After months of ordering parts for gear we will need for the fieldwork, they (well, mostly) arrived and we started to assemble the BRUVS (baited underwater video systems) and scientific long line including filing off all the barbs off the circle hooks. The BRUVS must be Mark 5 by now, using available material and tweaking functions, while the long line is, well, long!
There are two interns working with Mauvis in the end, both needing training in basic techniques so we are going slowly till they can function as a team. The weather, however, has not been cooperating and six websites devoted to the topic cannot agree. Two will have the wind from the East, 2 from South East, one from East South East, but one from North East, all with differing speed and seas. It has been pretty rough and Cayman has no protection, having a flat profile and no near and large neighbours to break the force of the wind.
We have been to the fish market to see what is coming in and from where. Our two non-elasmobranch species of interest, grey snapper and tiger grouper, both absent from the market. No sharks of course, they are now protected in the Cayman Islands as of Earth Day this year. The DoE (Dept. of Environment and our partners in the project) celebrated the new Conservation Law (incorporating sharks) with a picnic at Barkers, which was lovely with everyone in a great mood. It has been a long and hard work for the Doe, but they achieved it!
There are two interns working with Mauvis in the end, both needing training in basic techniques so we are going slowly till they can function as a team. The weather, however, has not been cooperating and six websites devoted to the topic cannot agree. Two will have the wind from the East, 2 from South East, one from East South East, but one from North East, all with differing speed and seas. It has been pretty rough and Cayman has no protection, having a flat profile and no near and large neighbours to break the force of the wind.
We have been to the fish market to see what is coming in and from where. Our two non-elasmobranch species of interest, grey snapper and tiger grouper, both absent from the market. No sharks of course, they are now protected in the Cayman Islands as of Earth Day this year. The DoE (Dept. of Environment and our partners in the project) celebrated the new Conservation Law (incorporating sharks) with a picnic at Barkers, which was lovely with everyone in a great mood. It has been a long and hard work for the Doe, but they achieved it!