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Turks and Caicos
Marine Resource Management
School for Field Studies

In Fall of 2014, I studied at the School for Field Studies on a small fishing island called South Caicos.  Having the opportunity to study the ocean helped me develop field research experience including species identification and behavioral observations, biodiversity assessment, surveying designs, interviewing techniques, data management and analysis, SCUBA skills, economic valuation techniques, and habitat mapping. I conducted research on the Caribbean spiny lobster, an important fishery on the island of South Caicos.  I was able to present my findings with community members and suggest sustainable harvesting in order to avoid depletion of lobsters around the island.

 

Beyond the educational benefits, I also discovered my passion for studying the marine ecosystem, and it showed me that my interest could be turned into a career. Upon my return to Dickinson College, and I added Environmental Science as my major in addition to Biology.

Research

Juvenile recruitment of Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus in Turks and Caicos

Based on data series for juvenile recruitment of the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, its relationship to the commercial fishery was examined.  Catch predictions derived from juvenile recruitment does not exist in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), and would be a useful tool for fisheries management of the declining stock. Data were collected at South Caicos fishery landing sites which included carapace length (mm), weight (g), sex, reproductive stage, maturity, location, depth, and method of capture. Additional data were collected at ten “lobster condos”, which were located north of Man O’War Bush, in Bell Sound Nature Reserve, South Caicos. Number of juvenile lobsters present, carapace length, molting state, and gender were recorded. The current regulations in the TCI regarding the spiny lobster fishery include a minimum carapace length of 83 mm, a minimum tail mean weight of five ounces, and a closed season between April 1st and July 31st.  Correlation between the numbers of juvenile’s counted and total fishery catches (lbs) per month were analyzed.  Results were inconclusive due to deficiency of data. In conclusion, it is imperative that future independent data be collected on abundance of juvenile lobster and total catch per month in order to develop a catch prediction to help management strategies that will lead to sustainable population density and avoid collapse of the fisheries in the surrounding communities of South Caicos.​

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