Blackbeard's floating field stations participate in several ongoing marine conservation based research projects that student groups can contribute to and tailor to their own educational goals. These projects give students a broad look at different underwater environments, as well as introduce them to the management issues associated with tropical marine conservation efforts. All of these projects are community service based, providing valuable underwater information for both local resource management officials and overarching scientific organizations such as NOAA. Do your part to help save our seas, and learn about key marine biology issues and habitats along the way, all while completing compelling dives and fascinating shore-based activities.

REEF Survey
This is the ideal program for classes studying the classification and identification of coral reef inhabitants, and allows students to give something back to the larger dive and science community! The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) is a non-profit, grassroots organization that creates reef fish and coral identification surveys that recreational divers can complete while diving. The results of these surveys are sent back to the REEF headquarters in Key Largo, FL, where they are compiled and used for major research projects at the university and government level. Classes involved in this project can receive a discounted REEF course (including a course DVD, waterproof book and survey slate) from Blackbeard's, allowing students to learn the fish before they enter the water. Once in the water, students will practice their dive skills as they record what species of reef fish and coral they observed on each dive. This survey course allows for ample post-dive analysis and comparison between the relative health and abundance of different reef species and environments.

Coral Comparison Program
This program compares the coral health of a reef in a designated Marine Protected Area (MPA) with the health of reef that is not protected by a MPA designation. Classes can sail to the Exumas National Park (http://www.bnt.bs/parks_exuma.php) to look at a healthy reef with strict fishing regulations and compare it to a nearby reef that is outside of the national park. This project can be completed using transects in both locations to measure the biodiversity and health quality of each area, and is accomplished using SCUBA diving and snorkeling.

Note: These trips are generally run out of the south Bahamas locations covered by our boats Cat Ppalu (http://www.catppalu.com/) and Aquacat (http://www.aquacatcruises.com/ ).

Invasive Species Removal
Invasive species pose a great threat to the health and integrity of coral reef ecosystems. One of the most prolific Caribbean invasive species, the red lionfish (Pterois volitans), has become prevalent throughout Bahamian waters. Since it has no known natural predators, the lionfish is able to persist unchecked in many Caribbean reefs. Lionfish removal projects can be done onboard a Blackbeard's boat, which include lessons about the threats lionfish and other invasive species pose to the health of the larger community, and successful management techniques for invasive species. Lionfish predatory behavior can be studied in their new habitats, and classes can determine the best ways to manage these unnatural inhabitants of the reef. This is a great project for classes with a bioethics, international marine regulation, or conservation biology emphasis!

Diadema Relocation
Diadema antillarum, or the long spined sea urchin, is a vital member of healthy reef communities, and acts as an essential consumer of the algae that often threaten to overgrow coral and block sunlight that is crucial for coral growth. However, Diadema disappeared from Caribbean reefs in 1983, due to a unknown disease. The relocation project, which is ongoing on all of the Blackbeard's boats, collects sea urchins from shallow waters where they are growing and relocate them to deeper coral reef areas where they help keep algae off the reefs allowing coral, soft corals and sponges to settle. Each group will collect Diadema from shallow waters while snorkeling, and then scuba dive on deeper reefs to clean algae from coral heads and relocate Diadema to strategic positions on the reef. This ongoing effort by Blackbeard's Cruises involves students in a crucial habitat restoration project that brings diving, resource conservation, and management techniques to the forefront of your educational trip.

Note: This project is well suited to repeat trips, whereby groups can record the progress of their relocation project and measure ongoing correlations between coral reef health and Diadema presence in the area.


If you would like to learn more about lesson plans and activities tailored for elementary, middle, and high school students, please contact education@blackbeard-cruises.com