The swells had the final word today: we made only one dive, in the morning, off a rollicking Calcutta. The boat spent a few hours after lunch looking for a site that was protected from the swells and also had
Rest assured life as a coral reef ecology researcher is not always glamorous. Sometimes it’s not easy to be a marine scientist. Sometimes a plan does not always come together. For example, the Chief Scientist, Dr. Andrew Bruckner, has two
The third and final leg of the Bahamas’ expedition left the dock at Nassau around 8 pm last night. The research team was all assembled on the Golden Shadow by 5:30 pm and had a safety muster on the aft
Over the past few decades there has been a rapid decline in the health of shallow water scleractinian corals (stony or hard corals). Simultaneously, there has been a steady increase in the number of coral diseases being reported. Many of
The Golden Shadow is back on the western shore of Great Inagua and the day has been packed with activity, as team members leave and arrive, new research projects are launched, and scientific surveys around Great Inagua continue. Early this
In 1997-1998, the marine equivalent of a massive and destructive forest fire overwhelmed numerous coral reefs around the world. Caribbean coral biologists still speak of the coral bleaching event of 1998 in reverential tones. A powerful El Niño season was
At last we have reached the Inaguas! After a few days underway, the Golden Shadow is laying at anchor off the western shore of Great Inagua. Great Inagua is located between 20.9° to 21.4° North latitude and 73° to 73.9°
Science Without Borders ® is a critical component of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation’s Global Reef Expedition. The founder, His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Sultan of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, was inspired by the well-known organization,
Clear skies and sunshine greeted the Golden Shadow this morning as drowsy research team members congregated over breakfast. The conversation soon turned to the storm gathering and organizing in the southeastern Caribbean. Many onboard wondered if the approaching tropical storm
Afternoon Dive A major component of our work during the Global Reef Expedition focuses on understanding factors and processes that enhance the resilience of coral reefs (reef resilience). We evaluate a number of ecological, physical and chemical parameters at each reef
