Yearly Archives: 2012

Cacique Update

Cacique Update July 22, 2012

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From Caciques Isaac and Tristan

With the conclusion of the final academic week we have begun preparing for the Monster Run-Swim that will take place in a little over a week. Two days ago we were driven out to High Rock where we jumped into the ocean and swam a half mile to a beach where we climbed out and ran to No-Name harbor. We continued running and swimming all the way back to The Island School for a total of about five miles. On Friday night everyone was invited to a party at the Maxeys’ house. We were Continue reading →

CEI

Water Quality Testing and the Biodigestion Process

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Water is the most important resource available to CEI and Island School. We drink it, we bathe in it, we cook with it, and it all comes from the rain. Although we can never know what the weather may bring us, we can always be ready to take advantage of what does come our way as weather patterns shift. To that end, we use solar panels, and wind turbines, but most importantly, we catch rain water. Of late, one of the most important issues we’ve been tackling is how to make our water last and how to maximize it’s potential. If we catch water once, how many times can we use it before it’s gone? Last week we took a significant step towards increasing the usefulness of our water.

This spring CEI and Island School put biodigestion on the map for The Bahamas. We’ve found a way to treat our waste and generate more renewable energy, in addition to getting added utility from our water. The process of biodigestion  Continue reading →

Aquaponics, Cape Eleuthera Institute, CEI

Thousands of Tilapia for Aquaponics Team

The Aquaponics research team at The Cape Eleuthera Institute has successfully hatched nearly two thousand tilapia eggs. Eggs were removed from the mouths of the female brood stock and transferred to a larval rearing device known as a McDonald Jar where they were maintained at a water temperature of 27°C. Tilapia are mouth brooders; upon fertilization of eggs the female scoops all of the eggs into her mouth and incubates them for 3-5 days. After spending four days in the McDonald Jar, the eggs had a near 100% successful hatch rate and transformed into fry. They have officially been introduced into the aquaponics system and are doing FANTASTIC!

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Alumni

Alumni Get-Together in Bay Head, NJ

A group of alumni and their parents got together while Chris Maxey was visiting Bay Head, NJ last week. Rick and Kay Tell (parents of Elizabeth Tell, SP’11) took the crew out on their boat to cruise from Mantoloking to Bay Head. Looks like a boat-load of fun!

From left to right: Kris Lucas (mother of Grace Lucas, SP’08), Elizabeth Tell (SP’11), Julia Rew (F’10), Jane Rew (F’08), Maddie Lucas,  Russ Lucas (father of Grace Lucas, SP’08), Chris Maxey, Pam Rew, Dan Rew

Alumni, Cape Eleuthera Institute, CEI

Summer Shark Intern Blog: Grace Dennis (Su’10)

I’m Grace Dennis, one of the shark interns for the summer. I’m from Houston, TX and study Environmental Biology and Economics at Colgate University. This is my third summer on Eleuthera and I love it here. I first came to the Island School as a student for Summer Term 2010, then again last summer as a shark intern to work on the nurse shark mating project. This summer I’m lucky to be working on all three shark projects, the nurse shark mating project, Ian’s lemon shark predator and prey project, and Edd’s stress physiology project.

Currently shark team is very excited about retrieving a satellite tag, which just spent 8 months on a reef shark. Continue reading →

Uncategorized

Summer Term Week 3 Food Group Presentation

Believe it or not, the third and final academic rotation is nearly complete. Just like the weeks before them, the final food group spent the afternoon on Thursday in the kitchen helping to prepare and cook an entirely local meal. As part of their presentation to the dining hall, Tommy Robertshaw read an original poem he had composed earlier in the day. This final food presentation truly exemplified the goals of this theme, while connecting back to the overarching Summer Term question of “How can we live well in a place?”

News

Henry the Boathouse Pigeon

If anyone has been in The Island School boathouse within the last 2 months, then you have most definitely met our new pet pigeon, Henry. Henry came to us one day in June, with a tag on his foot and decided to hang out for a while. Little did we know, Henry was part of a group of pigeons racing from Lille, France to Leeds in the UK. For some reason Henry got a bit off track, a couple thousand miles off track, and ended up here! Henry’s amazing journey has already made into some local news stories in the UK and his fame is only continuing to grow. You can watch this video clip about Henry and read more about him here.

Apprentice Programme

Summer Apprentice Blog: Whitney Knowles

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Whitney Knowles joins Cape Eleuthera Institute as the Small Island Sustainability Aquaculture apprentice from the College of the Bahamas and the UBS scholarship award recipient.  Though she resides in Nassau she considers Eleuthera home,  as she grew up in North Eleuthera and attended Bluff All Age primary school.  Whitney was on the JUMPSTART Programme at Anatol Rodgers High School,  an academic program designed to challenge highly motivated high school students to obtain college credit and to explore career interests before entering college. It was during this time that she became increasingly interested in the study of sea life and first heard of The Island School. After viewing an inside feature on the Island School on channel 13 – BLC, she learned of its alternative food production systems through their aquaculture and aquaponics programs and from there became inspired to go into conservation and marine biology.

She joins the aquaculture research team at CEI until August 17th and is excited about Continue reading →

Educational Programs

Earthwatch Bahamas Comes to CEI

By Shu Hee (Sophie) Kim

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As I arrived in Nassau Airport on July 6th, I remember finding refuge among the small group of other teens wearing olive green Earthwatch shirts. We were all a bit awkward at first – waiting quietly for the last few people to arrive and to fly to Rock Sound Airport. None of us really knew what to expect: all we knew was that the water was a special cerulean blue that can be found nowhere back home, and we were all just waiting for the chance to jump into the ocean sporting our newly bought snorkel, mask, and fins.

What we found at the Island School was something none of us expected. The sustainability of the Cape Eleuthera Island Research Institute seemed more efficient than the “top-notch green” movements that sweep through our hometowns Continue reading →

Daily Update

Cleaning the Aquaculture Cage

As another piece of the Food week curriculum, students dive the offshore aquaculture cage. The SeaStation is a 3000 cubic meter cage, presently housing roughly 1000 cobia. The following photos were taken last week when the students visited the cage and spent the afternoon cleaning the netting and learning about aquaculture in The Bahamas. Check them out!

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