[xml][/xml]
The Bahamas Weekly Facebook The Bahamas Weekly Twitter
Community Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


CR Walk students become "Conchologists" for a day
By Serena Williams
May 20, 2016 - 5:29:06 PM

Email this article
 Mobile friendly page


photo-1-lg.jpg
Visiting a conch midden on the southern shore of New Providence. Photo: Erik Kruthoff)

Nassau, New Providence - Students from C.R. Walker Senior High School and St. John’s College got a chance to see what it is like to be a “conchologist” for a day as participants in the nationwide “My Science! My Conch!” citizen science project. These conchy activities took place during the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) spring field trip block, building on other hands-on marine environmental education offerings exploring mangroves and coral reefs.

“We are concerned about the current and future availability of conch in The Bahamas, particularly since conch populations have declined throughout the region. We want to make sure that we still have conch for generations to come. ” says Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, BREEF’s Director.

Since 2013, My Science! My Conch! Has visited communities in Abaco, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, Exuma, Acklins and Crooked Islands to bring the “Conchservation” message to as many Bahamians as possible throughout The Bahamas. (BREEF) were joined by partners from Community Conch, a non-profit research organization, and the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) to bring the program to the island.

photo-2_11.jpg
Measuring conch lip thickness with calipers. Photo: Erik Kruthoff)

Citizen science, or science that incorporates the participation of citizens to collect scientific data, is growing in popularity because there are many benefits to this approach for science and conservation efforts.

Catherine Booker of Community Conch discusses the benefits, “Conch is such an important resource for The Bahamas, so it’s important that everyone becomes more aware and educated about the species and the fishery. In this program, we teach participants to look at conch the same way scientists do, so they can appreciate the information that we are able to gather in our scientific studies of conch. The main focus is to show people how we estimate the age of the conch. This is really good information for the Department of Marine Resources to have about conch stocks on different fishing grounds and for decision makers who will decide what management options will lead to a more sustainable conch fishery.”

Twenty-six students and their teachers participated in My Science! My Conch! in New Providence. The team spent the morning learning about conch biology and threats to the fishery, while the afternoon session involved data collection from a conch midden (or pile of conch shells) on the south-western side New Providence. With such a hands-on and in-depth experience, it’s hard to believe any of them will look at a pile of shells the same way again. Rickell an 11th grade student from C.R. Walker following the workshop stated: “I like the workshop because my dream is to become a marine biologist and this is expanding my knowledge”. Raheem, an 11th grade student from St. John’s stated: “It was a fun process getting a hands on experience measuring and learning about the queen conch.”

photo-3_6.jpg
Measuring conch total shell length.Photo: Erik Kruthoff)

Teams of students focused on measuring the thickness of the lip of the conch shells, which is a technique used by scientists to estimate the maturity of a conch at the time it was harvested. They also had a chance to review the results of their surveys at the end of the program. “During the workshop I developed a better understanding about conch lip thickness. Scientists have found that when the lip of the queen conch has reached a measurement of 15mm, it is an indicator that the conch is not only legal to be harvested, but it is also mature enough to reproduce.” stated Andrieka Burrows, BREEF intern who is part of the Bahamas Environmental Stewards Scholars (BESS) programme.

Most participants are shocked when they hear this news, and their interest in the issue is heightened, but the conversation doesn’t stop there. Given that many people in The Bahamas depend on conch fishing for their livelihood, the discussion always turns to what can be done to ensure a sustainable conch fishery and a continued way of life for the fishermen.

“We have the opportunity to project our conch populations in The Bahamas, but it requires everyone getting involved and getting serious about conch conservation”, stated Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, executive director of BREEF.

The My Science! My Conch! citizen science project is a part of a larger effort to raise awareness and create a national forum for conversation about how to best conserve conch populations in The Bahamas, the National Conchservation Campaign. To find out more about the project and contribute to the project’s online fundraiser, visit www.mysciencemyconch.org. Donations on to MSMC and to the organizations below support the continued effort to raise awareness and educate stakeholders about the need to conserve our conch. Additional information about the Conchservation Campaign is available at www.bnt.bs/conchservation. The latest conch research is accessible at www.communityconch.org. BREEF trains teachers throughout The Bahamas to share this information with their students each year at their annual Marine Conservation Teacher Training Workshop. www.breef.org

4_1.jpg
Analysing “My Science! My Conch!” data. Photo: Erik Kruthoff)



Bookmark and Share




© Copyright 2016 by thebahamasweekly.com

Top of Page

Receive our Top Stories



Preview | Powered by CommandBlast

Community
Latest Headlines
EARTHCARE Eco Kids join Dolphin Project for Global Beach Cleanup
Commercial Driver's Certification Services
Sorority Donates to Abuse Victims in Nassau, Grand Bahama
Breef kicks off donations of “Bahamas Underwater” books to over 300 schools in The Bahamas
University of The Bahamas Preparing for Largest Commencement Class Since Pandemic