Academic News

Summer session II is underway and there is no lack of activity at the Center for Marine Resource Studies. After a long day of travel (or long days for some!), students settled in and got right to work with orientations, lectures, and plenty of water activities, all the while acclimating to the tropical environment. Week one focused on the marine ecosystems of the TCI and an introduction to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Students also started their field identification sessions, during which they wade and snorkel in various areas around the island, not only identifying species but also learning their role in the ecosystem. MPAs have been presented from both an ecological and an economical point of view, and the students have examined the role of these designations in the context of habitat management and tourism. And let's not forget the other water time logged, with additional recreational snorkels and dives on the many coral reef habitats, teaming with brilliant fish and invertebrates. Students have been telling stories about their close encounters with some of the area's megafauna, including curious barracuda and a daring daytime squid attack on the 21'!  Everyone has been bonding during activity nights, playing volleyball, and camping on the beach, while the students have also been immersing themselves in the community with their first outreach session. We have also been fortunate enough to have several visiting researchers staying with us, giving the students a unique opportunity to talk with people who are out doing interesting field work. It has been a busy time for us all, but we are all eager to see what adventures the coming weeks will hold for us!
- Kate Buday, Student Affairs Manager

Student Reflections

Being a resident of Los Angeles for all of my life made it difficult for me to imagine what life in the Turks and Caicos Islands would be like. My admissions counselor told me that we would be in the water everyday and that we would be living a rustic lifestyle. With that in mind, I ventured from my familiar city life into one month of the unknown on South Caicos, with 16 other students from a variety of backgrounds. Flying from Miami to Providenciales, I got a sneak peak of the paradise that I was about to enter. I have never seen waters so blue and nature so superb. After arriving on Provo, a few of us had the chance to sample some famous conch dishes, which were delicious. Then the small plane arrived to carry us from Provo to South Caicos. There was one aisle and just enough space for a person to sit to the right and to the left. A few of us were anxious, but as soon as the plane took off, the incredible view of Caicos Bank swept away our nervousness and replaced it with a sense of awe. Were we really going to spend a month on an island that many would consider paradise? Yes!
- Victoria Ko, University of Southern California

This past weekend we camped out on Long Beach, located on the far side of South Caicos. Everyone was really excited to get out and go, and we drove to the campsite in anticipation of what we would be experiencing. We grilled hamburgers and potatoes for dinner, and sat watching the sun gradually sink in the sky while eating. The wind was intense, and created some difficulty in setting up the tents. More than one tent turned into a kite and had to be captured! After dinner, while exploring the beach and frolicking in the surf, we found two coconuts and a tiny crab. Although rotten on the inside, we had a blast attempting to crack the coconuts open, and we roasted marshmallows by the campfire before bed. In the morning, we watched the sun come up; looking as though it had risen out of the ocean itself. It was a beautiful scene to witness, and a wonderful way to start another day in the TCI.
- Sarah Alef, Rochester Institute of Technology

The plane trip from Miami to the Turks and Caicos Islands didn't seem that long, but when I opened my eyes and looked out the window of the plane at Providenciales, I felt like I was in a different world. I couldn't believe the water and the dazzling colors I was seeing. The different shades of blue and the reefs that I saw intensified my eagerness to enter the water, and added to my excitement of living in this environment for the next month. On our second day, the boats took the group out to a stretch of coral just a short ride away from the facility. I jumped into the clear turquoise blue water and what lay spread out beneath me looked like a bustling city full of all kinds of marine life. The visibility was amazing, enabling me to clearly observe numerous species of coral, many micro-fauna and macro-fauna. Through my snorkeling mask I could see a reef shark out in the distance and a group of barracuda swimming right near me. Diving deeper in the water I was swimming along huge coral mounds where numerous fish were swimming in and out, and witnessed the diverse coral reef life first hand. I was simply overwhelmed with so many beautiful images it was hard for me to return to the boat, but I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.
-Zach Rosen, University of Texas/Austin

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