Green Pages
- Here with a Roar! September 11, 2021 A tenacious invader now calls the Turks & Caicos home. By Ben Farmer, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies I was on a drift-dive in southern Florida when I speared my first lionfish. There, I began to understand the difficulty of controlling this species which is invasive to the tropical Atlantic and devastates reef fish populations. ... Read more about this post
- Sponging It Up June 22, 2021 The hidden beauty of sponges. Story & Photos By Melissa Heres, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies Sponges, in my humble opinion, are likely the most underrated of all marine organisms. Often underappreciated and tossed aside as a bathing accessory or the feature of children’s TV shows, sponges don’t necessarily come to mind when one thinks ... Read more about this post
- A New Hope? June 22, 2021 TCRF tests alternate, non-antibiotic treatment against SCTLD. Story & Photos By Alizee Zimmermann, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund From wreaking havoc on the Florida Reef Tract to now threatening the stony coral population of reefs in 17 countries and territories, Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is proving itself to be the most aggressive, virulent and indiscriminate ... Read more about this post
- Sunsets and Island Time March 23, 2021 A perfect pairing. Story & Photos By Ben Farmer, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies “Is it pretty tonight—the sunset?” “I’ve never seen a bad one.” This is a dialogue between two characters in Carl Hiaasen’s novel Skinny Dip. One character, Joey, is temporarily blind after a harrowing experience at sea, and Stranahan is describing the evening Florida ... Read more about this post
- The Green Invader March 23, 2021 New reporting hotline for green iguana sightings. By B Naqqi Manco, Acting Assistant Director of Environmental Research & Development, DECR Our very special endemic Turks & Caicos rock iguanas Cyclura carinata was recently down-listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category from Critically Endangered to Endangered. This is due largely to decades of ... Read more about this post
- One Small Splash for Man January 2, 2021 SCUBA diving revolutionized ocean exploration for all. By Carmen Hoyt, The School for Field Studies Late one summer night, nearly 51 years ago, half a billion people watched in anticipation as Neil Armstrong was the first human to step onto the moon. An event embodied by the phrase “One small step for a man, one giant leap ... Read more about this post
- Coming Home to Winter January 2, 2021 Shore birds rebound after Hurricane Irma. By Eric F. Salamanca, Elise Elliot-Smith, Caleb Spiegel, Jen Rock, Craig Watson, Bryan N. Manco and Lormeka Williams ~ Photos By Eric F. Salamanca The Piping Plover is a rare shorebird that breeds in the United States and Canada and migrates to the southern US, Caribbean and Mexico for the winter. The International ... Read more about this post
- Teenage Turtle Tales January 2, 2021 Using satellite telemetry to study the lives of sea turtles. Story & Photos By Dr. Peter Richardson and Amdeep Sanghera, Marine Conservation Society Earlier this year, we finally published the results of 18 years of sea turtle research carried out with our partners at the Turks & Caicos Islands Government’s Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (DECR), ... Read more about this post
- Sea Stars or Starfish? October 1, 2020 The fascinating world of the echinoderm. By Melissa Heres, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies ~ Photos By Anna Handte-Reinecker The name “echinoderm” might not bring much to your mind—perhaps unwelcomed trips to the dermatologist or a whiff of echinacea. But by taking the word apart we learn that echino- translates to ... Read more about this post
- Flamingo Got Your Tongue? October 1, 2020 The scoop on these small marine snails. Story & Photos By Carmen Hoyt, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos Let me tell you, nothing quiets a crowd faster than saying, “I love flamingo tongues!” Such an exclamation is usually met with some sideways stares and confused looks. Flamingo tongues, ... Read more about this post
- Hidden in Plain Sight June 24, 2020 Taking a closer look at the Islands’ trove of natural treasures. Story & Photos By Carmen Hoyt, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos What if I told you I knew where to find treasure? After all, the history of the Turks & Caicos Islands is rich with pirate lore ... Read more about this post
- National Treasure June 24, 2020 It’s time to appreciate our coral reefs. By Melissa Heres, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies For visitors and residents of the Turks & Caicos Islands, the sea—and particularly the reefs surrounding the islands—serves as a source of food, a protective barrier from storms and waves, and a symbol of natural beauty. Sitting on the shoreline, ... Read more about this post
- It’s Not Just Dirt, It’s Soil! June 24, 2020 Learning to compost on South Caicos. By Anna-Handte-Reinecker, Program Assistant, The School for Field Studies, Center for Marine Resource Studies, South Caicos We often forget to appreciate the soil beneath our feet. Soil, which is a complex combination of organic and inorganic matter, supports life as we know it. Simply put, without soil, neither plants nor animals ... Read more about this post
- As Far as the Eye Can See June 23, 2020 When it comes to anemones, there’s more than meets the eye. By Ben Farmer, Waterfront Assistant, The School for Field Studies, South Caicos Anemones, perhaps the most frequently mispronounced animals in the sea, are fascinating creatures. The vibrant colors and swaying tentacles characteristic of anemones are staples in the backdrop of tropical coral reefs and tide pools ... Read more about this post
- The Battle Begins March 19, 2020 Treatment program to fight Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease underway. By the Staff of the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund (TCRF) Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) is a new coral disease that was first discovered off the coast of Florida in 2014. Over the past five years it has spread rapidly up and down the Atlantic ... Read more about this post
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This aerial “selfie” was taken by local photographer/athlete/artist/adventurer Wes Matweyew. Of the location, Wes says, “It’s an amazing spot just downwind from Daniel’s Café on Middle Caicos. There are holes in the boat that turn into waterspouts as the waves press up underneath—spraying you as you ride by and creating rainbows in the sun’s rays."
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