Final Thoughts

Tonight is the last night on Moorea. It is quite a shame to know that early tomorrow morning we will be leaving this amazing island. We were very lucky to have had the opportunity to come here, and even luckier to have such a great group. Our instructors were excellent at helping us all along the way. So now each member of our class is going to record our final opinions of the trip.

I loved the trip, it had the perfect balance of an educational field biology class and of course just enough tourist sights. I did not come into this trip as a biology major and definitely got a crash course in field biology. I learned more in this two weeks than in most semester long classes I've taken. - Ryan Miles

This trip has really been the experience of a lifetime. We went diving, sight seeing, shopping, hiking, and snorkeling among many other things, and still had time to learn the names of new fish and finish our research. This trip was so much more than I thought it would be. Best two weeks ever. - Lexi Milan

When you sign up for a class in Tahiti, you plan on having fun while getting graded for it, and that's exactly what happened. Our professors were able to incorporate loads of knowledge and research without making it as tedious as a typical class. It was the experience of a lifetime that I will remember for years to come. -Kristina Schutte

Some days were long and hard but that is to be expected when you work with nocturnal lizards. This was a great trip and everyday was filled with fun and research. Our professors did a great job of balancing the fun and helping us learn. - Angela Payerle

This trip was the truly the opportunity of a lifetime. When I first signed up for the class, I knew it would be fun, but this class went above and beyond what I expected. The diving was amazing, the island was beautiful, the hikes were great, and the experiments were very fun and enjoyable. Our professors were very helpful and did a great job organizing this wonderful trip for all of us. This is trip that I will always remember. -David Paternite

A once in a lifetime experience that everyone of all majors should participate. I am a computer scientist and before the trip, I had absolutely no biology experience. Even so, I had a wonderful time and experienced many things that I never had a chance to try. Thank You Rich and Peter for all your help and support. I truly enjoyed the trip. - Michael J. Decker

Before this trip I never really gave thought to the study of the little scale-ies we call geckos. I must admit that this experience has completely changed my mind. I've realized I have an avid interest in research and many new options have now opened up in my mind. Thank you Peter and Rich for allowing us undergrads to expand our views and try new things in such a remote and fascinating area. ~Sara A. Elefritz

Well, from looking above me I can see that no one favors that short and sweet approach quite like me. This trip has been one of the greatest two weeks of my life and I relished every single moment -Mitchell Hall

I had a lot of fun. -Steve Honeck

This trip was definitely a worthwhile experience. The diving was great and it was really refreshing finally do some applied research as opposed to being stuck in the classroom. I really learned a lot about the process and limitations of doing field work in remote locations. This is a beautiful place and I will never forget coming here- hope to do it again someday.

-Andy Koenig

What a great group of people to be with while studying in paradise! The trip was fantastic not only because of the gorgeous surrounds and the days filled with once in a lifetime experiences, but because of the people with whom we shared those experiences. Every day was a gift and one not lost on us. I'd travel with you all anytime.

- Stephen McNulty

Waking up everyday to view the sunrise shining on the steep tropical mountains was just priceless. And it was amazing to star gaze at the different constellations in the southern hemisphere (so excited I got to view the Souther Cross). But what was just as amazing was the class itself. Getting the opportunity to conduct research in such a beautiful place with awesome classmates and professors was an experience of a lifetime.

-Eddie Ramirez

Fantastic trip! Mere words can not describe!! Met a great group of people, learned a lot, got to experience research, and got to enjoy a beautiful place. Diving with sharks and turtles made the trip. Definitely the experience of a lifetime, so thanks to all those who made it possible.

-Stephanie Peteya

Crunch Time

With the end of our trip rapidly approaching, we’ve all been doing our best to cram in a few more lab hours, references and memories into the time we have left. The day started with the usual quick breakfast and a few sips of caffeine. As the sun made its way over the mountains, a morning dive took place that was unsurpassed by any other dives from the entire trip. A lemon shark, moray eel, turkey fish, swarms of raccoon butterfly fish and a green turtle all added to the allure of the already high adrenaline day. As lunch came and went, the realization of our first draft being due tonight started to kick in.

The UV group, who had the most work in the laboratory setting, hit the floor running. A few of the manlier men stayed up the entire night before to make sure that all the tissue samples were prepared for the protein assay that had to be performed in a timely matter later in the day. After many strenuous hours in the lab, they were soon on their way to their first draft.

The pair bonding group worked hard all day to bring their paper together. Spotless delegating and relentless concentration allowed them to finish their first draft with few complications.

The lizard group had similar arrangements. After each doing their part, the draft was brought together with hopes of not seeing too much red ink when it was returned.

As the days turn to hours and the bittersweet end approaches, everyone is working hard to make the most of this fantastic experience.

-Kristina Schutte

Sand, Supermarket, and Story-telling Pineapple Beach Owner

Though only a few left, today was another beautiful and amazing day on Moorea. The day started off with a hearty breakfast of eggs, ham, bread, and off-brand cereal. It was all delicious. This day we had plans to go touring around the island and go on a hike to visit the Afareaitu waterfall. After breakfast was over, we all got in the Mercedes van (I didn’t know they made vans) and the rental car and headed off. On our way, we saw parts of the island that we had not yet seen. Everyone soaked in the new and beautiful views along the way. Almost to the hiking spot, we made a stop by a big statue of a tribal-esque man kneeling. Of course we had to get pictures with it. A nice man offered to take a picture of the class. It turned out that he was the owner of a beach front called Pineapple Beach right behind the statue. We also found out that the statue was of him when he was eighteen (he must’ve shrunk with age because that was a big statue). He decided to give the class a tour of the beach front huts. The view from that beach left many of us breathless. He told us tales of the Tahitian god of creation and told of how he has owned the beach for around twenty years. After a short stay and a few more interesting stories, we said goodbye and were off to hike. Though not as long as the previous hike, it was still just as amazing and beautiful, and it was perfect weather for a hike. We hiked up the mountain for about fifteen minutes until arriving at the waterfall. The falls went very high up. The water at the bottom caught the eye of some of the students. Given most had their swimsuits on, some went in the water to cool off from the hike and some to take pictures of the eels and other life in this small pool.
After the hike, we continued our tour around the island. We stopped at a Tahitian supermarket called Champion to pick up some much needed snacks after the hike up the mountain. People got everything from tropical juice to pizza bagel bites. Once everyone had some more energy from the snacks, we continued the tour around the island. The final stop of the tour was at a beach called Temae Beach. This spot was incredible. It had clear blue water, a white sand beach, and on-water hotel huts. Everyone took pictures of this amazing view.
Once the tour was over, we ate a delicious lunch and the groups all began to work hard to finish up their experiments. The UV group finished all of the fish eye dissections and was ready to start preparing the eye parts to put in the spectrophotometer to test for UV detecting ability. The pair bond observations group finished all of their data collection of pair bonding between Butterfly fish and began with typing the first draft of the final paper. The lizard group also finished all of their data collection with trail runs of geckos on substrates and started working on their paper.
With the end nearing, everyone is savoring their last days on beautiful Moorea and working hard to make the experiments turn our great!
-David Paternite

Trial by Fire

The group was greeted this beautiful morning with a hearty breakfast of hot fried eggs and fresh fruit, much needed fuel for the large amount of work that was to ensue. The day’s schedule was fairly clear to allow the groups to hone in on the final attack plan for the projects as they continue to discover what is working and what is likely to be accomplished in the small remainder of time.

The pair-bonding group (with help from different groups’ members) ventured out for another round of snorkeling. The plan was to collect last minute data on the difficult to spot and observe Chaetodon reticulatus (Reticulated Butterflyfish). With a successful trip, the group was able to begin writing their paper and crunching data. Their preliminary results seem to show statistical significance in pair-bonded behavior.

The UV group took a break from collecting fish to focus on getting some lab work and photographing finished up. With an almost cooperative sun and some late night hours, they were able to finish most of the UV pictures and prepare a decent amount of samples to use for testing after a night in the refrigerator. The preliminary data seems to be pointing to results that support the hypothesis. However, many more fish eyes still need to be dissected and prepared for testing.

The lizard group was able to start the third leg of their project. They began to observe the movement of different species in a 3D environment, such as the candlestick bushes around the island that the lizards are found in.

After a long day data crunching, observing, and lab work, many of the group decided to attend a traditional Tahitian performance at the “Tiki Village.” Much to their surprise (and to other’s dismay), all the females followed by all the males were invited on stage to participate in a traditional Tahitian dance. With much hip-shaking and leg-wiggling, everyone was thoroughly familiarized with the intricacies of traditional Tahitian dance. The show continued on with the story of a tribal marriage ceremony with many percussion and ukulele led songs and dances. The show took a turn for the amazing when the dancers broke out their flaming batons and did some truly impressive fire twirling.

With only a few days left, everyone is excited to see what else the island has to offer.

-Steve Honeck-

From Mountain to Sea: A Breath of Beauty

It was another beautiful morning on the island of Moorea and the group headed out for another day of adventure. With a partly cloudy morning sky, a cool breeze blowing, and a quick breakfast satiating our stomachs we proceeded back up to Belvedere lookout. This hike, however, was no short jot up to the lookout but a near four hour trek up and down the façade of a mountain. As the morning progressed the air grew hotter and the humidity climbed under the canopy while we slowly gained in altitude. Finally, we reached a point where the path turned into a steep, winding trail. “Oh, it’s just like stairs from here” Rich said. I don’t know what stairs he is used to but I would not want to climb those on a daily basis. As we inched out of the forest the breeze was a relief on our faces and the view took our breath (or what was left of it) away. What little discomforts we faced on the trail were wiped away tenfold as we gazed at the mountains, oceans, and forest around and below us. These are the moments that bring a new exuberance to life.

After our exhilarating trek, many of the men headed up to the Three Pines path as apparently they had not had their fill of hiking for the day. We ladies, however, cleaned ourselves up, fiddled with some data entry, and took a quick run to the super market (thanks to our most gracious leaders Rich and Peter).

At supper the usual conversation about planning the evening ensued over salad, white beans, and a bit of mutton. The divers then geared themselves up and headed out for a chilly night dive in the ocean, lionfish and all. Alas, due to a shortage of dive lights, the snorkelers must wait for another night for that venture.

Once the chilled divers return, it will be business as usual for the lizard group. We will be racing more geckos on candle stick leaves and preparing for our last precious days in this tropical dreamland.

The end is creeping up on us steadily.

~Sara A. Elefritz

As we approach the halfway mark..

The work at CRIOBE research station continued today with each group focusing on their respective projects. After breakfast the divers set out on an early morning dive. The remaining members of the fish groups headed out to the public beach with snorkeling gear in hand. Some from the UV group were there to spear butterflyfish for UV photographing and fish eye analysis, and others from the pair-bonding group went to continue observing the grazing patterns of their chosen species. A member of the UV group caught the group's first Raccoon Butterflyfish, a fish that has been elusive to the group until now. The lizard group finally crunched the numbers they had gotten from their lizard census and found exciting news, their data sported their hypothesis! Their hypothesis being that the invasive house gecko would be found more on buildings then the native gecko species.

-Mitch

Where has this week gone? Time really does fly when you travel halfway around the world, snorkel, and dive through coral reefs by day. Even more so when you creep around buildings and bushes to capture nocturnal lizards that defy gravity by night. The nights have been especially “vivacious” for the lizard group. The lizard group has been hard at work staying up late to collect data for a few projects focusing on the interaction between the local gecko species. One species, the Indo-Pacific House Gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus is invasive, adding extra competition for food and what not for the native species, so we’re hoping the results of our project can tell us how the native species are faring.
One project consists of the lizard group conducting a census around the research station and around several bushes, known as the candlestick bush, Senna alata. We looked at these bushes because we noticed them to be a hotspot for geckos; for some reason the geckos love this plant. As part of the protocol, the lizard group must walk around a census site and search and identify the species of any gecko we see. For every gecko we spot, we must sweep around the site 2 more times. This made particularly large sites quite interesting. There was this one site which consisted of a very large candlestick bush in we had to walk a total distance of 62 meters (about 190 feet). Gecko would appear out of nowhere. Sometimes we would walk around the bush barely completing our two sweeps when at the very end of the walk we spot another gecko, resulting in the group having to walk around the bush yet another two times. One night we (the lizard group) spent over an hour and a half spotting geckos on that one bush!
With all that searching we managed to come up with a theme song for our census:
♪ “This is the bush that neeever eeeends. Yes it goes on and on, my frieeend! Some people started searching it, not knowing how much we’d find, and geckos will keep showing up forever just because…this is the bush that neeever eeeends…♫


Anyways, so the census went on for four nights, with the lizard group usually finishing around midnight. They’ve all been successful – we got lots of data! Most of the group fantasize about sleeping in after a long night. The hunger for breakfast and the urge to scuba dive in the morning overrides that tendency. And it is always worth it when you’re enjoying your meals in good company and getting the chance to potentially dive with sharks!  Plus I mean, come on – we have to savor this trip in Tahiti as much as possible. Every moment here in Tahiti has been amazing!

Oh, as for other updates. The fish groups have been observing and spearing fish (Andy and Mitch have been warriors at it) while shifting more of their time in the lab conducting protein assays and dissecting eyeballs. Also, the guys managed to get their chance to do some grocery shopping (a relief the shop was able to accept US dollars).

From here on in the lizard group will be catching geckos and run them on a vertical racetrack on different substrates as part of our second project.

Well I’ve got to fly (or…swim). Going to catch the next boat for scuba diving!

Peace,
Eddie

Stay tuned

The lizard group will be blogging next, but they have to work tonight. The next blog will be up in the morning (afternoon in the states).

Island in the Sun

Today was a Tahitian blast. There was a boat dive just outside of Cook's Bay in the morning. The divers saw some blacktip reef sharks and got some great pictures. After a fantastic traditional Tahitian lunch the group split up. The fish crew went over to the public beach to dive and snorkel, spearing 11 butterflyfish for the UV project. The lizard group drove up toward Belvedere and hiked a new trail to look for the gold dust day gecko(Phelsuma laticauda) that may have been introduced to the island. After dinner Michael and Steve did natural history presentations on the longnose butterflyfish and the cowfish respectively. Then the fish people got to dissecting eyes and testing UV aborbance with the spectrophotometer- wait- the preliminary results are just in- the retinas are potentially sensitive to UV wavelengths! The lizard people are currently out in the jungle using headlamps to take a census of lizards in the transects they set up earlier in the week. Oh yeah- the girls went off to the market this afternoon to get all kinds of goodies without telling the boys. The Gelato store is up near "the dude ranch" though so we win anyway. So much science to do, so little time- more fun in the sun tomorrow.
Andy

Dr. Londraville photographing one of many black tip reef sharks from the afternoon dive.

What an incredible day! The morning was marked by an incredible snorkel at coconut grove, a reef in the surge zone of Oponohu Bay. Three of us ventured out amongst the breakers to search for butterflyfish. The waves crashed overhead while we dodged coral heads left and right and tried to keep an eye on the fish we were following.

Meanwhile, the UV fish team homogenized their ocular media (ground up their fish eyes) for testing and continued analyzing UV reflectance patterns of their specimens. Team lizard spent the morning compiling their data and scheduling their field studies for the week. All of the groups have been designing preliminary statistics and getting a rough sketch of their write ups.

The afternoon was the truly exciting part. The divers suited up to head out to the outer reef. Our guide, Franc, reported that the sea was relatively calm with a little chop. Clearly Franc is much more robust than we students from Akron as we were all trying not to wretch between pitches and rolls. Once moored to the buoys we all made haste to get in the water and out of the waves to avoid any seasickness. As soon as we got under the water we were immediately confronted by schooling black tip reef sharks which circled us through the entire dive. The surface swells translated to current and surge while on the bottom which moved us about as it pleased, we had little control over where we were taken. The dive was short, but not without highlights: emperor angels , flame angels, and unicorn tangs.

What a great day on Moorea!

-Stephen McNulty

Today was the first day, besides the checkout dive that divers could get into the water and dive, and it is also the first day we truly hit the grindstone. Each group spent their day collecting data and setting up research. The three groups in Team Fish and one group in Team Lizard each worked on their own projects.

Team Fish:

Group 1-
While diving, the ultraviolet light (UV) group spent the morning using a spear gun to catch butterfly fish (mostly nonlethal). After catching five fish, several photos were taken to test the UV camera and to see the UV-reflectance patterns on the fish. The pictures came out promising. (See Right - Bright spots indicate UV-reflectance and darker violet spots absorb UV).

Group 2-
While diving and later snorkeling, the larvae group spent their day looking for Indo-pacific sergeant major nests to gather eggs. Unfortunately, none were found.

Group 3-
While diving and later snorkeling, the pair-bonding group, spent their day observing butterfly fish and analyzing how they spent their time if they were a pair of fish or alone.

Team Lizard

Group 1-
The lizard group spent their day marking the Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of several bushes/habitats and measuring their perimeter. Later in the night, the group set out on a gecko hunt to catch several geckos to race on various substrates.

The day was not all work and no play. We found time to get some gelatos (Italian frozen desert) from a local shop.

La Fin.

- Michael J. Decker

Sharks and Rays and Fruit...OH my!

Today was an exciting day in Moorea. Our group got to swim with sharks and rays after breakfast. The rays were close enough to touch and so were the sharks. We have many pictures and we all had a good time. After lunch we split up in to our research groups and got busy deciding if our projects would work. Group lizard went off and found candle bushes which is where we have found most of our geckos. The fish groups went snorkeling and some have collected fish while others are revising their proposals. When eveyone returned it was time to take pictures of the sunset. We then had dinner which was followed by the most unique fruit we have ever had for dessert. The way this fruit can be described is "fermented cat hairballs," "the texture of vomit," and "remove the spooge and chew the center then spit out the seeds" as you can see dinner was a fun time had by all. After dinner we worked on our proposals and it was time for ukulele lessons. We will see you tomorrow! -Angela

After some much needed sleep...

Today was our first whole day on Moorea. It started with breakfast at around 7 o'clock at CRIOBE. After we ate Dr. Londraville suggested taking a group into town. I was really excited to see the town that we only briefly drove through on the way to CRIOBE from the ferry landing. The first stop we made was the bank to exchange our dollars for French Polynesian francs. After that we got to hit the shops. The stores around town were amazing, we passed through 4 or 5 of them just mostly browsing, from high-end jewelry stores to knick-knack stores and even a surf shop. On the way out of town we stopped at a flea market and saw a lot of good deals. I bought necklaces for my girlfriend, mom, and grandma from merchants at the market.
We got back to the base an hour or so before lunch and I decided to take a walk down to the beach to kill some time before we ate. CRIOBE is about a 2 minute walk from Opunohu Bay. The beach of the bay is dark, volcanic sand. I headed back to the base and had lunch with the group and we all began talking about our projects. After lunch was a brainstorming session in the library. After discussing our research idea, we decided the best thing to do would be to go snorkling and test our ideas. Everyone that was scuba diving had to do their check up dives to gain approval to dive in Tahiti, so we snorkled alongside them and enjoyed our first sunny day. After a quick rinse of our gear, the guys headed back to our house up the road.
The girls are staying in a dorm on the CRIOBE campus while the guys are all sharing a dorm style house up the street on the campus of an Agricultural school. A few of us hung out on the porch and met some of the locals. I don't speak french, so anything beyond introductions was virtually impossible. I met a man named Ari who looked like a student at the school. Him and his friends were playing soccer in front of our house. I talked to a man and his son because I saw his son skateboarding. I skated with the little boy for a few minutes, his father spoke some english and asked me about school and what I was studying here on Moorea.
A short while later we headed back to the base for dinner. The lizard group headed out into the dark to search for geckos and skinks to catch for their projects, and the fish groups met back in the library to polish up our research ideas. We're still not 100% sure on our project, but I'm excited to see what we end up studying. Today was just a start to our adventure here, and I'm looking forward to our trip to see the rays tomorrow!
- Ryan Miles

Sand, Shopping, and Story Telling Pineapple Beach Owners

Though few left, today was another wonderful and beautiful day on Moorea. The morning kicked off with a hearty breakfast of eggs, bread, ham, and off-brand cereal. With delicious food in our stomachs, we were ready to start the day. The whole class hopped in the Mercedez van (I didn't know they made vans) and rental car to go on a drive around the entire island for pictures and to go on a short hike to see the Afareaitu waterfall. On our way to the waterfall, we saw parts of the island that we had not seen yet. It was all beautiful. Almost to the hiking spot, we made an unexpected stop at a statue of a tribal-esque man kneeling. Of course, we needed to get pictures in front of him. A nice man offered to take a picture of the whole class, and it turn out that he was the owner of some nice beach front huts called Pineapple Beach right next to the statue. It also turned out that the statue was of him when he was eighteen (he must've shrunk with age because that was a big statue). Pineapple Beach was amazing. He told us tales of the Tahitian god of creation and gave us a little history about the beach. His stories were very interesting. He has owned the beach for around twenty years and he showed us views from a spot on the beach he found left us speechless at how nice it was.

After the short stop, we arrived at our hiking destination and began the hike. The hike was shorter than the previous hike, but still just as beautiful. It took around fifteen minutes to arrive at the waterfall. The waterfall went up very high and the view was great. Everyone pulled out their cameras and enjoyed the sights. The water below the falls caught the eye of some of the students. It was full of life and some students tried to photograph the eels, while others just went in for a cold dip.

After the hike, everyone got back in the cars to continue the island tour. Our next stop was a Tahitian supermarket called Champion. We all went in and browsed around for a short while. People bought everything from tropical juice to pizza bagel bites. With some much needed snacks after the hike, we left the supermarket and continued the island tour. Our final stop was an amazing lookout called Temae beach. We all got our cameras out and took in this amazing spectacle. It was clear blue water with a white sand beach and on-water hotel huts. It was an amazing view.

As soon as we got back, we had a delicious lunch and the groups continued to work towards finishing the projects. The UV group continued to run protien assays and test the absorbance of the dissected fish eyes to test for UV pressense. All the dissections were completed and the parts separated for comtinued processing. The pair bond observations group finished the data collection part of the experiment and began to write the first draft of the final paper. The lizard group finished their data collections as well and are working on their research paper.

With time winding down on beautiful and amazing Moorea, we are all savourng our last few days and working very hard to make our projects come out great!

-David Paternite

Welcome to Paradise!

After several weeks of hard class work and many hours spent flying, we have officially landed in Tahiti! We were greeted by three men playing ukeleles and a woman passing out flowers for our hair. After flying from Cleveland to LA then on to Tahiti, and after making it through security and claiming our backage, we were officially welcome to Tahiti when we were each given flower lei's. After catching a ferry over to Moorea a little time to relax before it was time for lunch and we were off on our first adventure! We drove to Belvedere, a gorgeous outlook over the entire island, and then hiked around the mountain sightseeing and taking pictures. However, a hike was just not enough for our first afternoon abroad, so we decided to go snorkeling! After snorkeling we went back to the base, ate dinner and went on a night hike. Our main goal of the night hike was to see what species of geckos were out and about. We also ended up finding three giant centipedes, a humongous spider and a four foot long eel! It was a great first day and we cannot wait to see what the rest of the trip has to offer (after a good nights sleep that is :))! -Lexi Milan

Welcome to the Tahiti blog for 2011! Right now students are hard at work refining their research proposals. Our goal is to plan, as much as possible, how to address a specific research problem while we are there. In the past, some students have published their work in peer-reviewed journals (that is our goal-but it doesn't always happen). This stage involves digging into the literature and thinking hard about experimental design, contingency plans, etc. On Saturday we get on a plane in Cleveland, and we land in Tahiti on Sunday. We will try to have an update Sunday night. Thanks for reading our blog-pass it along.

Dr. Richard Londraville

Dr. Peter Niewiarowski