Biologist’s Log

Today we continued our Coral Monitoring Specialty Course training with students from the Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society: www.jvdps.org (continued…) During our first dive, students measured live coral coverage using both transects and quadrats. They also noted areas of bleached/diseased coral. The students are doing well with the specialty course and have improved in their […]

We got an early start today so that we could head to the Baths on Virgin Gorda. The Baths is an area of eroded granite boulders that make for hours and hours of fun (continued…) There are also a couple of nice beaches and a hiking trail. Students enjoyed their time at the Baths, and […]

Today was the start of our NAUI Intro to Scientific Diving Specialty Course (continued…) This course was developed by SeaTrek as a unique advanced diving and research component of the FATHOMS program. Today students completed one dive (General scuba skills assessment at Salt Island) and began learning species identification and the monitoring methods they would […]

Travel day! After a great time in the USVI it was time to continue the program in the British Virgin Islands (continued…) After a little time in Cruz Bay, we got on the ferry and headed to Sopers Hole, West End Tortola to move onto our new home, Outta Space. After a boat briefing and […]

Day 2 was another fun- and learning-filled day. Early morning our taxi driver, Jermaine – aka “Mr. Reliable,” gave us a history lesson on the island of St. Thomas as he drove us to Red Hook ferry dock. We hopped on the ferry and arrived in Cruz Bay, St. John (continued…) There we looked around […]

“Rain, Rain….DON’T Go Away!” Today I realized that our FATHOMS crew has what it takes. Rather than let the rain spoil our fun, we decided to stick to the schedule and hike the Ram’s Head Trail at Salt Pond Bay, St. John, USVI (continued…) Although we looked like we all went for a swim in […]

What a perfect start to our FATHOMS Voyage 1, 2013 voyage! We spent the day at the University of the Virgin Island’s Center for Marine and Environmental Studies (CMES). We learned about the CMES research and toured the labs and facilities. We practiced our coral identification skills using specimens in the lab (continued…) After lunch […]