Tag Archives: reef

Uncategorized

Last Day on the Reef!

Leave a comment

Hey y’all! It’s Michiel again : )

I’m sure you guys already know that the day started with everyone waking up and getting breakfast by 7. After waking up this morning and getting breakfast, everyone quickly put on their snorkel gear, got their transects, quadrats, and clipboards, and boarded the boat to go out to a non-MPA reef. There, we collected data for the research question I talked about on June 11. The reef was a pretty good depth, not to shallow or too deep, but it had a lot of fire sponge and fire coral. Thankfully, I managed not to touch any while I was there. It also had a lot of dead coral and there were very few fish. I remember seeing two Cocoa Damselfish (Stegastes variabilis), but I can’t remember seeing any other fish I could identify. After, Ava and I laid out our transect and counted alive and dead coral in our quadrat, the entire class began collecting sea urchins for 10 minutes. This place was full of sea urchins; I ended up getting 11, but some people were able to find a lot more. We ended up with 177 sea urchins after only 10 minutes.

After this reef, we went to a much nicer, deeper reef where the class had a chance to snorkel without the pressure of collecting any data. This was our last time to snorkel on the trip, and I’m really happy with the reef they ended up taking us too. The coral in the area was beautiful, and I saw so many fish. In terms of herbivorous fish, I saw a bunch of Cocoa Damselfish (S. variabilis), some really large Sergeant Majors (Abudefduf saxatilis) – they were about 20 cm – Threespot Damselfish (S. planifrons), and Bicolor Damselfish (S. partitus). I also saw a Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus) and a male Bluelip Parrotfish (Cryptotomus roseus), both of which I followed for a while to get a good picture. I got some fine-ish pictures of the Blue Tang, but I couldn’t get any good ones of the parrotfish because the parrotfish kept going all over the reef, moving through coral so fast that I could barely keep up with it. All of these fish were really hard to get pictures of because they tend to hide within the coral whenever you approach them.

Huge Abudefduf saxatilis

After we left that reef, we compiled all of the data we’ve collected over the past couple of days. We were able to conclude that there is a correlation between a high percentage of live coral coverage and less sea urchins. However, we didn’t see any correlation between the amount of urchins and whether we were collected at an MPA or a non-MPA. We think this may be due to our ability in collecting sea urchins improving as we went from reef to reef. This would explain why we collected so few sea urchins from the first non-MPA site we went to, which probably skewed our results. After determining all of this, we put all of our information on a poster and presented our project to Scott and Adrienne.

Later in the day (after lectures and dinner) we dissected lionfish. My group was given a really tiny lionfish, which was challenging, but my confidence in my dexterity skills skyrocketed after I saw how well I did on the dissection. The most interesting part of the dissection was opening its stomach to examine its content. We were able to see some invertebrate organism within it that measured about 2.1 cm. After dissecting the fish, Scott took them, fileted them, and made ceviche. The ceviche was delicious, and we were all happy that we were simultaneously having a wonderful snack and contributing to the betterment of our marine environment.

After the ceviche, we worked on our assignments and got ready for bed. This was the last day of the reef! I’m sad it’s over – I had so much fun snorkeling – but I’m excited for everything I’m going to learn in the rainforest.

The best photo of the blue tang I could take : (
A photo Sophia took of the blue tang!
2022

Day 7: Predator Turned Prey

Leave a comment

From our last snorkel to lionfish ceviche, today was a great day overall. We started off by heading to our final patch reef to finish collecting data on the relationship between coral cover and sea urchin abundance. The wind and waves were strong, but overall, it was a fairly smooth experience. However, the boat ride was more akin to a rollercoaster. The relationship between urchins and live coral was an interesting concept to investigate. Our data reliability may be a bit questionable (as we are far from experienced in this type of research) but the patch reefs we visited all had significant growth of brown algae, which colonizes the dead stony coral skeletons along with a multitude of other organisms. The battle between stony corals and macroalgae is constant, yet it’s clear that human-driven environmental factors have swayed many reef regions in favor of more prolific algae growth at the detriment of stony reef builders. In theory, this may bolster the local urchin population because of an increase in available algal food.

That doesn’t mean these reefs aren’t teeming with life though. I was able to see several colonies of Orbicella faveolata (some with small fish resting on the surface), tons of Porites, and even several Caribbean reef squids.

We ended the night by dissecting the invasive lionfish we caught over the past few days and then turning them into ceviche. A tasty snack to end a wonderful time on the island. I look forward to the forest, and hopefully the opportunity to spot an amphibian or two.

Collected urchins
Porites sp. (hard to tell)
Orbicella faveolata
2022

Day 5: Snorkeling and hydrocortisone cream, two of my new favorite things

Leave a comment

Today we were able to snorkel three new regions, two of which we collected data documenting the density of live and dead coral on two of the patch reefs. However, I must say getting into the saltwater made me extremely aware of all the mosquito bites I continue to scratch despite a general knowledge to avoid doing so. But overall, things went far smoother and more quickly than yesterday. Collecting data was an expeditious process, as the currents were less intense and my snorkeling abilities are gradually improving. The first two patch reefs were inside of the marine protected area, yet illustrated the great variability between patches and within a single patch reef itself. Some areas were sandy, many were covered with the rubble remanence of dead stony corals, some were packed with soft corals, and others had some healthy decently sized colonies of stony corals. Like always, I enjoyed going to these new areas and viewing the immense complexities of these ecosystems. I did spot a few patches and fragments of A. cervicornis, which I was not expecting due to their current rarity as a result of disease and the fact that the conditions of the patch reef were not what is normally thought to be their ideal habitat. A small little glimmer of hope from a species I grow fonder of with each encounter. But not all things named “coral” make the list of favorites. Both of these reefs had tons of fire coral spread throughout. Despite the name, fire coral is not a true coral, but fitting for its name it has a very unpleasant sting when touched. I accidentally brushed up against these corals a few times throughout the morning, and I must say it’s not a desirable sensation.

 

Later in the afternoon, there was an optional snorkeling activity. Although a nap sounded exceptionally enticing today, there’s not enough time on this trip to see everything and be completely rested, and that’s perfectly fine with me. We traveled to a shallow lagoon-like area, with lots of seagrasses, fish, anemones, and some corals. It would seem that the stony corals have taken a bit of a downturn in this region of the atoll due to a variety of factors, but there were still some colonies trying their best. I was able to take a cool photo of the polyps of Porites, where you can see the almost fluffy appearance the tentacles create.

We wrapped up the night with some fascinating lectures on the logistical aspects of protecting Glover’s atoll, the marine protected area, and Belizean water overall. As of now, I am definingly ready to go to bed, after a healthy application of hydrocortisone to my multitude of bug bites.

 

Uncategorized

First Reef Day!

3 Comments

Hey y’all, It’s Michiel again : )

Today was so much fun! This morning was absolutely beautiful and I loved looking out over the island during breakfast. Just after breakfast, we saw an iguana. It was very pretty and we kept seeing iguanas (or perhaps the same iguana) throughout the day.

After breakfast, we put on our snorkel gear and dove off the dock. The tropical waters were very inviting with how warm they were. We saw huge schools of tiny fish which we could not identify. Once my partner (Ava) and I made it to the patch reefs, we could not get enough of our taxonomic groups. They were telling me all about soft corals and I returned the favor by offering them  facts about herbivorous fish. In this reef, I saw a lot of herbivorous fish, but I didn’t have my taxon ID sheet so I was only able to identify a few. We definitely saw a lot of Threespot Damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) and Cocoa Damselfish (Stegastes variabilis), and I believe we may have seen an Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus). I noticed that it’s really hard to get good pictures of a lot of these fish because they hide as you approach, so I stayed a good distance from them and zoomed my camera in as much as I could.

Once we got into the water, we went to the wet lab to make quadrats and set up a scavenger hunt. Soon after this, we decided to explore the reef near a different part of the island, but to access that area we had to go through the Mangroves of Death (MOD), which were filled with mosquitos that chased us and bit through our lycra dive skins as we ran through the forest. Finally finding safe haven within the water, Ava and I went off again to look at more soft corals and herbivorous fish. While there, I saw many Sergeant Majors (Abudefduf saxatilis) and Beaugregories (Stegastes leucostictus). We also saw a lot of competition between corals, and we saw two stingrays! Ava and I were very grateful that we had decided to swim over the seagrass instead of walk through it when we saw those.

Sergeant Majors (Abudefduf saxatilis)
Stingray hidden in seagrass

After this second reef excursion, we had wonderful presentations given by Rusty, Ava, Maegan, Phoenix, and Michael who presented on hard corals, soft corals, coral reef framework, ctenophores and jellyfish, and sponges respectively. Now, the day is over and I am posting this blog before getting some rest.

Also, I’ve included a group photo of some of other TFBs and I hanging out in the wet lab! See you guys soon!

2022

Day 1: Exciting Travels!

Leave a comment

After a day of travels, I am filled with excitement, but I am also officially exhausted. Today was a long day of here-to-there (from car, to shuttle, to airplane, to van, to boat), but every leg of the journey was enjoyable!

Once in Belize, I noticed how humid it is, and that is because we are in the beginning of the wet season. There are palm trees galore, and the buildings are such vibrant colors! We stopped at a shop after leaving the airport, and I got some Belizean snacks that I can’t wait to try. The boat ride to Glover’s Reef was longer than expected but a beauty to behold. I saw so many different shades of blue! My favorite part of the ride was crossing the barrier reef. As we approached the barrier reef, we could see the whites of the waves crashing into the reef crest. Our boat was navigated through a channel in the reef. And on that channel was a small island packed with tourists. I attached a photo I took of the island, like a little paradise out at sea!

The Glover’s Research Station is amazing! The facilities are just what we need, and all of the people here are so friendly! Hermit crabs and other crabs walk around the island like squirrels on Rice campus, so I’ll have to remember to watch where I step.

Tomorrow, we start our morning at 6:30 and have our first day out on the reef! I am completely new to snorkeling, so I am excited to get my feet wet (pun intended). I will keep my eyes peeled for any corallimorphs, zoanthids, or anemones!

For now, I am going to get as much sleep as I can to prepare for the busy week ahead out on the reef!

– McKenna Castleberry

Uncategorized

Day 15: I cannot Belize it’s over!

Leave a comment
My final walk, might I say jump, down the Middle Caye dock.

5/28/19: Our two-week journey has finally come to an end. Is it possible that it some ways it feels like it happened in a blink of an eye and it was a whole month? Regardless, I am going to miss Belize: the beautiful natural habitats, kind people, and of course, the delicious hot sauce.

It was a super long day for me. I started my morning at 4:45am and took a three-hour boat ride to Belize City. Then, boarded a flight that lasted two hours which put us in Houston around 5pm. Next, we drove through rush hour traffic back to Rice where I then got into my car and drove another 4 hours back to my home in Corpus Christi, Texas. So, it is safe to say I am pretty worn out.

However, on the car ride home, I could not help but reminisce on all the good times in Belize. The animals we saw, the crystal blue water, and our interesting tour guides. I think I want to go back to Belize one day as a tourist and even as a researcher. What will I be researching? Hopefully, I can figure that out soon.

Tonight, I plan to tend to shower (maybe even shower twice?) I will also tend to my bug bites with a concoction of Neosporin and anti-itch cream. Above all, I plan to sleep for at least 12 hours.

Wish me luck in Dreamland!

-Bella

Uncategorized

Day 14: Sea you soon Glover’s Reef

Leave a comment

5/27/19: Today was our final day on the island. Above all, I think I am going to miss waking up to the beautiful views every day. With waking up early, I tend to be a little more grumpy, but I found it hard to be upset sitting at the breakfast table with such an incredible view. However, let it be noted, I am definitely not going to miss the bug bites.

Today, we looked at marine debris on Glover’s reef Middle Caye. As a UNESCO world heritage site, Glover’s reef Middle Caye is absolutely beautiful. The island is essentially paradise with a purpose, but it is not immune to damaging effects of pollution. Around the reef, I was shocked that we found over 3659 pieces of trash while collecting for merely 30 minutes. I am going to be honest with you it makes me so sad that even an island as remote as this still struggles to combat pollution. We even saw a hermit crab with a plastic cap as its shell.

Pile of marine debris found on Middle Caye

On a less sad note, we also dissected a lionfish today. Lionfish are an invasive species in the Caribbean, so by catching these fish, we learned something new and help preserve the natural ecosystem. We decided to name our fish Hungry because it had an empty stomach. We made lionfish ceviche after the dissection and it was delicious.

Kaela and I dissecting our lionfish, Hungry.

Today, there were no water activities, so I was not able to see my taxon. Honestly, I was kind of sad not to see my taxon today. I think I am going to miss seeing my little algae buddies around every corner. Tomorrow, we have a long day of travel ahead of us.

Wish me luck!

-Bella

Uncategorized

Day 13: Searchin’ for Urchins

Leave a comment

5/26/19: Have you ever held a ball of sticks that moves in your bare hand? Well if you have, stick around because I think you can bond with me. But if you haven’t, do not fret because I am sure I am descriptive enough for both of us. Today, we were searching for sea urchins for our next research project. When I say searching, I mean searching! I was doing handstands trying to see underneath rocks and used spaghetti tongs to fetch them out of tight crevices. (No urchins were harmed in this event; all returned safely to the water)

Slate Pencil Urchin found under a rock while searching for the urchins during research project

We were looking at the sea urchins to use as a proxy to help understand herbivory and overall reef health. I had never felt a sea urchin before this, but let me tell you, I would do it again if I could. It is so interesting to watch them move their seemingly stiff legs to walk around in your hand. I also saw quite a few brittle stars as I was lifting up coral rubble in search of urchins.

We had our night dive today, and it was really cool. We were able to see a couple stingrays, lobster, and even a pufferfish. The current was pretty strong, so it was short lived. However, it was really eerie and cool to be in the water at night.

Throughout the day, I saw various patches of Halimeda opuntia (Watercress algae) and Halimeda incrassata (Three finger leaf algae) in cracks between hard corals or in the sandy patches. Looking for urchins, I even saw some Flat Twig red algae or Amphiora tribulus that grew in sporadic clumps in the shady areas of rock crevices. Tomorrow is our last full day at Glover’s reef Middle Caye, so let’s finish with a bang!

I even saw some Flat Twig red algae or Amphiora tribulus that grew in sporadic clumps in the shady areas of rock crevices.

Wish me luck!

-Bella

 

Uncategorized

Day 12: Finding Nemo…more like… Finding Bella!

Leave a comment

5/25/19: The highlight of my day today was visiting the fore reef of Glover’s Reef atoll. It was literally like a scene from Finding Nemo. There was this expansive reef and a huge drop off just like where Nemo first sees the “butt” or boat. As I was exploring that edge, I, too, like Nemo was tempted to swim off the edge to see what was on the other side. But, I decided to side with my better judgment and swim toward the middle of the reef because I remembered how it turned out for Nemo. Now, I see why it was so tempting for Nemo to swim off; he was just trying to explore like me!

A picture looking down at the depth of the fore reef! Check out that blue water!

On the fore reef, we saw a bunch of cool things. We saw a few southern stingrays, a nurse shark, flounder, and personal my favorite was the Caribbean Reef Squid. I am starting to think I am I have a thing for Cephalopods? Future Ph.D in Cephalopods? Jury is still out.

The only downfall to this experience was the seasickness that came along with it. Since the fore reef experiences more wave action than the patch reefs, we were bobbing up and down on the boat and while surfacing the water. I did not like feeling very much at all, but the squid definitely made up for it.

On the fore reef, algae were scarce. Corals dominated those areas, but in the few patch reefs we visited before that, I saw a couple algae I had not seen before. I saw Green Bubble Weed Algae, Dictyospaeria cavernos, in between some sea fans, and I saw Y-Twig Algae, or Amphiroa rigdia between two mounding corals in shallower part of the patch reef. I, of course, also saw more Pink Segmented Algae (J. adherens) and Three Finger Leaf Algae (H. incrassata). Tomorrow, we are going to go for a night dive, so I am hoping I will see some nocturnal creatures like lobster.

The highlight of my day: I saw Green Bubble Weed Algae, Dictyospaeria cavernos, in between some sea fans!

Wish me luck!

-Bella

 

Uncategorized

Day 11: Momma, we caught a crab… wait just kidding… an octopus!?

5/24/19: Today was a jammed packed day. Early this morning, we got on a boat and did our first survey of a reef in a marine protected area and non-protected area. All I can say is, the reefs are so interesting to look at. I feel like I am living in an interactive “I-Spy ”book as I just float around the reef. From fish to Christmas tree worms, I am really enjoying looking at all the interesting creatures living on the reef.

Speaking of interesting creatures, today’s second activity was by far my favorite part of the day. We waded out into a seagrass bed and we were tasked with finding organisms that live in the beds to create a touch tank—-we were asked not to pick up anything that stings/poisonous and almost everyone followed that. Let’s just say, some of us have some battle scars.

I saw sea anemones, sea urchins, fireworms, brittle stars, queen conchs, sea cucumbers, and a variety of hermit crabs. It was just crazy to me that such a small area could have such a diversity of organisms. The highlight sight of the day was an Atlantic Pygmy Octopus (Octopus jubini) hiding in an old conch shell. We thought it was a crab in there, but boy we were we surprised to see an octopus coming out.

The highlight sight of the day was an Atlantic Pygmy Octopus (Octopus jubini) hiding in an old conch shell

There is no shortage of green and red algae at Glover’s Reef. Today I saw more Pink Segmented Algae (J. adherens), Watercress algae (H. optunia) and Three Finger Leaf Algae (H. incrassata). I was more excited to see some new ones like Mermaid Fan algae from the genus Udotea and Burgundy Crustose Algae from the genus Dessonelia. I even saw a Sea Pearl algae, Ventricaria ventricosa. We plan to go to the fore reef soon, so I am really excited about that.

Watercress algae (H. optunia) growing on hard substrate
I am showing the class an example of Three-Finger Leaf Algae during our touch tank activity.

Wish me luck!

-Bella!