After having a successful trial of the bio-fluorescence sensor package for the ROV, we made some adjustments to the payload. We improved the balance and the lights and did three 50 meter zig-zag night transects into the patch reefs, and found a lot of fluorescence! The system and collaboration with Guy Trimy/PML has worked out […]
Research Realities By: Aimee and Laura With coming out to the Cook Islands, we were excited to conduct a new type of research. This excitement was blinded by the difficulties that come along with marine research. After being split into our teams these specific challenges started showing. Today, the reef team conducted research on the […]
Shannon and I have been going around this beautiful island interviewing locals. We’ve talked to some fisherman and hospital personal along with many others, everyone is very kind! It is interesting to hear about stories and theories of possible causes. It seems to be a random fish poisoning that makes people here on Aitutaki sick. […]
Another adventures day here in the Cooks. Same old breakfast in the morning. The new routine of getting my snorkel gear ready for the day. Getting waterproof paper, our slates and transect tapes ready for a day of use. Today the Lagoon team went to the beaches near and at Pacific Reseort which is a […]
Went to church yesterday. It was really cool to see locals all the locals get into it. To me the it seemed to me to be older (60’s) people there but there were some younger people (30’s) with a fair amount of kids. The church that we went to was catholic. There was a lot […]
The one and only Dr. John Lambrinos describes the intriguing and toxic seeds of the epic Barringtonia asiatica tree.
Sunday is taken quite seriously on Aitutaki and every other island across the Cooks. No (or very little) work, the shops are closed, and you are expected to get on over to church. Christianity is deeply rooted across the culture and day-to-day life here. With none of us having been to the Church of the […]
What a beautiful start to our “rest day.” After a little bit of sleeping in on my part while a handful of others went to church service, we got up and got ready for our hike on the Maunga Pu Summit trail. It was a steep hike up, but the views were spectacular! We were […]
On Aitutaki, Sunday is a day of rest for everyone. Except for 2 places All of the stores are closed and people spend the day with their families after morning religious ceremonies. This morning some of the group accompanied the professors to the local church and the rest of the group stayed to enter our […]
The reef team is in charge of all things coral reefs, including a point intercept focus on lagoon bottom substrates. This allows us to get a better determination of the health of the reef systems and characterize the lagoon, in general. We look for dead and live coral Bommies, as well as coral heads. […]
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