Writing at National Geographic’s Open Explorer platform, seven interns from universities in North America are documenting their experiences doing coral reef conservation projects at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute in the Cayman Islands:

We are a group of student interns working on a variety of research projects focused on the conservation of coral reef and tropical marine ecosystems at the Central Caribbean Marine Institute. Under the direction of field instructor Dr. Gil Ouellette, education coordinator Maisy Fuller, and education intern Ashly Carabetta, we will be exploring research methods in tropical marine science. We will put these lessons to work and apply our skills to develop complementary research projects using the nearly pristine reefs of Little Cayman Island as a natural laboratory to study these important yet imperiled ecosystems.

…

The Little Cayman Research Centre is the main field station of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, a U.S. and U.K. based marine science and conservation non-profit organization. The Centre has served as an active field research station since 1999, hosting staff educators and scientists as well as visiting researchers from around the world. The minimal population and development on Little Cayman Island have resulted in its pristine reefs being a prime natural laboratory for a variety of research projects related to marine science, ecosystem dynamics, fish behavior, climate change, and ocean acidification.

Visit their field log Reef Conservation on Little Cayman to find out more.

[Image: Acquarius Sea Tours]