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[post_title] => Annemarie Kramer, Dr. rer.nat.
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[post_content] => We have spent the last few weeks learning about the coastal ecosystems of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago: its components and the organisms we can find within. A lot of our time was spent in the water identifying mangrove and seagrass organisms, corals and coral reef organisms and coral reef fishes. This also included some time discussing the ecology of our coastal environment and the challenges it faces today.
After providing an overview about techniques we can use in the field to quantify and evaluate marine habitats, we started our field techniques projects by analyzing herbivores and benthic cover in two sites in close proximity to our Center.
Our research took us to two idyllic islands called Cayos Zapatillas located in the Bastimentos Marine Park. A walk on the trails that meander through tropical forests gave us the opportunity to come in close contact with the fauna and flora of the island and to identify many different components and inhabitants of the forest.
Another part of the excursion was to collect data on coral cover and herbivorous coral reef organisms in proximity to the islands; we worked around large colonies of Elkhorn Corals, which have become very rare in the entire Caribbean. Within the corals numerous species of fishes were seeking shelter and we even saw an octopus rapidly changing colors for camouflage and blending in with its surroundings. This is definitely the best snorkeling spot we have visited so far!
After having a lunch break among palm trees, students hiked around the island interviewing visitors to find out more about their background, motivations to come to the park and their impressions on the visit.
After a day of great impressions of tropical island biodiversity and its management, each student is now compiling data for a poster documenting their findings which will help us better understand the current state of coral reefs in the area.
(Photo Credit: Dr. Cinda Scott)
[post_title] => Techniques to Evaluate Marine Habitats
[post_excerpt] => We have spent the last few weeks learning about the coastal ecosystems of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago: its components and the organisms we can find within.
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[post_content] => Exploration of the beautiful and diverse Bocas del Toro archipelago continues during our third program week. Besides visiting the locals in their communities and getting to know the forest on Solarte Island, we started to explore the coastal ecosystems which border the island at the interface of land and sea and continue underwater.
White and red mangroves border the coastline of Solarte; with the latter species extending its ‘prop roots’ well into the sea and thus creating a habitat for all kinds of associated organisms. Two species of seagrass are found underwater: turtle grass and manatee grass are right off the dock!
After an introduction to those important and interesting coastal ecosystems in the classroom and an exciting hike through the jungle, we stepped on board a small boat to explore the island’s diverse south side. The boat tour led us among numerous small mangrove islands which form part of the Bastimentos Marine National Park, which extends all the way to our neighboring island. Seagrass meadows in the shallow channels and along the coasts of Solarte are another major ecosystem which we will be exploring with mask and snorkel during the next few days.
At the end of our excursion, we tied the boat to a mooring line at the coral reef and put on our masks, snorkels, and fins. After hiking and exploring the surroundings of the island by boat, we jumped into the warm waters and took a look beneath the surface. Large coral heads, parrotfish and Caribbean Reef Squids made our day complete and gave students a first impression of what lies ahead to explore next week: coral reefs!
[post_title] => Exploration of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago
[post_excerpt] => Exploration of the beautiful and diverse Bocas del Toro archipelago continues during our third program week.
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[post_content] => The last weeks we spent learning about the ecosystems of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, its components, and the organisms we can find within. Most of our time was spent in the water identifying mangrove and seagrass organisms, corals and coral reef organisms, and finally reef fishes. This included some time of discussing ecology of our coastal ecosystems and challenges they are facing today.
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Our research took us to two idyllic islands called Cayos Zapatillas within the Bastimentos Marine Reserve where all students listened to an interesting talk with one of the park rangers describing his work and providing details about the park. A walk on the trails which led through tropical forests gave us the opportunity to come in close contact with the fauna and flora of the island and identify many different inhabitants.
After a lunch break on the beach, which included swimming in the clear tropical waters, one group hiked around the island interviewing visitors while the other group of students was taking measurements on the coral reefs surrounding the two little islands. We encountered a large colony of Elkhorn Corals which have become very rare in the Caribbean and within it many species of fishes were searching shelter.
After a day of great impressions on tropical island biodiversity and its management, each student is now compiling data and findings for a poster documenting their studies which will help us lead to conclusions on coral reef ecology.
[post_title] => Ecology of Bastimentos Marine Park
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[post_content] => This is certainly the most exciting time of the semester. This week we have started to focus on our Directed Research (DR) projects. Besides some lectures for all students, we are now working in small groups of six students.
One group is going to work on the reproductive biology and phenotypic selection by hawk moths on floral morphology within a certain species of flower; another group is going to collect data on the distribution of anemones and their symbiotic shrimps; and the third group is starting a comparative study of kitchen gardens in villages located through the Bocas del Toro archipelago!
This week we spent most of our time preparing for our field work; looking for literature and reading, planning methods we will be applying and further on thinking about documenting our work. We are now ready to write a scientific paper in all details and give an oral presentation on our findings.
We are all excited about the upcoming week which we will spend collecting data in the field during long enjoyable hours: visiting different islands and communities in the area we will be looking for flowers and collecting data on their morphology as well as on their pollinating host organisms, the hawk moths; interviewing people from different communities on their home gardens; and spending a lot of time in the water documenting the occurrence and relationships between anemones and their symbiotic shrimps.
Let the “DR fieldwork” begin—we are all ready and excited about it!
[post_title] => Let DR Fieldwork Begin!
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[post_content] => Exploration of the beautiful and diverse Bocas del Toro archipelago continues during our third program week. Besides visiting the locals in their communities and getting to know the forest on Solarte Island, we started to explore the coastal ecosystems which border the island at the interface of land and sea and continue underwater.
We have now explored a good part of our surrounding areas; most of the organisms we have learned about are right around our Center: rainforest, mangroves, seagrasses, and even coral reefs are only a two minute boat ride away! Students are compiling lists of organisms which they find in each ecosystem.
To become aware of the challenges which coral reef ecosystems in Bocas del Toro and the Caribbean face, we focused on learning about invasive species last week, particularly the Red Lionfish, which has spread over the whole Caribbean and is considered a growing problem. After an introductory lecture and a discussion of management practices we decided that it was time to delve deeper into the problem and "get our hands dirty": we held a lionfish workshop in which students were introduced to a standard protocol on data collection on those invasive predators. In small groups we took data on the fish and its ecology, dissected it and looked at its stomach contents. Lionfish are voracious eaters and can expand their stomachs to 30 times its normal volume; we found up to three fishes inside one lionfish!
[post_title] => Exploring Coastal Ecosystems
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[post_content] => Our field trip this weekend was certainly one of the highlights this semester. We took a boat from our center in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago to mainland Panama to explore our surroundings more in depth. After visiting industrial banana plantations the students got to see an organic multi-species finca where cacao and different fruits are grown in harmony. The next day we headed back towards the coast to see the tropical wetland reserve of San San Pond Sak. This area has been declared a wetland of international importance by the convention of Ramsar in 1993 and is situated on the border to Costa Rica.
We went aboard two large dug out canoes which are traditionally handmade and used in the area. During a boat ride along the river students observed numerous birds while on the way to the field station which is located on a narrow headland only a few steps away from the meandering river on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other side. Another short boat ride took us to a platform well hidden among the river’s fringing trees to observe West Indian Manatees. The resident population of those gentle giants has been decimated all over the Caribbean and survived in very few places and we are lucky to have one close by.
Later in the afternoon we slowly cruised along the large Red Mangrove trees in small canoes which contrary to the coastal mangroves of the same species around our center on Solarte can grow several times taller due to different environmental conditions. On the beach we got a glimpse across the river Sixaola which separates Panama from Costa Rica, before we joined a sea turtle patrol at night. The largest sea turtle species, the Leatherback Turtle, nests on our shores. During their nesting season which lasts from March through July the females which can grow to a carapace length of up to 1.8m come ashore at night to dig a nest on the beach and lay their eggs. Scientists and volunteers are out every night to look for turtles, take data, tag them and relocate eggs to a guarded hatchery by their station.
[post_title] => Gentle Giants
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[post_content] => We have spent the last few weeks learning about the coastal ecosystems of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago: its components and the organisms we can find within. A lot of our time was spent in the water identifying mangrove and seagrass organisms, corals and coral reef organisms and coral reef fishes. This also included some time discussing the ecology of our coastal environment and the challenges it faces today.
After providing an overview about techniques we can use in the field to quantify and evaluate marine habitats, we started our field techniques projects by analyzing herbivores and benthic cover in two sites in close proximity to our Center.
Our research took us to two idyllic islands called Cayos Zapatillas located in the Bastimentos Marine Park. A walk on the trails that meander through tropical forests gave us the opportunity to come in close contact with the fauna and flora of the island and to identify many different components and inhabitants of the forest.
Another part of the excursion was to collect data on coral cover and herbivorous coral reef organisms in proximity to the islands; we worked around large colonies of Elkhorn Corals, which have become very rare in the entire Caribbean. Within the corals numerous species of fishes were seeking shelter and we even saw an octopus rapidly changing colors for camouflage and blending in with its surroundings. This is definitely the best snorkeling spot we have visited so far!
After having a lunch break among palm trees, students hiked around the island interviewing visitors to find out more about their background, motivations to come to the park and their impressions on the visit.
After a day of great impressions of tropical island biodiversity and its management, each student is now compiling data for a poster documenting their findings which will help us better understand the current state of coral reefs in the area.
(Photo Credit: Dr. Cinda Scott)
[post_title] => Techniques to Evaluate Marine Habitats
[post_excerpt] => We have spent the last few weeks learning about the coastal ecosystems of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago: its components and the organisms we can find within.
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[post_content] => Exploration of the beautiful and diverse Bocas del Toro archipelago continues during our third program week. Besides visiting the locals in their communities and getting to know the forest on Solarte Island, we started to explore the coastal ecosystems which border the island at the interface of land and sea and continue underwater.
White and red mangroves border the coastline of Solarte; with the latter species extending its ‘prop roots’ well into the sea and thus creating a habitat for all kinds of associated organisms. Two species of seagrass are found underwater: turtle grass and manatee grass are right off the dock!
After an introduction to those important and interesting coastal ecosystems in the classroom and an exciting hike through the jungle, we stepped on board a small boat to explore the island’s diverse south side. The boat tour led us among numerous small mangrove islands which form part of the Bastimentos Marine National Park, which extends all the way to our neighboring island. Seagrass meadows in the shallow channels and along the coasts of Solarte are another major ecosystem which we will be exploring with mask and snorkel during the next few days.
At the end of our excursion, we tied the boat to a mooring line at the coral reef and put on our masks, snorkels, and fins. After hiking and exploring the surroundings of the island by boat, we jumped into the warm waters and took a look beneath the surface. Large coral heads, parrotfish and Caribbean Reef Squids made our day complete and gave students a first impression of what lies ahead to explore next week: coral reefs!
[post_title] => Exploration of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago
[post_excerpt] => Exploration of the beautiful and diverse Bocas del Toro archipelago continues during our third program week.
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[post_content] => The last weeks we spent learning about the ecosystems of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, its components, and the organisms we can find within. Most of our time was spent in the water identifying mangrove and seagrass organisms, corals and coral reef organisms, and finally reef fishes. This included some time of discussing ecology of our coastal ecosystems and challenges they are facing today.
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Our research took us to two idyllic islands called Cayos Zapatillas within the Bastimentos Marine Reserve where all students listened to an interesting talk with one of the park rangers describing his work and providing details about the park. A walk on the trails which led through tropical forests gave us the opportunity to come in close contact with the fauna and flora of the island and identify many different inhabitants.
After a lunch break on the beach, which included swimming in the clear tropical waters, one group hiked around the island interviewing visitors while the other group of students was taking measurements on the coral reefs surrounding the two little islands. We encountered a large colony of Elkhorn Corals which have become very rare in the Caribbean and within it many species of fishes were searching shelter.
After a day of great impressions on tropical island biodiversity and its management, each student is now compiling data and findings for a poster documenting their studies which will help us lead to conclusions on coral reef ecology.
[post_title] => Ecology of Bastimentos Marine Park
[post_excerpt] => The last weeks we spent learning about the ecosystems of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, its components, and the organisms we can find within.
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[post_content] => This is certainly the most exciting time of the semester. This week we have started to focus on our Directed Research (DR) projects. Besides some lectures for all students, we are now working in small groups of six students.
One group is going to work on the reproductive biology and phenotypic selection by hawk moths on floral morphology within a certain species of flower; another group is going to collect data on the distribution of anemones and their symbiotic shrimps; and the third group is starting a comparative study of kitchen gardens in villages located through the Bocas del Toro archipelago!
This week we spent most of our time preparing for our field work; looking for literature and reading, planning methods we will be applying and further on thinking about documenting our work. We are now ready to write a scientific paper in all details and give an oral presentation on our findings.
We are all excited about the upcoming week which we will spend collecting data in the field during long enjoyable hours: visiting different islands and communities in the area we will be looking for flowers and collecting data on their morphology as well as on their pollinating host organisms, the hawk moths; interviewing people from different communities on their home gardens; and spending a lot of time in the water documenting the occurrence and relationships between anemones and their symbiotic shrimps.
Let the “DR fieldwork” begin—we are all ready and excited about it!
[post_title] => Let DR Fieldwork Begin!
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[post_content] => Exploration of the beautiful and diverse Bocas del Toro archipelago continues during our third program week. Besides visiting the locals in their communities and getting to know the forest on Solarte Island, we started to explore the coastal ecosystems which border the island at the interface of land and sea and continue underwater.
We have now explored a good part of our surrounding areas; most of the organisms we have learned about are right around our Center: rainforest, mangroves, seagrasses, and even coral reefs are only a two minute boat ride away! Students are compiling lists of organisms which they find in each ecosystem.
To become aware of the challenges which coral reef ecosystems in Bocas del Toro and the Caribbean face, we focused on learning about invasive species last week, particularly the Red Lionfish, which has spread over the whole Caribbean and is considered a growing problem. After an introductory lecture and a discussion of management practices we decided that it was time to delve deeper into the problem and "get our hands dirty": we held a lionfish workshop in which students were introduced to a standard protocol on data collection on those invasive predators. In small groups we took data on the fish and its ecology, dissected it and looked at its stomach contents. Lionfish are voracious eaters and can expand their stomachs to 30 times its normal volume; we found up to three fishes inside one lionfish!
[post_title] => Exploring Coastal Ecosystems
[post_excerpt] => Exploration of the beautiful and diverse Bocas del Toro archipelago continues during our third program week.
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[post_content] => Our field trip this weekend was certainly one of the highlights this semester. We took a boat from our center in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago to mainland Panama to explore our surroundings more in depth. After visiting industrial banana plantations the students got to see an organic multi-species finca where cacao and different fruits are grown in harmony. The next day we headed back towards the coast to see the tropical wetland reserve of San San Pond Sak. This area has been declared a wetland of international importance by the convention of Ramsar in 1993 and is situated on the border to Costa Rica.
We went aboard two large dug out canoes which are traditionally handmade and used in the area. During a boat ride along the river students observed numerous birds while on the way to the field station which is located on a narrow headland only a few steps away from the meandering river on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other side. Another short boat ride took us to a platform well hidden among the river’s fringing trees to observe West Indian Manatees. The resident population of those gentle giants has been decimated all over the Caribbean and survived in very few places and we are lucky to have one close by.
Later in the afternoon we slowly cruised along the large Red Mangrove trees in small canoes which contrary to the coastal mangroves of the same species around our center on Solarte can grow several times taller due to different environmental conditions. On the beach we got a glimpse across the river Sixaola which separates Panama from Costa Rica, before we joined a sea turtle patrol at night. The largest sea turtle species, the Leatherback Turtle, nests on our shores. During their nesting season which lasts from March through July the females which can grow to a carapace length of up to 1.8m come ashore at night to dig a nest on the beach and lay their eggs. Scientists and volunteers are out every night to look for turtles, take data, tag them and relocate eggs to a guarded hatchery by their station.
[post_title] => Gentle Giants
[post_excerpt] => Our field trip this weekend was certainly one of the highlights this semester.
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Annemarie Kramer, Dr. rer.nat.
Resident Lecturer in Tropical Coastal Ecology
Let DR Fieldwork Begin!
Posted: November 18, 2013
This is certainly the most exciting time of the semester. This week we have started to focus on our Directed Research (DR) projects. Besides some lectures for all students, we are now working in small groups of six students.
One group is going to work on the reproductive biology and phenotypic selection by hawk moths on floral morphology within a certain species of flower; another group is going to collect data on the distribution of anemones and their symbiotic shrimps; and the third group is starting a comparative study of kitchen gardens in villages located through the Bocas del Toro archipelago!
This week we spent most of our time preparing for our field work; looking for literature and reading, planning methods we will be applying and further on thinking about documenting our work. We are now ready to write a scientific paper in all details and give an oral presentation on our findings.
We are all excited about the upcoming week which we will spend collecting data in the field during long enjoyable hours: visiting different islands and communities in the area we will be looking for flowers and collecting data on their morphology as well as on their pollinating host organisms, the hawk moths; interviewing people from different communities on their home gardens; and spending a lot of time in the water documenting the occurrence and relationships between anemones and their symbiotic shrimps.
Let the “DR fieldwork” begin—we are all ready and excited about it!
