In the post below I highlighted one experiment that Amber is doing to investigate the impact of coastal development on coral reefs. A second experiment involves a sponge survey, where she compares species composition (i.e. how many species, which types), sponge abundance and size patterns between an impacted location and two control or non-impacted locations. Sponges are filter feeders, meaning that they pump in and filter seawater (and food), which makes them very good animals to test for water quality on coral reefs.

Monday afternoon we arrived in Jamaica to continue our study investigating the impact of coastal development on neighboring coral reefs. (The project is lead by Amber Stubler, a PhD student from Stony Brook University, with me and her parents helping out with the field work). The study is important because much of the Jamaican coastline, similar to many Caribbean countries, is dotted with resorts and hotels. This often requires clearing the land and surrounding coast of trees and shrubs; vegetation helps reduce the amount of sediment or soil washed into the ocean during the frequent tropical storms. This soil can smother coral reef animals like sponges and corals, eventually killing them.

People who want to make a difference often ask, “What can I do?” Because most people’s main relationship with the ocean is through the seafood we eat, knowing about sustainable seafood is one of the things we can do. So to help lighten our load on the ocean, Blue Ocean Institute has created an iPhone app called FishPhone http://www.blueocean.org/fishphone.