Temporary Blog outage due to equipment malfunction!

My laptop is suddenly not charging, which means that I cannot process photos for the blog. 

So please excuse a temporary outage of the blog until I get this fixed, it magically starts working again, or I get back to the U.S., whichever comes first.

Until then, assume that no news = good news!

- Eric

Tropical Marine Biology Belize 2024 - Day #5 - Big Day for Big Data

Tuesday January 23rd, 2024 - Tropical Research Education Center, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Greetings from another sunny windy day in Belize! Today was all about collecting data for our project.

I snuck out at 6:30AM for some photos of the sunrise:

As usual, we started out with our usual 8AM central American breakfast, followed by the liberal application of sunscreen and packing our gear. Then we walked down to the boat at 9AM:

We gently motored in the reliable Goliath for about an hour to a beautiful snorkel spot called Coral Gardens. Located just outside of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve in a water channel that runs between the islands, bringing nutrient-rich waters from the ocean over the reefs, resulting in productive growth. The day was windy but seemed calmer than the last two days, although Mother Nature reminded us who is boss by blowing another hat off someone's head (despite the around-the-chin strap), resulting in a dramatic ocean rescue by another student:

The students entered the water in their 3 groups (Boulder Brain Coral, Purple Sea Fan Coral, and Fish) and spent the next 1:30 conducting their research. Afterwards, we all enjoyed the traditional warm bean dip and chips on board as well as egg salad sandwiches from the cooler:

After the students were well-rested, they returned to the water for another 1:30 of data collection.

Done by 3PM, we took about 1:30 gently motoring back into the wind. It was a good opportunity for students to relax on the front and back decks:

Upon getting back to the dock, we were treated with a Belizean reward:

The students had a few hours to work on their lab posters before dinner:

And they continued to work diligently after dinner. We are all settling in for an early rest due to our 5:45AM start tomorrow for a visit to some Mayan ruins. So we've all got that to look forward to!

Best wishes from Belize,

Eric J. Simon

 Tropical Marine Biology Belize 2024 - Day #4 - Plan Straight, Crooked Follow

January 22, 2024 - Tropical Research Education Center, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

NOTE: You can leave comments on the bottom of any blog entry, and I promise to read them to any students mentioned! You can also receive email notices about new blog updates by clicking on the link at the top right of this entry.

Good morning from Belize! The title of today's blog post - "Plan Straight, Crooked Follow" - is a Belizean saying that we have all lived for the past few days. At the start of the trip. Professors Geoff and Eric and Captain Dr. Ken sat down to plan our week, giving us time to conduct research and have many fun adventures. But, two days ago, Mother Nature reminded us who is in charge! One of the most important rules in international travel (and especially when leading international travel courses) is to be flexible and roll with whatever comes. Luckily, we've all been able to do that admirably this week.

We arrived at Goliath around 9:15AM to find conditions rather rough, with whipping winds, small whitecaps in the lagoon, and some driving rain:

As a possible omen, my hat (despite having a string around my chin) was blown off into the lagoon during boarding! Luckily, tour guide Carlos was able to retrieve it, to the applause of the group:

Given the conditions of the day, we changed our plan about where to go and collect data ("plan straight, crooked follow!"). We headed to nearby Tuffy reef. Drs. Ken, Geoff, and Eric consulted and decided that conditions, although rough, were workable. So we briefed the students and prepared them for the somewhat challenging conditions:

(Notice the somewhat huddled appearance of the students!) We went over lab procedures, gathered equipment, discussed safety a few more times (students were sent in small groups, each with 1 or 2 guides, extra flotation devices, and safety lines to grab ahold of), the students entered the water and began their 250' swim to the research site, dragging their equipment with them:

At the research site, students implemented their previously-developed protocols to collect data on the corals and fish; one group is studying purple sea fan corals, one boulder brain corals, and one 3 species of fish (parrotfish, ocean surgeonfish, and blue tang):

After about an hour of data collection (which may not sound like much, but in the open ocean in rough seas, it was very challenging!), the students had sufficient data to assess the feasibility of their methods:

After lunch on the boat (tuna fish sandwiches today, along with the usual warm bean dip and chips and PB&J), several students headed back out for a recreational snorkel, spotting several interesting species including brain coral, a spiny brittle star and a spotted trunkfish:

We returned the dock, where the conditions once again required a substantial display of nautical skill by Dr. Ken to safely dock us:

We then hurried back to TREC and headed out to visit Ambergris Caye Elementary School, a private school that specializes in special needs children on the island. As our service learning component, the students brought nearly 100 lbs. of supplies to donate to the school. The Vice Principal of the school met with us, explained their mission, and led us to visit several classroom:

We all enjoyed learning about the successes and challenges at the school. And of course it was fun to interact with the kids. One thing I've learned from my travels: kids are goofy kids everywhere you go!

The students found this visit educational and fulfilling. One purpose of all of my NEC travel courses is to give back to the local community.

After our school visit, we returned to TREC to work on the lab reports. Some folks ventured into town to visit the artisan markets to purchase souvenirs (or, as I call it, "to stimulate the local economy").

We had planed a night snorkel, but conditions prohibited it ("plan straight, crooked follow") so instead we enjoyed pizza at TREC, working on lab reports and talking into the early night. As usual, all students crashed early in anticipation of another busy day tomorrow.

Thank you for reading. Everyone is happy and healthy and doing very well.

Best wishes from La Isla Bonita,

Eric J. Simon

Tropical Marine Biology Belize 2024 - Day #3 - Who Can the Weather Command?

Sunday January 21st, 2024 - Tropical Research Education Center, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Today was a reminder of who is REALLY in charge of this trip. Is it professors Geoff and Eric? Is it Captain Dr. Ken? No, it's Mother Nature! And she decided to remind us of that fact today...

We gathered for our becoming-routine 8AM breakfast at TREC as the rain fell and a breeze blew. I wasn't too concerned; this being in the tropics, rain often alternates with the bright sunshine. We had our goal for the day: to test our the methodologies that the students had developed the night before for assessing the health and biodiversity of the reefs. We had a method in place, the gear to accomplish it, and the intention to work out the kinks in the field. But as we made our way along the short walk to the boat, the weather became darker and more foreboding: 

Hoping for the best, we boarded Goliath and set out for our longest venture north of the week, to a marine reserve site called Mexico Rocks, just a mile or so from the Mexican border:

The wind picked up, the visibility reduced, and we hunkered down as strong winds and vertical rain swept across the ship:

Soon afterward, Captain Dr. Ken and Maureen made the call that visibility had become too low for safe passage:

So we dropped anchor to wait it out. We ended up staying in that spot for about an hour, with some students braving the elements and others gathered within the interior cabin:

When things had calmed down a little bit, Ken, Geoff and Eric collectively decided that our best course of action was to turn back toward the dock and find a site there. We first stopped at Tres Cocos (where we had been yesterday) but the whitecaps in the lagoon and a test by our guide Carlos in the water proved that the currents were just too strong. So we continued on to Tuffy reef, the closest to the dock. Geoff and Eric tested out the conditions and decided that the stronger snorkelers would be okay. We wouldn't be able to work on the lab (the idea of carrying equipment around in the current seemed unwise) but we could at least check out the reef. Eric and guide Julius led a group of 5 intrepid snorkelers to the reef:

Guide Carlos followed with another 2. Once we entered the reef itself, it was like a protected cove and we were to spot and enjoy the biodiversity. Several students spotted stingrays of three different species, as well as parrotfish and a sea anemone:

At dinner that night, I said how proud I was of three groups of students: (1) Those who decided to visit the reef despite the conditions, (2) those who knew themselves well enough to avoid getting into trouble, and (3) those who tried it but quickly realized that the conditions were too far outside their comfort zones and turned back. Everyone made the right decision for themselves - good job students!

After enjoying our traditional post-snorkel chips and warm bean dip and chicken salad sandwiches:

We made it back to the dock and after significant maneuvering by Captain Ken, safely disembarked just as the weather kicked up again with heavy rain and strong winds:

Thus humbled, we walked back to TREC to salvage our day.

One of the most important qualities in international travelers is a willingness to be flexible. Accordingly, we shifted our expectations for the day. The students gathered at TREC to work on their lab posters (mostly the background and methods section) and to use the TREC pool to test out and refine their methodologies:

By dinnertime, the weather had calmed a bit, and all students had made significant progress on their work. After a particularly-well-received dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and freshly-baked rolls, we met briefly to discuss our projects. And then the benefit of our rejiggered schedule: the students had the night off to immerse themselves in some local Belizean night life culture. Eric led a group to a nearby location on the beach, and we enjoyed each other's company and the local flavors before walking home (again in a hard rain) along the beach.

Overall, the weather made today a bit challenging, but everyone remained in good spirits, rose to that challenge, and faced the day with the appropriate level of "It is what it is" attitude. Hopefully their hard work today will reap dividends tomorrow in terms of well-established techniques for gathering data (the goal of our next two days). But as we've learned, it is only a certain Mother who knows what we can and cannot accomplish tomorrow!

Everyone is healthy and happy, working hard and doing well. We should all be proud of our NEC students.

Best wishes from Belize,

Eric