Written by Emma Park. Emma is an undergraduate at UNC who spent her winter break working with The Ocean Foundation. Over part of winter break, I traveled to the eastern Caribbean to work with Hello Ocean, a nonprofit that showcases ocean conservation work through a series of online videos. I helped with the production of … Continue reading
I have always wanted to be a scientist. I was fascinated by the world (and universe) around me when I was young. Planets and dinosaurs were my first obsessions and I had a microscope when I was in grade school. I always expected to be involved in science as a career and I am fortunate … Continue reading
The International Coral Reef Initiative recently released a report detailing the status of Caribbean coral reefs from 1970-2012. Based on data from 88 location around the Caribbean, the report found that average coral cover declined by over 50% while algal cover is over three times higher. This pair of opposite trends is called a “phase-shift” where the … Continue reading
Or in other words, do lionfish have ninja skills? Lionfish have been called the “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but “Ninjas of the Caribbean” might be a better nickname. Lionfish are predatory fish, native to the Indian and Pacific regions, that have invaded the Atlantic and Caribbean. See our previous posts about lionfish (Photo Friday, Marine … Continue reading
There has been a recent debate in the scientific literature about the effect of predators on invasive lionfish. Are Caribbean predators controlling the lionfish invasion? Two studies seem to have conflicting results. Is someone “lyin’” about lionfish? See previous post, The Great Debate: Predators vs Lionfish, for background on the lionfish invasion and more info on the … Continue reading
There has been a recent debate in the scientific literature about the effect of predators on invasive lionfish. Are Caribbean predators controlling the lionfish invasion? Two studies seem to have conflicting results: Also, stay tuned to find out if someone is “lyin’” about lionfish! Background: See previous posts about lionfish featured in Marine Monster Mash and Photography Friday. … Continue reading
Joint post by Justin Baumann and Serena Hackerott The main goal of UNdertheC is to make science accessible and interesting to the general public. Recently, there has been a discussion on Coral List following a plea from a coral scientist for the diving industry to be more aware and active against threats to coral reefs. … Continue reading
Lionfish are beautiful fish, but they are invasive in Atlantic and Caribbean waters. They are harming invaded ecosystems by eating too many juvenile fish which leads to smaller adult fish populations, less food for native predators, and changes in important ecosystem processes upon which both marine animals and humans depend. So what can we do about … Continue reading
Debris Free Bonaire has collected over 100 cubic meters of ocean debris! I’d like to give a shout out to Bonaire, a small Dutch Caribbean island there is very close to my heart, where I first learned to snorkel and fell in love with the ocean. Debris Free Bonaire is a volunteer-based program that was … Continue reading
UNder the C 