Bahamas+Research+trip

This past May I went on a one week shark research trip to the island of [|Bimini] in the Bahamas. We mainly focused on the effects of habitat loss on Lemon Sharks. The [|Bimini Biological Field Station] has been studying the density and distribution of the Lemon Shark population for years. Until recently the coastal environment was subject to little human disturbance, but the development of the Bimini Bay Resort is changing that. The developers of the Bimini Bay Resort claim to be constructing an environmentally safe 'ecotourist' destination. What the developers don't seem to mention is that to create the resort they have bulldozed mangrove forests, either burned or dumped their garbage into the ocean, and dredged all along the coastline. Juvenile Lemon Sharks use the mangroves for protection against larger sharks, but with the development of the Bimini Bay Resort the amount of coastline that is protected by mangroves is declining. This is providing a unique opportunity to study the effects of habitat loss on Lemon Sharks, as a large amount of data was already collected on the lemon shark population before the development had begun. During the trip I had the opportunity to swim with various species of sharks and other marine life, while also being taught about different methods in collecting data.

Here are some pictures and some background information about what I saw