Awakening early from our deep slumber after our previous flight to Miami and visit to Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, where we saw turtle nests and rehabilitation centers, we set sail for the small coastal destination known as Bimini, Bahamas. The roar of the engine acted as an alarm clock for all of us, or at least almost all of us. The waves were very rocky, but luckily no one got seasick. At 5:00 am, we all climbed to the bow of the boat to observe our journey through the canal in Miami to Bimini.
We were entertained as our boat stopped traffic at multiple drawbridges. Along the way, we encountered many Atlantic Flying Fish; they fluttered across the water at great lengths and we were surprised to find out from Hilary that they can actually "fly" the length of a football field! At one time or another on our over five hour journey to Bimini, we all took a nap, either leaning against the boat or sprawled out on the floor. When we arrived at Bimini, we filled out all necessary forms to get through customs and explored the main town there, Alice Town. We all shopped at the Straw Market for some Bahamian knick-knacks. After bartering and purchasing, we walked around town and saw the school building (which was surprisingly small, had outdoor hallways, and multiple grades in one classroom), tourist stops and the small shops.
Then, it was off to the boat to see the newly developed resorts of Bimini. One of our instructors, Matt, pointed out to us that about 75 percent of the development for the resort was built within the past three years. With dredging and sea walls, we noticed that much of the natural area has been modified, like the sea grass beds that were dredged for boats and resorts. Later, it was time for our FIRST SNORKEL at La Chance (a group of three rocks). The choppy water made our first swim challenging, but we pushed through. We saw a Nurse Shark, Spotted Moray Eel, Spiny Lobster, Midnight Parrotfish and a Spotted Scorpionfish among other awesome sights.
The waters were still a little shaky and waves crashed on the rocks with great force, but we made it through, charged with excitement. Finally, today we did our first plankton tow, in which Michael called out the commands while communicating with Captain Lou as others operated the nets at the back of the boat. A plankton tow is when a net is thrown in the back of the boat for ten minutes to gather plankton. When the tow was finished we collected our samples of plankton and stored them for further studies to come. Later, we did a night tow, in which we found much more plankton than the day tow. This is because at night zooplankton (animal plankton) rise to the surface and feed while only phytoplankton (plant plankton) are present at the surface during the day. We even found a Swimmer Crab and some small Moon Jellies in the tows which we later returned back to the ocean. Overall, it was a great, but tiring first day.
--Michael and Hilary
We were entertained as our boat stopped traffic at multiple drawbridges. Along the way, we encountered many Atlantic Flying Fish; they fluttered across the water at great lengths and we were surprised to find out from Hilary that they can actually "fly" the length of a football field! At one time or another on our over five hour journey to Bimini, we all took a nap, either leaning against the boat or sprawled out on the floor. When we arrived at Bimini, we filled out all necessary forms to get through customs and explored the main town there, Alice Town. We all shopped at the Straw Market for some Bahamian knick-knacks. After bartering and purchasing, we walked around town and saw the school building (which was surprisingly small, had outdoor hallways, and multiple grades in one classroom), tourist stops and the small shops.
Then, it was off to the boat to see the newly developed resorts of Bimini. One of our instructors, Matt, pointed out to us that about 75 percent of the development for the resort was built within the past three years. With dredging and sea walls, we noticed that much of the natural area has been modified, like the sea grass beds that were dredged for boats and resorts. Later, it was time for our FIRST SNORKEL at La Chance (a group of three rocks). The choppy water made our first swim challenging, but we pushed through. We saw a Nurse Shark, Spotted Moray Eel, Spiny Lobster, Midnight Parrotfish and a Spotted Scorpionfish among other awesome sights.
The waters were still a little shaky and waves crashed on the rocks with great force, but we made it through, charged with excitement. Finally, today we did our first plankton tow, in which Michael called out the commands while communicating with Captain Lou as others operated the nets at the back of the boat. A plankton tow is when a net is thrown in the back of the boat for ten minutes to gather plankton. When the tow was finished we collected our samples of plankton and stored them for further studies to come. Later, we did a night tow, in which we found much more plankton than the day tow. This is because at night zooplankton (animal plankton) rise to the surface and feed while only phytoplankton (plant plankton) are present at the surface during the day. We even found a Swimmer Crab and some small Moon Jellies in the tows which we later returned back to the ocean. Overall, it was a great, but tiring first day.
--Michael and Hilary
Sounds like you packed a lot into one day!
Question about the plankton: Other than the difference in the quantity between day and night, can you see the difference between zooplankton and phytoplankton? Or do they look the same?
Looking forward to hearing more about your adventure and your research!
As a member of Ocean Futures Society, I learned about Bimini's plight from Fabien Cousteau. He had a video about stopping the destruction of Bimini through the building up of resorts and other tourist attractions. Has the 75% build up in three years severely reduced the numbers of native species of plants and animals in the area and has it done some unchangeable effects on the native reefs and sea life? I would love to see the distinct reefs and beautiful sea life for myself before they are destroyed by unnecessary construction.