Green Pages

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), ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Octopus spotting in the TCI. By Dr. Caitlin E. O’Brien, The School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies Caribbean waters are home to several species of octopus, which are some of the most extraordinary creatures of the ocean. Octopuses (not octopi) can be more difficult to spot than many other marine creatures, but the experience of ...

Local students participate in coral reef monitoring program. Story & Photos By Karen R. Cangialosi, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Keene State College For the past four years, I have had the pleasure of tapping into what I consider the Turks & Caicos Islands’ most precious resource: the enthusiasm and imagination of its youth. Since 2008, my colleague ...

Researchers assess the impact of sargassum seaweed in the TCI. By Kristy Lee and Sylvia Myers, MSc students, University of Greenwich; Debbie Bartlett, Ph.D., Faculty of Engineering and Science University of Greenwich; Franziska Elmer, Ph.D. Marine Ecology Lecturer, School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies From the UK, the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) are something we ...

Are we doing enough to conserve them? By Ewa Krzyszczyk, School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies When you think of mangroves, do you imagine blue skies, crystal clear water, lush green forest, dragonflies silently gliding above, the songs of the mangrove cuckoos? No? You might want to honor them a visit. In her article, “The ...

A chance to save the coral reefs of the Turks & Caicos Islands. By the Staff of the Turks & Caicos Reef Fund (TCRF) and the School for Field Studies Center for Marine Resource Studies (SFS CMRS) In the Summer 2019 issue of Times of the Islands, professors from the South Caicos School for Field Studies Center for ...

Tissue Loss Disease a threat to TCI reefs. Story and Photos By Erin Bowman and Heidi Hertler, Ph.D. In a time when climate change is wreaking havoc on coral reefs worldwide, the reefs of the Turks & Caicos Islands remain some of the most resilient and pristine in the Caribbean. They are home to more than 60 ...

Using whale sightings by citizen scientists in the Turks & Caicos Islands By Cathy E. Bacon M.Sc., Mithriel M. MacKay Ph.D., and Katharine Hart M.Sc. Photos By Katharine Hart, Deep Blue Charters, Grand Turk There are few places in the world like the Turks & Caicos Islands where humans can enter the water and photograph some of the ...