Nature

News about Bonaire Nature

Friday, July 03, 2009

African Dust Can Affect Caribbean Corals

African dust has been implicated in various negative effects on coral reefs in the Caribbean.  The dust brings in iron, which may be driving an increase in algae growth, and it may also be bringing pesticide dust, other airborne pollution, or even new coral diseases.

This dust is not new; it has always been around, forming an important source of fertile soil in the Caribbean.  But with increasing desertification in Africa, as well as increasing use of pesticides and herbicides in agriculture in that area of the world, it certainly bears attention now.

A number of operational products have been generated in the past few years to monitor African dust and minerals transported across the Atlantic and beyond. These aerosols are transported within a unique and detectable air mass, termed the Saharan Air Layer. The Saharan Air Layer, or SAL, is a relatively deep layer of very warm, dry air originating over the Sahara, and typically extends from about 5,000 feet often to as high as 18,000-20,000 feet.

The SAL circulates around the periphery of the cyclonic circulations over the African continent that develop into tropical waves, and then moves out ahead of the tropical waves as they exit the west coast.  Jason Dunion and the folks at NOAA HRD and Chris Veldon of CIMSS (U of Wisc-Madison) among other colleagues, have developed a satellite product, using channel differencing, to detect these very dry air masses moving across the Atlantic (view data by clicking here).

This product depicts areas of dry air, not the dust/minerals itself. Dust content suspended within the SAL can further be defined using NOAA aerosol thickness products found here.

An animation of the SAL imagery, as well as the static optical thickness product, can reveal the SAL and dust circulating cyclonically around the vortices or broad areas of low pressure associated with tropical waves exiting African and transiting the Atlantic. It is the mid-level steering currents across the Atlantic that influence the trajectory of the SAL and dust, and this can very inter-seasonally, as well as annually. 2006 and 2007 were dominated by a strong and broad high pressure ridge across the Atlantic, and a strong mid-level African Easterly Jet that transported much SAL and much dust across the basin.

These strong mid-level winds also act to induce increased wind shear in the vertical, which has a negating effect on tropical cyclone development, and also influence the strength of the low level and potentially surface wind flow across the Atlantic.  Prolonged periods of strong trade winds across the Atlantic produce upwellings and thus cooler surface water temperatures. The dust has been shown to reflect incoming solar radiation, which also has a slight limiting effect on surface warming. All of these factors combine cumulatively to make tropical cyclone formation more difficult to occur; in general, the stronger the jet, the more SAL and associated dust is transported.

The SAL and dust typically do not produce a continuous plume or stream, but generally are seen in more broken broad zones exiting Africa with and ahead of each tropical wave, every 2.5 to 6 days.  Hundreds of millions of tons of African dust are transported annually from the Sahara and Sahel to the Caribbean and southeastern U.S.  Various peaks in the dust record, at Barbados and elsewhere in the western Atlantic, coincide with benchmark events on reefs throughout the Caribbean.

The mechanisms by which dust may affect reefs include deposition of nutrients or pollutants that may:

1) Interfere with a coral’s immune system, making it more susceptible to disease pathogens
2) Interfere with some stage in reproduction (gamete production, fertilization, settling, larval survival)
3) Induce pathogenicity in a microorganism in the reef environment
4) Trigger a rapid increase in the number of pathogenic microorganisms
5) Fuel macro-algae or phytoplankton growth, as has been shown for Red Tides in the Gulf of Mexico
6) Directly deposit pathogenic microorganisms (e.g., Aspergillus sydowii, the fungus that causes sea fan disease throughout the western Atlantic)

Additional information about this phenomenon can be found by clicking here. (Source:  VOMIL, NOAA-NWS, USGS)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Dive Friends Bonaire Announces Special Coral Spawning Diving Activities and Weekly Packages

September and October are the months when coral spawning is expected each year on Bonaire. Coral spawning, or the cultivation of the corals, is something unique and a “must-see” for every diver. 

This spectacular event takes place on Bonaire when several coral species (but also other organisms) release secretions into the water column at the same time under the influence of environmental circumstances such as water temperature and a very special position of the moon.

Any diver has to be very lucky to witness this event, but there is a schedule with predicted dates for the 2009 coral spawning event (click here to view in PDF format.)

Special dive packages are available for the 2009 coral spawning season with a variety of popular properties with prices and amenities to suit every budget:

• Coco Palm Garden offers a package which is $537.00 per person, double occupancy in a studio unit. This package includes 7 night’s accommodation, a rental vehicle, 6 days unlimited shore diving, a special guided coral spawning night dive, and all taxes. Please note that air-conditioning, if desired, is $12.50 per room per night additional.

• Happy Holiday Homes offers a special package of $524.00 per person, based on double occupancy. Package includes 7 night’s accommodations, 7 days double-cabin pickup truck, 6 days unlimited shore diving, 1 special guided coral spawning night dive, and all taxes and fees.

• Tropicana Apartments offers several packages. All packages include 7 night’s accommodations, double-cabin pickup truck, 6 days unlimited shore diving, special guided coral spawning night dive, and all taxes. Price is $512.00 per person based on quad occupancy in a two-bedroom unit, $632.00 per person double occupancy in a studio unit, or $667.00 per person double occupancy in a one-bedroom unit.

• Yachtclub Apartments is offering their coral spawning package of $659.50 per person, based on double occupancy, and the package includes 7 night’s studio accommodations, rental car, 6 days unlimited shore diving, 1 special guided coral spawning night dive, and all taxes. A group of ten persons can also be accommodated in the Yachtclub’s penthouse suite. The cost, minimum 10 persons, is $509.20 per person and includes 7 night’s accommodations in the penthouse, 2 rental cars for the week, 6 days unlimited shore diving, 1 special guided coral spawning night dive, and all taxes.

For more information or to book one of these coral spawning packages, contact Dive Friends Bonaire at email info@dive-friends-bonaire.com.

Those staying at other properties on Bonaire are welcome to join Dive Friends Bonaire for the coral spawning dives.  For any dates when coral spawning is predicted, Dive Friends Bonaire is organizing special night dives for their guests to see the phenomenon. This night dive is $49.00 per person (excluding equipment and air), plus 5% sales tax, with a minimum of four persons. Advance reservations are recommended to avoid disappointment.  For more information or to make a reservation, please contact info@dive-friends-bonaire.com. Please note that night lights will be available to rent, in the range of $10.00 to $20.00 per light, plus 5% sales tax.  (Source:  Dive Friends Bonaire, image courtesy of Caren Eckrich)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Bonaire’s Bats are Seriously Endangered by Increasing Construction

The cave-dwelling bat-colonies on Bonaire are under increasing pressure. The Barcadera and Colombia areas of Bonaire offer the highest diversity among bats on Bonaire, including the Mormoops megalophylla (phantom-face bat), a sub-species that is only found on Bonaire.

A large colony of Leptonycteris curasoae (long-snout bat) seems to have been driven away already. This is also the area for the Natalus tumidirostris (funnel-eared Bat). This animal is still found here, although it is possibly close to extinction on Bonaire. The increase of tourism, tourism projects, and construction of luxury villas threaten the survival of the cave-dwelling bats. It is estimated that 75% of cave-dwelling bat species on Bonaire have less than 500 individuals still living.  Further, the fact that more and more people are visiting the caves does not help either in protecting these diminishing colonies.

These summations can be found in a 2008 report by Anna Rojer of the scientific institute for Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity (Carmabi) in Curaçao. STINAPA Bonaire was shocked by the results and sounded the alarm bell:  both caves and bats urgently need protection.

In areas with many caves, like Barcadera, Santa Barbara, Colombia, and Lima, there is construction planned while there is a lack of consideration for the bats’ environment. By protecting the caves and the surrounding areas, the bat population may be saved. Carmabi has pledged support to STINAPA in developing a control plan.

In 1991, the Barcadera area was designated as a protected area due to the presence of these caves and their bats. Unfortunately the government lifted that protection in 2005 to allow construction. STINAPA is pleading to reinstate this protection before it’s too late. The same goes for the Colombia area, which is also rich in caves and cave-dwelling bats.

Many tropical bat-species need caves as a daytime hiding place. It is also the place where their young are born. Not every cave is suitable for the bats. Most species have specific requirements. It is known that the phantom-faced bat (Mormoops megalophylla) and long-snout bats (Leptonycteris curasoae) only will live in caves that are very warm, so bats cannot simply relocate to another cave when disturbed, as other caves may not necessarily meet their exact habitat requirements. The rare Natalus tumidirostris’ (funnel-eared bat) also has high demands for its living quarters. There are only about 100 to 150 specimens left on Bonaire. There used to be a large colony that lived in a cave in Sabadeco until it collapsed when a house was built on top of it.

It’s not only the actual destruction of their cave homes that will drive bats away, but an entire colony of phantom-faced bats was decimated in Curacao when construction took place hundreds of meters away. It is theorized that the vibrations or sounds of the scraping of the earth by the bulldozers caused the bats to leave their cave home.

The funnel-eared bat still exists, but in only one cave on Bonaire. Just entering the cave could mean the wholesale death of this species if they have young as the disturbance can cause the babies to drop to the ground and die of hunger.

Bats are the only indigenous mammal species on Bonaire and all species that do exist on Bonaire are endemic subspecies. This means that they only occur on the Leeward islands and nowhere else in the world. They are very useful to man and nature because they eat mosquitoes and cross-pollinate the cacti (see image above). The long-tongue bat (Glossophaga elongate) and the long-snout bat are nectar-eating bats that pollinate the flowers of the pillar cacti, which only bloom at night. This pollination allows the fruits to grow which provide food for birds and reptiles in the dry season.  (Source:  STINAPA, image courtesy of Ron van Rijn)

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Full Moon Walk in Washington Slagbaai National Park is June 6, 2009

As part of the overall festivities celebrating Bonaire’s National Parks’ anniversaries, STINAPA Bonaire, the foundation managing the parks, has announced there will be a full-moon walk in Washington Slagbaai National Park on Sunday evening, June 6, 2009.

This is a welcome opportunity to explore the park at night when it is normally closed and as the full moon rises.  Those interested should meet at the entrance to the park at 8:00 PM.  The walk will take about two hours; please be sure to bring a flashlight.  Participation is free, but those interested do need to pre-register by calling STINAPA at 717-8444. (Source:  STINAPA Bonaire)

Note Update June 5, 2009: The Insider apologies for any confusion, the walk is indeed June 6th, 2009, which is Saturday evening.

Monday, June 01, 2009

CIEE (Bonaire) Announces Next Public Lectures for June, 2009

CIEE will be presenting two additional public lectures in the first half of June, on Thursday, June 4 and also on Wednesday, June 10, 2009.

The first lecture will be held at 7:00 PM on Thursday, June 4, 2009, and is entitled “Coral Reef Conservation: Perspectives on a Possible Future.” This lecture will be presented by Dr. Mark Vermeij, of CARMABI (Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity) in Curacao.

The following lecture will be held at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, June 10, 2009, and is entitled “Coral Reefs, Climate Change and Resilience” presented by Dr. Gabriel Grimsditch of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Both lectures will be conducted at the CIEE Research Station Bonaire located at Kaya Gobernador N. Debrot 26.  All are welcome, and entry is free. (Source:  CIEE Bonaire)

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Bonaire Celebrates Earth Day with Planting of Trees

As a result of Bonaire’s longstanding commitment to preserving and protecting the land, there will be 40 endemic trees planted on April 22, in honor of Earth Day. 

The planting of the trees ceremony will take place at Washington Slagbaai National Park, which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year and the public is welcome to attend.  Participants and spectators will meet at the Visitor Center at the entrance of the park, and, from there, will drive thirty minutes to the planting site.

Upon arrival, Ms. Elsmarie Beukenboom, Director of STINAPA, Bonaire’s National Parks foundation, will explain the importance of this project and its purpose for the perpetuation of the natural reforestation process on Bonaire.

The trees will be planted in a designated area called Pos Bronswinkel.  This area will be enclosed by wire mesh to ensure the young trees’ protection until they are strong enough to withstand additional pressures. There is a natural well at this site that will assure a constant flow of water to keep the trees moist so they can take root and grow.  Most of the trees will be fruit trees, as it is a proved reforestation technique to use fruit trees to attract birds, which can then disperse the seeds across a wide range of the land area of the Park after feeding upon the fruits.

Prior to the event, the staff of Washington Slagbaai National Park will prepare the land by digging the holes for the trees in advance. On Earth Day, personnel will be on site to move the plants in; everyone present will be responsible for planting a tree in the newly tossed earth.

This event is part of the ongoing 2009 Celebration of Bonaire’s Commitment to Conservation, with festivities now through November commemorating the 40th anniversary of Washington Slagbaai National Park and the 30th anniversary of the Bonaire National Marine Park.  (Source:  TCB-NY)

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

CIEE (Bonaire) Announces Next Public Lectures

The CIEE Station on Bonaire is offering two new public lectures.  The first is tonight, April 7th, 2009 at 7:00 PM featuring various reports on the studies of the spring semester students.  The second lecture, by Ed Levin of NOAA, will be held on Thursday, April 9th, 2009, also at 7:00 PM.

Tonight’s lecture will feature the following students, who will present their findings of independent research projects:

Julie Sickels (Eckerd College, Florida) on the “Effects of Bird Feeding on Salina Infauna”

Katie Kirschbaum (University of Minnesota) on “Does Food Availability and/or Habitat Structure Attract Juvenile Fish to Mangroves?”

Michelle von Sternberg (Eckerd College, Florida) on “Are Differences in Feeding Strategies of the Bar Jack (Caranx ruber) Related to Foraging Success in Coral Reef Habitats?”

Nate Landry (University of Massachusetts) on “Risky Business: Trade-offs Involved in Shallow Subtidal Feeding Behavior in Parrotfish (Scaridae)”

Marylou Hildebrand (University of California) on “Comparisons of Epibionts in Two Species of Sea Turtle in Bonaire”

Alissa Rickborn (Arizona State University) on “Diversity of Reef Sponges and Their Competition with a Mon-native Tunicate”

Thursday’s presentation by Mr. Ed Levin of NOAA will discuss the “Effects of Oil on the Marine Environment, Contingency Planning and Spill Response.” Ed Levine is the Scientific Support Coordinator (SSC), representing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration (O R & R), in the coastal region from Connecticut through Delaware.

Both lectures will take place at the CIEE Research Station located at Kaya Gobernador N. Debrot 26.  All are welcome and entrance is free.  (Source:  CIEE Bonaire)

Monday, April 06, 2009

Bonaire Marine Park Rangers Ask for Help from Visiting Divers

It has recently been discovered that many divers have been putting dead pieces of coral rubble on top of living colonies to act as markers and ease their navigation back to the starting point of the dive.  Unfortunately, such actions cause the same result as any other contact from a diver--they can cause the corals to die.

In the image above, one can see the “marker” which was placed on top of a living colony of star coral.  Unfortunately, in the image below, one can see the tissue mortality which occurred from the “marker.”

Besides being illegal, this practice is entirely unnecessary if the diver has mastered a minimum of navigational skills.  The wounds produced by these markers are possible points of infection for different diseases such as black band disease or yellow blotch and can cause the corals to die.  The Bonaire National Marine Park is asking for the cooperation of divers to cease using such actions to mark an entrance or exit.  Instead, divers are urged to make inquiries with their diving facility as to other, non-injurious ways to find their way on a dive. (Source:  Bonaire National Marine Park)

Thursday, April 02, 2009

STINAPA and DCNA Offer Public Workshop on Invasive Lionfish Approaching Bonaire

As discussed in previous stories, the invasive lionfish is rapidly spreading throughout the Caribbean and it is expected to reach Bonaire’s waters soon.

This species is very well adapted to Caribbean waters, where it does not have any enemies. Lionfish are very successful predators and threaten to displace native fish and disrupt local fisheries. They feed on juvenile grunts, snappers, and groupers, among others. Since these young fish, prey of the lionfish, are not yet ready for reproduction, their removal from the food chain can lower the populations of very important ecological and economic species. Scientists have observed some lionfish eating up to 20 small fish in 30 minutes.

The Bonaire National Marine Park (STINAPA) and the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) are taking pro-active steps to educate both the general public as well as dive operators and their staff about controlling this invasive species. The workshop will be lead by Lad Akins (REEF) and Stephanie Green (Simon Fraser University).  Although some scientists theorize that “there is probably no way to stop the invasion completely,” a well informed community, and especially a well informed and pro-active dive staff, might be Bonaire’s best defense.  There will be workshops held for those working within the island’s dive industry, but a workshop will also be held for the general public, and all are invited to attend.

This workshop will take place on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM and will be held in the conference room of Captain Don’s Habitat.  Entrance is free. (Source:  STINAPA and DCNA)

Monday, March 30, 2009

Bonaire’s Coral Spawning Prediction Dates Are Announced by STINAPA

Each year, generally in the months of September and October, Bonaire’s corals, as well as other marine organisms, spawn within a few days of the full moon. 

Since many visitors wish to plan their fall trips around the event, STINAPA has provided a prediction and forecast chart.  Please be aware that the times provided are not guaranteed spawning times, but are the best predictions that can be made after factoring in previous years’ data, as well as when the full moons will take place this year.

You can view, download, and/or print this year’s schedule by clicking here (in PDF format). (Source: STINAPA)