Snowfall in the Caribbean

As I write this final post I am adjusting to life without my Bonaire family and the reefs and island I came to love – as an escape from the cold weather of Eastern Oregon, I am flying over the Pacific ocean destined for Honolulu, Hawaii. In a few hours, I will begin the next adventure in my marine biology training and conduct a site visit for my internship with the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology at Coconut Island through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But, before I describe this amazing opportunity, Bonaire deserves some acknowledgement for the most amazing four months of my life.

Our last week on the island was emotional to say the least. It seemed unreal that we only had several days left and the time went by faster than we could keep up with! For the most part, we refused to talk about “life after Bonaire” and we enjoyed all the wonderful opportunities the island has to offer, one last time. A few of us took time to snorkel up and down our home coast a couple times to take the chance to soak in the tropical scenery one last time. I found a new appreciation for all the little marine critters we came to know well. The island had never seemed so beautiful to me than it did in the past week – I was not just saying goodbye to my human friends, I was saying goodbye to my marine life buddies!

And of course, we could not leave the island without taking a couple more dives! We did another sunrise dive in a large group and had a great dive! The reef was lit perfectly by the sunrise and was illuminated in golden color with huge schools of fish waking up from their dormant evening state. I spent a lot of time on this dive examining all the corals in close detail – down to the individual polyps and the tiny organisms burrowing in crevices. As a coral biologist-in-training, it was the best way to spend my 75^th dive!

Even though the sunrise dive was no less than gorgeous, we did have one dive that blew it out of the water. On a spur of the moment decision, a group of us took a taxi with our tanks and gear over to the East coast of Bonaire to Baby Beach, just outside Lac Bay. The windward side of the island is not an easy access point – the coastline is jagged rock and cliff with difficult entry for divers. The surf is high and powerful, which was more of a problem on the exit than entry! In fact, it was pretty fun riding the waves – the only part that wasn’t fun? Pulling sea urchin spines out of our hands and legs later on that day! But, that could hardly have ruined our day. On the East coast, coral is not consistent benthic cover but is found in large colonies. Gorgonians cover most of the substrate, along with algae, and make the bottom look like an underwater forest. The marine life on the East coast is phenomenal! We saw over 20 turtles (both green and Hawksbill), 5 blacktip reef sharks, a nurse shark, ocean triggerfish, tons of juvenile fish species, and many other species we hardly saw on the leeward side. We went down to about 100 feet during this dive and spent more time in the shallow areas for a total dive time of 75 minutes… 75 minutes in heaven!

The last days in Bonaire were not all fun and games, however! We had two finals in Coral Reef Ecology and Tropical Marine Conservation Biology classes. The tests went very well and all that time spent studying sure paid off! We also finished our editing of Physis: Journal of Marine Science and have the PDF version ready to print when we get time!

Soon, the journal will be available at cieebonaire.org… Be sure to check out the product of all our research and hard work over the term!

But after the work was finished, we knew it was time to start wrapping up our stay on Bonaire and say our goodbyes. We had a large end of the year BBQ (with tons of lionfish, yum!) where we watched a few slideshows, gave out awards, and thanked everyone for all their help and the opportunities we were given due to the amazing staff and CIEE program.

If it were not for the fantastic interns, dedicated staff, and cooperation among students and faculty, we would not have had such an amazing experience on Bonaire. I cannot convey how thankful I am for all of the help and support given to us by the staff members. Never have I had such a positive and wonderful connection with my teachers and mentors – and the experience is one I will never forget! Thanks to our professors’ knowledge and hard work, we have learned so much about the marine environment and now have the basic tools and experience needed to seek further opportunities.

My fellow students deserve just as much credit for making this experience so fantastic. Living with 14 people in one house for 15 weeks is no easy task. Our group was not only able to live together peacefully (with a few, minor discrepancies), but we successfully collaborated to produce a journal, complete projects, and make the most of our academic opportunities. But through this process, most importantly, we became a family. From Thanksgiving dinner to group study nights, and fun dives to camping, we did everything together. I am proud and grateful to have studied with such a driven, motivated group of future marine biologists. Even though we are facing monumental challenges in the next few decades, I feel confident that with people like us in the field, we can and will make a difference.

The last night we were on the island, we went to a nice restaurant and enjoyed one last dinner together. And since we left so early the next morning, we decided to just stay awake all night – why sleep the last night in our favorite place on Earth? So, we did just that. And the next day, we said some emotional goodbyes to our East coast friends, clambered into the van one last time, and watched the sun come up as we lifted off the ground.

What awaited us on the other side? Cold. Snow. No sun. But what was also waiting for us? Friends, family, and the comforts of home we would soon rediscover. I was so thrilled to see my family and my home. We took time to go cross country skiing on our “backyard” mountain and I was able to spend time with my best friend – my horse. It’s the little things that remind me why I love my home so much and how lucky I am to have a family that supports my goals and aspirations. I know that I will be living life a little differently now that I have some long term traveling under my belt – using less, appreciating more, and living in a way that always has the bigger picture in mind – by making choices to make small differences in the world – and encouraging others to do the same. 

And now, I can look forward to what future opportunities I am fortunate enough to take part in. As part of the NOAA Hollings Scholar program, I will be completing a 10-week internship this summer with the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology at Coconut Island. I will be assisting with the Science/Education Inquiry program that offers marine biology courses to underprivileged/underrepresented high school students interested in marine science. I will also be developing and conducting a personal research project in coral reef conservation in cooperation with the HIMB Coconut Island Lab. I am honored to have been selected for this position as it connects my two passions – researching the marine environment and educating others on the importance of the marine ecosystem. Before I spend the summer in Hawai’i, I will be completing Winter Term back at Oregon State University and will spend Spring Term at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, OR studying intertidal coastal biology. I am eager to begin this next step in my education!

Its no doubt that for many of us, Bonaire is the start of it all - the start of our careers and our lifelong goal to preserve and protect the marine environment. When we look back in 10, 20, 30 years we will see our experience on the island as the starting point for everything that is to come. I could never express in words the value and worth of this experience, and I will probably never fully understand just how much impact it will have on my future career. I am so thankful for the opportunities that I have had on Bonaire and know that I will miss the island, the culture, and the oceans immensely. Snow has left the island of Bonaire, but won’t be absent for long!

 Its come down to the last week of the most amazing experience of my life thus far. I can’t believe how far our group has come academically and how driven we are to protect and preserve the marine environment. This past week has been stressful and busy to say the least, but I know that all the work we do here is important and makes a difference in the health of the ecosystem. 

First and foremost, we had a great accomplishment this week - we submitted our student journal, Physis: Journal of Marine Science. As I write this entry, our journals are being printed and bound, just in time for us to take a few copies home with us! We did everything to compile this journal - from the cover photographs to the table of contents and the details of each individual paper. We were able to show off our teamwork skills and submit one of the best journals this program has seen! And that is certainly something to be proud of. We had a team of students working to edit and format figures, tables, references, photographs, and paper text. My fellow Editor-in-Chief (Brett) and I worked to approve final edits and compile each part of the document - a long and tiring task. I was more than happy with the way our group worked together and once the journal was finished, a huge weight was lifted off our shoulders! It actually seems real now - we completed our research and we have published them in a student journal. How exciting! Physis will be posted on the CIEE Bonaire website for download once it is printed and uploaded (all 125 pages!). 

As a break from the stress of creating Physis, one of my fellow students and our professor and I did a UV night dive! And let me tell you, the UV dive is a completely different way to see the reef! We each had filters over our goggles and our professor had a UV light that showed the colors reflected by different organisms. The corals were bright lime green, some were orange speckled, and others were blue or purple! The polychaete worms glowed bright yellow and the anemones were multiple colors! The tarpon and other large fish seemed to like the UV light and swam very close to us! With the UV light, we saw organisms that would have otherwise gone unnoticed and the beauty of the reef was breathtaking. It was like an alien world and something completely foreign. Definitely one of my favorite dives here!

We also spent time with our professors playing volleyball at Buddy Dive Resort in celebration of a staff birthday. We also drew names for our house secret santa exchange. This is not your average secret santa drawing - we are having quite a bit of fun with it! Each person has found secret motivational messages, happy notes, and bits of candy. We have all become close during this experience and its fun to brighten someone’s day with little gifts!

As a break from studying for finals and preparing for the Sustainability Fair, my roommate and I took a long snorkel up the northern end of our coast. It was the most relaxing and fun afternoon - we found our favorite fish and enjoyed some beautiful scenery along the way. Pictures are below!

Our group accomplished another one of our term tasks and successfully organized and put on the first ever Sustainability Fair with CIEE! After a couple months of planning, we loaded up the trucks with supplies and set up tables and booths at the town park. Local businesses and volunteer groups met us there to collaborate and educate the public on ways to live sustainably. We had booths that covered topics like recycling, compost, plastic use, CIEE research, lionfish control, turtle conservation, conch populations, and much more! My buddy, Ashtyn, and I put on a booth about sustainable seafood choices and the state of world fisheries. It was rewarding to educate local people on smart food choices as options are limited on such a small island! Naturally, our group was a little stressed before this event - we didn’t know if people would show up.. we didn’t know if it would rain.. we didn’t know if our volunteers would make it! But we didn’t need to worry - everything went smoothly and we had a great turn out. Success!!

After the fair, we are all exhausted and taking time to rest before studying for finals. After our tests this week, we will have to say goodbye to our new home. But, its not time to think about that yet! We will be doing another sunrise dive tomorrow morning and have a bbq later this week. Its hard to imagine we only have a few days left - but we are also eager to see our friends and family again. We are definitely worried about the climate back in the states, however. Because right now, even 75 degrees seems freezing to us! We may be in trouble in that regard… 

But for now, we can enjoy our successes and tackle our last few tasks. Bonaire has certainly treated us well in our stay here - it feels good to give back to the island!

- Also, look at the links and information I’ve posted below - some good tips for living sustainably!

Looking to help out the oceans from your own home? We all have an impact on the marine and terrestrial environment no matter where we live. Here are some easy, simple ways to make a difference - we vote with our money - and changing our habits can start a chain reaction!

1. Walk, bike, carpool, take a bus, ride the train, and combine trips into town!

2. Buying a new car? Choose one with better gas mileage! Your wallet will agree down the road.

3. Buy energy efficient appliances. Look for the labels, ask the salesman, and compare your options. 

4. Conserve water. Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth, take shorter showers, and install low-flow devices in your home. 

5. Compost! You not only reduce the amount of trash in landfills, but you get some free garden goodies!

6. Reduce your use of toxic cleaners. Many cleaners in the stores are now “green”. Try them out to reduce the use of toxic chemicals!

7. Buy LED or compact fluorescent bulbs. They use about 1/3 less electricity and last almost 10 times longer than other bulbs!

8. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. Easy!

9. Turn your thermostat down 2 degrees in the winter than you normally do. This can make a huge difference! 

10. Insulate your walls, roofs, windows, and doors to conserve heat.

11. Recycle! This can reduce the waste in landfills and eventually means less plastics in the ocean!

12. Stay away from plastics - use paper bags - or even better, bring reusable bags with you to the store!

13. Choose sustainable seafood choices to support healthy fish populations - look at the link I posted below for more info! Especially avoid shrimp, conch, yellow and bluefin tuna, and reef fish like grouper and snapper.

14. Support renewable energy policies - we must reduce our use of fossil fuels - use solar, wind, or geothermal energy!

15. Stop using too many paper towels!

16. Reuse containers, bags, and household projects as much as possible. Before you throw things away, crush or condense them to reduce the space your waste takes up!

17. Shop locally - for food and everything else!

18. Support companies that have sustainable policies - stay away from those who dont!

19. Eat low on the food chain.

20. Use a reusable water bottle!

21. Participate in clean ups - whether on the beach, at a local park, or downtown!

22. Support educational marine exhibits and aquariums. 

23. If you have a salt-water aquarium, make sure you know where the animals were collected - if they were collected on a reef, dont buy!!

24. When visiting the ocean, dont touch or harm the environment. Be respectful when you dive, snorkel, swim, and explore. 

25. Tell your family, tell your friends, spread the word! If you can affect change in one other person, you have made a huge difference!