In July of 2007, graduate student Lynn Waterhouse and I traveled to the Turks and Caicos Islands to initiate a cooperative research project on queen conch (Strombus gigas L.).
The Department of Environment and Coastal Resources (DECR) seeks a long-term commitment from researchers committed to furthering the assessment and management of important coastal resources. We see this as an important opportunity for a student to conduct meaningful research in the Caribbean region in furtherance of an advanced degree. The DECR is renovating a two-bedroom house to serve as home base for the researchers, is providing office space, the opportunity to work with DECR scientific officers, boat usage, and manpower to promote the research and the intellectual development of the student.
Student Lynn Waterhouse and the view from the back porch of the visiting scientists' quarters.
VIMS is providing the first student, supervision of the student's doctoral research, and financial support for the student and the research.
Wesley Clerveaux, the Director of Environment and Coastal Resources explains that the Turks and Caicos Islands is a small country that can't possibly do all the research it needs. But, everyone benefits when the Department can enter into long term research agreements.
Lynn Waterhouse, the first student selected for the cooperative project, is excited about the opportunity. She says "The collaborative program with TCI offers an immense amount of opportunities. All the major stakeholders in the project have the energy and desire to see this project work, and I could not ask for a better project. Through the research I will be able to combine a multitude of areas of study. Our initial plans include tagging work, life history research, and a closer look at the relationship of conch to their environment."
Lynn Waterhouse "knocking" a conch to extract the meat under the supervision of a local fisher.
Two other groups are keen to see this program succeed. The School for Field studies (SFS) has a research and teaching station on South Caicos Island.
View from the veranda of the School for Field Studies on South Caicos Island.
The Director, Steve Newman, is committed to involving undergraduate students in research supporting public service and he prides himself on his good relations with the DECR. It's natural for SFS to support the VIMS-DECR collaboration because of the opportunities to share ideas and equipment, help each other with logistical and manpower constraints, collaborate on training programs, as well as conduct joint research programs.
VIMS student Lynn Waterhouse (left) with Kristene Parsons and Steve Newman of the School for Field Studies on South Caicos Island.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Caicos Conch Farm , Chuck Hesse, has also expressed an interest in the VIMS-DECR project.
Lynn with Conch Farm CEO Chuck Hesse.
The conch farm is the only large-scale conch production facility in the world and it developed the production methods that are needed to raise conch through all stages. Chuck spent considerable time orienting us to conch biology and management issues and offered Lynn an internship at the Conch Farm to learn about conch biology and discuss her research plans. Lynn intends to take him up on his offer at the earliest possible time.
Rearing ponds and pens at The Conch Farm on Providenciales Island, Turks and Caicos Islands.