CAPE ELEUTHERA, THE BAHAMAS- Saturday, June 8 marked the 29th Research Symposium held at the Cape Eleuthera Island School. It was the culmination of a semester’s worth of research work undertaken by students at The Island School in collaboration with scientists at the Cape Eleuthera Institute. Held at The Island School campus on Cape Eleuthera, the symposium featured student presentations of research in areas including sea turtles, conch population, lionfish abundance, patch reef fish ecology, climate change, shark physiology and mangrove flats. Attendees included guest scientists, local community members and representatives of the Save The Bays group. In addition to the scientific presentations, the event included speeches given by Dr. Mark Hixon and Dr. John Tiedemann, a poster session with students and a cheque presentation ceremony.
The symposium is an opportunity for guests to learn from the work being done by Island School students at CEI, work that embodies CEI’s core principles of research, education and outreach. Following the presentations, guests were invited to visit booths where students displayed scientific posters of their studies, demonstrated their research techniques, further explained their results and answered questions about the work. The posters, created by Island School students, are published, peer-reviewed documents, an accomplishment recognized by Dr. Tiedeman in his remarks to the students, noting both the quality and significance of the work.
Joseph Darville, Pam Maxey, Aaron Shultz and Fred Smith.
Following the morning presentations, there was a ceremony, in which the Save The Bays group pledged $25,000 towards the Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholarship (BESS) programme, research internships for Bahamian students at CEI and student teacher internship opportunities for Bahamian teachers at the first green flag school in the Bahamas, Deep Creek Middle School. Save The Bays is an environmental group committed to protecting natural marine and terrestrial areas from development and degradation. They are currently engaged in projects throughout The Bahamas to stop development of environmentally important areas. “Fellow Director, Joseph Darville, and I were absolutely amazed and astounded by the wonderful work that the Cape Eleuthera Island School is doing,” said Fred Smith, Save The Bays Director who visited the island for the day to present the donation from the coalition. “We are very glad that the Island School is a community partner with Save The Bays and that they can contribute their learning and educational resources to promoting sustainable environmental living in The Bahamas.”
The afternoon sessions concluded with two addresses. Dr. Mark Hixon of the University of Hawaii, spoke to the students and gathered audience, encouraging them to continue their work and commitment towards making a difference in the world. Dr. Tiedeman also spoke, commending the high standards to which the students worked and congratulated them on the experiences they gained by working beyond the classroom and in the field. Symposia are held every June and December at The Island School campus in Cape Eleuthera. For more information about CEI and the ongoing research being conducted there, please email info@ceibahamas.org or call 334.8551.
