We woke up today at the Colony Club Inn and Suites and then around noon we shuttled to the airport in Nassau, The Bahamas. While waiting for the plane to depart, I saw a giant painting that displayed the culture, nature, and history of The Bahamas. In the bottom right corner of the picture is a lionfish. They are an invasive fish species native to Asian waters. Lionfish feed on small vertebrates and invertebrates in the waters like crabs or fish. Like any invasive species, lionfish have few predators and can reproduce very rapidly, making them a problem and therefore a target in The Bahamas. Also in the image are coral reefs and mangrove trees which provide a habitat for reef fish such as parrotfish, Nassau grouper, and yellowtail snapper. The picture also displayed pirates and Christopher Columbus landing on the shore and meeting the indigenous people. After the flight to San Salvador, we ate dinner and attended an orientation presented by the Gerace Research Center's director, Troy Dexter. We settled into the dormitories and then some of us went on a night walk on the beach right next to the research center. We saw many terrestrial and marine fauna, like ghost crabs and needlefish. We found many burrows of ghost crabs that they dug out on the beaches of San Salvador. We also witnessed many needlefish which were hunting in packs. The needlefish corral their prey, typically smaller fish, and they make quick leaps forward that can reach up to forty miles per hour. Today was an eventful day with many more memories to come!
Contributed by Ethan
Photo credit: Ethan
Comments