Summer 2011

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work at the Carrie Bow Cay Field Station (a facility of the Smithsonian Institution) for one week.  The field station exists on a small (1-acre) island surrounded by coral reefs that lies 15 miles east of the country of Belize.  My goals for this visit were two-fold:

(1) to assess the facility and the surrounding habitat as a potential site for a May term course on the "Biology of Planktonic  Organisms" and (2): to collect and study larvae of benthic invertebrates. 

As I soon discovered, the size of this facility ca 1-acre prohibits is use as a course platform, but the habitat around this and nearby island is fantastic.  I am now looking at appropriate venues on other nearby islands and I feel confident that we will be able to find a suitable home base for this potential course.  I have already contacted potential facilitators.

The abundance and diversity of invertebrate larvae was fantastic.  During my stay at the CBC I was able to make 14 separate collections of the surface plankton.  From these samples of the surface plankton I was able to collect larvae from a wide variety of taxa and complete 16 separate experiments on the ability of invertebrate larvae to assimilate macromolecular forms of dissolved organic materials from seawater.  Although I have yet to analyze the results of the experiments, the short distance from sampling site to the laboratory (about 5 minutes) ensured that the specimens were in good condition and that the experiments will yield results representative of their biology.  It was one of those rare experiences where completed nearly all of my "to do" list.  I hope to come back (perhaps with a student or two) in the future and continue this work.

Photos at Right:

Top: Dockside view of the Carrie Bow Cay field station and our research vessel

Middle:  South Water Cay from Carrie Bow Cay - South Water Cay is to be a potential home base for a possible May Term course.

Bottom: My residence for one week - all this and larvae too!