Our last day on the island. We headed out this morning for Lindsey Reef again. This was the only place where we were able to collect any data. Today we split into three groups again. One group did a fish study - counting the different types of algae eating fish. One group did some measurements on the rigosity or three dimensionality of the reef. (How many nooks and crannies there are.) My group did the point intercepts. For this procedure, I worked with my roommate, Sarah. We would drop a frame with 25 intersect points. Under each point, we would classify what we found; hard coral, soft coral, algae, sponge, rock, sand and other. We were able to complete this a few times before the current sent us into the reefs. To finish the morning, three of us swam the perimeter of the reef (a total of about 900 meters) to get GPS readings of the reef. Boy, what a workout that was.
For lunch today, we went to a local restaurant for a typical Bahamian meal. We started the meal with fish fritters (fried fish). The main course was rice and beans, tuna, chicken, cole slaw and macaroni and cheese. For dessert, we had a local dish, guava duff. This was guava in a dough, covered with a rum, guava, and cream sauce.
After lunch we enjoyed another tour of the island, thanks to Elizabeth. She is one of the staff members here who makes us coffee every morning, has jolly ranchers for each of us when we get out of the surf and knows everything about the island. We visited an old plantation site owned by John Whattling. After the American Revolution, many loyalist were given land by the British government here on San Salvador. At one point, there were 31 cotton plantations! Its hard to believe, when now there are just about 1000 inhabitants.
Along our drive, one of our volunteers, Jen kept up informed about the wildlife. She is an ornithologist with NOAA. We saw a lot of birds, including: a Kestrel, a Smooth-billed Ani, Yellow Warbler, Osprey, White Cheeked Pintail Duck, some Scaup, a Lesser Yellow Legs, a Yellow Crown NIght Heron and a Little Blue Heron. What a great treat to have Jen, who is traveling with her mom, along with us!
As we took a long drive around the island, we were treated to a Bahamian sunset before returning to the Research Center. It was a great end to the day.
Now, I must somehow pack all of my things before heading home tomorrow. What a great week this has been!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving from San Salvador! Somehow, waking up this morning, it didn't feel like Thanksgiving. It was warm, sunny, and there wasn't a TV showing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade anywhere!
We boarded our truck at about 9am and headed back to Rice Bay to take data on the reef. Unfortunately, the waves were cresting on the reef, which makes the visibility impossible. Also, these conditions make it dangerous for snorkeling since we could get slammed into the reef with a strong wave. Instead, we headed to Pigeon Creek for some shallow water snorkeling. Here we also "rode the current" around the bend, but exited before the creek entered the ocean. This was similar to a "lazy river". Along the way, we were able to see a lot of young fish among the mangrove trees which lined the shore.
After lunch, we headed back to Rocky Point to collect data on the reef there. Once again, the wind and current made it difficult to work on the reef. We were able to swim here and spent some time relaxing.
Dinner tonight was great - a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We had turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. As with every meal, all of the "Earthwatchers" ate together. This has been one of the best things about this trip, eating each meal with the group.
It's hard to believe that tomorrow will be our last day. John, the principle investigator of this project, is hoping that we will be able to get to the reefs in the morning and afternoon. We will see what the weather brings.
We boarded our truck at about 9am and headed back to Rice Bay to take data on the reef. Unfortunately, the waves were cresting on the reef, which makes the visibility impossible. Also, these conditions make it dangerous for snorkeling since we could get slammed into the reef with a strong wave. Instead, we headed to Pigeon Creek for some shallow water snorkeling. Here we also "rode the current" around the bend, but exited before the creek entered the ocean. This was similar to a "lazy river". Along the way, we were able to see a lot of young fish among the mangrove trees which lined the shore.
After lunch, we headed back to Rocky Point to collect data on the reef there. Once again, the wind and current made it difficult to work on the reef. We were able to swim here and spent some time relaxing.
Dinner tonight was great - a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We had turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. As with every meal, all of the "Earthwatchers" ate together. This has been one of the best things about this trip, eating each meal with the group.
It's hard to believe that tomorrow will be our last day. John, the principle investigator of this project, is hoping that we will be able to get to the reefs in the morning and afternoon. We will see what the weather brings.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Two windy days on San Salvador
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
There continues to be a lot of wind on the island. I could hear it all night. This is not normal for this time of year. The wind makes the sea very choppy and rough, which stirs up the sand from the bottom. When this happens, the visibility is very poor and makes it very hard to collect research. Due to the weather conditions, we took the morning off and were able to do a bit of "site seeing".
Our first stop was a lighthouse, built in the 1859. It is one of few still functioning manual lighthouses left. We climbed to the lighthouse, and then up into it. It was amazing! The light is created by a very small kerosene lamp. This is magnified however by hundreds of lenses arranged around a poie. The pole rotates, reflecting the light out to the ships approaching the island. It will flash two times every 9 seconds, which is the code for San Salvadore. This pole is "cranked" each day; similar to the way a watch is wound. During the day, the curtains on the windows of the lighthouse must be drawn so that the sun is not reflected out onto the island.
After the lighthouse, we hiked through overgrown bush to arrive at a cave, Flank Margin Cave. This is a tidal cave, which fills with water as the tides come in and out. It was really neat seeing the stalagmites and stalactites, as well as a few bats!
After lunch, we headed into Cockburn Town. This is the "main town" here on the island. We were able to purchase snacks (I had to get some Cheetos), water, etc. A few of us also bought some straw products from the "Straw Market", a women selling some bags and things. Then we traveled to Rocky Point Beach to do some beach profiling. This consisted of measuring the slope of the beach at various points. After our team finished, we decided to cool off with a little swim. Not a bad way to end the day!
After dinner, the group got together to get acquainted. Though most of us by this time had talked and gotten to know each other, it was nice to sit as a group and become more familiar. We each told the group about ourselves; professions, hobbies, families, pets, etc. What was so great about this, was to hear all of the different stories. We are truly an eclectic group, which makes this whole experience so much more interesting!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Since the winds were still an issue, we did some more beach profiling. Today we were at Lindseys Reef (where we did research the other day) and Rice Bay doing beach profiling. During all of these activities, we are working in our "Research Team". We were assigned these teams randomly the first night we were here and have been working together since. My team consists of myself, Eric from New Mexico, Andrea from Hungary, Alexandra from Russia and Elizabeth from South Africa. We have a lot of fun working together! After finishing our assignment, we all took advantage of the beautiful water and took a swim.
After lunch, we had a wonderful surprise. We boarded our truck and headed out to Snapshot Reef for some recreational snorkeling. It also gave us a wonderful opportunity to identify (just for fun) the different types of corals. The reef was about a 400 meter swim from the shore, but was well worth the effort. The reef was abundant with coral and fish! Absolutely amazing!! We saw "ginormous" brain coral, a huge stubby finger coral and tons of fish, including a spotlight parrot fish, a black durgan, a sergeant major and even a brown spotted moray eel. It was a great afternoon.
After dinner we reviewed the different coral species again, hoping that tomorrow we will be able to get back to the research.
There continues to be a lot of wind on the island. I could hear it all night. This is not normal for this time of year. The wind makes the sea very choppy and rough, which stirs up the sand from the bottom. When this happens, the visibility is very poor and makes it very hard to collect research. Due to the weather conditions, we took the morning off and were able to do a bit of "site seeing".
Our first stop was a lighthouse, built in the 1859. It is one of few still functioning manual lighthouses left. We climbed to the lighthouse, and then up into it. It was amazing! The light is created by a very small kerosene lamp. This is magnified however by hundreds of lenses arranged around a poie. The pole rotates, reflecting the light out to the ships approaching the island. It will flash two times every 9 seconds, which is the code for San Salvadore. This pole is "cranked" each day; similar to the way a watch is wound. During the day, the curtains on the windows of the lighthouse must be drawn so that the sun is not reflected out onto the island.
After the lighthouse, we hiked through overgrown bush to arrive at a cave, Flank Margin Cave. This is a tidal cave, which fills with water as the tides come in and out. It was really neat seeing the stalagmites and stalactites, as well as a few bats!
After lunch, we headed into Cockburn Town. This is the "main town" here on the island. We were able to purchase snacks (I had to get some Cheetos), water, etc. A few of us also bought some straw products from the "Straw Market", a women selling some bags and things. Then we traveled to Rocky Point Beach to do some beach profiling. This consisted of measuring the slope of the beach at various points. After our team finished, we decided to cool off with a little swim. Not a bad way to end the day!
After dinner, the group got together to get acquainted. Though most of us by this time had talked and gotten to know each other, it was nice to sit as a group and become more familiar. We each told the group about ourselves; professions, hobbies, families, pets, etc. What was so great about this, was to hear all of the different stories. We are truly an eclectic group, which makes this whole experience so much more interesting!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Since the winds were still an issue, we did some more beach profiling. Today we were at Lindseys Reef (where we did research the other day) and Rice Bay doing beach profiling. During all of these activities, we are working in our "Research Team". We were assigned these teams randomly the first night we were here and have been working together since. My team consists of myself, Eric from New Mexico, Andrea from Hungary, Alexandra from Russia and Elizabeth from South Africa. We have a lot of fun working together! After finishing our assignment, we all took advantage of the beautiful water and took a swim.
After lunch, we had a wonderful surprise. We boarded our truck and headed out to Snapshot Reef for some recreational snorkeling. It also gave us a wonderful opportunity to identify (just for fun) the different types of corals. The reef was about a 400 meter swim from the shore, but was well worth the effort. The reef was abundant with coral and fish! Absolutely amazing!! We saw "ginormous" brain coral, a huge stubby finger coral and tons of fish, including a spotlight parrot fish, a black durgan, a sergeant major and even a brown spotted moray eel. It was a great afternoon.
After dinner we reviewed the different coral species again, hoping that tomorrow we will be able to get back to the research.
Monday, November 19, 2007
The Reasearch Begins
Today we spent over an hour in the morning snorkeling and identifying the different species of coral. I was so excitied to be able to identify what I was seeing. This was the last bit of "training" -- this afternoon the actual research began.
After arriving back at the research center for lunch, I was able to video conference back to Ridgedale Middle School and check in with all of the student. It was great to see everyone and fun to answer some of the great questions they had. Think of some more questions for tomorrow. We will try again to get through.
After lunch, we headed out to Lindsey Reef to begin our research. We were divided into teams and assigned different tasks to accomplish. The water was very choppy, so we had to work hard to keep on task. Our group was doing a number of different things. We were working in a specific area (transect) and had to identify the water temperature, take water samples, measure the visibility, and begin assessing the coral. Tonight, we will compile all of our data. Tomorrow, we will be going back to the same site to continue the research in a different area.
This experience is wonderful! There is a great group of volunteers here and great staff to work with. I hope to be able to update each day, but it has been a challenge.
After arriving back at the research center for lunch, I was able to video conference back to Ridgedale Middle School and check in with all of the student. It was great to see everyone and fun to answer some of the great questions they had. Think of some more questions for tomorrow. We will try again to get through.
After lunch, we headed out to Lindsey Reef to begin our research. We were divided into teams and assigned different tasks to accomplish. The water was very choppy, so we had to work hard to keep on task. Our group was doing a number of different things. We were working in a specific area (transect) and had to identify the water temperature, take water samples, measure the visibility, and begin assessing the coral. Tonight, we will compile all of our data. Tomorrow, we will be going back to the same site to continue the research in a different area.
This experience is wonderful! There is a great group of volunteers here and great staff to work with. I hope to be able to update each day, but it has been a challenge.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
I'm Here!
It's Sunday evening and I have finally been able to get onto my blog! We take for granted the luxuries of civilization! Internet service has be very hard to get, so I am not sure when the next time I will be able to update.
After leaving New Jersey on Friday, I arrived in Fort Lauderdale in the afternoon. After meeting up with Grace Hancock from HP for dinner, it was an early night to prepare for my 4:45am wake up call. From Fort Lauderdale, I traveled to Nassau on a VERY small plane (about 25 seats). While waiting in the airport in Nassau, I was able to meet up with some of the other people joining the Earthwatch Expedition. Since our flight to San Salvador was delayed about an hour, we all had plenty of time to get aquainted.
San Salvador is beautiful. You can drive for 10-15 and only see a few houses! We spent most of yesterday with orientation about the island, the research center, and the project itself. Today, we got into the water for the first time and spent about 2 hours snorkeling and identifying corals. Unfortunately, our afternoon swim was cancelled because it was too windy and the visibility was low. Instead, we were briefed on the actual research.
Hoping to connect with Ridgedale Middle School tomorrow.
After leaving New Jersey on Friday, I arrived in Fort Lauderdale in the afternoon. After meeting up with Grace Hancock from HP for dinner, it was an early night to prepare for my 4:45am wake up call. From Fort Lauderdale, I traveled to Nassau on a VERY small plane (about 25 seats). While waiting in the airport in Nassau, I was able to meet up with some of the other people joining the Earthwatch Expedition. Since our flight to San Salvador was delayed about an hour, we all had plenty of time to get aquainted.
San Salvador is beautiful. You can drive for 10-15 and only see a few houses! We spent most of yesterday with orientation about the island, the research center, and the project itself. Today, we got into the water for the first time and spent about 2 hours snorkeling and identifying corals. Unfortunately, our afternoon swim was cancelled because it was too windy and the visibility was low. Instead, we were briefed on the actual research.
Hoping to connect with Ridgedale Middle School tomorrow.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Almost There!
It's hard to believe that tomorrow I will be in San Salvador! The time has flown by since finding out that I would be embarking on this adventure. These past few days have been a frenzy of activity as I prepared my students, my family, and myself for this trip. As the temperature here in New Jersey keeps falling, I am looking forward to the sun and warm climate of the Bahamas!
Off I go...my next post will be from the island!
Off I go...my next post will be from the island!
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
November 7, 2007 - Preparation
With just 10 days to go, I am busy preparing for this adventure! The first leg of the adventure will be traveling from New Jersey to San Salvador. This will require 3 separate flights and layovers along the way.
The first challenge that I am facing is to pack for the expedition. I have begun to set aside what I am bringing. However, since I am a notorious "over-packer", I have already begun to "unpack" the items that are not necessary. I am sure I will have downsized my suitcase by next Friday when I leave.
As my departure date nears, I am getting more and more excited about the experience.
The first challenge that I am facing is to pack for the expedition. I have begun to set aside what I am bringing. However, since I am a notorious "over-packer", I have already begun to "unpack" the items that are not necessary. I am sure I will have downsized my suitcase by next Friday when I leave.
As my departure date nears, I am getting more and more excited about the experience.
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