| Day 1 Monday | Day 2 Wednesday | Day 3 Friday | Day 4 Saturday | Day 5 Sunday |
Day 1 Monday: Class and Mangrove Snorkel
I am so content right now! We had such a busy day on the water, and right now I get to watch the fishing boat return home as the sun sets over the water, right from my bench at the center. This morning after breakfast, we had our standard morning meeting, but our student of the day had a great idea for her activity. She’s from Hawaii, so she taught all of the students and staff how to hula! It wasn’t even 9 a.m., and we couldn’t stop laughing like crazy.
We had two classes today. One focused on coral and seagrass ecology, and the other focused on marine protected areas. After lunch, we grabbed our underwater slates and snorkel gear and headed down to the dock for some field identifications. There are different kinds of mangroves growing around South Caicos, so we explored the roots, where many reef fish come to spawn. We saw a boxfish and a sleepy little lemon shark, learning the Latin names of all the flora and fauna from the interns or faculty. At the end of the day, just after dinner, some of us practiced our volleyball skills on our sandy court. We heard that the primary school teachers will be some serious competition at our upcoming tournament!
Day 2 Wednesday: Primary School Visit
Today was one of my favorite days on South Caicos. Our morning was dedicated to community service, so our Student Affairs Manager took us to the local primary school. She warned us that the students would all want our attention, but I was definitely not prepared for a wall of 25 kids hugging our legs and pulling us toward their classrooms. They proudly showed us their exercise books, and I helped several first-graders learn how to spell their shapes. They sang with the fierceness of a gospel choir at their morning assembly. During break, we pushed the kids on the swing set, and I let them braid my hair. They were so excited to meet us; I can’t wait to go back next week!
Day 3 Friday: Conch Assessment
For our Resource Management class, we spent nearly our whole day in the water for our conch assessment paper. We’re collecting data on how many Queen conch (Strombusgigas) live inside and outside the local marine protected area, and what habitats they’re found in. We sail over to a specific location using our GPS, and send out 30 meters of tape measure in four parallel lines—these are called belt and line transects. We snorkel the length of the line, counting the conch and measuring their size to determine their ages. We were on the water for hours, but fortunately I got my sea legs quickly! I’m definitely going to sleep early tonight—we’re doing it all over again tomorrow.
Day 4 Saturday: Directed Research, South Caicos Fisheries
Starting Directed Research has greatly affected my daily routine on South Caicos. The only time all of us are together now is during mealtimes, and that’s if we’re lucky! We don’t mind though, because we’re all working on research projects we love. Two students and I are working with the Resource Management professor, and our project is to collect data on the local finfish fishery. South Caicos is the fishing capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the majority of the island’s income is from the conch and lobster industries. There are a growing number of fishermen who also catch finfish like groupers, but we don’t know much about this industry.
Every day, we wait on the docks for these men to come home with their catches. We identify, measure, and record every fish as fast as possible, interview the fishermen about methods and location, and sometimes help them unload the boat. Many locals (called Belongers) hire Haitian fishermen for help, so I’ve been able to practice French and Creole during the interviews. Back at the Center, we’ll organize our data to determine whether these fish are old enough to reproduce, to see what impact this growing industry may have on local fish populations.
Day 5 Sunday: Free Day, South Caicos
Our day off! The Dive Safety Officer and interns are organizing a dive and snorkel today for wherever we choose. My favorite snorkel so far was Tucker’s Reef. I brought home a beautiful discarded Queen conch shell that I’ll eventually bring back to the States. The divers love visiting the Shipwreck dive site—you can swim right through the boat alongside colorful parrotfish and darting blue tangs.
Besides our free time, my other favorite part of Sunday is the cooking! The cooks spend Sunday at church and with family, so student groups trade off cooking brunch and dinner. Sometimes we are lucky and our food shipment arrived recently, but on alternating Sundays we definitely get creative! (Hot dog bun bruschetta, anyone?) It’s a wonderful bonding experience and it gives us a chance to try something new.
I’ll fall asleep tonight surrounded by my mosquito net and drying beach towels, listening to waves crashing just outside the girls’ wing. I’m still in awe that I’m lucky enough to call this place home for a few months.
