Montserrat Ridge to Reef Project Marisa Sorrell January 2017
1. Latest news CONTENTS 2. Educational & Community Projects 3. Survey Update 4. Scholar Information 5. Creature of the month
PROJECT AIM The Montserrat Ridge to Reef Conservation Project (MRRCP) is a collaborative project to support the sustainable use of Montserrat s natural resources. The programme encompasses scientific surveys of coral reefs and other marine resources, as well as terrestrial species and habitats focussed primarily in the Centre Hills. The MRRCP provides training and conservation education opportunities for local Montserratians, as part of an integrated programme to develop local capacity and ensure the long-term protection and sustainable use of natural resources throughout the country. Coral Cay Conservation (CCC) is working at the invitation of and in partnership with the Government of Montserrat and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Coral Cay Conservation provides the resources to help sustain livelihoods and alleviate poverty through the protection, restoration and management of coral reefs and tropical forests.
LATEST NEWS Welcoming the new staff team! As we prepare to restart the volunteer season starting in March, we are glad to welcome to the CCC team; Amy Hornett and Jerry Slater! They have both previously worked on the CCC sites in Cambodia and Philippines, and have been very excited to join us in the lovely Caribbean. other in passing! Amy is a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer who has taught diving around the world from Bali to Egypt. She has been diving for over 15 years, and loved it so much so that in 2012 she gave up her life in advertising to pursue diving full time. The science programme provided by CCC has given her a completely new appreciation for what goes on under the waves, from the different coral species, marine biology and the identification of species. Onsite, every day becomes a school day and that s why she keeps coming back. This is Amy s third time with Coral Cay and hopefully it won t be her last. Amy s favourite thing about Montserrat is the beautiful volcano view as it reminds her of living in Jurassic park. She also really enjoys how everyone on the island greets each Jerry is a passionate world adventurer, marine conservationist and dive instructor. Outside his career as a communications and project manager in the corporate world, he often spends many months out of the year volunteering and working for CCC. His eagerness to work with CCC stemmed from the amazing experiences and adventures he gained at each site, including the professionalism of the staff and research carried out.
Education & community projects Library Sessions begin again with Turtles and Frogs! Leatherback sea turtles are on the move to Montserrat this month! Leatherback Sea Turtles are the biggest sea turtle species and come to nest between January and March on Montserrat! Many of the kids have never seen or heard of these giants before and were eager to learn about how big they were, what they ate, and even got cheeky trying to guess how many people add up to one Leatherback whilst attempting to guess the weight of Project Scientist, Marisa! The kids were very excited for the chance to see Leatherbacks but also learned not to approach nesting turtles and not to eat their meat or eggs. They also learned the difficulty that turtles have telling between plastic bags and one of their food sources, jellyfish, as plastic bags have been the cause of many sea turtle mortalities. For crafts, the kids got to make climbing critters where paper plate turtles could climb up a string which they can put on a door handle, or around their necks! What a great way to kick off the new year! Library sessions also included a session on frogs and toads, where the kids learned the difference between the two, basic biology of tadpoles and adults, including the species found on Montserrat; lesser Antillian tree frog, Mountain chicken and cane toad. They were very intrigued when they learned that amphibians were found all over the world including deserts of Australia, and eager to know what species lived in Antarctica (none sadly). The kids especially enjoyed the interactive activity making frogs that caught flies. First month of the year Complete with a bang!
Marine Surveys Survey update As the new year begins, so does preparation for the new marine season. Montserrat staff have been working hard this month getting everything ready for when volunteers arrive in March; preparing training and surveying material, updating supplies, refreshing skills and analysing last year s data to compare for the new season. Staff have also began diving to familiarise themselves again with transects, surveying techniques, and just for an enjoyable experience with the undersea world. Terrestrial Surveys Terrestrial surveys have been carried out successfully this past month! The weather has been great, and all trails have been surveyed at least once a week. It is always enjoyable to gain new staff and volunteers as their excitement to see the beautiful biodiversity is a great driver every day! There have been many sightings of the completely harmless Leeward racer snake, including the beautiful bird calls of Antillean euphonias, mangrove cuckoos and adorable warbler species. Monsterrat staff are also preparing herpetofauna surveys; which is to monitor the abundance and health of reptile and amphibians on the island. Scientific reports from all of CCC s sites around the world are available on our website at http://www.coralcay.org/science-research/scientific-reports/.
Scholar Information
CREATURE OF THE MONTH Muller s Sea Pansy (Renilla muelleri) Photo credit: Paul Humann & Nedd Deloach, Reef creature identification. This may not look like an interesting creature, but on Isles Bay with little to see but sand and silt, this is a very interesting find! The Muller s Sea Pansy is actually a colony and looks like a purple lily pad with little flowery hairs on it. The sea pansy is a collection of feeding polyps and an anchoring stem into the sea floor. Each individual polyp secretes a sticky mucus to trap tiny organisms suspended in the water. Even in barren looking waters, there are plenty of nutrients for these pansy s to eat. At night, the sea pansy is strikingly bright green bioluminescent which is always a beautiful sight to see!