5 foot long Goliath Grouper seen in Glovers Reef Marine Reserve
Yesterday, the long term research team from Exeter University’s Spatial Ecology Lab were lucky enough to sight one of our reef’s true dinosaurs. A massive Goliath Grouper (Epinephelus itajara), locally known as the Jewfish was hanging around the reef wall near to the research site. These fish are listed on the IUCN red list as “critically endangered”, and as such are now an extremely rare sight for divers, especially in Belize, where sadly there are still no fisheries regulations in place restricting their capture. Lets just hope he is not alone out there….. (see image below).
New Observation Tower @ Glovers Reef
Work is now complete on the new observation tower at Glovers Reef Marine Research Station. Sitting 40' high above the Marine reserve, this tower enables the Belize Fisheries Department rangers resident on our island, to monitor all boats coming into the reserve. The tower will also be open to the public, so any visitors wanting a bird's eye view of the atoll, this is the place to be....
The building of the tower was made possible by the funding of The Summit Foundation and Mindy Frost. If you would like to support further projects enhancing marine conservation at Glovers reef, please contact the station manager at grmrs@wcs.org.
GRMR Rangers acquire radar technology
In continuation of WCS's support of the Belize Fisheries department, and marine conservation at Glovers Reef, funding was acquired from the Summit Foundation for the purchase of a radar system for enforcement of the GRMR. This radar is a Furuno Navnet system, mounted on one of the rangers vessels, and is the first of its kind to be operating in a marine reserve in Belize.
Hurricane Season Closure 28th August - 23rd October 2009
The station will be closing down once again for the Hurricane Season in Belize. The station will be closed to research between the 28th August and the 23rd October. The station manager will be absent for the month of September. For advance bookings enquiries during this time please contact the main office, or wait until October.
GRRS Observation Tower (July 09)
Building has begun at Middle Caye on the construction of a 40' Observation tower for the Fisheries Rangers, funded by the Wildlife Conservation Society. This tower will facilitate enforcement of the conservation zone at Glovers Reef, by enabling rangers to view boats throughout the no-take zone, and minimise fuel consumption used in daily patrolling of the reserves further reaches.
Coral Monitoring Protocol Workshop (May 09)
May saw the return of WCS Senior Conservation Scientist's Tim McClanahan & Nyawira Muthiga to run a training workshop on their annual assessment of coral reef health, herbivory and predation. This methodology is designed to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the no-take protected area in conserving and replenishing fish stocks and coral cover. Participants from the Fisheries Department and Hopkins Fishers cooperative attended the 5 day workshop at Glovers Reef Research Station.
(GRRS goes Solar powered...(February 09)
This week saw the final installation of an additional 2000 Watts of solar panels at GRRS. This new addition should ensure the marked reduction in Diesel consumption, enabling the research station to run almost exclusively on renewable energy. This new power supply will also allow for enhanced WCS support for the Fisheries Department at Middle Caye and their rangers, with 24hour electricity.
Lionfish arrive at Glovers Reef (January 09)
Having only been one week since the first sighting in Belize, the Lionfish, of the family Scorpaenidae, has now been spotted at Glovers Reef. This venomous and predatory fish is an invasive species in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and presents another conservation challenge to the region due to its voracious behaviour, often outcompeting endemic species for resources. Local fishermen say they have been sighting the fish sporadically here for some time, but had no idea what it was.
Glovers Reef Station featured on NBC's TODAY Show (November 08)
Janet Gibson, Alex Tilley & Chuck Carr talk about WCS and Marine Conservation in Belize with NBC's Matt Lauer as part of their Ends of the Earth Program. The week of programming focused on Green living, and the need to live responsibly and sustainably to protect the worlds oceans and resources.
Matt Lauer with the Glovers Team
Launch of Glovers Reef Marine Reserve Website
A website dedicated to the Glovers Reef Marine Reserve has now been launched. On this site you can find information on activities, staff members and fisheries laws concerning the reserve. Click on the Marine Reserve
link in the left menu bar to go to the website.
Glovers Reef is Google Earth's MPA of the day
A new tool on Google Earth allowing users to view Marine protected areas was launched at the recent IUCN Congress in Barcelona, and Glovers Reef was featured as their very first MPA of the day. This tool will allow users to see photos and/or video of the sites and their marine life, as well as text explaining the sites, how they are managed and local maritime lore. Click on the link below to see the website and the Glovers Reef entry.
You can visit the site at:
www.protectplanetocean.org
.
National Geographic's 'Wildcam Belize' goes live from Glovers Reef
Live streaming video of the fore reef on Glovers' southeastern edge corner can now be seen online thanks to an underwater camera put in place by the National Geographic Wildcam crew. Wildcam video brings you big Cats, Polar Bears, Seals and cranes from around the globe, and now you can see the diversity of life passing by the camera on Glovers Reef. See wildcam Belize to follow the action.
Hurricane Closure (Update)
Please take note that the Hurrican season closure for GRRS has been extended to November 1st 2008 to accomodate staff training. Please contact the station manager for bookings and availibility inquiries.
Hurricane Closure (reminder)
As a reminder, the Glovers Reef Research Station will be closing from August 29th until October 24th in order to avoid the hurricane season. Please contact the station manager (atilley@wcs.org) for any further information or queries.
WCS Conservation Summer Program (August 08)
The end of July saw the successful completion of the marine phase of WCS' first conservation summer program in collaboration with Sail Caribbean. High school students spent a week at the research station learning about aspects of conservation science and survey techniques, and participating in the quarterly Sea turtle Survey alongside WCS' Cathi Campbell. The group took excellently to some challenging conditions, proving themselves valuable additions to the monitoring team. The week was rounded off by a trip to Lighthouse Reef Atoll, where the group dived amid stalactites and reef sharks in Belize's world famous Blue Hole.
Manchester Universities Field Trip (June 08)
Mid June saw the station host its largest group to date, with 26 students and faculty from the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, converging on Middle Caye for their marine field work. Students were studying various aspects of Patch Reef ecology, from defensive bahaviour in damsel fish, to spatially influenced biodiversity. Also in continuation of our efforts to promote cultural exchange and local involvement, the group sponsored the participation of two Belizean students from the University of Belize and Galen University.
Glovers Shark Survey (May 08)
The team from the Pew Institute of Ocean Science, led by Demian Chapman returned in early May to continue the Shark Survey at Glovers Reef. The survey is now in its ninth year, and successfully documents the sustained abundance of locally occurring sharks at Glovers following the banning of Gill netting and long lining in the area. Shark species caught were Ginglymostoma cirratum; Carcharhinus falciformis; Carcharhinus isodon; Carcharinus perezi; Galeocerdo cuvier & Rhizoprionodon porosus.
Dr. Chapman with a Night Shark, Carcharhinus isodon
Sea Turtle Monitoring (April 08)
This week saw the continuation of the Sea Turtle Monitoring program at Glovers Reef, with WCS’s Dr Cathi Campbell back on the atoll to lead the search. The monitoring started in April 2007, running three times per year and is a joint effort by the Belize Fisheries Dept. and WCS to find out more about Sea Turtles’ use of Glovers as a feeding, reproduction & recruitment ground. This phase of monitoring spotted 49 turtles, of which 24 were caught and tagged, and 1 of which was a recaptured turtle tagged in the September 07 phase. Initial data seems to suggest that Glovers Reef is a vital habitat for juvenile Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) less than 40cm in length. Large loggerhead Turtles (Caretta Caretta) are seen between March-July and known to nest on the cayes of Glovers, but in dwindling numbers over recent years. The next phase of monitoring will take place in July of this year.
Species List for Glovers created (April 08)
A class project conducted by Marine Biology students and faculty from California State University, Long Beach has resulted in the generation of a species list for Glovers Reef Lagoon. The species list is now available on this site, and will form the base document for continued categorization of all species encountered within the Glovers Reef Atoll system. Substantiated additions and corrections are gratefully received by the station manager (grmrs@wcs.org)
SeagrassNet Belize 2008 (April 08)
GRRS recently hosted the 2008 Belize SeagrassNet training workshop, run by Dr Aaren Freeman (UNH) and Tino Chi (UBC). SeagrassNet is the global monitoring network that investigates and documents the status of seagrass resources worldwide, and the threats to this important and imperilled marine ecosystem. Participants from WCS, TIDE, TASTE, SWEET and BAS came together to learn the monitoring techniques necessary to continue sampling for 10 sites in Belize. For more information see www.seagrassnet.org
Seismic surveys unearth Glovers geological past (March 08)
A recent research expedition led by Gregor Eberli of the Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory, RSMAS and Flavio Anselmetti of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology (Eawag) conducted seismic surveys over Glovers Reef lagoon and patch reefs. Preliminary results show that the majority of Holocene reefs initiated on Pleistocene topographic highs, suggesting that topographic highs are favourable sites for reef initiation and that Pleistocene topography exerts some degree of control of Holocene reef morphology. Work will continue later in the year using cores to try to elucidate the influence of this topography on coral assemblage.
Update on Nassau grouper counts at the Glover's spawning site (Feb 08)
This season’s monitoring of the spawning aggregation of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) on Glovers Reef’s northeast point has recorded a slight increase in numbers from previous years. The maximum count this season was estimated at 1100 fish, compared to 800 last year. We hope that this trend of increasing numbers will continue in future years as a result of the special patrols at the spawning grounds recently instituted by the Belize Fisheries Dept. and supported by WCS; the general strengthening of enforcement by marine reserve staff and the assistance they receive from fishers equipped with radios through a WCS-funded project; and the informal agreement by the Sarteneja fishermen to cease spearfishing of E. striatus.
New Summer Conservation Program (Feb 08)
In summer 2008 WCS-Marine will team up with Sail Caribbean to engage energetic high school students in marine conservation and fieldwork here at the Glover’s Reef Marine Research Station in Belize. Sail Caribbean is a well regarded summer adventure camp for teenagers that has been offering sailing, SCUBA, and community service camps in the Caribbean for more than 25 years. Teens will take classes covering species interconnectivity, biodiversity, and climate change, and will identify, count, and tag sea turtles as part of the Glover’s Reef Sea Turtle Monitoring Project. The curriculum will be led by WCS’s own Dr Cathi Campbell of the Nicaragua Sea Turtle program, and Alex Tilley, the station manager. Sail Caribbean has pledged its commitment to sponsor several Belizean students to encourage a local conservation ethic, and pride in their country’s natural resources, which also creates an enhanced cultural exchange experience for American teens. For more information go to www.sailcaribbean.com.
Hurricane Season Closure (Jan 08)
In order to reduce the costs and upheaval of station operation through the Hurricane season, it has been proposed that GRRS will close for the months of September and October, 2008. If any researcher has been planning to conduct research around this period, please contact the station manager immediately to enquire as to exact dates of closure (grmrs@wcs.org).
5 foot long Goliath Grouper seen in Glovers Reef Marine Reserve
Yesterday, the long term research team from Exeter University’s Spatial Ecology Lab were lucky enough to sight one of our reef’s true dinosaurs. A massive Goliath Grouper (Epinephelus itajara), locally known as the Jewfish was hanging around the reef wall near to the research site. These fish are listed on the IUCN red list as “critically endangered”, and as such are now an extremely rare sight for divers, especially in Belize, where sadly there are still no fisheries regulations in place restricting their capture. Lets just hope he is not alone out there….. (see image below).
New Observation Tower @ Glovers Reef
Work is now complete on the new observation tower at Glovers Reef Marine Research Station. Sitting 40' high above the Marine reserve, this tower enables the Belize Fisheries Department rangers resident on our island, to monitor all boats coming into the reserve. The tower will also be open to the public, so any visitors wanting a bird's eye view of the atoll, this is the place to be....
The building of the tower was made possible by the funding of The Summit Foundation and Mindy Frost. If you would like to support further projects enhancing marine conservation at Glovers reef, please contact the station manager at grmrs@wcs.org.
GRMR Rangers acquire radar technology
In continuation of WCS's support of the Belize Fisheries department, and marine conservation at Glovers Reef, funding was acquired from the Summit Foundation for the purchase of a radar system for enforcement of the GRMR. This radar is a Furuno Navnet system, mounted on one of the rangers vessels, and is the first of its kind to be operating in a marine reserve in Belize.
Hurricane Season Closure 28th August - 23rd October 2009
The station will be closing down once again for the Hurricane Season in Belize. The station will be closed to research between the 28th August and the 23rd October. The station manager will be absent for the month of September. For advance bookings enquiries during this time please contact the main office, or wait until October.
GRRS Observation Tower (July 09)
Building has begun at Middle Caye on the construction of a 40' Observation tower for the Fisheries Rangers, funded by the Wildlife Conservation Society. This tower will facilitate enforcement of the conservation zone at Glovers Reef, by enabling rangers to view boats throughout the no-take zone, and minimise fuel consumption used in daily patrolling of the reserves further reaches.
Coral Monitoring Protocol Workshop (May 09)
May saw the return of WCS Senior Conservation Scientist's Tim McClanahan & Nyawira Muthiga to run a training workshop on their annual assessment of coral reef health, herbivory and predation. This methodology is designed to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the no-take protected area in conserving and replenishing fish stocks and coral cover. Participants from the Fisheries Department and Hopkins Fishers cooperative attended the 5 day workshop at Glovers Reef Research Station.
(GRRS goes Solar powered...(February 09)
This week saw the final installation of an additional 2000 Watts of solar panels at GRRS. This new addition should ensure the marked reduction in Diesel consumption, enabling the research station to run almost exclusively on renewable energy. This new power supply will also allow for enhanced WCS support for the Fisheries Department at Middle Caye and their rangers, with 24hour electricity.
Lionfish arrive at Glovers Reef (January 09)
Having only been one week since the first sighting in Belize, the Lionfish, of the family Scorpaenidae, has now been spotted at Glovers Reef. This venomous and predatory fish is an invasive species in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and presents another conservation challenge to the region due to its voracious behaviour, often outcompeting endemic species for resources. Local fishermen say they have been sighting the fish sporadically here for some time, but had no idea what it was.
Glovers Reef Station featured on NBC's TODAY Show (November 08)
Janet Gibson, Alex Tilley & Chuck Carr talk about WCS and Marine Conservation in Belize with NBC's Matt Lauer as part of their Ends of the Earth Program. The week of programming focused on Green living, and the need to live responsibly and sustainably to protect the worlds oceans and resources.
Matt Lauer with the Glovers Team
Launch of Glovers Reef Marine Reserve Website
A website dedicated to the Glovers Reef Marine Reserve has now been launched. On this site you can find information on activities, staff members and fisheries laws concerning the reserve. Click on the Marine Reserve
link in the left menu bar to go to the website.
Glovers Reef is Google Earth's MPA of the day
A new tool on Google Earth allowing users to view Marine protected areas was launched at the recent IUCN Congress in Barcelona, and Glovers Reef was featured as their very first MPA of the day. This tool will allow users to see photos and/or video of the sites and their marine life, as well as text explaining the sites, how they are managed and local maritime lore. Click on the link below to see the website and the Glovers Reef entry.
You can visit the site at:
www.protectplanetocean.org
.
National Geographic's 'Wildcam Belize' goes live from Glovers Reef
Live streaming video of the fore reef on Glovers' southeastern edge corner can now be seen online thanks to an underwater camera put in place by the National Geographic Wildcam crew. Wildcam video brings you big Cats, Polar Bears, Seals and cranes from around the globe, and now you can see the diversity of life passing by the camera on Glovers Reef. See wildcam Belize to follow the action.
Hurricane Closure (Update)
Please take note that the Hurrican season closure for GRRS has been extended to November 1st 2008 to accomodate staff training. Please contact the station manager for bookings and availibility inquiries.
Hurricane Closure (reminder)
As a reminder, the Glovers Reef Research Station will be closing from August 29th until October 24th in order to avoid the hurricane season. Please contact the station manager (atilley@wcs.org) for any further information or queries.
WCS Conservation Summer Program (August 08)
The end of July saw the successful completion of the marine phase of WCS' first conservation summer program in collaboration with Sail Caribbean. High school students spent a week at the research station learning about aspects of conservation science and survey techniques, and participating in the quarterly Sea turtle Survey alongside WCS' Cathi Campbell. The group took excellently to some challenging conditions, proving themselves valuable additions to the monitoring team. The week was rounded off by a trip to Lighthouse Reef Atoll, where the group dived amid stalactites and reef sharks in Belize's world famous Blue Hole.
Manchester Universities Field Trip (June 08)
Mid June saw the station host its largest group to date, with 26 students and faculty from the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK, converging on Middle Caye for their marine field work. Students were studying various aspects of Patch Reef ecology, from defensive bahaviour in damsel fish, to spatially influenced biodiversity. Also in continuation of our efforts to promote cultural exchange and local involvement, the group sponsored the participation of two Belizean students from the University of Belize and Galen University.
Glovers Shark Survey (May 08)
The team from the Pew Institute of Ocean Science, led by Demian Chapman returned in early May to continue the Shark Survey at Glovers Reef. The survey is now in its ninth year, and successfully documents the sustained abundance of locally occurring sharks at Glovers following the banning of Gill netting and long lining in the area. Shark species caught were Ginglymostoma cirratum; Carcharhinus falciformis; Carcharhinus isodon; Carcharinus perezi; Galeocerdo cuvier & Rhizoprionodon porosus.
Dr. Chapman with a Night Shark, Carcharhinus isodon
Sea Turtle Monitoring (April 08)
This week saw the continuation of the Sea Turtle Monitoring program at Glovers Reef, with WCS’s Dr Cathi Campbell back on the atoll to lead the search. The monitoring started in April 2007, running three times per year and is a joint effort by the Belize Fisheries Dept. and WCS to find out more about Sea Turtles’ use of Glovers as a feeding, reproduction & recruitment ground. This phase of monitoring spotted 49 turtles, of which 24 were caught and tagged, and 1 of which was a recaptured turtle tagged in the September 07 phase. Initial data seems to suggest that Glovers Reef is a vital habitat for juvenile Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) less than 40cm in length. Large loggerhead Turtles (Caretta Caretta) are seen between March-July and known to nest on the cayes of Glovers, but in dwindling numbers over recent years. The next phase of monitoring will take place in July of this year.
Species List for Glovers created (April 08)
A class project conducted by Marine Biology students and faculty from California State University, Long Beach has resulted in the generation of a species list for Glovers Reef Lagoon. The species list is now available on this site, and will form the base document for continued categorization of all species encountered within the Glovers Reef Atoll system. Substantiated additions and corrections are gratefully received by the station manager (grmrs@wcs.org)
SeagrassNet Belize 2008 (April 08)
GRRS recently hosted the 2008 Belize SeagrassNet training workshop, run by Dr Aaren Freeman (UNH) and Tino Chi (UBC). SeagrassNet is the global monitoring network that investigates and documents the status of seagrass resources worldwide, and the threats to this important and imperilled marine ecosystem. Participants from WCS, TIDE, TASTE, SWEET and BAS came together to learn the monitoring techniques necessary to continue sampling for 10 sites in Belize. For more information see www.seagrassnet.org
Seismic surveys unearth Glovers geological past (March 08)
A recent research expedition led by Gregor Eberli of the Comparative Sedimentology Laboratory, RSMAS and Flavio Anselmetti of the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science & Technology (Eawag) conducted seismic surveys over Glovers Reef lagoon and patch reefs. Preliminary results show that the majority of Holocene reefs initiated on Pleistocene topographic highs, suggesting that topographic highs are favourable sites for reef initiation and that Pleistocene topography exerts some degree of control of Holocene reef morphology. Work will continue later in the year using cores to try to elucidate the influence of this topography on coral assemblage.
Update on Nassau grouper counts at the Glover's spawning site (Feb 08)
This season’s monitoring of the spawning aggregation of Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) on Glovers Reef’s northeast point has recorded a slight increase in numbers from previous years. The maximum count this season was estimated at 1100 fish, compared to 800 last year. We hope that this trend of increasing numbers will continue in future years as a result of the special patrols at the spawning grounds recently instituted by the Belize Fisheries Dept. and supported by WCS; the general strengthening of enforcement by marine reserve staff and the assistance they receive from fishers equipped with radios through a WCS-funded project; and the informal agreement by the Sarteneja fishermen to cease spearfishing of E. striatus.
New Summer Conservation Program (Feb 08)
In summer 2008 WCS-Marine will team up with Sail Caribbean to engage energetic high school students in marine conservation and fieldwork here at the Glover’s Reef Marine Research Station in Belize. Sail Caribbean is a well regarded summer adventure camp for teenagers that has been offering sailing, SCUBA, and community service camps in the Caribbean for more than 25 years. Teens will take classes covering species interconnectivity, biodiversity, and climate change, and will identify, count, and tag sea turtles as part of the Glover’s Reef Sea Turtle Monitoring Project. The curriculum will be led by WCS’s own Dr Cathi Campbell of the Nicaragua Sea Turtle program, and Alex Tilley, the station manager. Sail Caribbean has pledged its commitment to sponsor several Belizean students to encourage a local conservation ethic, and pride in their country’s natural resources, which also creates an enhanced cultural exchange experience for American teens. For more information go to www.sailcaribbean.com.
Hurricane Season Closure (Jan 08)
In order to reduce the costs and upheaval of station operation through the Hurricane season, it has been proposed that GRRS will close for the months of September and October, 2008. If any researcher has been planning to conduct research around this period, please contact the station manager immediately to enquire as to exact dates of closure (grmrs@wcs.org).