Research Objectives for the Honduran Surveys
In Honduras, the Operation Wallacea programme is designed to produce wide-scale data on the biological value of the Cusuco National Park and to monitor change (both natural and man-made) in the communities of various taxonomic groups. Additionally, detailed forest structure and habitat description data will be collected at each of the survey sites. This additional data will enable the science team to perform detailed analyses of habitat associations of the numerous species within the park, and to investigate what factors might be effecting biodiversity.
The ultimate purpose of this science programme is to provide data (socio-economic, forest structure, biodiversity using indicator groups and population levels of key or threatened species) to assess the performance of the management of protected areas. Opwall currently has a $1 million GEF grant application in progress, which intends to lever funding in order to support the management of the Park.
The marine research programme is run in conjunction with the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation (HCRF) for the Cayos Cochinos sites and the Coral View Research Centre ann the Bay Island Conservation Association (BICA) for the Utila site. The HCRF has published a management plan which includes the declaration of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) for the Cayos Cochinos islands and implementation of this plan is being supported by a range of NGO's (eg WWF, The Nature Conservancy, AVINA). The role of Operation Wallacea is to develop the research output from the main research centre on Cayo Menor and to provide data that can be used to assess the effectiveness of the management programme.
Declaration of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) has resulted in local communities living within and adjacent to the MPA losing fishing rights and therefore income. Opwall is working on the Northern Honduran coast to collect socioeconomic data in order to establish how the incomes of the inhabitants of the regions effected by the existing management plan can be increased.
Utila, in comparison with the Cayos Cochinos Islands, is developed for dive-based tourism, and the reefs therefore have an economic importance to the economy of the island, while being subjected to the many pressures that such an industry brings. This makes for an interesting comparison between the ecology, and the factors effecting the ecology, of Cayos and Utila.
2008 Surveys - Staffing and Objectives
There are 6 main research programmes running in Honduras in the 2008 season;
| 1. Annual state of the Cusuco-National-Park biodiversity
survey
3. Mantled Howler Monkey behaviour programme in the Manacale forest 6. Development of alternative income streams for communities on the northern Honduran coast |
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Jon Kolby sampling for the Chtridiomycosis Disease in Cusuco - Anna Liner |
The senior scientists for the three forest based programmes (1 - 3) are Dr Richard Field (Nottingham University) and Peter Long (Bath University). The senior scientist for the three marine based projects is Dr James Saunders (St Andrews University). The Expedition Co-ordinator for all the Honduran research programmes is Alex Tozer (Operation Wallacea), and Pippa Disney (Operation Wallacea) will be the volunteer coordinator.
As part of the drive by Operation Wallacea to maximise income generated from the projects for local communities the different parts of the project are now managed by wholly Honduran owned NGO's or organisations with strong involvement from local communities. The logistics for the Cusuco National Park and the Manacale programmes are organised by Expediciones y Servicios Ambientales de Cusuco (ESAC) which is led by Marcial Erazo and Roberto Downing. The Cayos Cochinos projects are run in conjunction with the Honduran Coral Reef Foundation (HCRF) headed up by Adrian Oviedo. The Utila based programme is run in conjunction with the Utila Centre for Marine Ecology (UCME) led by Dr Steve Box with the training aspects being carried out at the Coral View Centre. The programme on the northern Honduran coast is co-ordinated by Grupo Apoyo Desarollo (GAD) led by Tony Ives and Adonis Cubas.
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ESAC's Marcial Erazo - Dan Pupius |
HCRF's Adrian Oviedo - HCRF |
Coastal Research - Kerri Brondo |
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Annual State-of-the-Cusuco-Park Biodiversity Surveys There are 8 camps operating across the Cusuco Park. Base Camp is open for the full 10 weeks of the survey and is managed by Danielle Hines (Operation Wallacea). Buenos Aires camp will be open from weeks 1 - 8 and is managed by Carlos Baeza (Operation Wallacea). The Santo Tomas camp which acts as the base camp for the western core zone camps is open from weeks 2 - 10 and is managed by Anne Barr (Foro Miraflor). In the east the core zone camp of Cantiles is open from weeks 2 - 9 and is managed by Dan Kerrins (Duchy College, Cornwall) whilst Guanales is open from weeks 5 - 9 and is managed by Ben Towl (Royal Duchy of Lancaster). In the west Nick Dyer (Imperial College) manages the core zone camp of Danto, which is open weeks 2 - 5, followed by the Cortecito camp opening from weeks 6 - 9. The objective of the biodiversity surveys in the forest is to assess how the forest is changing in terms of forest cover and structure, diversity of key taxa and population levels of key species and to produce a Monitoring handbook and documented protocol for extracting biodiversity indices from the main database for the studied taxa. The teams are co-ordinated by Jose Nunez-Mino (Oxford University) whilst Dr Jonathan Winn (Sheffield University) is the manager of the database into which all the data generated by the different teams is entered. The medical team is led by Dr Tracy Murgatrod (Dunedin Public Hospital), Dr Mike Seebeck (Cairns Base Hospital), Dr Suzanne Brady (Worthing General Hospital), Dr Kate Roberts-Lewis (Bristol Royal Infirmary), Dr Marianne Willis (GP locum, Ontario), Catherine Simmonds (Bristol Royal Infirmary), Dr Alf Emadi (GP Highfield), Dr Neal Rackov (Professor of Medicine at UCLA), Dr Andrew Lamb (North Bristol NHS Trust), Mark Watson (North West Ambulance Service), Sam Crimmins (Milton Keynes NHS Trust) and Liz Walisko (North Manchester General Hospital). |
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Map of Cusuco National Park with Research Camps and Transects |
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| Forest and habitat structure Forest structure and habitat data will be collected on the 150 survey sites by teams of general surveyors led by specialized habitat surveyors. This team is led by Caroline Acton (Operation Wallacea) with assistance from Hannah Thomas (Southampton University), Tim Wilkes (Aberystwyth University), Mizuki Murai (Bristol University), Gareth Newton (Plymouth University), Elizabeth Duffy (Cambridge University), Craig Barlow (Essex University), Danielle Fountain (Oxford University), Nadia Ham Pong (University of Western Ontario) and Bryony Carter (Manchester Metropolitan University). The objective is to re-survey all the 150 sites that have been surveyed previously to identify any changes to the forest structure (eg increased logging, regeneration etc). In order to do that though the accuracy and precision of the data collected by the teams both within and between surveyors for each of the criteria has to be assessed. Thus each team of surveyors will be tested on standardised plots both to determine accuracy and precision and also to identify any surveyors requiring additional training. At each site, the teams mark a 20m X 20m plot and lay two perpendicular tapes across the plot in a cross shape bisecting each edge and creating four 10mX10m plots. The teams are then divided into four groups. A position and disturbance group measures the slope and aspect of the plot and classifies the plot by level of disturbance using the categories on the data collection form. This group also counts cut stumps and measures the volume of fallen wood within the 20m X 20 plot. A second tree survey group checks that all trees with a circumference at breast height >30cm has been tagged and if not tags them, measures the circumference of all trees >15cm circumference at breast height and estimates the height of the four tallest trees in the plot using a clinometer. A third profiles group draws a plan profile for the whole 20m X 20m plot on graph paper, marking the positions of all trees >30cm circumference at breast height. A fourth vegetation cover group estimates canopy openness, counts vegetation intercepting 0.5m segments of a 3m pole positioned every 1m along the two bisecting tapes, and counts the number of woody saplings (>1.5m and >5cm circumference in 4 quadrants of 2m X 2m randomly positioned one within each quadrant in the plot. |
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Danielle Kelly completing forest surveys - Richard Field |
Botanical diversity
A team led by Dr Daniel Kelly (Trinity College Dublin)
with assistance from Dr Alison Donnelly (TCD) and Kate Fagan (Liverpool University) will be continuing the
work of identification of each of the tagged trees in the 150 squares. There
will be two teams of botanical collectors, one operating on the eastern side of
the Park and one on the western side of the Park collecting leaves, fruits and
flowers (where possible) from tagged trees in a total of 50 squares during the
2009 season. These samples will then be grouped into morphotypes and examples of
each lodged with a herbarium in Honduras and the Natural History Museum in
London for identification to species level wherever possible.
Sean Feeney (Trinity College Dublin) is undertaking a specialist study on the patterns of genetic diversity of tree fern species with the botanical supervision provided by Dr Daniel Kelly (Trinity College Dublin) and the genetics element supervised by Dr Kim Hunter (Salisbury University, Maryland).
Forest cover and classification
Peter Long (Bath University) will be
producing a report on forest cover change in the Cusuco Park from 1987 - 2006.
In addition he will be preparing a 15m resolution digital elevation model from
1:50 topographic maps.
Terrestrial Invertebrates
Biodiversity assessment of all invertebrates at any
site is impossible because of the sheer diversity of organisms encountered, the
lack of taxonomic knowledge for some groups, and skilled manpower to complete
identification of large numbers of those specimens where the taxonomy is known.
Survey effort has therefore concentrated on three invertebrate groups because of
their relatively limited diversity, known taxonomy and probability that the
species composition would vary depending on the levels of forest disturbance.
The groups being surveyed are: Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaidae:
Scarabaeinae), Jewel Scarab Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabidae: Scarabaeidae:
Rutelinae) and Moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae, Saturnidae & Arctiniidae).
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Three different methods of sampling for invertebrates are used: Light trapping, flight intercept traps and dung baited pitfall traps. Light trapping is carried out using a 22/25W actinic moth trap with a safari net trap run overnight at 4 sites from each of the 7 camps for a 1-week period in total. The trap is rotated between sites at a minimum of every other day over a 4-week period. All Saturnidae, Sphingidae and Arctinidae moths and jewel scarab beetles found in the trap or within a 2m radius are collected. Flight intercept traps are also run in each of the 28 sites for a week each to obtain additional specimens of dung and jewel scarab beetles. Dung baited traps are run at each of the 150 sites. The traps consist of two 16oz plastic cups (one inside the other) dug into the ground with their lip flush with the ground surface. A small (approx. 20g) of fresh horse dung wrapped in cheese cloth is tied onto a stick and placed across the plastic cup (Figure 2). Traps are emptied every four days. |
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Jewel Scarab Beetle - Dan Pupius |
| Most jewel scarab beetles can be identified in the field and released but the dung beetles and moths are collected and returned to the Oxford Museum of Natural History for identification. Jose Nunez-Mino (Oxford University) leads the invertebrate team with assistance from Rebecca Jeffree (Imperial College), Alastair Hotchkiss (National Botanic Garden of Wales), John Pemberton (Napier University), Helen Scott (Cambridge University) and Susannah O'Riordan (Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust). To date approximately 40 morphotypes of dung beetle have been identified from the Cusuco Park with a couple of these being new species to science and needing description. | ||
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Dr Mark O'Neill (Newcastle University) who has developed the image analysis software called DAISY that is used by parataxonomists to identify butterflies from digital photos of their wings will be in Cusuco during the 2008 season. He is working on developing a system for identifying dung beetles from the venation on their elytra which if successful would eventually enable most of the dung beetles to be identified in the field. | |
| Dr Kim Hunter (University of Salisbury, USA) is using the DNA lab facilities established at Base Camp and the primers she has developed, to complete a phylogeny of the dung beetle species found in the Park based on genetic relatedness. Dr Elizabeth Capaldi Evans (Bucknell University) is visiting to assess the opportunity for adding orchid bees to the standardized annual monitoring programmes. Amira Rezkalla (University of Ontario Institute of Technology) and Thomas Plant (Aberdeen University) are completing dissertations on dung beetle diversity in the Park. Nicola Parsonage (Keele University) is doing a dissertation on the impact of living fences on insect communities. |  |
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Jose Nunez-Mino - Dan Newman |
DNA lab at Base Camp - Kim Hunter |
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| Aquatic Invertebrates The Cusuco National Park as with many other national parks in Honduras was declared primarily as a mechanism for protecting water quality in the headwaters of a catchment used as a drinking water supply. Despite the importance of river water quality there is only a limited assessment of a few chemical factors (eg pH, dissolved oxygen) in the lower reaches of some of the rivers supplying the drinking water supply for the San Pedro Sula valley. One of the long-term objectives of the Operation Wallacea surveys is to help develop a biological water quality index based on aquatic macro-invertebrate communities for used by the Honduran authorities. These biotic indices are used widely in western Europe and north America as a cost effective way of assessing water quality since the invertebrate communities present in the river are affected by the levels of pollution and are a reflection of the worst quality conditions that have occurred over the previous weeks, thus identifying whether any episodic pollution events have occurred. In 2008, Dr Merlijn Jocque (University of Leuven) and Dr Helen Michels (University of Leuven) will be starting on the development of a biotic index applicable for Honduran rivers by completing characterization of the aquatic communities in different order streams around the Cusuco National Park. Robyn Kent (Keele University) is doing a dissertation on this topic. Dr Mary Kelly-Quinn (University College Dublin) will be a Visiting Academic on site developing a research programme that will lead to a proposed biotic index that can be used for routine water quality monitoring around the Cusuco Park within the next 3 years. |
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Merlijn Jocque analysing samples - Dan Newman |
Bromeliads are epiphytic plants that hold small pools of water in 'tanks' created from their lower leaves. Organic material collects in these small pools, mostly of botanic origin, which provide a food source for macro-invertebrates and micro-organisms. These tank bromeliads are interesting habitats to study more detailed ecological questions, since they are effectively islands. The richness of the invertebrate communities within these bromeliads is affected by factors such as the size of the pool of water, isolation from main bodies of water, altitude and many other factors. Since there are large numbers to provide adequate replication for such studies of these bromeliads in a range of different habitats in the cloud forest they make ideal ecological models to test a range of theories from the effectiveness of dispersion to examining various aspects of island bio-geography. The current drawback on using bromeliads for ecological research is the limited knowledge of the occurring species. This baseline research is being completed by Dr Merlijn Jocque (University of Leuven) with Dr Humberto Mendes (University of Bergen). A related study is being done on the aquatic invertebrate colonization rates in pools of water in Heliconia floristic assemblages by Meadhbh Costigan (Trinity College Dublin) and William Lambert-Gorwun (Bath University).
Amphibians and reptiles
A variety of techniques are used to maximize the
frequency of herpetological encounters whilst also producing accurate data in a
standardized fashion. Each transect is walked at a rate of 500 m/hr, so the
entire lengths of transect from each camp are covered twice over the course of
the season. All individuals encountered are identified. Opportunistic surveys are also conducted around each camp
both day and night in locations which appeared to be productive habitats
for finding reptiles and amphibians. Examples include river walks, night
walks in a variety of habitats, and any other productive-looking areas,
which might not be visited whilst performing transect line surveys.
| Looking under rocks, breaking up dead logs, and raking through leaf litter are all effective practices. Finally one pitline array is installed at a site in each of the main camps and checked daily. This array consists of 4 plastic buckets buried in the ground in a Y-shaped formation, with each of the three rays extending outwards at 120 degree angles. Plastic lining is used as fencing in 4m lengths, radiating outwards from the central bucket, the bottom of which is buried in substrate and supported vertically by sticks. |
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Glass Frog - Jon Kolby |
Bothreichis Marchi - Dan Pupius |
Ever since the identification of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) as a causative agent in the decline of global amphibian populations, scientists worldwide have been investing a great deal of effort to explain and understand this enigmatic and devastating epidemic. It is now known that Bd is a primitive species of parasitic fungus, which infects the outer skin layer of amphibians and causes the potentially lethal amphibian disease called chytridiomycosis. It is now believed that Bd is a central driving force behind the emerging global amphibian extinction crisis. Mesoamerica is one of several amphibian biodiversity hotspots where the presence of Bd has been linked to dramatic amphibian population declines and mass mortality events. Infected amphibians have been recorded from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama, and in each of these countries, significant amphibian population declines have been observed concurrently. Many of the amphibian population declines in Honduras have been long attributed to human disturbances, although an increasing number of declines are now being recorded from within the boundaries of national parks, in pristine montane rainforests. Bd is suspected to be involved in these declines and has only recently been documented in Honduras from samples collected in Pico Bonito National Park in 2003.
During the summer of 2007, an initial survey by Operation Wallacea teams confirmed that Bd was also present in the Cusuco National Park in five species including three critically endangered amphibian species. Due to the high infection levels detected in 2007, it is possible that several critically endangered species are extremely vulnerable to sudden population crashes, and possibly extinction. Therefore, additional surveys are being completed in 2008, focusing on the five species found infected in 2007 as well as conducting the first standardized population survey of Plectrohyla dasypus. P. dasypus was specifically chosen among the five infected species because it is critically endangered, endemic to Cusuco National Park, and showed the highest level of infection in 2007. Results from such an investigation would immediately begin to indicate the direction in which this epidemic is heading and help establish the level of conservation priority in protecting the endangered species of Cusuco National Park. Static infection rates may indicate a degree of equilibrium, in which some animals may still be dying, but at a low constant rate, which likely would not grossly affect population dynamics. On the other hand, significant changes in the infection levels from last year's detected levels would illustrate a dynamic system in which population declines may be severe and unpredictable. Such a dynamic system would be suggestive of scenarios in which Bd was acting as a novel virulent pathogen, implicating serious conservation concerns and a high conservation priority for Cusuco National Park.
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Bd detection fieldwork will entail collecting non-lethal skin swabs from the five amphibian species which will subsequently be genetically tested by PCR analysis to detect for the presence of Bd DNA. In order to establish a standardized method to estimate population levels of Plectrohyla dasypus, removal sampling will be employed. This method minimizes the risk of physical harm inherent with mark-recapture surveys and due to P. dasypus' low population density, will be both feasible and effective (Heyer et.al., 1994). Three different subpopulations will be sampled across Cusuco National Park, to form a representative sample of the species as a whole. Each of the three sampling sites will be chosen based on the proximity to campsites where removed animals can be properly cared for and held until subsequent release. Each of the three sites will encompass a stream course of equidistant area, to establish a standardized baseline for future population level estimates. Surveys will consist of three nights of sampling, conducted over the course of six days, with sampling conducted on the first, third, and sixth night. Upon completion of the sampling on the sixth night, all removed animals will be returned to the exact locations where they were collected, as will be meticulously recorded using GPS waypoints and brightly coloured flagging tape. Every effort will be made to ensure minimal disturbance and to return each animal to its exact site of collection. |
| Buchal Swab for DNA extraction at Base Camp - Eve Hunter |
The herpetology team is led by Jonathan Kolby (Conservation Agency, New Jersey) with assistance from Michael Wall (University of Sydney), Jose Mario Solis Ramos (Pasante University)Roberto Gandola (Bangor University) and Catriona Hendry (Bangor University). Samuel Stubbs (Southampton University) Mandy Orchard (Bangor University) and Stephanie Lynn Johnson (Queens University, Ontario) are doing dissertations quantifying morphological variation within frog species.
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Birds The bird survey team is led by Nick Bayly (Wetland Trust) with assistance from Wilf Simcox (Sparsholt College), Camila Gomez Montes (Fundacion ProAves, Colombia), Ugo Mellone (University of Pavia) and Andrew Bodey (Sparsholt College). Amy Miles (Nottingham University) is completing a dissertation on factors affecting bird communities. Peter Long is analysing all the existing data to derive robust monitoring indices for tropical forest birds from occupancy models and densities obtained by distance sampling. |
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Processing captures at Base Camp - Ernesto Reyes |
Mammals
There are three elements to the mammal survey work: constant effort
small mammal trapping between years to detect any changes in faunal composition,
mist netting for bat communities and population surveys of Baird Tapir and
primate populations
| The small mammal trapping consists of a standardized trap-line run for 1 week along each transect and consisting of 54 aluminium "Freya" wire-cage traps (320 x 173 x 140mm). Traps are placed approximately 30m apart in a straight line on levelled ground and marked from 1-54 consecutively. Plastic sheeting or leaves are used as shelter from the rain and surrounding leaf litter is placed inside for bedding. |
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Mouse Oppossum - Jen Mex |
Capture Processing at Guanales Camp - Rachel Freer |
Traps are baited with a mixture of peanut butter, granola or oats, flour, honey and vanilla essence and checked in the morning, re-baited and re-set as required. There are however, problems with the trigger mechanisms on some of traps being used and it is therefore proposed to compare the catch rates and species captured by two new sizes of collapsible traps during the 2008 season to finalise an annual constant effort survey protocol for small mammals.
Bat surveys are conducted in 2 camps within the buffer zone and 2 within the core zone of the park with similar sampling efforts between sites. Bats are captured in the forest understorey with mist nets. Netting is restricted to two transects per survey camp but always intending to intersect flight paths to maximize capture success. Full moon and rainy nights are avoided.
| The annual constant effort large mammal population survey concentrates on howler monkeys, spider monkeys, capuchin monkeys and Bairds Tapir. Each of the transects in the core zone is walked four times over the course of the season to check for signs of large mammals (sightings, vocalizations, faeces, tracks). The surveys start at dawn and continue at a steady pace until the end of the transect. For visual encounters, the species, number and age/sex class in group, and distance along the transect to the nearest 50m is recorded. For auditory encounters, the species, number of groups if coming from difference directions, approximate distance (or each group) from transect and location along the transect where the vocalization is heard is recorded. For faecal samples, the species, and distance along the transect to the nearest 50m is recorded. Faecal samples are divided between 2 prepared tubes: one to investigate parasite load and one for the DNA study. For footprints, the species, distance along the transect to the nearest 50m, the length and width of the footprint and a photo of the footprint are recorded. |  |
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White Faced Capuchin - Justin Hines |
The senior mammal scientist is Dr C B Woods (Providence College). Assistance on the small mammal team is provided by Charlotte Palmer (Birmingham University), David Beaune (University of Perpignan), Steven Mackenzie (University of Aberdeen). The senior bat scientist is Melinda Hoffman (University of California) whilst Daniel Hargreaves (Bristol University), Heidi Cooper-Berry (Bristol University) and Clare Rawcliffe (Durham Wildlife Service). The tapir and primate monitoring teams are led by Katy Wilson (Operation Wallacea) with help Ben Wallis (Newcastle University). Karen Bell (Liverpool John Moores University) and Stefan Wuestner (Swansea University) are completing dissertations on bat morphology and factors affecting bat communities.
The focus of this research programme is to assess the likely effectiveness of providing businesses, such as ecotourism or buying cash crops at the enhanced Wildlife Conservation Products price, in buffer zone villages that have agreed contracts to conserve the core zone forests of Cusuco. Coffee purchases through the Wildlife Conservation Product scheme at prices higher than those offered by Fair Trade have already commenced and over the next few months additional purchases will be needed from other communities. In addition the potential benefits of including other crops such as sun-dried tomatoes and edible fungi in the WCP scheme are being investigated.
| The programme is being directed by Dr Kathy Slater (Operation Wallacea). Dr Tom Horton (ESF - Suny) will be assessing the opportunity for culture of edible fungi as an additional potential income stream. Dr Bob Payne (Lakehead University, Ontario) will be providing some advice on how the Honduran NGO running the Operation Wallacea expeditions can utilise the facilities in the forest outside the expedition season to attract other visitors to the Park. |
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Daniel Lihou is investigating the sale of
coffee via the cooperative in BA and will also investigate the
practicalities of setting up a similar project in Banyaderos. He will
investigate the economic benefit of the sale of coffee to villagers who
own coffee (and thus benefit from the sale of the coffee to the
cooperative and the sale from the cooperative to Opwall) and for villagers
who will only gain money from the sale from the cooperative to Opwall. He
will collect this data in conjunction with general economic information
for the village to assess if both types of village members (coffee owners
and not) will gain enough income from the project such that they can cease
logging and hunting in the area. |
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| Interviews with Cusuco communities - Danielle Hines |
Processing Coffee - Angel Hertslet |
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Edward Davenport (Northumbria University) will be investigating the
cooperative at
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Mantled Howler Monkey Behaviour Programme in the Manacal forest Studies of the Mantled Howler Monkey in the Cusuco forest have proved difficult to undertake because of the low numbers of encounters with the monkeys. So in 2007 these studies were moved to Rancho Manacal, a privately owned cattle ranch located outside Cofradia, with a small area of forest where there is a strict protection policy to protect the primates within the property. There are five different troops of howler monkeys within the forest fragment at Rancho Manacal and a further 2 troops in an adjacent piece of forest. Research in 2007 estimated the howler monkey population level in the Manacal forests at 103 monkeys/km2, which is extremely high in relation to mantled howler population densities at other field sites. |
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Howler Monkey - Kathy Slater |
The primate behaviour projects are organised by Dr Kathy Slater (Operation Wallacea) with Claudia Bustos (University of Windsor, Canada) providing on site daily supervision. Elizabeth Wuffield (Reading University) is assessing the size and composition of each group within the Manacal area and measuring the home range sizes and the degree to which these home ranges overlap. She will also be conducting habitat surveys in each home range to investigate how habitat quality affects group size and ranging. Jasmin Atkinson (Nottingham Trent University) will be determining what each group is feeding on and their level of inactivity (in theory, those with smaller home ranges and less access to food should spend more time resting than other groups as they need to conserve energy). These data will also be added to the home range data in order to investigate the best predictors of patch occupancy and thus a conservation management strategy for the howlers. Rosalind Munday-Thompson (Swansea University) is investigating the role of howler monkeys in seed dispersal and will be conducting day long focal sampling and collecting the faecal samples to analyze seed content. Eleanor Shipley (Swansea University) is concentrating on behavioural responses to calls, specifically differences in responses between adult males, adult females without infants and adult females with infants.
This research programme has three main elements: an assessment of pollution impacts on the coral communities, long term monitoring of the reef fish communities and the population levels and ecology of the endemic pink boa constrictor and the ctenosaurs found on the Cayos Cochinos Islands.
Additional information regarding coral communities can be found in this project proposal for 2009.
| Pollution impacts on coral communities The sedimentation and nutrient impacts on the reef benthic communities (coral, algae, sponges) is being led by Jon Shrives (Oxford University) with input on the water quality side from Dr Greg Cowie (Edinburgh University) and Steve Mowbray (Edinburgh University). A grid of sites covering the whole of the protected area is being sampled for data on currents and sediment loads and samples of the algae and sediment taken for carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to determine the origin of the nutrient loadings. At these same sites the benthic communities are being characterised from 60 randomly positioned photo-quadrats (20 X 25cm). Image analysis to identify the communities is then undertaken at the lab on Cayo Menor. In addition 2 - 3 transects from the islands to the coast will be completed to assess the existence of freshwater lenses and identify currents any gradients of nutrients. Roisin McCallum (Edinburgh University), Emily Long (Edinburgh University) and Elaine Bowman are all producing dissertations on this topic. Reef fish community monitoring A related study is looking at the abundance and distribution of sea urchins
on the shallow reefs of both the Cayos Cochinos islands and Utila. |
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Greg Cowie (top) and Jon Shrives - Operation Wallacea |
Boas and Ctenosaurs
The herpetology projects are directed by Dr Chad
Montgomery (University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse) with Steve Green (Kent
University) helped by Mike Logan (University of Texas) leading on the boa
constrictor studies and Leslie Ruyle (University of Georgia) leading on the
ctenosaur studies.
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The main objective of the boa work this year is to install a further 10 radio transmitters which also give temperature data into either 10 male snakes or 10 small female snakes. To data has been obtained on 16 snakes most of which have been large females. The new data will provide comparative information on home range size, movement patterns and thermoregulation. Michael Haughey (Salem State) will be doing a dissertation on this aspect of the study. Additional mark release recapture data will be collected on the boas on Cayo Menor and a start will be made on marking and releasing boas on Cayo Grande. Matthew Speed (Lincoln University) is doing a dissertation comparing the morphology, size and body condition of the snakes found on the two islands. In addition Steve Green is collecting DNA samples from all snakes captured on both islands and using micro-satellite analysis to determine whether there is gene flow between the two islands and the effective size of the remaining wild populations. Leslie Ruyle is estimating population size of the ctenosaurs on Cayo Menor and gathering morphometric data and genetic samples from them. She will also be gathering comparative data from the ctenosaur population on Utila. Sofia Waddell (Reading University) is completing a dissertation on this aspect of the herpetology studies. |
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Steve Green on Cayos |
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There are three main objectives of this research programme; to assess the hydrography and water quality of contrasting Utila mangrove lagoon systems (pristine to heavily impacted) and to relate these to the health of adjacent coral reefs, to complete standardised monitoring of reef fish communities on reefs around Utila that are adjacent to mangroves and to assess the value of mangroves as fish nurseries.
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Hydrography and water quality of mangrove lagoons Utila's coral reefs are the mainstay of its dive-based tourism industry. Much of Utila is covered by mangroves, which are bio-geochemically and ecologically complex and sensitive systems and are intimately linked with adjacent fringing reefs. The mangroves serve many functions, but are important to the reefs both as nurseries and as natural "filters" for nutrients, sediments and organic matter. Increasing urbanisation and development on Utila represent real and major threats to the mangroves, via pollution and sediment dredging to outright mangrove destruction. In 2008 the objective is to determine the concentrations and distributions of nutrients, chlorophyll, dissolved organic matter (DOM) and suspended sediments in contrasting mangrove lagoons. This will then be used to assess whether significant differences occur in the net fluxes of nutrients, suspended sediment and DOM from contrasting mangrove systems. This will then be related to whether there are any measurable differences in the health of reefs offshore in areas with different nutrient and DOM flows and to determine whether any links be established between the degree of human impact on mangrove systems and the health of adjacent fringing reefs. |
| Mangrove Research - Martin Speight |
The water quality and hydrology aspects of this project are led by Dr Greg Cowie (Edinburgh University) with assistance from Steve Mowbray (Edinburgh University), whilst the biological aspects are led by Dr Steve Box and other scientists from the Utila Centre for Marine Ecology. Steven Vallance, David Bell, Rachael Buckner and Rowenna Mortimer all from Edinburgh University are all doing their Masters dissertations on aspects of this study. Two or three mangrove lagoons with contrasting degrees of human impact will be selected and hydrographic (CTD and current) studies completed to assess water circulation and residence time in selected lagoons. The mangrove lagoons and sediment disturbance patterns will then be mapped. Water sampling (across lagoons, at surface and depth at lagoon mouth, and along transects to adjacent reefs) will be completed, followed by laboratory analysis for dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll and nutrients (on Utila), and DOM (Edinburgh). Reef surveys to determine distributions/diversity of coral, coral disease, macro-algae will be completed on adjacent reefs and sediment traps deployed to determine sediment accumulation flux. Macro-algae/seagrass will be sampled along lagoon-reef transects for C and N elemental and isotopic analyses of both the sediments and the macro-algae/seagrass will be completed to assess the relative input from land run off and mangroves. A related study examining the effects of sedimentation run off from dredging and construction operations on coral benthic communities around Utila is being led by Dr James Saunders (Operation Wallacea). Hayley Geldart (Lancaster University), Christopher Dixon (Lancaster University), Tara Seez (Nottingham University), Benjamin Thorne (Lancaster University) and Jenny James (St Andrews University) will be completing dissertations on this topic.
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Reef fish Communities A related study is looking at the abundance and distribution of sea urchins on the shallow reefs of Utila and comparing the results with those from the similar Cayos Cochinos study. James Saunders (Operation Wallacea) supervises this study on Utila. Sophie Wells (Oxford University), Catherine Hall (Oxford University) and Ed Bridge (Lancaster University) are completing dissertations comparing the incidence of sea urchins on Cayos Cochinos and Utila. |
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Jewfish - Carol Battram |
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| Juvenile fish Utilisation of Mangrove Habitats This research project is run by Jess Harm (Oxford University) and will utilise the water quality and current data gathered by the team led by Dr Greg Cowie. The objective is to asess how far fish larvae travel into the lagoon before settling, and to compare larvae and juvenile abundances in different locations with different biotic and abiotic features. Light traps will be placed in four sites (six replicates per site): entrance to the lagoon, adjacent to mangroves near entrance, adjacent to mangroves in the lower lagoon away from the entrance, and adjacent to mangroves near the inter-island channel. Four days of trapping will be repeated every two weeks, coinciding with the new and full moon cycle. Traps will be placed at dusk and collected the next morning. Each light trap will be placed 0.5 meters below the water's surface and visibility of light emitted will be measured with a Li-Cor radiation sensor. A second aspect to this study will look at which factors affect juvenile fish distribution in the mangroves, and compare the abundance of larvae to juveniles using A combination of minnow traps, micro-seine nets, and snorkeling 30m transects will be used to survey fish in the eastern lower lagoon, eastern upper lagoon, and fringing mangroves on the north side of Utila. |
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Jess Harm - Operation Wallacea |
Visiting Academics Professor Patricia Chow-Fraser and Dr Kathy McIntosh (McMaster University, Ontario) will be visiting the marine sites to assess the opportunity to develop university training courses. Dr Alan Pinder (Dalhousie University) will also be visiting the marine sites to develop additional ecological based projects for inclusion in the 2009 research programme.
Development of alternative income streams for communities on the northern Honduran coast
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The main objective of this programme is to examine how the start
Operation Wallacea has made on establishing Rio Esteban and Nueva Armenia as
gateways to the Cayos Cochinos Islands for tourists, can be further developed to
increase income year round for the various coastal communities. A Honduran NGO,
Grupo Apoyo Desarollo (GAD) has done much additional investment and training
with the communities to help with developing businesses in those communities
that have lost income as a result of not being able to fish in the Cayos
Cochinos protected area. Dr Sonya Graci (Ryerson University) will be leading the
research with support from Tony Ives (GAD) and Adoni Cubas (GAD/HCRF).
Amanda Huculak (University of Manitoba) is doing a thesis on the economic impact of using Rio Esteban and Nueva Armenia as gateways to the Cayos Cochinos. Laura Barz (University of Manitoba), Callum Palmer (Northumbria University) and Jessica Braun (University of Manitoba) are doing research on the expectations of tourism in communities with differing levels of ecotourism at present. Mirjana Micic (Ryerson University) and Andrea Rivera Sosa (Plymouth University) are doing research on alternative income streams that could be developed in these communities. |
| Nueva Armenia - Ben Vivian |
