Island Times Blog

Fieldwork Day #2 – The Expedition! So, today’s log is similar to the previous one in that the students split up into their research teams and completed fieldwork and data collection with their lead scientists.

However, just ask the Flats and Sharks teams and they’ll be quick to tell you about an unexpected adventure that they took part in. We had a little trouble finding and getting to the research site at first, but not to worry…they were real troopers and did not give up. At the end of the day we had dubbed ourselves the FATHOMS Warriors, after hiking nearly 7 miles. Once we arrived at the site, we successfully caught and tagged 12 juvenile/sub-adult lemon sharks and 10 bonefish – which were both near records for a day’s catch. We also caught a juvenile gray nurse shark and green turtle, along with several barracuda, mojarra, and some other fish. Being this close to sharks and actually getting to handle them for the measurements was an experience we will not soon forget. Our patch reefs team also enjoyed their field work and collected some important data. After a long day of research, we enjoyed a short bike ride to a nearby marina where we jumped off the dock and took a “lazy river” snorkel along the outgoing tide. Even though we were wiped out at the end of the day, it was well worth it….looking forward to doing a couple dives tomorrow.