Marine research for our changing climate.

By Danielle Backman, Waterfront and Program Assistant ~ Edited by Yuqian Zhang, Ph.D., Resident Lecturer in Marine Conservation Governance, The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos

For over 40 years, The School for Field Studies (SFS) has been transforming lives by inspiring students to become global thinkers and environmental leaders. With 12 Centers across 6 continents, students receive a transformative, place-based education by exploring social and ecological dimensions of complex environmental problems faced by our local partners and contributing to sustainable solutions.

Located on the island of South Caicos is one of The School for Field Studies’ original programs. For over three decades, The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies (CMRS) has focused on key environmental issues like biodiversity conservation, environmental policy, and fisheries. Our ongoing research plays an important role in supporting Turks & Caicos residents and government authorities as they work to balance economic need with the preservation of irreplaceable natural resources.

During our Spring 2025 semester (January–May), 32 students from colleges and universities across the United States dove into the world of marine conservation, first building knowledge and field skills in Marine Resource Management, Tropical Marine Ecology, and Marine Conservation Governance courses. The skills learned were put to further practice in the second half of the semester during eight faculty-led directed research projects. Through one month of data collection in the field, supported by a team of waterfront staff, our students contributed to valuable research for the South Caicos community. Students documented their research in a final report and presented their findings to South Caicos residents in a community-engagement talk. 

Students from The School for Field Studies on South Caicos prepare to conduct an underwater transect survey at “The Arch” dive site.

First, we dove in to check on South Caicos’ corals and fish. This project assesses coral health status and fish diversity at four sites and two depths in the Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park, near the bank of South Caicos. This data is collected through underwater fish surveys, coral assessments, and benthic (ocean floor) assessments, then analyzed using CPCe. Over the past 10 years, this long-term South Caicos benthic assessment has been providing knowledge for monitoring effects of climate change, environmental health, and preparing for restoration efforts.

Through careful assessments of the effects of climate change on our coral reef communities around South Caicos, we have taken action to help our reefs by outplanting coral fragments. Sponsored by Salterra, our Coral Gardening team outplanted a total of 360 coral fragments at three locations over a one-month period. This involves some underwater “gardening” with specialized equipment (including an underwater drill—how cool)!

We are also monitoring previously outplanted corals for survival and growth on dive/snorkel surveys, then analyzing images using ImageJ. Our goal is to assess the effectiveness of outplants in this early-stage coral restoration effort on South Caicos. Little by little, we do make a difference in the conservation of our reefs.

One creature that greatly benefits from our actions is the elusive octopus. Our “Octopop” group is diving into the mysterious world of Octopus insularis and assessing population ecology around South Caicos. We look at population density, diet, and habitat type in relation to number of predators (eel, carnivorous fishes, sharks, rays) and other octopuses. Our group deploys underwater video cameras or OMGs (Octopus Monitoring Gadgets) and analyzes the video, then categorizes and measures dens while collecting items from middens (piles of leftover octopus food) during snorkel/dive surveys at various sites around South Caicos. This valuable research contributes to the sparse information that researchers currently have on O. insularis in the Northern Hemisphere and provides crucial information on the diversity of marine life in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

To test the “Graveyard Hypothesis,” Dr. C.E. O’Brien places freshly harvested conch into a pile around which live queen conch will be placed.

One well-known economically and culturally significant marine creature here in South Caicos is the queen conch (Aliger gigas). Our “Grave Conch-cerns” group tested the “Graveyard Hypothesis” which suggests the presence of discarded queen conch shells from fishermen drives live conch from an area. This is tested by collecting, measuring, and tagging conch and placing them in a circle around various stimuli (old conch shells, freshly harvested conch, and rocks as a control) then measuring how far the conch move from each stimulus. This research will support fisheries management and conservation of the beloved queen conch.

Another well-known and economically and culturally significant creature inhabiting the reefs of South Caicos is the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus). To support the crucial lobster fishery, the TCI Department of Fisheries & Marine Resources Management (DFMRM) placed lobster “casitas” or “condos” at various sites off the coast of South Caicos. We are assessing the effectiveness of these artificial lobster “condos” in sustaining their surrounding habitat and evaluating their ecological impact. This is done by carefully catching lobster, then tagging, weighing, identifying sex and maturity, and assessing injuries. Over one month, our “Casitas” group caught and tagged nearly 1,000 lobsters. The information gathered is crucial for the DFMRM to make management decisions that will sustain the lobster fishery.

Perched outside its “casita” in “The Lake” is a Caribbean spiny lobster.

It’s understood that marine creatures like conch and lobster are important to the South Caicos economy, but have you ever wondered how much a coastline is worth? Our “Coastal Ecosystem Service Assessment and Mapping” group conducts drone and in-water transect surveys at various coastal locations around South Caicos. This data is combined with interviews of community members on their perception of local coastal ecosystem value. Data from these three field methods is combined to determine the total economic value of coastal ecosystems in South Caicos and provide important information for sustainable development planning. 

One of the main sources of tourism on the South Caicos coastline is bonefishing, as the island is adjacent to the largest continuous flat system in the Atlantic—an environment dominated by bonefish. The “Bonefish Ecology” team spent many hours fly fishing at various locations just offshore. We investigate individual bonefish diet through catching, tagging, measuring, and releasing. We also study bonefish movement patterns, abundance, and habitat preference using drone transect surveys. This research explores sustainable ecotourism opportunities in South Caicos and hopes to bolster the local economy as bonefishing becomes a larger draw to the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The “Baited Remote Underwater Video System” captured this screenshot of four eagle rays in the Admiral Cockburn Land & Sea National Park.

Yet attraction to South Caicos for tourism is the plentiful megafauna in our marine protected areas. Sharks, rays, turtles, and whales are regular visitors around here —but how do we protect their habitats for generations to come? Our “Baited Remote Underwater Video System” (BRUVS) team is investigating the effectiveness of the Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park, a marine protected area just off the coast of our community. Our team deployed 50 BRUVS with various bait types at different depths inside the national park. Through careful review of each GoPro video, the team assessed species diversity, richness, and relative abundance of elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) and predatory reef fish. This research is used to inform future marine resource management decisions in the Turks & Caicos Islands with the overarching goal of promoting environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

What’s it all for?

Through research described above, combined with education and community engagement, SFS CMRS aims to provide the local South Caicos community and decision makers with the information needed to make difficult management decisions. We hope this information empowers them to generate multi-faceted, place-based, sustainable solutions that are suitable for the community we all know and love. 

Not only does the data our students collect and analyze have enormous contributions to the long-term ecological monitoring and facilitation of well-informed decision making, but each student leaves this program with transferable skills they can take forward into the world. Our students return home with memories of a transformative experience, solidified by a life-changing shift in mindset. SFS believes young people are the future, and to solve our world’s biggest challenges, we must train and educate the next generation of leaders to think critically, act compassionately, and work collaboratively. 

While the students stay only 1 to 3 months, SFS CMRS has been lucky enough to be a part of the diverse, tight-knit South Caicos community for over 30 years. One that is constantly growing, changing, and adapting to the very real effects of our changing planet. With these changes come complex problems and difficult decisions. These problems might be complicated, but we at SFS CMRS are ready to support and empower the South Caicos community to achieve a shared sustainable future.

Want to get involved? 

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Come visit us on South Caicos! Book a tour by emailing Center Director Heidi Hertler (hh******@**********es.org).