosystems. For instance, the forest sustains itself on light and plant matter, reaching different trophic levels and creating microhabitats by temperature and structure to allow biodiverse inhabitants. Similarly, the reefs of the coral reef, fed by billions upon billions of photosynthetic algae, create structural niches for fish and other fauna to reside in, developing hidden habitats as a result. On a greater level, the intense light, heat, and moisture within both systems has become a breeding ground for several producers, enhancing the food web further down levels of prey, mesopredator, predator, and apex predator. 

Personally, I have also noticed that both systems intrinsically propel organismal adaptations (both behaviorally and morphologically) for specialization through competition and symbiotic relationships. For instance, my taxon in the coral reef, the parrotfish, is known for its numerous speciation in the area. Observing their behavior through fish follow studies, we noticed some more adventurous, like the Striped parrotfish, while others like the Redband parrotfish more quickly hiding in reefs. Similarly, the forest’s big cats like pumas often appear at night on the ground while the smaller margay, or tiger cat, hunts its prey on trees despite also being nocturnal. And where there is a will, there is a way. Fungi and insects develop richly on the underside of logs and leaves, in the cracks of tree bark and soil, and atop other living organisms. Inundated with liveliness, neither the ocean nor the forest is ever silent, waiting and adapting with time.

The course far exceeded my expectations. I have been able to pick up so many skills listening and waiting patiently for organism interactions, developing field biology research predictions and methodology, and presenting research. I came in thinking about all the equipment we needed and how unnecessary it probably would be, but I’ve come to value literally every single thing I’ve used in the course, from the thick rubber boots to a tight mask and snorkel. My favorite part of the course is the sheer amount I’ve learned–be it listening to other people’s presentations, or meeting organizers of the various research stations. Another thing that shifted my perspective of both the forest and the reef was witnessing them at night, understanding the enormity of these systems amidst the bright, starry sky. My least favorite part was probably the heat. Traversing the rainforest’s dry season and the atoll’s brutal humidity, I could definitely feel my patience wearing thin at times. Still, it was very character-building. 

Five years from now, I think I’ll still remember a lot about this trip. My favorite, and biggest takeaway: everything can be an ecosystem, especially caves. Caves hold so much geological and biological adaptation, with much continually being explored. Second, ecosystems can be dangerous if you’re not careful. Snorkeling in strong ocean currents or not performing basic stingray (via the stingray shuffle) and snake checks can make or break your life. Thirdly, the more you stare at something, the more life you’ll find. While the reef and forest are not always as dynamic at the macro level, a single leaf can hold colonies upon colonies of lichen. And these relationships are complex, like leafcutter ants with their fungal gardens, adapting for millions and millions of years to form the most astounding dynamics.

Signing off! P.S. some final forest and reef pics 🙂

Uncategorized

Day 15: Bye Belize, Hello Houston

Leave a comment

The most bittersweet day. We woke up early to pack and aboard the dock, heading on a 3-hour boat ride away from GRRS. I’ll definitely miss the dock, the sun, and the waves. The heat and humidity? Not as much. And definitely not the seasickness (my parting gift on our way back). But still, sailing away across the choppy waters, I could not believe how quickly our reef excursions were wrapping up.

A couple hours later we were at the mainland dock. A bunch of us used the bathroom, which was no longer Clivus. That was also super surreal. And then time to aboard the bus back to the airport.

Bussing to the Belize Airport

And lastly, our flight back home. Before we left, Noelle, Sam, Ian, Dyllan, and I got some really yummy pizza for lunch in the airport. Reminiscing on our time at GRRS and how long ago LCRS seemed, it felt like deja vu that we were taking the same steps back to Houston that we had taken to get to Belize.

Waiting for our ride back at IAH

As we landed in IAH, people began leaving for their connecting flights, until only 8 of the original 14 TFBers were left.

Driving back to the place where it all started

But more to come! Some of us that are still in Houston are trying to meet up, so fingers crossed!

B-roll: Bidding the Belizean breakfast goodbye
Uncategorized

Belize Day 11: What’s Washing Up on Shore?

Leave a comment

No contacts, vision blurred, sea breeze swaying you from one direction to the other. The urge to pee taking over. Stumbling blindly around the trail to Clivus, the compostable toilet. Dodging huge, mango-sized blue land crabs, silently and fuzzily praying they don’t charge. 

I’m wondering when I will have to face one of these blue crabs that rule the island by night. During the day, when they’re retreating back to their covers, they look too goofy to take seriously. They scuttle sideways, claws snapping open and shut, their tiny feet skittering across the ground. I hear Mr. Krabs whenever they walk. But in the night, they have the power to rob me of a finger or a toe. 

It’s crazy the kind of stuff that gets washed up on islands, including these outlandish blue land crabs. We’re 34 miles away from the closest land-based town and 70 miles out from Belize City, yet, life finds a way. Dr. Solomon saw a hummingbird buzzing around yesterday, and it is more common than not to stumble upon a spiny-tailed iguana, hermit crab, or blue land crab. It turns out land hermit crabs first arrive from the mainland as eggs. The mothers release them into the sea, where they hatch and begin life as tiny, drifting larvae. After several molts and a search for their first shell, they make the critical journey to land. 

(Hermit Crabbies – 05/26/25)

But the real reason we’re on this remote island is to be near Glover’s Reef, where we can explore marine biodiversity – not just island biogeography. Today, our mission was to trace the diet of parrotfish. We were investigating whether different species of parrotfish specialize in specific types of food, or if they’re generalist feeders that consume a broad range of items, including seagrass, algae, and coral. To study this, we conducted a fish follow survey, with each team tracking an individual parrotfish, observing its behavior to identify what it was eating. As Dr. Evans put it, now we’re doing “camera chases” instead of the “camera traps” we set up in the rainforest. 

DSCF1655 (Stoplight Parrotfish Feeding on Algae – 05/24/25)

Sohee and I felt some residual sea sickness from the day before, so we decided to stay in the shallow area and survey the seagrass for redtail parrotfish, who are known to consume sea grass. While we could not find any parrotfish, we saw 2 needlefish near the surface by the dock, a couple of snappers, and a nurse shark. I didn’t spot any sponges in the shallow seagrass bed – probably because there were fewer hard surfaces for them to attach to, and the water flow was much less compared to the reef. Luckily, Dr. Solomon found us a sea cucumber, my new obsession. These guys are thick, shiny, squishy rods with several bumps along their bodies that serve as little feet. Some have commensal symbiotic relationships with pearlfish, who swim up their anus and use them as protection without giving the sponge much in exchange.  I looked over, and Sadhana draped the sea cucumber over her forehead. She giggles and goes, “You know what they say, you are what you put on your head.”

DSCF1887 (Seagrass Snapper Spotting – 05/26/25)

Though the island life takes some adjustment, this tiny island is filled with and surrounded by so many ecological gifts, from intimidating land crabs to weird, cucumber invertebrates. After days of learning and getting our hands in the water, I adore relaxing with friends around the dock. We stare down at the ocean to watch creatures pass by underway or gaze up at the sky full of stars. With wind blowing our hair every which way, we breathe in the ocean life.

(Breathing in the Sea Breeze – 05/26/25)

Peace out,

Lily H. 🙂 2025

Uncategorized

Day Fo(u)r-Trash (Fourteen…ok maybe I ran out of ideas but the vision is there): Doing our Part with Waste Pickup and Lionfish Hunts

Leave a comment

Our last day at GRRS! And we spent it doing some pretty worthwhile things. We started off in preparation for our final ever TFB poster. And our final ever project together… a trash pickup around the beach! Since we’ve landed here, we’ve definitely noticed the waste pile around different areas of the atoll, including some sites by our dorm and the coral graveyard we visited earlier. 

Our project ended up focusing on different areas of the island, from more protected mangroves to the less protected and more exposed coral graveyard to observe how trash might vary in this spectrum. Unfortunately, no matter where we looked, trash was trash–the island showed definitive coverage via our quadrant methodology. It was a good reminder of how nothing is isolated in the ocean–things can pile up from anywhere and everywhere with consequential impacts.

On a lighter note, we got to do a lionfish dissection from the fish Dr. Evans and Dr. Solomon had hunted earlier. Lionfish are invasive species, which actually makes this a super encouraged practice in the area. We did pretty good with our lionfish even though it was super small, until we had to find these two bulb-like bones in the skull called the otoliths. At which point we gave up and started dissecting the eyes and other parts of our fish that could be salvaged… which also wasn’t much at that point. 

the OG lionfish

This and some yummy coconuts later, we began packing and bid our farewell to the islands. A bunch of us went to the dock one last time, which was super bittersweet. Cannot believe our time is over here, it feels like just yesterday when we were at LCRS… but a final travel day awaits… 

Taxon update! Just the sand that the parrotfish have definitely excreted, but no actual parrotfish 🙁

goodbye for now

Uncategorized

Day Thir-sty(teen): Looking for Life in Parched Reefs

Leave a comment

Our second-to-last day at the reef! It’s crazy to think about how quickly time has passed since being at GRRS. I think being on the beach has genuinely made time pass differently, but still so worthwhile.

Today, our main project focused on understanding protected zones in the ocean. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are regions of the ocean designated for long-term conservation, maintaining reef flora and fauna in the area. To understand the impact of these zones, we performed some surveys of both MPA areas and non-MPA areas. Which ended up being a bit harder than it sounded. We started by using these quadrants, letting them settle to the ocean floor, and taking pictures of the area. Kinda like this!

Adam and I did really good with the first few quadrants. Unfortunately, as time passed it became harder for me to dive all the way down and retrieve the quadrants, so Adam carried that massively. We even ended up being a bit behind at the end, but we ended up pushing through, and some people saw a dolphin in the extra time we were underwater! (Who are we if not people who create opportunities?)

We ended up making the poster later in the day, which was super fun. Elise cooked with our title. And then it was dock time and watching the sea life. 

Taxon update! A bunch of striped parrotfish in the MPAs, which made me super happy.

#Our last day tomorrow!!

Uncategorized

Day Dozin’ (Dozen): Docking Down and Dillydallying Deep

Leave a comment

A little break from snorkeling! After the classic eggs, beans, and bread, we went out to the seagrass patch by the doc, adding things into buckets that we could potentially observe under a microscope. Dyllan and I got a pair of tongs each, while Elise and Claire D. got some small fish nets, and other people got buckets or an assortment of the tools. It was so so fun! I clipped up so many different types of seagrass to put in the buckets. I also caught a few hermit crabs and some random insects on the surface of the water. Others were able to catch some really fast larval fish, a lot more hermit crabs, some sea snails, and even some shrimp. Best of all though, Dr. Evans caught this yellow-purple land crab in the mangroves, and Elise caught a box jelly! It was even cooler watching them all under the microscope. I saw black spots on the clear coverings of the larval fish, epiphytes on the various sea grass, and cool miniature structures on some of the algae. 

After that, it was time for the temple of lunch, which was this really yummy fried egg sandwich with lettuce and tomato. Also the softest bread I have ever eaten, it must’ve been homemade. Soon after, it was time for the temple of the dock. Tanning on the pristine dock, listening to folk music and ocean waves, it was such a divine experience.

It was then time for a walk on the coral graveyard, which makes up the perimeter of the GRRS Island, Middle Caye. Walking across these fossilized coral, it was astounding to see just how dust settled atop the dead coral. It was a sea of grey and white, representative of debris and sun bleaching respectively. We identified at least 6-8 different forms of hard coral settled in the area. We also saw some soft coral like the purple sea fan slowly fossilizing, which was interesting because it would consistently retain its structure and color, just drying out to eventually turn into dust. In millions of years, this area will likely become a cave, or something else that may karstify. But if it does, it might have a layer of thin, colorful rock interspersed, composed of the plastic litter within the area. Among the dozens of bottles, slippers, and bags, it was a stark reminder that no matter how isolated the islands seem, the ocean connects all.

In the rocky sea nearby, we got to see and pick up a bunch of purple and red sea urchins! They moved all across my hand, it was crazy. Claire C. also picked up a brittle sea star. Walking down across the rest of the beach, I also noticed the various trees and logs across this area.

Mangroves grew along the coastline, with coconut trees and decomposing logs everywhere. Something interesting about the coconut trees–the coconuts themselves are shallowly attached to the sand, splitting open for tendrils and roots to emerge. I had never realized this before, but makes sense given the poor nutrition and loose texture of the soil. It could be the reason why the coconut is so big and nourishing. Also, the trees grow really really slanted because of the strong sea winds, which I thought was really cool. It’s common across all trees, but the extent is unlike anything I’ve noticed. Another fun fact, there were some really cool bright red shelf fungi on the logs which I’d never seen before. Not my beach taxon, but still really cool.

After a yummy dinner and the classic taxon and topic presentations, it was time for a night fish! This was so so cool. We put some lights into the ocean and watched the jumpy larval fish team around. I was even able to catch a couple! We also caught some shrimp, and Claire D. caught a squid. Eventually, we did try feeding the squid some shrimp. It squirted a bunch of its black ink, changing colors to match the ink, the white bucket, and the speckled nets. Didn’t catch any of the shrimp though, which was kinda lame. But I was a big fan of the night fishing catch otherwise. That’s my first fish ever caught, which is kinda crazy. I did lose a slipper though, so sorry to contribute to that big pile of slippers on the coral graveyard.

Taxon Spotting: Unfortunately I didn’t get to see any parrotfish today. But we saw so much sand across the trails, and 70% of Caribbean sands come from parrotfish excrement. So putting two and two together, we saw a lot of evidence of all of the prominent species across the beach. 

Uncategorized

Day Ocean’s Eleven: Chasing Parrotfish

Leave a comment

Waking up to the bright sun, fierce sea wind, and palm trees outside the window is definitely a privilege. After a great breakfast of eggs, bread, and beans, it was time to go to the wet lab! Based on our observations from yesterday, we decided to observe more parrotfish. It’s been really fun learning about the taxon in practice–theory can only go so far. But essentially, we decided to understand their feeding behaviors better. Parrotfish are known to eat off the bottom of shallow ocean floors, be it coral reefs or seagrass patches. Based on our observations, this could potentially mean them eating algae off of these patches or eating these things for sustenance specifically. 

So we decided to test it out! We split up into 7 different groups looking for four of the most common species we had spotted, including the Striped Parrotfish, the Stoplight Parrotfish, the Redband Parrotfish, and the Redtail Parrotfish. We then divided up by potential habitats the fish could be grazing in. Adam and I, along with Lily and Sohee, ended up taking seagrass to observe the parrotfish in. We were especially hoping to see the Redtail here, which is distinct in its grey and red coloration in its female, or initial phase. 

Our first site was a patch of seagrass right by the dock. Snorkeling here, we found tons of Striped Parrotfish surprisingly! These fish swam in groups of 6-10, nibbling on algae without any real damage to the material. This indicated them potentially feeding on algae in these areas. We then went closer to the aquarium, the series of shallow reef and seagrass patches interspersed with each other. In our second site, we spotted even more Striped Parrotfish. No redtail in site yet. Finally, our third site rolled around. This time, we also followed Dr. Evans and went closer to the edge of the reef and seagrass, rather than seagrass beds alone. Almost immediately, we saw some Redtail and even a Redband! With their dusky coloration, both were super skittish, grazing on grass before immediately hiding in the reef.

A still from one of my super blurry fish follow videos

Analyzing our videos, Adam and I realized we weren’t going to be expert underwater photographers anytime soon. But the snorkeling was so much fun, made better by a nap on the bench outside my dorm. After, we had some really interesting talks by the manager of GRRS, a marine biologist on board, and some of the coast guards. Hearing about their work in person was super interesting, especially when the coastguard showed us their rifles and discussed their intense training. 

And that was the day! Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

Uncategorized

Day inTENse: Rocky Starts and Oceanic Comebacks

Leave a comment

Our first day snorkeling! The ocean looked super pristine and calm above water. Jumping in, however, was a whole different story. As soon as I hit the water at 10 am though, I panicked. Mask flooded and fogged, legs weakly kicking back against strong surges of waves, I opted to be on a life raft instead. Tugged around by lifeguards Domenique and Adrian, I followed along, and ended up spotting a  nurse shark, varieties of angelfish, parrotfish, and damselfish, and a plethora of colorful coral. By the end of the session, I was ready to be back in the ocean.

But first, I needed a quick (2 hour) nap on our wet lab’s hammock. Sleeping in the hammock amidst the hot, humid climate was a life altering experience. After that and lunch, it was time for another snorkel at a series of patch reefs at Glover’s Reef Research Station (GRRS) known as the Aquarium. Testing out my phone camera and video, I was able to spot so many parrotfish, as well as a barracuda, some really pretty sea urchin, and beautiful coral. From the fire and maze corals to the purple sea fan, the diversity within singular patches was amazing to see. It really made me realize the reason Belize’s coast is called the largest “living” reef. 

hammocking!

After snorkeling, we analyzed all the images we got. Sam and I spent an especially long time looking at the parrotfish and wrasses around the area. Interestingly, we both saw an initial phase female striped parrotfish transitioning into a male, or terminal phase parrotfish! These are distinct in that the female typically exhibits duller, red-warm colors, while the male is more vibrant, exhibiting blues and greens. Seeing this transition was super cool and definitely a highlight. We also identified a bunch of striped parrotfish and stoplight parrotfish, both in their initial phases. What was most interesting though, was the behavior we saw, from chasing females across territorial boundaries, to grazing and excretion. Fun fact–parrotfish excrete sand!

The transitioning parrotfish!

An exciting, but tiring day for sure. More to come soon!

 

Uncategorized

Day 11: Red light… Green light! Finding Stoplight Parrotfish

Leave a comment

Today was such a great day. Our project of the day was trying to determine what common parrotfish species eat on or outside of the reef. We first snorkeled off the dock where Sam and I (snorkel buddies) looked for stoplight parrotfish. We found a few small female parrotfish and one large male, but they were very hard to watch eating since they kept darting between coral. I did however see a large nurse shark though! It was on the outskirts of the reef hanging on the sea floor beneath some coral. 

After lunch I was hanging around the dock when I saw another nurse shark! Like the first day at Glover’s Reef, this shark was swimming under and beside the dock. It was relatively large and very majestic. After watching for a few minutes I also saw a small lemon shark swim by! This shark was seeming just wandering around the sea grasses. 

 

(lemon shark)

Our second snorkel of the day took us further into the lagoon. We snorkeled two sites in search of stoplight parrotfish and we got some great footage of them eating. Tomorrow we will compare our findings with people analyzing other parrotfish! On these reefs I also found multiple anemones, saw many wrasses, and found gorgeous conchs. 

(Analyzing parrotfish data)

I’m looking forward to getting back on the water soon! 

Claire C