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Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database

Central repository for biodiversity related research and monitoring data from the Dutch Caribbean

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  • Antillean Fish Guide
    This booklet is meant as a guide to identify the fishes and turtles of the reefs of the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St....
  • Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao
    A site and field guide. Birds of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao is the essential guide for anyone traveling to those islands. It showcases the more than...
  • Habitat utilization and migration in juvenile sea turtles.
    Sea turtles are basically creatures that spend their entire lives in marine or estuarine habitats.Their only remaining reptilian ties to terrestrial...
  • Saba Bank Research 2011-2016
    This book will let you dive into the underwater worl of the Saba Bank and gives you an introduction to its amazing biodiversity. At the same time you...
  • The Marine Algal Vegetation of St. Martin, St. Eustatius and Saba
    Although algology deals with a large group of plants, widespread and of great morphological diversity, the history of this branch of botany is fairly...
  • What works in conservation (2015)
    This book has been created to help you make decisions about practical conservation management by providing an assessment, from the available...
  • Dust on Bonaire
    Student Report Introduction  The main goal of this research report is to shed light on the problems surrounding dust on Bonaire, and to give...
  • Natural Catastrophes in the Flamingo Colony of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
     In the past 25 years the Red Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber)  of Bonaire, estimated by ROOTH (1965) to comprise a population of at least 5,...
  • Monitoring Statia’s marine ecosystems
    CNSI continues to monitor the vulnerable ecosystems of St. Eustatius coordinated by Data Monitoring Officer (DMO) Kimani Kitson-Walters. Coral reef...
  • Physis VIII - Journal of marine research
    As part of CIEE's Bonaire semester programs, each student conducts an independent research project on a topic of their choice.  The projects...
  • A management plan for Spaans Lagoen Aruba
    This management plan is one of the outputs of a two-day participative management planning exercise led by Dr. Lawrence Jones-Walters of Wageningen...
  • Evolutionary ecology of sea turtles
    Summary PHD Thesis The genetic diversity and structure of natural populations is  the product of past and  present  ecological  and  evolutionary ...
  • Support to improve and harmonize the scientific approaches required to inform sustainable management of queen conch (Strombus gigas) by CARIFORUM States
    This report describes the activities and outputs of the project to improve and harmonize scientific approaches required for the sustainable...
  • Cay Bay Post-Restoration Assessment
    The Cay Bay restoration site is located within the Seaside Nature Park (thus it has been referred to as “Seaside Nature Park” in previous reports ...
  • Impacts of sunscreens on coral reefs
    Sunscreens contain organic (chemical) and/or inorganic (mineral) UV filters that absorb, reflect or scatter UV light. They also contain inactive...
  • Enterococci, a bacterial fecal indicator, and its correlation with coral disease abundance in Bonaire
    Coral reef environments are diverse and productive ecosystems that supply a variety of benefits to marine species and humans alike. Unfortunately,...
  • Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean - Curaçao
    Curaçao’s five IBAs—the island’s international priority sites for bird conservation—cover 16,280 ha (including marine areas) and c.24% of the land...
  • Physical and spatial differences between the three color morphologies of the Atlantic trumpetfish, Aulostomus maculates
    Mimetism allows organisms to blend into the environment and avoid detection by both predators and prey. The Atlantic trumpetfish, Aulostomus...
  • Brood location preference and paternal care behavior by sergeant majors (Abudefduf saxatilis)
    Sergeant majors (Abudefduf saxatilis) engage in male-dominated reproduction: males establish territories, females are courted, mate with the male and...
  • Striated or Green Herons in the South Caribbean Islands?
    Abstract: Of 123 adult and semi-adult Little Herons Butorides striatus examined from the South Caribbean Islands of Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire,...
  • Natuur als speelbal van culturele verschillen. Diversiteit in het sociaal-natuurlijk landschap van Bonaire
  • Nest site selection of sergeant majors (Abudefduf saxatilis): artificial vs. natural reef structures
    Nesting animals select sites for reproduction based on adaptive behaviors that have evolved to improve reproductive success and the survival rates of...
  • Frequencies of coral disease in areas suspected of sewage-contaminated groundwater outflow in Bonaire N.A.
    Anthropogenically induced stressors are degrading coral reefs globally. Nutrients and bacteria present in wastewater increase the frequency and...
  • The Biology and Distribution of Iguana delicatissima on St. Eustatius
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is native to the Lesser Antilles, a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The species is in...
  • Competition for space in benthic environments: the allelopathic and overgrowth responses of native sponges and a non-native ascidian on a coral reef in Bonaire, NA
    This study explores the competitive and allelopathic interactions of native sponges and the non-native ascidian, Trididemnum solidum, in the space-...
  • Juvenile French Angelfish Exhibit Cleaning Activity in Bonaire
    Juvenile french angelfish, Pomacanthus paru, are known to be cleaner fish. Cleaning is an interesting mutualistic behavior between 2 individuals...
  • Investigations of an unidentified benthic cyanobacterial species on Bonaire, N.A.
    An unidentified benthic cyanobacterial species has been documented growing on the reef system of Bonaire, N.A. Despite their role as nitrogen fixers...
  • Structure and substratum preference of a schooling fish: observing the habitat use and nutrient input of smallmouth grunts (Haemulon chrysargyreum) in Bonaire
    Various marine organisms are known to consciously select specific types of habitat that provide maximum shelter from potential predators. Reef fish...
  • Research and Monitoring Report 2013 - Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire
    We observed green turtles and hawksbills along the west coast of Bonaire, around Klein  Bonaire, and adjacent to Lac during snorkel surveys. Green...
  • Stony corals of St. Eustatius
    Previous surveys of the coral fauna of St. Eustatius were usually of short duration and part of a larger research that included all of the windward...
  • Impacts of cleaner shrimp, Ancylomenes pedersoni, density at cleaning stations on cleaner and client behavior
    Mutualisms and symbiotic relationships are common in the marine environment. Relationships between cleaner species, their hosts, and their client...
  • Goat Excluder Project in the Quill National Park Year 2
    The presence of feral goats (Capra hircus) can have detrimental effects to island ecosystems where native plants have evolved in the absence of these...
  • Coralita, we're gonna beat ya! The social and ecological contexts of invasive plant management in the Caribbean
    Power point Recommendations Coralita management on Statia Reforestation efforts and Coralita management can reinforce one another, and we should...
  • Physis IX - Journal of marine science
    As part of CIEE's Bonaire semester programs, each student conducts an independent research project on a topic of their choice.  The projects...
  • Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) to Improve the Accuracy and Efficiency of Managing the Invasive Pacific Red Lionfish in the Caribbean
    Abstract The Pacific Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) was introduced to the Atlantic Ocean in the 1980’s. Since their introduction the lionfish have...
  • The Value of the LVV Site on Bonaire for Birds
    Advice on the importance of this area for birds on Bonaire Bonaire is blessed with splendid nature, both above and below water. Due to their special...
  • An identification of the trematode parasite Scaphanocephalus expansus in Bonaire.
    An identi cation of the trematode parasite Scaphanocephalus expansus in Bonaire.   Presented at a Public Lecture at CIEE Bonaire on August 9, 2017. 
  • Bonaire national marine park management plan 2006
    The Bonaire National Marine Park was first established in 1979. It surrounds the island of Bonaire and includes the satellite island and the waters...
  • Initial Inventory of 3D Cadastre Use Cases in the Caribbean
    As argued in many earlier FIG publications, the potential benefits of 3D Cadastre are huge. This is especially true in the Caribbean setting with...
  • Coral Reef Resilience Assessment of the Bonaire National Marine Park, Netherlands Antilles
    Although Bonaire’s coral reefs remain among the healthiest and most resilient in the Caribbean, this IUCN report based on the IUCN Resilience...
  • Iguana delicatissima. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T10800A122936983
    Taxon Name: Iguana delicatissima Laurenti, 1768 Common Name(s): • English: Lesser Antillean Iguana, West Indian Iguana • French: Iguane des Petites...
  • First indication of the abundance and distribution of protected seagrass associated species in the introduced Halophila stipulacea meadows on Sint Eustatius
    Student Report The present study investigated the abundance and distribution of protected seagrass associated species within the introduced Halophila...
  • Tsunami hazard assessment on Bonaire based on sedimentary traces of prehistoric high-energy waves
    The Caribbean region is highly vulnerable to coastal hazards since a relatively high percentage of the population lives right at the coast. Tourism...
  • Effects of shore proximity and depth on the distribution of fish larvae in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    A vast majority of marine fish species, both reef and pelagic, are bipartite, meaning that they have a pelagic larval stage distinctly separate from...
  • Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean - Aruba
    Aruba’s four IBAs cover just 610 ha, but between them they support over 30,000 seabirds and a number of other significant bird populations. Tierra...
  • Reef fish assemblage and invertebrate cover in relationship to the degree of artificial reef isolation
    Reef fishes and invertebrates are quickly losing their habitats due to widespread coral degradation. Artificial reefs are entering the spotlight as...
  • The effects of Stegastes planifrons gardening on the prevalence of yellow band disease in the Montastrea annularis species complex
    Yellow band disease (YBD) is a bacterial infection affecting corals of the Montastrea annularis species complex. Recent mortality rates of M....
  • Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) as a potential bioindicator species of sedimentation stress in coral reef environments of Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    The effect of land-based pollution on Bonaire’s coral reef ecosystem has not been well-quantified. Observations of the coral reefs of Bonaire show a...
  • Using prey fish species as bioindicators of anthropogenic stress and predictors of predator density and diversity on coral reefs in Bonaire, N.A.
    Bioindicator species have been used to determine changes in water quality and the effect of pollution at sites of environmental concern. Increasingly...
  • Benthic Habitat Mapping in the coastal waters of Saba Dutch Caribbean
    In this research benthic habitats of the Saba Marine Park were mapped. There were several reasons for an updated benthic habitat map: (1) to compare...
  • Are different feeding strategies utilized by the bar jack (Caranx ruber) related to foraging success in coral reef habitats?
    Foraging success is affected by choice of feeding association, color phase, and habitat type. Bar jacks (Caranx ruber) exhibit a number of feeding...
  • Small-scale variation in coral reef quality on the leeward side of Bonaire
    In the last three decades, Caribbean coral cover values have been declining from 50% to 10% cover Caribbean wide. Several studies have researched...
  • Size Distribution of Spirobranchus gianteus in Bonaire: Is There a Benefit of Recruitment to Live Coral?
    Spirobranchus giganteus is a tube-dwelling polychaete more commonly known as the Christmas tree worm. S. giganteus larvae are planktonic, which is...
  • Algal cover and the effects of various nutrient levels on Bonaire's coral reefs
    A reoccurring problem facing a majority of the coral reefs in the Caribbean for the past few decades has been the fear of a changing community...
  • Bonaire National Marine Park Hurricane Matthew – Reef Damage Assessment
    On the evening of the 29th September 2016 Hurricane Matthew passed north of Bonaire by approximately 240km, with maximum sustained wind speeds over...
  • Does an increasing gradient in population create a bottom-up effect on the intertidal community in Kralendijk, Bonaire?
    In the microbial loop, heterotrophic bacteria utilize dissolved organic matter (DOM) as an energy source. DOM becomes remineralized into inorganic...
  • Nutrient Enrichment and Eutrophication on Fringing Coral Reefs of Bonaire and Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, 2006-2008
    Land-based nutrient pollution is a major stressor on coral reef communities around the Caribbean region and globally. To assess the status of...
  • Molluscs of St. Eustatius
    Molluscs are one of the largest phyla in the animal kingdom. They make up a large part of marine faunas worldwide (Appeltans et al. 2012), and have a...
  • Does nutrient pollution affect the prevalence of dark spots disease in corals on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean?
    Environmental changes and deterioration have increased coral disease outbreaks, creating a Caribbean hot spot of high disease prevalence and...
  • Disease Surveys in Curacao - 2005
    In 2004, as part of a GEF funded project entitled “Coral Reef Targeted Research and Capacity Building” (CRTR), to assess the current status and...
  • Papers Ecology Conference on Flamingos, Oil Pollution and Reefs, Bonaire, 1975
    Contents Introduction - by the Editors. Address - by M. A. POURIER, Minister of Economic Development. Address- by Mr. A. R. W. SINT JAGO, Lieutenant...
  • Physis XVII - Journal of marine science
    As part of CIEE's Bonaire semester programs, each student conducts an independent research project on a topic of their choice.  The projects...
  • Comparison of growth of the reef fish species Haemulon flavolineatum (French grunt) between seagrass beds, mangroves and the coral reef, as a test for the nursery hypothesis
    Juvenile French grunts (Haemulon flavolineatum) were caught, measured in length and weight and introduced in cages for 6 to 8 weeks to grow in their...
  • The population dynamics of the Caribbean flamingo on Bonaire
    Since 2018, increasing number of dead juvenile flamingos were found on Bonaire. This study aims to determine what reproduction rate is required to...
  • Expedition Discovers Marine Treasures
    An underwater mountain that forms the world's third-largest atoll has some of the richest diversity of marine life ever found in the Caribbean,...
  • Mapping Benthic Habitats for Representation in Marine Protected Areas
    Virtually all marine conservation planning and management models in place or proposed have in common the need for improved scientific rigour in...
  • Reforestation Project Final Report
    Bonaire has never recovered from the historic felling of its trees. The strong influence of feral goats prevents rejuvenation in those parts where a...
  • Staat van instandhouding van de natuur van Caribisch Nederland
    Sinds de staatkundige herstructurering van het Koninkrijk in 2010, maken de Caribische eilanden van Bonaire, Saba en St. Eustatius als speciale...
  • Cruise Report Windward Caribbean Nov 6-16, 2016
    The Waitt Institute and Dr. Stuart Sandin’s laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography collaborated to organize an expedition to conduct a...
  • Distribution, substrate preference and possible host benefits of the tropical polychaete Spirobranchus giganteus on a reef in Bonaire
    The Christmas Tree worm, Spirobranchus giganteus, is a sessile polychaete found on coral reefs worldwide. Its larvae display photopositive behavior...
  • Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean - St. Maarten
    St Maarten’s IBAs—the country’s international site priorities for bird conservation—cover 815 ha (including marine areas), and about c.36% of the...
  • Vibrio communities associated with the azooxanthellate coral Tubastraea coccinea as compared to zooxanthellate shallow sea corals
    A coral is made up of key associations between endosymbiotic zooxanthellae, protists, bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi. These microbe-coral...
  • Effects of differences in hole size of artificial reef units on coral reef fish abundance and species richness
    The biodiversity of coral reefs will decline as the global degradation of reefs continues, pushing the science of restoration techniques such as the...
  • A comparison of cleaning stations operated by the cleaner shrimp Periclemenes pedersoni on host anemones Condylactis gigantea and Bartholomea annulata
    Cleaner shrimp are commonly found throughout Caribbean coral reefs and can effectively reduce parasite loads on reef fish resulting in increased...
  • Fishermen’s by-catch: Effect on fish feeding behaviors in shallow sand flats of Bonaire, N.A.
    Worldwide, fisheries produce ~27 million tons of by-catch yr -1 . By-catch is defined as unwanted fish that are accidentally caught, or discarded...
  • How do the distribution and abundance of columnar cacti relate to microsite types and goat grazing pressure?
    Exotic herbivores are able to disrupt entire ecosystems by competing with native species and feeding on native species. Especially, on islands...
  • The salinas of Bonaire: how does bird activity impact epi- and infaunal communities?
    Predators can play an important role in shaping prey community structure and function through direct and indirect top-down effects. Bird predators in...
  • Survey of Reef Fish Communities of the Fringing reefs of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    The coral reefs of Bonaire have been reported to be one of the most pristine reefs, with the reefs on the leeward coast of Bonaire regarded as one of...
  • The effects of storm damage on reef rugosity and coral species composition in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles.
    Located below the hurricane belt in the Netherlands Antilles, the island of Bonaire is rarely affected by major storms and high-wave action. In a...
  • NIOZ-Saba Bank/Saba Cruise report: Net coral community calcification and hydrodynamics (Saba Bank/Saba)
    Cruise Background Many islands in the Caribbean sea are fringed by coral reefs and/or coral veneers, which produce CaCO3 for their skeletons. Not...
  • The distribution of black band disease on Bonaire corals in relation to environmental factors
    In the 1970s, black band disease (BBD) emerged as a mass coral killer and caught the attention of scientists. Although BBD has been studied for more...
  • Breeding success of Red-billed tropic birds at pilot hill, St.Eustatius - a follow up study (2013-2014)
    Assessment of the breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) at the Pilot Hill site on St. Eustatius, particularly in relation...
  • The Yellow-Shouldered Amazon - Perspectives
    There are 330 parrot species worldwide, of which a third is threatened with extinction. The Yellow-shouldered Amazon (Amazona Barbadensis) is a...
  • Inorganic nutrients, photosynthetic pigments, and zooplankton species richness and species diversity in the surrounding waters of urban Kralendijk, Bonaire
    Excess nutrients as a result of agricultural, urban, and industrial runoff are major causes to increases in plankton. Coral reefs are nutrient poor...
  • Bioaccumulation of run-off pollutants: An evaluation of marine sponges as bioindicators
    Runoff and sewage discharge present serious consequences if left unchecked in coral reef ecosystems. Eutrophication and the introduction of harmful...
  • A self-financing marine park: the Saba case
    Short case study prepared for the CANARI Workshop on Revenue Generation for Protected Areas, Saba, Netherlands Antilles, June 5-9, 1995. The Saba...
  • New Plan for Creating Sustainable Fisheries in the Caribbean Netherlands
    A 2019 policy brief was just released outlining the requirements for sustainably managing fisheries within the Caribbean Netherlands. Using five...
  • Research and Monitoring of Bonaire's Sea Turtles: 2017 Technical Report
    Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) has been protecting sea turtles on Bonaire since 1991, so this year represents the 26th Anniversary of our...
  • Physis XXI - Journal of marine science
    As part of CIEE's Bonaire semester programs, each student conducts an independent research project on a topic of their choice.  The projects...
  • Mosquitoes in Belnem on the island of Bonaire: Sources and management implications
    Student Report  The people of Bonaire are affected by diseases that are transferred by mosquitoes. The problems are related to specifically the Aedes...
  • Determining the health status of coral reefs: a case-study of the Saba Bank in the Dutch Caribbean
    Student Report  Coral reefs are impacted by temperature rise, ocean acidification and various local anthropogenic stressors, causing global...
  • Application Form for Site of Importance for Bat Conservation (SICOM)
    The Island of Bonaire possess a system of more than 150 natural caves, but only five of them are known to be used as diurnal and maternity roosts by...
  • Impact of Increased Nutrient Input on Coral Reefs on Bonaire and Curacao
    Coral reefs are one of the most sensitive ecosystems and are under enormous human pressure. Since a relative short period of time the impact of...
  • Application Form for Site of Importance for Bat Conservation (SICOM)
    The Island of Bonaire possess a system of more than 150 natural caves, but only five of them are known to be used as diurnal and maternity roosts by...
  • Mogelijke beheersvormen voor particuliere natuurgebieden en conserveringsgebieden op de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba
    Deze studie werd gedaan in opdracht van Wereld Natuur Fonds Nederland door EcoVision N.V. Curaçao. Juni 1999. Het doel van de studie is in de eerste...
  • A comparison between two methods for surveying reef fish in St. Eustatius
    Student Thesis Coral reef ecosystems are considered the most productive and diverse of all marine systems. However, these are being dramatically...
  • Hydrological Research Bonaire
    Fresh water on the semi-arid Caribbean island of Bonaire is scarce as groundwater is generally brackish (electrical conductivity 2,000 to 4,000 μS/cm...
  • Causative agent for dark spots in ocean surgeonfish (Acanthurus tractus)
    Coral reef ecosystems provide a number of important ecological services, such as nurseries and protection from storms. This makes their health of...
  • Bonaire National Marine Park—Algal Survey and Inventory
    The Littler’s team [including Barrett Brooks, Don Hurlbert, Barbara Watanabe and Larry Gorenflo (Conservation International)] traveled to the island...
  • Status of reef health at Yellow Sub study site on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean: progression of a coral - algal phase shift
    Coral reefs around the globe are subject to environmental and anthropogenic stressors that are causing habitat degradation and a decline in reef...
  • Response of three predatory reef fish species to fishing protection in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Fish protected areas are increasingly utilized as a means of bolstering existing fish stocks while laying the foundation for healthy future...
  • Breeding Success of Red-billed Tropicbirds at Pilot Hill, St. Eustatius – Year 3 (2014-2015)
    We assessed the breeding success of red-billed tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) at Pilot Hill on St. Eustatius, particularly in relation to predation...
  • A comparative study of the feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans) in the Caribbean
    Invasive species are often a detriment to the environment due to the lack of parasites, disease and natural predators in the invaded environment,...
  • Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP): a Smithsonian-substation Curacao collaboration
    Scientists have studied shallow Caribbean reefs for more than a century. In contrast tropical mesophotic and deep reefs, which are below the depths...
  • Habitat use, nocturnal behavior, and differences between phases of five common parrotfish species in Bonaire, N.A.
    Parrotfish are a common and important component of the fringing reefs ecosystem surrounding Bonaire, N.A. In the reef environment, large herbivores...
  • Gross anatomical findings from the fall 2008 Bonaire moray eel mortalities
    Unexplained moray eel mortalities have been occurring in Bonaire since July 2008. The number of mortalities increased over time, peaking in October...
  • Diurnal Variation of Cleaning Intensity in Bonaire, N.A
    Cleaner species are believed to help maintain the health of client species by cleansing them of parasites, dead or infected tissue and debris which...
  • Wave exposure as a driver of dissimilarities in submerged macrophyte community structure of Saint Martins' tropical seagrass meadows- successional stages and future drama?
    Seagrass meadows provide a spectrum of anthropogenically important ecological functions. However, these ecosystems are globally declining under human...
  • Diadema antillarium populations in Bonaire: is there evidence of over- or under population?
    The sea urchin Diadema antillarum is an important herbivore in coral reef ecosystems of the Caribbean. The Caribbean is still recovering from a 1983...
  • Fluorescent patterns, size, and abundance of the bearded fireworm Hermodice carunculata in the intertidal zone on Bonaire
    Hermodice carunculata, commonly known as the Bearded Fireworm, is a corallivorous Polychaete found throughout the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean...
  • Runoff and erosion on the Cultuurvlakte of St. Eustatius
    Msc. Thesis Erosion can cause large problems for ecosystems on and around tropical islands. On site, erosion leads to a decrease of available...
  • Cascading effects of nutrients on macroalgae and herbivorous fish on coral reefs in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    The island of Bonaire has significant contamination from anthropogenic sources such as sewage and landfills, which can cause excess nutrients in...
  • Goat keeping, useful management practices for smallholders
    Goats are important in many regions because they provide people with valuable food and or income. They supply animal protein in the form of milk and...
  • Application Form for Area of Importance for Bat Conservation (AICOM) Washington - Slagbaai
    The Island of Bonaire has a system of natural caves that probably exceeds 150 in number. Those caves house at least five species of bats:...
  • Socioeconomic monitoring guidelines for coastal managers in the Caribbean SOCMON Caribbean
    SocMon Caribbean and its companion, the GCRMN Socioeconomic Manual for Coral Reef Management (GCRMN Manual), developed from a need for a greater...
  • Changing benthic communities on Saba Bank Is Saba Bank becoming a ‘Sponge reef’?
    Abstract - Due to multiple stressors, many coral reefs are degrading. Shifts from a coral dominated system to an alternate phase are observed. For...
  • Natuurbeleidsplan Bonaire 1999 -2004
    Bonaire staat internationaal bekend om de schitterende natuur. Het Bonaire Marine Park en het Washington-Slagbaai Park worden hoog gewaardeerd door...
  • Tubastraea coccinea: Distribution and substratum preference of an exotic coral in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    The study of introduced species has gained popularity in recent years. A species introduced to a new area can have negative effects on the native...
  • Cleaner-client interactions and depth distributions among three cleaner species: Bodianus rufus, Elacatinus evelynae, and Anclyomenes pedersoni
    Cleaning is a symbiotic behavior that has been observed in many animals, including both terrestrial and marine species. Cleaner species and their...
  • Physis XI - Journal of marine science
    As part of CIEE's Bonaire semester programs, each student conducts an independent research project on a topic of their choice.  The projects...
  • The Quill/Boven National Park and Miriam Schmidt Botanical Garden Management Plan 2009
    This document will clearly define the V ision, Mission and Goals of The Quill/Boven National Park and Botanical Garden, and s tate the management s...
  • Sponge abundance and the prevalence of disease on scleractinian coral in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Sponges are important to reef health, fulfilling a number of structural and functional roles. Despite the wide range of functions they provide,...
  • The sensitivity of the invasive lionfish, Pterois volitans, to parasitism in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Invasive species have a history of damaging their invaded ecosystems and in the case of the Pterois volitans invasion to the waters of many Caribbean...
  • The impacts of sea-level rise on the index nesting beach on Klein Bonaire for three species of sea turtle
    Abstract: Globally, all extant sea turtles species are endangered due to centuries of uncontrolled exploitation, furthermore they face future threats...
  • How does water quality correlate with coral disease, bleaching, and macroalgal growth on coastal reefs? A comparative study of various anthropogenic threats on Bonaire, N.A.
    Coral reefs worldwide are currently jeopardized by anthropogenic factors such as land-based pollution, coastal development, and sediment erosion. In...
  • Is larval fish diversity connected to ecosystem level diversity? A case study in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    Greater ecosystem diversity generally results in greater fish diversity. It follows that areas of greater ecosystem diversity would also exhibit...
  • Color matching during shadow stalking by the West Atlantic Trumpetfish, Aulostomus maculatus
    This study examines the importance of color in camouflage of the West Atlantic Trumpetfish, Aulostomus maculatus during shadow stalking behavior....
  • Cruise report RV Pelagia 64PE414 Saba Bank
    This research expedition is part of the project “Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems”, funded within NWO’s Caribbean Research Program. This project...
  • Assessment of opportunities for sustainable agriculture and fisheries on St. Eustatius
    Overall conclusions Agriculture and fisheries are small sectors on St Eustatius. Nonetheless they represent important economic activities for the...
  • Infection frequency and species identification of the black spot causing parasite found commonly on ocean surgeonfish (Acanthurus tractus) in Bonaire
    Diseases, pathogens, and parasites in marine ecosystems are difficult to research and understand. Tracking the health of ecosystems, such as tropical...
  • Assessment of the Breeding Success of Red-billed Tropicbirds on St. Eustatius
    We assessed the breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus on St. Eustatius, particularly in relation to predation at the nest. We...
  • The lionfish culling program in Sint Eustatius island, dutch caribbean
    Msc. thesis Research questions: →  Does the culling program significantly reduce the lionfish population in St Eustatius? The aims of this question...
  • Cultural perceptions of environmental degradation, management, and accountability in conservation in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Conservation is predicated on local support, and if scientists and resource managers wish to develop effective programs the cultural values and...
  • Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean - St. Eustatius
    Statia’s two IBAs—the island’s international priority sites for bird conservation—cover 41% of the island’s land area. Both IBAs are formally...
  • From Whaling to Tagging: The Evolution of North Atlantic Humpback Whale Research in the West Indies
    North Atlantic humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, migrate from summer feeding grounds across the temperate and high latitudes to breeding...
  • The narratives behind heritage trails
    The main objective of this research is to explore the issues and politics associated with formal designing of landscape narratives on Statia. To...
  • Occurrence of deep water Cyanobacterial Mats surrounding Bonaire
    Student Report  The abundance of CyanoBacterial Mats (CBMs) at a depth of 50-90m was mapped along the west coast of Bonaire. Simultaneously local...
  • Sargassum Management Brief
    Executive Summary “In 2011, the shores of several Caribbean islands and West African countries were inundated by unprecedented quantities of pelagic...
  • Sustainable diving tourism on the Golden Rock - Assessment of the ecological and social carrying capacity of reefs of Sint Eustatius and the potential for artificial reefs
    Tropical regions and developing states depend largely on their “blue nature” and related tourism for their potential and economic well-being. Even so...
  • Fokprogramma voor geiten op Bonaire
    Power Point Breeding program for goats on Bonaire
  • Position Statement of the IUCN SSC Iguana Specialist Group on Non-Native Invasive Iguanas
    The purpose of this Position Statement is to highlight the pest status that non-native iguanas can attain when introduced to tropical and sub-...
  • Restoring the dry ecosystem of Bonaire
    The dry forest ecosystem of Bonaire has been decimated over the last 500 years by human intervention. Uncontrolled deforestation by early European...
  • Summary of Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas) research undertaken in Anguilla and the implications for current management practices
    Prior to 2014 little research had been conducted on the Anguilla conch fishery aside from indirect data collected by the Department of Fisheries and...
  • Determining the health status of coral reefs: a case-study of the Saba Bank in the Dutch Caribbean
    Student Report  Abstract  Coral reefs are impacted by temperature rise, ocean acidification and various local anthropogenic stressors, causing global...
  • Saba and St. Eustatius (Statia)
    Saba and St. Eustatius/Sint Eustatius (Statia) represent geologically young (less than a million years) Pleistocene island arc volcanoes that rise at...
  • Coral Bleaching in the Bonaire National Marine Park 2016-2020
    Abstract Mass coral bleaching is becoming more frequent and widespread and poses a major threat to coral reefs worldwide. Mass coral bleaching is a...
  • Year 1 Results of Seabird Breeding Atlas of the Lesser Antilles
    Environmental Protection In the Caribbean (EPIC) carried out breeding seabird research in the Lesser Antilles between February and June 2009, to...
  • Landsbesluit: Nieuwe aanwijzing domeingronden als natuurreservaat
    In overweging genomen hebbende: Dat het wenselijk is een aantal domeingronden aan te wijzen als natuurreservaat in de zin van artikel 10 van de...
  • The Construction and Deployment of Deep Water Fish Aggregating Devices in the Island of Curacao
    Abstract Three deepwater fish aggregating devices (FADs) were built, two of which have been deployed along the South coast of Curacao. the objective...
  • Large scale, medium scale, and small scale patterns of benthic cyanobacteria & the possibility of groundwater association on a coral reef
    Cyanobacteria presence in the marine ecosystem is biologically significant due to its versatile nature. This phylum is responsible for destructive...
  • Examining the effect of different grazers on algal biomass
    Herbivory drives ecosystem dynamics in both terrestrial and marine habitats, controlling type and biomass of vegetation. In tropical coral reefs,...
  • Physis VI - Journal of marine science
    As part of CIEE's Bonaire semester programs, each student conducts an independent research project on a topic of their choice.  The projects...
  • Assessing the correlation between coral disease prevalence and fish species richness from 2007-2011 in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Coral reefs have existed for thousands of years and are currently subjected to many threats. Coral disease is of particular concern because of its...
  • Are damselfish detrimental to Bonaire’s coral reefs?
    Damselfish are small herbivores that cultivate algal gardens on coral heads throughout Caribbean reefs. These gardens are used to grow specific types...
  • The analysis of ecological networks: habitat connectivity and population viability on St.Eustatius
    This student thesis research is in support of a Tourism Master Plan for Sint Eustatius; this plan is focused on the development of sustainable...
  • A comparative study of benthic and coral reef fish communities on artificial versus natural reefs of Bonaire, N.A.
    Caribbean coral reef ecosystems are threatened by anthropogenic impacts such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction. In an effort to...
  • Is #2 the number one problem in Bonaire? An examination of fecal contamination and sedimentation from runoff
    In this study I assessed the extent of sedimentation and contamination by human enteric bacteria Enterococci on the reefs of Bonaire, Netherlands...
  • Coastal region and small island papers 3: Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    In comparison to other CARICOMP sites, the tiny island of Saba, in the Windward Islands arc of the Lesser Antilles, can be described as atypical in...
  • The relationship between fish diversity and live coral cover and changes in fish diversity over time in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles has one of the healthiest coral reef systems in terms of fish species richness and live coral cover in the Caribbean....
  • Final report St.Eustatius 2016 Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
    The goal of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), an operational network of ICRI, the International Coral Reef Initiative, is to improve...
  • Effects of sediment grain size on abundance of marine nematodes in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Free-living marine nematodes are a functionally and morphologically diverse group of animals. They have important ecological functions, many of which...
  • An analysis of abundance, ecology and life history of the lettuce sea slug Elysia crispata on the island of Bonaire
    With the exception of Elysia crispata, shell-less Sacoglossa species (Order: Mollusca), have been widely studied. Within the Caribbean, these small...
  • Research and Monitoring of Bonaire ’s Sea Turtles: 2014 Technical Report
    Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) was initiated in the early 1990s to protect the island’s marine turtle populations. Our current research and...
  • Quantitative tracking of the cellular and skeletal respose of the Caribbean coral orbicella annularis to gradients i marine sewage pollution
    Msc. Thesis Abstract Orbicella annularis is an abundant framework-building Scleractinian coral that serves as an ecological cornerstone throughout...
  • Factors affecting the distribution and abundance of Tripneustes ventricosus on Kralendijk’s waterfront
    Coral reefs are being threatened by both anthropogenic and environmental factors. One prominent factor is the loss of herbivores on coral reefs due...
  • Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean - Saba
    The Saba coastline IBA (AN006)—the island’s site priority for bird conservation—has been identified on the basis of nine key bird species (listed in...
  • Fish species community composition of Curacao bays and reef
    Student Report - University Groningen Tropical coastal bays often border coral reefs and host connected ecosystems such as seagrass beds and mangrove...
  • Fokprogramma’s voor geiten op Bonaire
    Power Point Breeding programmes for goats on Bonaire
  • State of Nature in the Dutch Caribbean: Saba and the Saba Bank
    Wageningen Research recently published an alarming report on the state of nature for the three Dutch Caribbean islands (Bonaire, Saba and St....
  • Significance of boulder shape for the transport of boulders by tsunamis
    Physical experiments and numerical models support investigations on the transport of boulders by tsunamis, and based on this, on hydrodynamic...
  • St. Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme - Annual Report 2008
    Abstract: The St Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme was initiated in 2001 due to concerns that the island’s sea turtle populations were...
  • Parrotfish abundance and corallivory at the Yellow Sub dive site in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Parrotfish are some of the most widely recognized reef fish in the world. They occupy almost every tropical reef on the planet, and through their...
  • Physical and behavioral differences between the three color morphologies of Aulostomus maculatus
    Behavioral and physical differences are sometimes the result of a particular color morphology of a species. Aulostomus maculatus, the west Atlantic...
  • Use of trophic structure as an indicator of reef fish assemblages in areas open and closed to fishing
    The change in the mean trophic level of fish assemblages can be used as an indicator of fishing pressure. To gain a more detailed understanding of...
  • Werkbezoek Caribisch Nederland
    Doel en achtergrond werkbezoek Sinds 10 oktober 2010 maken Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba deel uit van Nederland. Rijkswaterstaat heeft wettelijke...
  • The environmental impact of the reverse osmosis desalination plant on the immediately surrounding water and coral reef ecosystem in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    One of the most promising solutions to the growing shortage of potable water is the tapping of the oceans through desalination. Until recently the...
  • Christmas tree worms (Spirobranchus giganteus) and their role as bioindicators of environmental stress on coral reefs of Bonaire, N.A.
    The use of biological entities as indicators of environmental stress can provide links between changes in ecological conditions and ecosystem...
  • Is it possible to predict which areas of Bonaire are more susceptible to coral bleaching?
    Bleaching is caused by the combination of light and temperature stress on corals, and can result in coral mortality. On the island of Bonaire, a...
  • The effect of SCUBA divers on the reproductive behavior of Halichoeres bivittatus in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    The purpose of this study is to determine if divers are affecting the reproductive behavior of Halichoeres bivittatus, commonly known as slippery...
  • IUCN Guidelines for Reintroductions and Other Conservation Translocations
    Abstract: Conservation translocation is the deliberate movement of organisms from one site for release in  another. It must be intended to yield a...
  • Effects of structural complexity on Sharpnose Pufferfish, Canthigaster rostrata (Tetraodontidae), abundance and size in the shallows of Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    The Sharpnose Pufferfish, Canthigaster rostrata, as well as other species within the Tetraodontidae family are common reef fish found in tropical and...
  • Antibacterial effects of three Caribbean sponges from areas of varying pollution
    Sponges are sessile marine organisms that have developed efficient defense mechanisms against microbial pathogens. These organisms are one of the...
  • St Maarten Marine Park Management Plan 2007
    The St Maarten Marine Park was first established in 1997. It surrounds the Dutch side of St Martin from the average high water mark to a depth of...
  • Distribution and density of Leucaena leucocephala on St. Eustatius
    Student Report   This report was commissioned by St. Eustatius National Parks (STENAPA) in order to investigate the distribution and density of...
  • The effect of predation and competition on the slow population return of Diadema antillarum
    Populations of Diadema antillarum have had low densities ever since its mass mortality event in 1983. A slow population density increase has resulted...
  • 71st annual conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) Book of abstracts
    Abstracts: TOURISM IN THE CARIBBEAN: CHALLENGES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF FISHERIES & CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS (Sponsored by CORALINA & GCFI) Kyne,...
  • RAMSAR soft law is not soft at all
    Netherlands Crown Decision of 11 September 2007 in the case lodged by Competent Authority for the Island of Bonaire on the annulment of two of its...
  • Trends in the Caribbean Netherlands 2017
    How large was the population of Bonaire, Saba, and St Eustatius on 1 January 2017? How did the economy of each island develop in 2015? What were the...
  • Spaans Lagoen Species List
    Species List IMPORTANT NOTICE The species list in this document is not all-inclusive, meaning that not all species which can be found in the "Spaans...
  • Spawning behaviour of the stoplight parrotfish Sparisoma Viride Bonnaterre, on Bonaire and Saba (Netherlands Antilles)
    Student Report- University of Groningen  The reproductive behaviour of the stoplight parrotfish, Sparisoma viride Bonnaterre, was studied on two...
  • Caribbean coastal marine productivity program: 1993-2003.
    The Caribbean Coastal Marine Productivity (CARICOMP) Program is a regional scientific effort to study land-sea interaction processes, to monitor for...
  • Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire: 2016 Technical Report
    Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) has been protecting sea turtles on Bonaire since 1991, so this year represents the 25th Anniversary of our...
  • St. Eustatius joins Yarari Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary
    Excellent news: St. Eustatius has now become part of the “Yarari” Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary. St. Eustatius joined Bonaire and Saba when the...
  • Important Bird Areas of the Caribbean - Bonaire
    Bonaire’s six IBAs—the island’s international site priorities for bird conservation—cover 23,830 ha (including their marine extensions). They embrace...
  • The relationship between algae, depth, and abundance of terminal and initial phase parrotfish (Sparisoma viride and Scarus taeniopterus)
    Coral reefs are undergoing phase shifts becoming dominated by algae rather than live coral. Algae on reefs is greatly impacted by herbivores such as...
  • Archaeological excavations at Schotsenhoek plantation, St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    In May 2012, the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research was contracted to carry out an excavation on the NuStar property locally known as ‘...
  • Diver impact on coral and fish communities: A comparison of sites with varying intensities of diving at Yellow Submarine, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    SCUBA diving on coral reefs is a beneficial economic option for small tropical islands, that can have a lower impact on the environment than...
  • Effects of Nutrient Enrichment and Water Quality on Coral Disease Prevalence in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Trying to understand the extent to which anthropogenic stressors impact coral reefs globally has led to an increase in studies which analyze the...
  • Assessment of local lionfish (Pterois volitans) densities and management efforts in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    The Indo-Pacific lionfish Pterois volitans is an invasive species that was released along the U.S. Atlantic coast and spread to the Caribbean....
  • The lionfish culling program in Sint Eustatius island, dutch caribbean
    Lionfish impacts are highly negative (directly or indirectly) on native populations and the entire Caribbean ecosystem.Since December 2010, when the...
  • Determining how coral reef habitat structure correlates with fish species richness at six dive sites in Bonaire, N.A.
    Biodiversity of coral reef fish species is often related to the structural complexity and diversity of their habitats. This study explores the...
  • Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) Distribution and Feeding Behavior in Relation to Salinity Levels on Bonaire, Netherland Antilles
    Bonaire is home to the largest natural flamingo reserve in the western hemisphere, housing one of the four remaining crucial breeding grounds in the...
  • Reef fish recruitment to coral reef versus mangrove and seagrass habitats in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    Recent studies show that late stage pelagic larval fish are not simply drifting with the currents as formerly believed, but are in some cases strong...
  • Trends in the Caribbean Netherlands
    As of 10 October 2010, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) is responsible for the collection and publication of statistical data on the three islands of the...
  • Interactions among sponges, algae, and coral in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean: an analysis of sponge and algae prevalence in relation to coral abundance and health
    Stressors causing coral reef degradation are making reefs susceptible to domination by other organisms. One documented phase-shift is increased...
  • Sponges (Porifera) of St. Eustatius
    This article was published in the following report: MARINE BIODIVERSITY SURVEY OF ST. EUSTATIUS, DUTCH CARIBBEAN 2015 by Naturalis Biodiversity...
  • Hydrocarbons on coral reefs: An analysis of the presence of anthropogenic PAHs in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Phototoxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been welldocumented as major marine pollutants. While PAHs are known to have negative...
  • Annual Report 2008 Nature Foundation St Maarten
    Throughout 2008 the staff and board of Nature Foundation St. Maarten undertook a range of activities addressing both core management of the Marine...
  • Physis XII - Journal of marine science
    As part of CIEE's Bonaire semester programs, each student conducts an independent research project on a topic of their choice.  The projects...
  • Client choice, competition, and cleaner dependence pressure cleaner fish to cooperate in mutualistic symbiosis
    Mutualistic symbiosis is a finely tuned relationship between two species in which each receives a service that increases its own fitness in exchange...
  • Plants of the Eastern Caribbean - Online Database
    The aim of this website is to serve as an accessible resource for identifying the plants of the archipelago and to provide a forum for sharing...
  • Plants and Lichens of Saba. A Virtual Herbarium of The New York Botanical Garden.
    Saba is a five square mile island with about 1200 permanent inhabitants located off the coast of St. Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles (go to map...
  • Plants and Lichens of St. Eustatius. A Virtual Herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden
    St. Eustatius, also informally known as "Statia" is an 11.8 square mile (30.6 square km) island with about 3,200 permanent inhabitants located off...
  • Biochemical variability in sponges across the Caribbean basin
    Abstract Sponges are a diverse phylum of sessile filter-feeding invertebrates that are abundant on Caribbean reefs and provide essential ecological...
  • An integrated assessment of environmental, economic, social and technological parameters of source separated and conventional sanitation concepts: A contribution to sustainability analysis
    Resource recovery and reuse from domestic wastewater has become an important subject for the current development of sanitation technologies and...
  • Extreme spatial heterogeneity in carbonate accretion potential on a Caribbean fringing reef linked to local human disturbance gradients
    Abstract The capacity of coral reefs to maintain their structurally complex frameworks and to retain the potential for vertical accretion is vitally...
  • Results of an entomological collecting trip to St. Eustatius (Coleoptera)
    In February and March 2020 the second author visited St. Eustatius to collect various insect groups. The beetles collected during this trip were...
  • Impacts of wetland dieback on carbon dynamics: A comparison between intact and degraded mangroves
    Mangroves are effective blue carbon sinks and are the most carbon rich ecosystems on earth. However, their areal extent has declined by over one-...
  • Extreme mitochondrial variation in the Atlantic gall crab Opecarcinus hypostegus (Decapoda: Cryptochiridae) reveals adaptive genetic divergence over Agaricia coral hosts
    The effectiveness of migration in marine species exhibiting a pelagic larval stage is determined by various factors, such as ocean currents, pelagic...
  • Invasive lionfish had no measurable effect on prey fish community structure across the Belizean Barrier Reef
    Invasive lionfish are assumed to significantly affect Caribbean reef fish communities. However, evidence of lionfish effects on native reef fishes is...
  • Large-scale invasion of western Atlantic mesophotic reefs by lionfish potentially undermines culling-based management
    The detrimental effects of invasive lion- fishes (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) on western Atlantic shallow reefs are well documented,...
  • Climate change impact on Balearic shearwater through a trophic cascade
    A recent study showed that a critically endangered migratory predator species, the Balearic shear- water Puffinus mauretanicus, rapidly expanded...
  • Predicting the impact of sea‐level rise on Caribbean Sea turtle nesting habitat
    The projected rise in sea level is likely to increase the vulnerability of coastal zones in the Caribbean, which are already under pressure from a...
  • Sabalpalm (Sabal antillensis) Recovery Over 40 Years: Lessons for Successful Palm Conservation.
    Sabal antillensis is endemic to the Dutch Caribbean islands of Curagao and Bonaire. Both island populations were thoroughly assessed in 1979, and...
  • Geographic Patterns In Pollen Production In The Plant Ring Species Euphorbia tithymaloides In The Caribbean
    Abstract—We examine investment in male function in the context of geography and floral morphology in the plant ring species Euphorbia tithymaloides,...
  • Variability of size structure and species composition in Caribbean octocoral communities under contrasting environmental conditions
    Octocorals have increased in abundance on a number of Caribbean reefs, but this trend has largely been reported with functional group or genus...
  • A framework for measuring coral species-specific contribution to reef functioning in the Caribbean
    Highlights The configuration of coral communities determines ecosystems’ functioning. There is a high variation in the functional contribution of...
  • Variation in herbivore grazing behavior across Caribbean reef sites
    Herbivorous fish can increase coral growth and survival by grazing down algal competitors. With coral reefs in global decline, maintaining adequate...
  • Hierarchical spatial patterns in Caribbean reef benthic assemblages
    Aim Coral assemblages on Caribbean reefs have largely been considered to be biogeographically homogeneous at a regional scale. We reassess this in...
  • Nederlandse vlinders op tropisch eiland
    Sinds 10 oktober 2010 maken de eilanden Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba onderdeel uit van het Nederlandse staatsbestel. Met deze tropische eilanden...
  • Coral growth rates revisited after 31 years: What is causing lower extension rates in Acropora palmata?
    Linear extension of branches in the same Acropora palmata (Lamarck, 1816) population in Curaçao was measured, employing exactly the same methods, in...
  • Population stock structure of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the Atlantic revealed using mtDNA and microsatellite markers
    Abstract: This study presents a comprehensive genetic analysis of stock structure for leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), combining 17...
  • Marine Macroalgal Diversity Assessment of Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Background: Located in the Dutch Windward Islands, Saba Bank is a flat-topped seamount (20–45 m deep in the shallower regions). The primary goals of...
  • Variation in habitat soundscape characteristics influences settlement of a reef-building coral
    Coral populations, and the productive reef ecosystems they support, rely on successful recruitment of reef-building species, beginning with...
  • First record of Fraser’s dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei for the Dutch Caribbean
    A dead dolphin found on Bonaire in August 2011 is identified as adult Fraser’s dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei, a new species for the Dutch Caribbean. A...
  • Coral community decline at Bonaire, Southern Caribbean
    We assessed the status of coral reef benthic communities at Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, in December 2008 and January 2009 through ~5 km of photo...
  • Controls of Caribbean surface hydrology during the mid- to late Holocene: insights from monthly resolved coral records
    Several proxy-based and modeling studies have investigated long-term changes in Caribbean climate during the Holocene, however, very little is known...
  • A centuries-old manmade reef in the Caribbean does not substitute natural reefs in terms of species assemblages and interspecific competition
    ABSTRACT   With increasing maritime activities in the proximity of coral reefs, a growing number of manmade structures are becoming available for...
  • Assisted gene flow using cryopreserved sperm in critically endangered coral
    Assisted gene flow (AGF) is a conservation intervention to accelerate species adaptation to climate change by importing genetic diversity into at-...
  • Two small beetle collections from Saba (Coleoptera)
    In January and February 2009 the third and fourth authors visited Saba to sample the invertebrate fauna of tank bromeliads. They also collected a...
  • A review of the sponge increase hypothesis for Caribbean mesophotic reefs
    Sponges are major components of benthic ecosystems, particularly on Caribbean reefs, where their importance in carbon cycling and ecosystem function...
  • Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) roosting at Washington-Slagbaai National Park, Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster) are known to roost on the northwestern coast of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands. A published account from the 1950s...
  • Global analysis of the effect of local climate on the hatchling output of leatherback turtles
    The most recent climate change projections show a global increase in temperatures along with precipitation changes throughout the 21st century....
  • The foraminifera of the Saba Bank Expedition
    Bottom samples obtained by means of a Van Veen grab during the 1972 Saba Bank Expedition ( CICAR cruises 34 and 35) appeared to comprise many samples...
  • A Quantitative, Non-Destructive Methodology for Habitat Characterisation and Benthic Monitoring at Offshore Renewable Energy Developments
    Following governments’ policies to tackle global climate change, the development of offshore renewable energy sites is likely to increase...
  • Antagonistic behavior between two honeycomb cowfish, Acanthostracion polygonius Poey, 1876, at Curaçao
    The honeycomb cowfish, Acanthostracion polygonius Poey, 1876 (Ostraciidae) is easily distinguishable from other Caribbean coral reef fish. Both...
  • A comparison of fish communities of subtidal seagrass beds and sandy seabeds in 13 marine embayments of a Caribbean island, based on species, families, size distribution and functional groups
    Differences in fish community structure between different estuaries, lagoons and bays can be very large, and generalisations are complicated by the...
  • Western Antarctic Peninsula physical oceanography and spatio–temporal variability
    This study focuses on 12 years of physical oceanography data, collected during the Palmer, Antarctica, Long-Term Ecological Research program (PAL...
  • Territorial and reproductive behavior of the three Caribbean Razorfishes of the Genus Xyrichtys (Labridae) at Bonaire
    We conducted field studies of the three known species of Caribbean razorfishes of the genus Xyrichtys at four study sites in Bonaire during 1984,...
  • Assessment of the Distribution of Seed Plants Endemic to the Lesser Antilles in Terms of Habitat, Elevation, and Conservation Status
    Abstract - The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean biodiversity hotspot and a priorityfor conservation of its flora is its endemic taxa. Using...
  • Indirect effects of overfishing on Caribbean reefs: sponges overgrow reef-building corals
    Consumer-mediated indirect effects at the community level are difficult to demonstrate empirically. Here, we show an explicit indirect effect of...
  • Molecular and Morphological Species Boundaries in the Gorgonian Octocoral Genus Pterogorgia (Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae)
      Abstract Most gorgonian octocoral species are described using diagnostic characteristics of their sclerites (microscopic skeletal components)....
  • Negative effects of gardening damselfish Stegastes planifrons on coral health depend on predator abundance
    On Bonaire, we studied the effects of predator abundance and habitat availability on the abundance of the threespot damselfish Stegastes planifrons,...
  • A baseline assessment of beach debris and tar contamination in Bonaire, Southeastern Caribbean
    Data on beach debris and tar contamination is provided for 21 natural beach sites in Bonaire, Southeastern Caribbean. Transects amounting to a...
  • Sound production by red hind Epinephelus guttatus in spatially segregated spawning aggregations
    Abstract: Many fishes, including groupers, produce sounds associated with mating behavior; recording and analyzing the occurrence of these sounds can...
  • Does Slow and Variable Recovery of Diadema antillarum on Caribbean Fore-Reefs Reflect Density-Dependent Habitat Selection?
    Recovery of the Caribbean long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum from the pathogen-induced mass mortality event of 1983 has been slow and variable...
  • Iguana Delicatissima Mortality and Reproduction
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana was originally found in the Lesser Antilles from Anguilla to Martinique, but is rapidly being lost from both large and...
  • Surveying bats for conservation: the status of cave-dwelling bats on Curaçao from 1993 to 2003
    In view of their ecological importance and the abundance of threats on a developing Caribbean island, we surveyed the bats of Curaçao, Netherlands...
  • High Prevalence and Endemism of Trypanosomatids on a Small Caribbean Island
    We describe the monoxenous trypanosomatids parasitizing true bugs and flies on the island of Curaçao. Out of 248 examined true bugs belonging to 17...
  • Fish grazing enhanced by nutrient enrichment may limit invasive seagrass expansion
    The success of invasive macrophytes can depend on local nutrient availability and consumer pressure, which may interact. We therefore experimentally...
  • Migratory destinations and timing of humpback whales in the southeastern Caribbean differ from those off the Dominican Republic
    Humpback whales wintering in the entire West Indies chain are widely treated as comprising a single breeding population. However, most areas outside...
  • Bat Ectoparasites from Sint Eustatius, Lesser Antilles (Diptera: Hippoboscidae: Streblinae; Hemiptera: Polyctenidae)
    In this paper 4 species of bat ectoparasites are recorded from the island of Sint Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean. One species of true bug (Hemiptera:...
  • Megaherbivores may impact expansion of invasive seagrass in the Caribbean
      1.Our knowledge of the functional role of large herbivores is rapidly expanding, and the impact of grazing on species co‐existence and non‐native...
  • Are Geckos Paratenic Hosts for Caribbean Island Acanthocephalans? Evidence from Gonatodes antillensis and a Global Review of Squamate Reptiles Acting as Transport Hosts.
    It is well known that reptiles can act as paratenic hosts for parasites that use mammals as their definitive hosts. However, studies of potential...
  • The Role of Tourism and Recreation in the Spread of Non-Native Species: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
    Managing the pathways by which non-native species are introduced and spread is consid- ered the most effective way of preventing species invasions....
  • Long-term movements of an adult male Kemp's Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico
    LONG-TERM MOVEMENTS OF AN ADULT MALE KEMP’S RIDLEY SEA TURTLE (LEPI- DOCHELYS KEMPII) IN THE NORTHWEST- ERN GULF OF MEXICO—Despite recent insights...
  • Caribbean Sea Soundscapes: Monitoring Humpback Whales, Biological Sounds, Geological Events, and Anthropogenic Impacts of Vessel Noise
     Assessing marine soundscapes provides an understanding of the biological, geological and anthropogenic composition of a habitat, including species...
  • Bromeliad Invertebrate Communities on Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    We sampled tank bromeliads and censused their invertebrate fauna at four elevations on the small Caribbean island of Saba. We expected that...
  • Effects of Recreational Scuba Diving on Caribbean Coral and Fish Communities
    Scuba diving on coral reefs is an increasingly lucrative element of tourism in the tropics, but divers can damage the reefs on which tourism depends...
  • Damages caused by hurricane Irma in the human-degraded mangroves of Saint Martin (Caribbean)
    In early September 2017, Irma was the most powerful hurricane that struck the northern Caribbean over the last 100 years. In the 21stcentury, the...
  • Nitrogen fixation and diversity of benthic cyanobacterial mats on coral reefs in Curaçao
    Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) have increased in abundance on coral reefs worldwide. However, their species diversity and role in nitrogen...
  • e evolution of the Caribbean Marine Protected Area Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM): 20 years of the Regional Multidimensional Program for Strengthening MPA Practitioners
    In 1997, the United Nations Environment’s Caribbean Environment Program (UNEP-CEP) convened a meeting of 50 MPA managers from which CaMPAM was born....
  • Caribbean parrotfish density and size inside and outside marine protected area
    The direct and indirect impacts of the increase in human population, in particular the growing demand for food, as well as various aspects of climate...
  • Population structure and dispersal of the coral- excavating sponge Cliona delitrix
    Abstract Some excavating sponges of the genus Cliona compete with live reef corals, often kill- ing and bioeroding entire colonies. Important aspects...
  • Hurricane-Driven Patterns of Clonality in an Ecosystem Engineer: The Caribbean Coral Montastraea annularis
    Abstract: K-selected species with low rates of sexual recruitment may utilise storage effects where low adult mortality allows a number of...
  • Effect of light availability on dissolved organic carbon release by Caribbean reef algae and corals
    Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) release of three algal and two coral species was determined at three light intensities (0, 30–80, and 200–400 μmol...
  • Organic Matter Degradation Drives Benthic Cyanobacterial Mat Abundance on Caribbean Coral Reefs
    Abstract Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are impacting coral reefs worldwide. However, the factors and mechanisms driving their proliferation are...
  • Fish species utilization of Contrasting sub-Habitats Distributed Along an Ocean-to-Land Environmental Gradient in a Tropical Mangrove and Seagrass Lagoon
    Abstract The importance of mangrove and seagrass lagoonal habitats as nursery areas for many reef-associated fish species is well established in the...
  • Wrangelia gordoniae, a new species of Rhodophyta (Ceramiales, Wrangeliaceae) from the tropical western Atlantic
      Abstract On the basis of comparative morphological and molecular analyses, a new red algal species in the genus Wrangelia(Wrangeliaceae, Ceramiales...
  • Vectored dispersal of Symbiodinium by larvae of a Caribbean gorgonian octocoral
    Abstract: The ability of coral reefs to recover from natural and anthropogenic disturbance is difficult to predict, in part due to uncertainty...
  • Commentary: Managing Recovery Resilience in Coral Reefs Against Climate-Induced Bleaching and Hurricanes: A 15 Year Case Study From Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    A Commentary onManaging Recovery Resilience in Coral Reefs Against Climate-Induced Bleaching and Hurricanes: A 15 Year Case Study From Bonaire, Dutch...
  • First records of Odonata from Sint Eustatius, Dutch Lesser Antilles
    Six species of dragonflies are recorded for the island of Sint Eustatius, Lesser Antilles. Breeding records are established for four out of the six...
  • Reconstructing past thermal conditions in beach microclimates
    Abstract Reconstruction of past conditions provides important information on how ecosystems have been impacted by climate change, but generally for...
  • Geographic distances and ocean currents influence Caribbean Acropora palmata population connectivity in the Lesser Antilles
    The critically endangered coral species Acropora palmata used to dominate shallow Caribbean reefs but since the early 1980s, populations have...
  • Assessing the preservation of biogenic strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) in the pars petrosa ossis temporalis of unburnt human skeletal remains: A case study from Saba
    Rationale:Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analysis of skeletal remains has become apowerful tool in archaeological studies of human migration and...
  • Effects of "swim with the turtles" tourist attractions on green sea turtle (chelonia mydas) health in Barbados, West Indies
    Along the West Coast of Barbados a unique relationship has developed between endangered green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and humans. Fishermen...
  • A widespread coral-infecting apicomplexan with chlorophyll biosynthesis genes
    Apicomplexa is a group of obligate intracellular parasites that includes the causative agents of human diseases such as malaria and toxoplasmosis....
  • Archaeal and Bacterial Communities Associated with the Surface Mucus of Caribbean Corals Differ in Their Degree of Host Specificity and Community Turnover Over Reefs
    Comparative studies on the distribution of archaeal versus bacterial communities associ- ated with the surface mucus layer of corals have rarely...
  • Breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus on the Caribbean island of Saba
    In 2011 and 2012 the breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus mesonauta was monitored on Saba, a 13-km2 island in the Caribbean...
  • Evaluation of coral reef management effectiveness using conventional versus resilience-based metrics
    With increasing stressors to coral reefs, defining tools that evaluate their dynamics and resilience is important to interpret system trajectories...
  • Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems: A Geoacoustically Derived Proxy for Habitat and Relative Diversity for the Leeward Shelf of Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Current trends demonstrate coral reef health in serious decline worldwide. Some of the most well-preserved coral reefs in the Caribbean basin are...
  • Field Evaluation of DNA Based Biodiversity Monitoring of Caribbean Mosquitoes
    Mosquito borne diseases pose a threat to human health worldwide. Disease risk is primarily determined by presence and abundance of vector species. A...
  • Abundance and population structure of queen conch inside and outside a marine protected area: repeat surveys show significant declines
    ABSTRACT: Effectiveness of a marine protected area (MPA) in supporting fisheries productivity depends upon replenishment patterns, both in supplying...
  • Assessment of the Distribution of Seed Plants Endemic to the Lesser Antilles in Terms of Habitat, Elevation, and Conservation Status
    The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean biodiversity hotspot and a priority for conservation of its flora is its endemic taxa. Using data from...
  • Caribbean-Wide, Long-Term Study of Seagrass Beds Reveals Local Variations, Shifts in Community Structure and Occasional Collapse
    The CARICOMP monitoring network gathered standardized data from 52 seagrass sampling stations at 22 sites (mostly Thalassia testudinum-dominated beds...
  • Isolation by oceanic distance and spatial genetic structure in an overharvested international fishery, Diversity and Distributions
    Abstract Aim A detailed understanding of spatial genetic structure (SGS) and the factors driving contemporary patterns of gene flow and genetic...
  • Reproductive performance, mate fidelity and nest cavity fidelity in Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus mesonauta on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    Mate choice and nest cavity selection are directly linked to reproductive performance in seabirds, and disruption of these can result in breeding...
  • A review of Caribbean Copepoda associated with reef-dwelling cnidarians, echinoderms and sponges
    This review of copepod crustaceans associated with reef-dwelling cnidarians, sponges and echinoderms of the Greater Caribbean is based on published...
  • Discovery of the Leeward Blindsnake, Antillotyphlops geotomus (Thomas, 1966), on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    The Leeward Blindsnake (Antillotyphlops geotomus) is a near threatened species according to the IUCN Red list (Powell et al., 2016), and was known...
  • High prevalence of dermal parasites among coral reef fishes of Curaçao
    Abstract During expeditions to Curaçao in August and October of 2013, a large number of fish infected with dermal parasites was observed. Infected...
  • Fast Detection of Nutrient Limitation in Macroalgae and Seagrass with Nutrient-Induced Fluorescence
    Abstract: Background: Rapid determination of which nutrients limit the primary production of macroalgae and seagrasses is vital for understanding the...
  • Recreational diver preferences for reef fish attributes: Economic implications of future change
    Abstract This study sought to quantify the potential effects of changes in Caribbean reef fish populations on recreational divers' consumer surplus....
  • The Reef Fish Assemblage of Bonaire Marine Park: An Analysis of REEF Fish Survey Data
    Abstract: The REEF/TNC Fish Survey Project is a volunteer fish monitoring program developed by the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)...
  • A post-hurricane rapid assessment of reefs in the Windward Netherlands Antilles (stony corals, algae and fishes)
      Reefs of the windward Netherlands Antilles (Saba, Saba Bank, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten) were assessed at 24 sites in the late 1999. The...
  • Decline of crinoids on the reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract Since 1996 at the latest, comatulid crinoids on the leeward reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire have declined drastically in population size and...
  • A new transcriptome and transcriptome profiling of adult and larval tissue in the box jellyfish Alatina alata: an emerging model for studying venom, vision and sex
    Cubozoans (box jellyfish) are cnidarians that have evolved a number of distinguishing features. Many cubozoans have a particularly potent sting,...
  • The marine mammals of the Dutch Caribbean: a comparison between EEZ sectors, contrasts and concerns
    We here provide a synoptic overview and preliminary update of the marine mammals of the Dutch Caribbean EEZ based on 279 cetacean sighting and...
  • Find me if you can: Pre- and Post-hurricane Densities of the Red-bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventris) on St. Eustatius, and a review of the genus in the Caribbean
    Abstract We estimated population densities of the red-bellied racer (Alsophis rufiventris) on the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius in 2011, 2018 and...
  • A Post-hurricane Quantitative Assessment of the Red-bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventris) on Saba and Comparison with St. Eustatius
    We estimated occupancy, abundance (lambda), detection probability, density/ha and abundance of a regionally endemic snake in the Colubrid family on...
  • Results of management actions for tern populations on Bonaire
    Event: BirdsCaribbean 21st International Conference, Topes de Collantes, Cuba, 13-17 July, 2017 Abstract in scientific journal or proceedings Five...
  • Occupation rates of artificial and restored natural nest cavities by yellow-shouldered Amazons Amazona barbadensis on Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    The breeding success of obligate secondary cavity nesting birds, including most parrots, can be limited by the availability and quality of nest...
  • Can we measure beauty? Computational evaluation of coral reef aesthetics
    The natural beauty of coral reefs attracts millions of tourists worldwide resulting in substantial revenues for the adjoining economies. Although...
  • Reproductive patterns of queen conch, Strombus gigas (Mollusca Gastropoda), across the wider Caribbean region
    Queen conch, Strombus gigas (Linnaeus, 1758), is a species of significant economic importance in the Caribbean Sea, exploited mainly for consumption...
  • Interaction of Physical and Biological Factors in the Large-Scale Distribution of Juvenile Queen Conch in Seagrass Meadows
    Large-scale distribution of a large, commercially significant gastropod, Strombus gigas (queen conch), was investigated in a II ,OOO-haregion of the...
  • Extreme spatial heterogeneity in carbonate accretion potential on a Caribbean fringing reef linked to local human disturbance gradients
    The capacity of coral reefs to maintain their structurally complex frameworks and to retain the potential for vertical accretion is vitally important...
  • A comparison of ungrazed and livestock-grazed rock vegetations in Curacao.
    Five of the largest remaining patches of livestock-inaccessible rock vegetation of Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, were described and compared to rock...
  • Terrestrial degradation impacts on coral reef health: Evidence from the Caribbean
    Coral reefs are in decline worldwide. While coral reef managers are limited in their ability to tackle global challenges, such as ocean warming,...
  • The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on St. Eustatius: genetically depauperate and threatened by ongoing hybridization.
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is an endangered species threatened by habitat loss and hybridization with non-native Green...
  • The cetaceans of Aruba, southern Caribbean
    Abstract: Aruba is one of the most densely populated islands in the Caribbean. However, very little is known about its cetaceans. In 2010 and 2011, a...
  • The Superior Colonizing Gecko Hemidactylus mabouia on Curaçao: Conservation Implications for the Native Gecko Phyllodactylus martini
    ABSTRACT We used nightly surveys to monitor the status of building-dwelling gecko species on the southern Caribbean island, Curac ̧ ao. Two gecko...
  • Green and hawksbill turtles in the Lesser Antilles demonstrate behavioural plasticity in inter-nesting behaviour and post-nesting migration
    Abstract Satellite transmitters were deployed on three green turtles, Chelonia mydas, and two hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata, nesting in...
  • Coastal stratigraphies of eastern Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles): New insights into the palaeo-tsunami history of the southern Caribbean
    Abstract: A sediment record of three alluvial sites along the east- and northeast-oriented shore of Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles) provides evidence...
  • The genus Paragiopagurus Lemaitre, 1996 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura, Paguroidea, Parapaguridae): A worldwide review and summary, with descriptions of five new species
    A review of the deep-water hermit crab species of the genus Paragiopagurus Lemaitre, 1996 from the world oceans is presented. The core specimen base...
  • First Specimen Record of the Barn Owl Tyto alba in Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    The cosmopolitan Barn Owl Tyto alba (Scopoli) lives on many Caribbean islands, where a number of morphologically distinct forms have evolved. Some of...
  • Biodiversity Assessment of the Fishes of Saba Bank Atoll, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: Biodiversity surveys were conducted on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, to assess ichthyofaunal richness and to compare with published...
  • Extirpation of the Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) on St. Martin, West Indies
    Abstract: Recent surveys for the Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) on St. Martin reveal that the species is no longer a resident on the island...
  • Chemical defenses and resource trade-offs structure sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs
    Abstract: Ecological studies have rarely been performed at the community level across a large biogeographic region. Sponges are now the primary...
  • Hurricane-induced population decrease in a Critically Endangered long-lived reptile
    ABSTRACT Catastrophic events, like hurricanes, bring lethal conditions that can have population-altering effects. The threatened Caribbean dry forest...
  • Antigonon leptopus invasion is associated with plant community disassembly in a Caribbean island ecosystem
    Abstract Invasions by non-native plant species are widely recognized as a major driver of biodiversity loss. Globally, (sub-)tropical islands form...
  • Engineered substrates reveal species-specific inorganic cues for coral larval settlement
    ABSTRACT: The widespread loss of stony reef-building coral populations has been compounded by the low settlement and survival of coral juveniles. To...
  • Damage to the leeward reefs of Curac¸ao and Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles from a rare storm event: Hurricane Lenny, November 1999
    Fringing reefs along the southwestern shores of the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Bonaire (12°N), located outside the most frequent hurricane...
  • Monitoring benthic habitats using Lyzenga model features from Landsat multi-temporal images in Google Earth Engine
    Benthic habitats have conventionally been monitored through physical site visits by diving. This requires the use of expensive resources and time to...
  • Some Notes on Charophyta Collected in The Netherlands West Indies, North Venezuela and Colombia
    In 1930 Mr. P. Wagenaar Hummelinck made an excursion to Curacao, Aruba, and Bonaire with the main object of studying the land and freshwater fauna....
  • Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective.
    Somatic growth dynamics are an integrated response to environmental conditions. Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are long-lived, major...
  • A review of Caribbean Copepoda associated with reef-dwelling cnidarians, echinoderms and sponges
    This review of copepod crustaceans associated with reef-dwelling cnidarians, sponges and echinoderms of the Greater Caribbean is based on published...
  • Anthropogenic Mortality in the Critically Endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on St. Eustatius
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana, Iguana delicatissima (Laurenti 1768) is a Lesser Antillean endemic (Anguilla to Martinique, with the exception of Saba...
  • Population structure and connectivity of the mountainous star coral, Orbicella faveolata, throughout the wider Caribbean region,
    As coral reefs continue to decline worldwide, it becomes ever more necessary to understand the connectivity between coral populations to develop...
  • Monitoring of terrestrial avifauna in six habitats on St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands, 2009–2017
    The Caribbean is a biodiversity hotspot due to its rich biodiversity and wholesale loss of primary vegetation. Yet, there is a paucity of studies on...
  • Island–island and island–mainland movements of the Curaçaoan long-nosed bat, Leptonycteris curasoae
    Of the 3 species comprising the genus Leptonycteris Miller, L. curasoae has been the least studied with respect to its long-distance flights and...
  • Regional-scale dominance of non-framework building corals on Caribbean reefs affects carbonate production and future reef growth
    Abstract Coral cover on Caribbean reefs has declined rapidly since the early 1980's. Diseases have been a major driver, decimating communities of...
  • Toxicopathological Effects of the Sunscreen UV Filter, Oxybenzone (Benzophenone-3), on Coral Planulae and Cultured Primary Cells and Its Environmental Contamination in Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands
      Abstract Benzophenone-3 (BP-3; oxybenzone) is an ingredient in sunscreen lotions and personal-care products that protects against the damaging...
  • Population structure of Symbiodinium sp. associated with the common sea fan, Gorgonia ventalina, in the Florida Keys across distance, depth, and time
    Abstract:  Numerous marine invertebrates form endosymbiotic relationships with dinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium. However, few studies have...
  • Effectiveness of lionfish removal efforts in the southern Caribbean
    Abstract: Lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) have spread rapidly throughout the Caribbean Sea since 1985, where they negatively impact native...
  • Multiple purple spots in the Caribbean sea fan Gorgonia ventalina caused by parasitic copepods at St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    Symbiotic Copepoda comprise a widespread, diverse, and abundant ecological group of small crustaceans associat- ed with various invertebrates,...
  • Native Predators Do Not Influence Invasion Success of Pacific Lionfish on Caribbean Reefs
    Abstract: Biotic resistance, the process by which new colonists are excluded from a community by predation from and/or competition with resident...
  • Conservation status of Caribbean coot Fulica caribaea in the Netherlands Antilles and other parts of the Caribbean
    Abstract: In 2005 to 2006 we assessed the status of the Caribbean coot Fulica caribaea in the Netherlands Antilles, largely semi-arid islands in the...
  • Report of the Scientific Committee (Annual meeting 2011, 30 May-11 June 2011, Trømso, Norway)
    ...National Progress Reports presented at the 2002-10 meetings are accessible on the IWC website. Reports from previous years will also become...
  • The Lesser Antillean Iguana on St. Eustatius: A 2012 population status update and cause for concern
    To assess the status and current population densities of the endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana (Iguana delicatissima) on the island of St. Eustatius...
  • User fees as sustainable financing mechanisms for marine protected areas: An application to the Bonaire National Marine Park
    Marine protected areas (MPAs) have proliferated globally in the past three decades. However, inadequate funding often prevents these management...
  • Diversity of drift macroalgae in Aruba, Netherland Antilles, Caribbean Sea, including the rarely reported deep-water species Dasya puertoricensis and Cottoniella filamentosa (Delesseriaceae, Rhodophyta)
    Abstract: Drifting and wrack seaweeds may originate from the detachment of natural populations and transport by currents until reaching the coast....
  • Important foraging areas of seabirds from Anguilla,Caribbean: Implications for marine spatial planning
    Marine spatial planning(MSP) has become an important tool to balance the needs of commercial,economical and recreational users of the marine...
  • Widespread Occurrence of a Rarely Known Association between the Hydrocorals Stylaster roseus and Millepora alcicornis at Bonaire, Southern Caribbean
    Among symbiotic associations, cases of pseudo-auto-epizoism, in which a species uses a resembling but not directly related species as substrate, are...
  • Nieuwe gegevens over de land- en zoetwatermollusken van Sint Maarten (Nederlandse Antillen)
    New data on the land and freshwater mollusks of St. Martin (Lesser Antilles) Summary. In follow-up of a species list of St. Martin, Anguilla and St....
  • The Curious Case of the Left-Sided Dewlap: Directional Asymmetry In the Curaçao Anole, Anolis lineatus.
    We examined asymmetry in the color of the dewlap of Anolis lineatus from Curaçao. We confirmed previous reports that one side of the dewlap appears...
  • Disentangling the effects of plant species invasion and urban development on arthropod community composition
    Abstract Urban development and species invasion are two major global threats to biodiversity. These threats often co-occur, as developed areas are...
  • Feeding on Feces: The nutritional value of fish feces to Caribbean Parrotfishes
    Parrotfishes can often be observed consuming fish feces on coral reefs. Our recent study highlights the nutritional value of these feces to...
  • Preservation of in situ reef framework in regions of low hurricane frequency: Pleistocene of Curaçao and Bonaire, southern Caribbean
    Luxuriant fringing reefs along the southwestern shores of the Caribbean islands of Curaçao and Bonaire (12°N), located outside the most frequent...
  • Preliminary Study to identify Filamentous Fungi in Sands of Three Beaches of the Caribbean
    The Caribbean has several white sand beaches visited by many tourists, especially during the summer. The beaches of Copacabana in Barbados Bridgetown...
  • Bird Communities of Contrasting Secondary Habitats of Bonaire, in the Arid South-Eastern Caribbean
    We studied the bird communities of five contrasting semi-natural habitats of Lac Bay, Bonaire, South- eastern Caribbean, during the fall of 2011. A...
  • Trends in element incorporation in hyaline and porcelaneous foraminifera as a function of pCO2
    Abstract In this study we analyzed the impact of seawater carbonate chemistry on the incorporation of elements in both hyaline and porcelaneous...
  • Seascape continuity plays an important role in determining patterns of spatial genetic structure in a coral reef fish
    Detecting patterns of spatial genetic structure (SGS) can help identify intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to gene flow within metapopulations. For...
  • Ecological regime shift drives declining growth rates of sea turtles throughout the West Atlantic
    Somatic growth is an integrated, individual-based response to environmental conditions, especially in ectotherms. Growth dynamics of large, mobile...
  • Black spot syndrome in reef fishes: using archival imagery and field surveys to characterize spatial and temporal distribution in the Caribbean
    Recently, observations of black spot syndrome (BSS) in Caribbean fishes have been linked to infection by a digenean trematode parasite, ...
  • Climate change and temperature-linked hatchling mortality at a globally important sea turtle nesting site
    The study of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in vertebrates has attracted major scientific interest. Recently, concerns for species...
  • Bridled Quail-dove Geotrygon mystacea population assessment after hurricanes Irma and Maria, St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    Structural vegetation damage and food limitation are important effects of major hurricanes, particularly for fruit/seed-eating, forest-dependent...
  • Invasive house (Rattus rattus) and brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) threaten the viability of red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) in Abrolhos National Park, Brazil.
    Destruction of nests and predation by introduced species are among the main factors responsible for seabird declines.The red-billed tropicbird (...
  • High human influence on beach response to tropical cyclones in small islands: Saint-Martin Island, Lesser Antilles
    Using multi-date satellite imagery and field observations, this paper assesses the inferred impacts of September 2017 cyclones on the beaches of...
  • Artificial reefs in the Caribbean: A need for comprehensive monitoring and integration into marine management plans
    Caribbean coral reefs are in decline and the deployment of artificial reefs, structures on the sea bottom that mimic one or more characteristics of a...
  • Spatiotemporal and species-specific patterns of diseases affecting crustose coralline algae in Curac ̧ao
    Abstract Distribution and abundance of coral diseases have been well documented, but only a few studies con- sidered diseases affecting crustose...
  • High dissolved organic carbon release by benthic cyanobacterial mats in a Caribbean reef ecosystem.
    Abstract Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are increasing in abundance on coral reefs worldwide. However, their impacts on biogeochemical cycling in...
  • The effect of recreational SCUBA divers on the structural complexity and benthic assemblage of a Caribbean coral reef, Biodiversity and Conservation
      Abstract The effect of recreational SCUBA diving on coral reefs is likely secondary to many of the commonly cited stressors that threaten the long-...
  • The Relationship between Diver Experience Levels and Perceptions of Attractiveness of Artificial Reefs - Examination of a Potential Management Tool
    Abstract: Artificial reefs are increasingly used worldwide as a method for managing recreational diving since they have the potential to satisfy both...
  • The Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) breeding in the Dutch Caribbean and notable new records for the Caribbean Martin (Progne dominicensis) and Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
    Abstract We provide the first documentation of Southern Lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) breeding in the Dutch Caribbean and new island records for the...
  • Indo-Pacific lionfish are larger and more abundant on invaded reefs: a comparison of Kenyan and Bahamian lionfish populations
    The invasion by Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and P. miles) of the western Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico is emerging as a major...
  • Post-breeding migration routes of marine turtles from Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands
    The management of small rookeries is key to conserving the regional genetic diversity of marine turtle populations and requires knowledge on...
  • Diversity and spatial heterogeneity of mangrove associated sponges of Curaçao and Aruba
    Abstract: Sponges are major epibionts of mangrove roots in the Caribbean. Mangrove sponge communities in the Caribbean mainly consist of species that...
  • Land Cover and Forest Formation Distributions for St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Eustatius, Grenada and Barbados from Decision Tree Classification of Cloud-Cleared Satellite Imagery
    Satellite image-based mapping of tropical forests is vital to conservation planning. Standard methods for automated image classification, however,...
  • Sound production as an indicator of red hind density at a spawning aggregation
    Abstract: Annual spawning aggregations of red hind Epinephelus guttatus form at predictable times and locations and have historically succumbed to...
  • Pre-Columbian jadeitite artifacts from the Golden Rock Site, St. Eustatius, Lesser Antilles, with special reference to jadeitite artifacts from Elliot’s, Antigua: Implications for potential source regions and long-distance exchange networks in the Greater
    A detailed electron microscopy analysis of jadeitite celts from the Early Ceramic Age Golden Rock settlement on the small volcanic island of St...
  • Rapid Assessment of Octocoral Diversity and Habitat on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Saba Bank is a large submerged platform (~2200 km2), average depth 30 m, located 4 km southwest of Saba Island in Netherlands Antilles, Caribbean Sea...
  • Assessment of an unprotected red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) spawning aggregation on Saba Bank in the Netherlands Antilles
    Although little fisheries data exist for red hind, Epinephelus guttatus (Linnaeus, 1758) on the Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles, spawning aggregation...
  • Animal-borne video reveals atypical behaviour in provisioned green turtles: A global perspective of a widespread tourist activity
    Abstract Feeding wildlife as a tourist activity is a growing industry around the world. However,providing alternative food sources can affect...
  • POPULATION ESTIMATE, NATURAL HISTORY AND CONSERVATION OF THE MELANISTIC IGUANA IGUANA POPULATION ON SABA, CARIBBEAN NETHERLANDS
    Abstract.– Intraspecific diversity is among the most important biological variables, although still poorly understood for most species. Iguana iguana...
  • LONG-TERM DECLINES IN CORAL COVER AT BONAIRE, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
    The reefs surrounding Bonaire have long been renowned for their high abundance and diversity of scleractinian corals and for their long-time status...
  • Managing Recovery Resilience in Coral Reefs Against Climate-Induced Bleaching and Hurricanes: A 15 Year Case Study From Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    Coral reefs are among the world’s most endangered ecosystems. Coral mortality can result from ocean warming or other climate-related events such as...
  • Outcompeted by an invader? Interference and exploitative competition between tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) and Barbados leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylus pulcher) for diurnal refuges in anthropogenic coastal habitats.
    House geckos in the genus Hemidactylus are highly successful colonizers of regions beyond their native range, with colonization often resulting in...
  • Phytomyxid infection in the non-native seagrass Halophila stipulacea in St Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    Highlights   • First record of phytomyxid infection in H. stipulacea in the Caribbean. • Morphological changes to leaves, roots and internodes in...
  • Shell Lip Thickness Is the Most Reliable Proxy to Sexual Maturity in Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas) of Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Belize
    Queen conch (Lobatus gigas) is an important food source and export product for Belize, where extraction is regulated by shell length (SL) and market...
  • Caribbean Audubon's shearwaters puffinus Lherminieri choose nesting locations that improve male and female pre-laying exodus foraging strategies
    This study aims to better understand how the nesting distribution of Audubon’s Shearwaters Puffinus lherminieri in the Caribbean is associated with...
  • A review of records of the Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata in the Caribbean Sea
    The Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata is a pelagic seabird with a dangerously small population size. Remaining breeding sites are threatened by...
  • Seagrass ecosystem metabolic carbon capture in response to green turtle grazing across Caribbean meadows
    Increasing green turtle abundance will lead to increased grazing within seagrass habitats—ecosystems that are important for carbon sequestration and...
  • A new species of Chromis damselfish from the tropical western Atlantic (Teleostei, Pomacentridae)
    Initially described in 1882, Chromis enchrysurus, the Yellowtail Reeffish, was redescribed in 1982 to account for an observed color morph that...
  • Change detection in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) over three decades on Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean
    The island of Bonaire is a long-established Marine Protected Area (MPA), the reefs of which were extensively mapped in the early 1980s. Satellite...
  • Distribution and ontogenetic habitat shifts of reef associated shark species in the northeastern Caribbean
    Understanding how reef-associated sharks utilise coastal reef habitats throughout their ontogeny is essential for their effective management. In this...
  • Coral reef fish and benthic community structure of Bonaire and Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
    Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have suffered the effects of human activities, including overfishing, nutrient pollution, and global climate...
  • Mapping ecosystem functions to the valuation of ecosystem services: implications of species–habitat associations for coastal land-use decisions
    Abstract: The reefs surrounding Bonaire have long been renowned for their high abundance and diversity of scleractinian corals and for their long-...
  • Synthesis of coral reef health indicators for the Western Atlantic: Results of the AGRRA program (1997-2000)
    Abstract: The Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) sampling strategy is designed to collect both descriptive and quantitative information...
  • Geological reconnaissance survey of Saba Bank, Caribbean Sea
    Findings The main conclusion from this study is that the Saba Bank has little modern material/ sediment deposited in relation to present sea level....
  • Rapid Assessment of Stony Coral Richness and Condition on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    Findings: Combining the findings of this study with that of other studies, the authors conclude that the coral assemblage on the Saba Bank is diverse...
  • Somatic growth dynamics of West Atlantic hawksbill sea turtles: a spatio-temporal perspective
    Somatic growth dynamics are an integrated response to environmental conditions. Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) are long-lived, major...
  • Diving behaviour of hawksbill turtles during the inter-nesting interval: Strategies to conserve energy
    Abstract: Hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) nesting in Barbados were outfitted with time-depth recorders (TDRs) with temperature sensors...
  • Caribbean-wide decline in carbonate production threatens coral reef growth
    Global-scale deteriorations in coral reef health have caused major shifts in species composition. One projected consequence is a lowering of reef...
  • 40 Years of benthic community change on the Caribbean reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire: the rise of slimy cyanobacterial mats
    Over the past decades numerous studies have reported declines in stony corals and, in many cases, phase shifts to fleshy macroalgae. However, long-...
  • Bathymetry survey Bonaire
    Hydrographical survey of Bonaire in x,y,z points: latitude [decimal degrees], longitude [decimal degrees], depth [meters].  The survey was done...
  • Hyperspectral coral reef classification
    Coral reef map of Bonaire based on 2013 1x1 meter resolution hyperspectral mapping (101 channels) and a 2016 diving campaign to collect in-situ...
  • Land use map of Bonaire
    Land use map Bonaire at 2x2 m2 resolution, based on a classified Pleiades composite orthophoto  the Bonaire vegetation survey and field observations...
  • Bathymetry survey Curacao
    Hydrographical survey of Curacao in x,y,z points: latitude [decimal degrees], longitude [decimal degrees], depth [meters].  The survey was done...
  • RedGreenBlue composite of hyperspectral imagery of the coast of Bonaire
    Mosaicked and orthocorrected Red Green Blue (RGB) composite image from hyperspectral images taken from airplane from the coast of Bonair with a...
  • Bathymetry survey Aruba
    Hydrographical survey of Aruba in x,y,z points: latitude [decimal degrees], longitude [decimal degrees], depth [meters].  The survey was done...
  • Archaeological Predictive Map Sint Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    In 2013 ARGEOgraph created the Archaeological Predictive Map of Sint Eustatius for the Dutch ministry of Education, Culture and Science. This map has...
  • Ramsar sites map of Bonaire
    Ramsar sites map of Bonaire (GIS). Smoothed to 100m. 'The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, called the Ramsar Convention, is an...
  • RAMSAR sites of Aruba
    Ramsar sites map of Aruba(GIS). Smoothed to 100m. 'The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, called the Ramsar Convention, is an...
  • Archaeological Predictive Map Saba, Caribbean Netherlands
    In 2015 ARGEOgraph created the Archaeological Predictive Map of Saba for the Dutch ministry of Education, Culture and Science. This map has been made...
  • Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) map of Bonaire
    Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) map of Bonaire (GIS). See Bird life international website for program description
  • Important Bird Areas map of St. Eustatius (GIS)
    Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas of St. Eustatius See Bird life international website for program description
  • Topography St.Eustatius
    Multiple topographical map layers: Roads (source: Imms, E.) Buildings (source: DCNA) Fences (source: Puijk, A., 2015) Contours (source...
  • Vulnerable marine areas of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba
    Vulnerable marine areas of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (GIS). Based on RAMSAR sites, important Bird Areas and Marine Park boundaries. See this...
  • Monitoring Tropicbirds, an introductory guide
    This manual emphasises on practical methods, and some methods which (though highly accurate) are too labour-intensive or time-consuming for general...
  • Monitoring protocol Field Guide
    This document can act as a guideline in the field. It can be used to check back on the exact methodology for each of the measurements. It is a part...
  • Hurricane reef damage form
    Form to inventory reef damage of hurricanes, incl. fields: dive site and dive depth date are corals/sponges covered in sand? are there overturned/...
  • New Bird Records for Bonaire 2016-2017
    The island of Bonaire has achieved worldwide recognition for its rich and diverse marine life, but the island is rapidly gaining momentum as a...
  • St. Maarten: Impact Hurricane Irma on Nature
    What started out a week prior as a low pressure system off the Cape Verde Islands ended up as the first ever category 5+ hurricane to hit the...
  • Combating Erosion and Nature Restoration on Bonaire
    Erosion and resulting sediment run-off are big environmental concerns throughout the Caribbean Region and for good reason. Not only does the removal...
  • BioNews 13-2018 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter PRINT
    BioNews* is a free digital newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) featuring recent nature related news-items about the...
  • Sargassum management brief
    In light of recent and recurring influxes of sargassum on the islands of the Dutch Caribbean, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance has drafted a...
  • Status of the Queen Conch on the Windward Islands
    Concern for the future of Queen Conch has resulted in a number of regional and international measures, which have been taken to protect them. Trade...
  • 40-year study: Changes on the Coral Reefs of Bonaire and Curaçao
    Although it’s now becoming widely accepted that coral reefs are degrading quickly on a global scale, there have been very few long-term studies where...
  • Great news for shark and ray conservation in the Caribbean (SPAW-STAC)
    The first cross-border protective management in a Wider Caribbean context for elasmobranch species. In March 2017 it was officially decided to...
  • State of Nature: Bonaire
    Wageningen Research recently published an alarming report on the natural resources of the three Dutch Caribbean islands Bonaire, Saba and St....
  • BioNews 5-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 5-2017 includes the following news-items: Status Of St. Eustatius’s Reef Nature on St. Eustatius Hit Hard by Hurricanes BRUV Work In The...
  • Presentations, Workshops and Excursions Provide New Nature Conservation Drive in Participants
    During the 2019 edition of the DCNA convention held on Bonaire end of October, biologists from the region met to thoroughly discuss coral restoration...
  • Fieldwork on Seagrass Ecosystem Services: Lac, Bonaire
    Seagrasses are essential components of coastal zones ecosystems due to their extremely high productivity and the high biodiversity they support. ...
  • Bonaire biodivers paradijs
    Een internationaal onderzoeksteam heeft de mariene biodiversiteit van Bonaire onderzocht. Mariene biodiversiteit zegt iets over de verscheidenheid in...
  • St. Maarten: Post Hurricane Coral Assessment
    The St. Maarten Nature Foundation scientifically researched the impacts of Hurricane Irma on St. Maarten coral reefs using Global Coral Reef...
  • BioNews 10 - November 2013
    This month’s issue highlights the Saba Bank Expedition that took place from 19 to 27 October. As a follow up to the Saba Bank survey in 2011, an...
  • Effect of invasive predators on breeding success of threatened Red-billed Tropicbirds
    Update on one of the world’s largest nesting population on Saba and St. Eustatius.   This news articles was published in BioNews 20 BioNews is...
  • EPIC Continues: Restoration Project
    EPIC Continues Restoration Project – Focus on restoration of native forest, increasing biodiversity and environmental education Earlier this summer...
  • BioNews archive
    DCNA produces BioNews*, a free monthly digital newsletter featuring recent nature related news-items about the Dutch Caribbean as well as overviews...
  • BioNews 9-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 9-2017 includes the following news-items: Bad News For Green Sea Turtles In An Age Of Warming Seas: warmer oceans drive declining growth...
  • Crowdfunding: Tortuga ‘The Survival of Humanity’
    Motivation In March 2018 I went to Curaçao for six months. I have been able to take a lot of underwater shots here and have experienced the problems...
  • Sea & Learn 2018
    This year Sea & Learn celebrated their 16thannual event on Saba. A total of 16 experts provided dynamic hands-on field projects and powerful...
  • BioNews special: Yarari Marine Mammal and Shark Sanctuary
    The Dutch Caribbean is an important area for marine mammals, sharks and rays. More than twenty marine mammal and thirty shark and ray species are...
  • St. Eustatius: Nature Awareness Project
    In October 2016, a two-year project to increase awareness and understanding of nature on St. Eustatius commenced, funded by the Ministry of Economic...
  • Alarm bells ring as turtle growth rates decline
    An unprecedented regional study of turtle growth rates by Bjorndal et al, compiled scientific data on hawksbill turtle growth rates collected over a...
  • Bonaire Welcomes Back Indiana University
    A group of students from Indiana University (IU) recently visited Bonaire.   Since 2015, IU has been sending students to Bonaire as part of their...
  • Satellites and Sharks: Latest in Saba Bank Shark Research
    The Saba Bank is an important habitat within the Yarari Shark Sanctuary.  Visited by a variety of different species, little is known about the life...
  • Status of St. Eustatius’s Reef
    Five major studies of St. Eustatius’ coral reefs have taken place over the past five years and have shed light on the rapid decline of the island’s...
  • Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease Management Update for the Dutch Caribbean
    Since 2014, a new coral disease has been spreading through the reefs of the Caribbean. Known as Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), this disease...
  • BioNews 4 - April 2013
    This month’s issue focuses on the conservation efforts for the Red-billed Tropicbird, which is taking place on the islands of Saba and St. Eustatius...
  • BioNews 11 - December 2013
    This month’s issue focuses on the Audubon’s Shearwater. Despite its resounding and unique call, this threatened bird often goes unnoticed on our...
  • Island biogeography meets the Anthropocene - The first expedition.
    Many modern human activities result in environmental problems such as pollution, overfishing and deforestation, which have a considerable impact on...
  • Marine Protected Areas - a new interactive online map
    The Dutch Caribbean has a new way to access marine protected area (MPA) information focused on ease of use for boaters, fishermen, and the public....
  • Invasive Species Workshop on St. Eustatius
    Twenty-five participants attended an informative workshop on invasive species on November 28th and 29th 2017. The Caribbean Netherlands Science...
  • Bad News For Green Sea Turtles In An Age Of Warming Seas: warmer oceans drive declining growth rates
    A number of studies have investigated the effect of climate change on sea turtles, such as the loss of nesting beaches from sea level rise (Fish et ...
  • Evaluation of vegetation development on the Dutch Caribbean islands
    In November 2019, vegetation scientists from Wageningen Environmental Research and Carmabi visited Bonaire, to study the succession of the vegetation...
  • Dutch Caribbean Species Register
    On December 5, 2017, the launch of the Dutch Caribbean Species Register took place: www. dutchcaribbeanspecies.org. This website is intended to...
  • 69th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Cayman Islands
    7 November 2016 - 11 November 2016  The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) is a non-profit organization that promotes the exchange of...
  • Rodent Control Implemented to Help Save Tropicbirds on Statia
    Black rats (Rattus rattus) probably arrived on St. Eustatius along with the first Europeans. While a nuisance for the human population, their...
  • Nature on St. Eustatius Hit Hard by Hurricanes
    Nature on St. Eustatius has been heavily affected by hurricane Irma and Maria that struck the island in the early morning of Wednesday 6 September...
  • Coral Restoration Bonaire
    The Nature funding from the Netherlands’ Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) (previously Ministry of Economic Affairs), has helped...
  • BioNews 12 - January 2014
    Very exciting news this month from St. Eustatius where the ongoing study of the island’s flora led to the discovery of a plant species new to science...
  • Where have all the crinoids gone?
    Colorful feather stars (comatulid crinoids, Phylum Echinodermata) were plentiful on the reefs of Curaçao and Bonaire in the late 1960s when David...
  • Coral Reef Mapping using hyperspectral imagery
    The Dutch Caribbean island Bonaire has been protecting its marine resources for more than 35 years and is ranked as one of the Caribbean’s top dive...
  • Bonaire World Heritage Nomination Project
    The Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP) has received a number of international recognitions due to the outstanding biodiversity that it protects and...
  • Aruba Shoco Conservation Project
    The Dutch Caribbean Islands are a treasure trove of rare and endemic (sub) species. Island endemic (sub) species, that is (sub) species restricted to...
  • Saba: Goat Buy Back Project
    The 2013-2017 Nature Policy for the Caribbean Netherlands flagged the threat of invasive species as a high priority, with recent inventories...
  • Environmental DNA reveals tropical shark diversity in contrasting levels of anthropogenic impact
    Increased and targeted fishing pressure has led to the collapse of shark populations around the world. According to worldwide estimates, a staggering...
  • Tracking Sharks around Sint Maarten
    The St. Maarten Nature Foundation recently retrieved acoustic receivers (loggers) to learn about the movement patterns and home ranges of Caribbean...
  • BRUV Work In The Dutch Caribbean
    Data collection with stereo Baited Remote Underwater Videos (sBRUV) deployed throughout the islands of the Dutch Caribbean over the past few years is...
  • Global Defaunation and Plant Invasion: cascading effects on seagrass ecosystem services
    Ecosystems have been providing our society with useful services to sustain us in our livelihood, survival and health for as long as we exist....
  • Coral restoration
    Coral reef protection is the process of modifying human activities to avoid damage to healthy coral reefs and to help damaged reefs recover. The key...
  • St. Eustatius: Bridled Quail-Dove Population Continues Declining
    In the December 2017 edition of BioNews, we provided an overview of the results of two population assessments of the Bridled Quail-dove (Geotrygon...
  • BioNews 13 - February 2014
    This month’s issue profiles several scientific discoveries with new implications for conservation in the Dutch Caribbean. On St. Eustatius, the first...
  • The Humpbacks are Back!
    We have some wonderful news to share! The magnificent humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) have returned for their four-to five-month long stay...
  • Two Dutch Caribbean Tagged Tiger Sharks Follow Similar Migration Patterns in the Caribbean
    Two years ago the DCNA organized the first of its kind shark tagging expedition to the Saba Bank and St Maarten as part of the Dutch Postcode Lottery...
  • News item: Hyperspectral Coral Reef Classification (HCRC)
    The Dutch Caribbean island Bonaire has protected its marine resources for more than 35 years and has been ranked as one of the Caribbean’s top dive...
  • BioNews 8-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 8-2017 includes the following news-items:   Status of Saba Bank’s reefs Economic value of Sharks Annual Shark Conference of the European...
  • Saba: Horticultural Project
    Thanks to generous funding from The Netherlands Ministry of Economics Affairs through the Nature Fund, the Island Government of Saba is implementing...
  • Innovative Artificial Reef Structures “IntelliReefs” to Improve Denuded Coral Reefs
    Beginning of February 2020, the Ocean Science Team of Reef Life Foundation was on Sint Maarten to assess and research the 14 month performance of the...
  • Unexpected high number of endemics for the windward Dutch Caribbean Islands
    In light of the mounting impact of humans on our planet, there is an urgent need to assess the status of all current living species so as to ensure...
  • NICO expedition: eddies
    NICO expedition: eddies Rising ocean temperatures associated with global warming are changing our oceans and are projected to have a considerable...
  • Population Structure and Connectivity of Reef-building Corals in the Southern Dutch Caribbean
    A new study will examine the genetic connectivity of corals located around the ABC islands. The goal is to find a link between the spatial...
  • BioNews 23- Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Alarming Decline of Bridled Quail-Dove populations on Statia
    The Bridled Quail-dove is a regionally endemic species that, on Statia, is only found in upper elevations of the Quill (above ~150m) and inside the...
  • BioNews 16-2018 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews is a newsletter produced by the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) which focuses on science and conservation in the Dutch Caribbean....
  • Health is Wealth: A One Health Approach to control vector-born diseases and promote sustainability
    At the Sustainability Conference held on St. Eustatius in December 2017, the panel “Health is Wealth” explored the interrelationship between the...
  • NICO Science Expedition to the Dutch Caribbean
    December 13th marked the beginning of an incredibly exciting and ambitious research expedition organized by the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea...
  • Coral Reef Rehabilitation in the Dutch Caribbean
    The Dutch Caribbean islands are recognized worldwide for their healthy reefs and outstanding dive sites. Nevertheless, while these reefs are showing...
  • Erosion around Kralendijk, Bonaire
    In areas with sparse vegetation, intense rainfall events can loosen the soil material, after which it is transported away towards the ocean by...
  • Status of Saba Bank’s reefs
    The Saba Bank remained an unexplored and mysterious offshore submerged carbonate platform until very recently. Research on the Saba Bank was first...
  • New Research in the Conservation of Sea Turtles on Their Nesting Beaches
    New research led by Swansea University’s College of Scienceand recently published in Scientific Reportshas reported effective conservation strategies...
  • Urgent Conservation Action Needed to Save the Lesser Antillean Iguana
    The Lesser Antillean Iguana is an endangered endemic reptile found in the Lesser Antilles whose population is rapidly decreasing. Although once also...
  • Hurricane Impacts on Bridled Quail-doves in St. Eustatius
    An immediate concern after hurricanes Irma and Maria fell to the Bridled Quail-dove, a species that forages for fruits and seeds on the forest floor...
  • Unlocking the Evolutionary Secrets of Local Amphibians and Lizards
    Two new research projects were set out to map the evolution and historical geographical migration of key amphibian and reptile species within the...
  • Invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea discovered on Saba
    Park ranger Jelle van der Velde has identified the presence of Halophila stipulaceaat the Queen B. II mooring east of Fort Bay. The discovery, made...
  • BioNews 10-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 10-2017 includes the following news-items: Ecological Restoration Lac Bay and South Coast, Bonaire Bonaire: Roi Sango (EU BEST 2.0) Status of...
  • Bonaire Caves and Karst Nature Reserve
    Bonaire has a rich and complex geological history which is reflected in its current geological landscape. While the core of the island is comprised...
  • Importance of Native Seagrass in the Fight Against Erosion
    A recent study worked to quantify seagrass’s ability to minimize erosion in shallow water of Lac Bay, Bonaire. In addition, this study examined how...
  • Tree Adoption website to help heal Bonaire’s dry forests
    Echo is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the Yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot (Amazona barbadensis) on Bonaire, and the unique dry-...
  • Saba Bank: marine mammals
    The Northern Caribbean is a well-known breeding and calving ground for North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and considerable ...
  • AlgaePARC: Bringing Innovation to Bonaire
    A collaborative effort between private, government and university partners, has been working to develop a microalgae production test facility on...
  • Worth Its Salt: Bonaire’s Cargill Salt Ponds Designated a Shorebird Site of Regional Significance
    Worth Its Salt: Bonaire’s Cargill Salt Ponds Designated a Shorebird Site of Regional Significance Imagine a vast expanse of rectangular saline ponds...
  • BioNews 6-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 6-2017 includes the following news-items: Saba: hurricane impacts St. Eustatius: rat control program Fieldwork on seagrass ecosystem services...
  • Mas Piska pa Boneiru: Less talk more action
    Identifying and overcoming bottlenecks in fisheries management on Bonaire. Fishing is one of the oldest professions in the Dutch Caribbean. Many...
  • Dermal parasites on coral reef fish
    In 2013 Dr. Martin de Graaf from IMARES noted an unusually high number of coral reef fish at the Salt Pier on Bonaire, infected with dermal parasites...
  • Post-breeding migration routes of marine turtles from Bonaire and Klein Bonaire
    News items on: Becking, L.E.; Christianen, M.J.A.; Nava, M.I.; Miller, N.; Willis, S.; van Dam, R.P. (2016) Post-breeding migration routes of marine...
  • BioNews 7-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 7-2017 includes the following news-items:   Status of St. Maarten’s Reef St. Maarten: Impact Hurricane Irma on Nature EPIC...
  • Crowned Slaty Flycatcher: another new bird for Bonaire and for the Kingdom of the Netherlands
    In BioNews 11 (2017) an article was dedicated to the eight bird species that in 2016 and 2017 were added to the Bonaire-bird list. One of these, Pied...
  • Economic Value of Sharks
    Shark populations around the globe have been in rapid decline for the past decades as overfishing and habitat loss have severely reduced their...
  • Dutch Caribbean: “home” of unique, and likely vulnerable, populations of Bryde’s and humpback whales
    During the last decade several marine areas in the Wider Caribbean have been awarded extra protection as “marine mammal reserves”, such as the the...
  • NICO Expedition: Mapping the Sea Bottom
    Researchers aboard the Pelagia research vessel have been collecting invaluable data on marine biomes in the Caribbean since January as part of the “...
  • Coralita, we’re gonna beat ya!
    Having started in 2015, Utrecht University researchers Elizabeth Haber and Jetske Vaas (a.k.a. The Coralita Girls) thought it time to discuss their...
  • Ecological Restoration Lac Bay and South Coast, Bonaire
    Lac Bay is the largest semi-enclosed bay in the Dutch Caribbean, offering visitors breathtaking views, white sandy beaches and shallow turquoise...
  • Statian invasions
    This news-item was published in the Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute Annual Report 2017 Introduced predators such as cats, dogs, and rats are ...
  • Designing the optimal artificial reef
    A new study compared the effectiveness of three popular artificial reefs to increase fish densities around Saba and St Eustatius. The researchers...
  • This Little Island is a Haven for Migratory Shorebirds
    Fernando and I are at our one of our “high density” points (counting stations) on the Cargill Salt Production Facility in southern Bonaire. We are...
  • Assisted natural recovery of sea urchin populations around Saba and St. Eustatius
    Diadema sea-urchins play a vital role in maintaining a balanced coral reef ecosystem by grazing away algae and creating bare substrate for coral...
  • Bonaire’s Yearly Parrot Count
    Every year on Bonaire, dozens of dedicated volunteers wake up before dawn with one simple but important mission: count as many yellow-shouldered...
  • BioNews 4-2017 Dutch Caribbean Newsletter
    BioNews 4-2017 includes the following news-items: Status of Curaçao’s Reefs Researchers discover that the three known flamingo tongue snail species...
  • Kingdom Report Sounds Alarm on Biodiversity Conservation in the Dutch Caribbean
    Only Four of Twenty Biodiversity Targets On Track to Achieve Goals in the Dutch Caribbean A recently published report issued by the Kingdom of the...
  • Restoration of Key Biodiversity Areas of St. Maarten
    In July 2017, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Foundation initiated a project to restore coastal and terrestrial biodiversity by...
  • Saba: Hurricane Impacts
    Since the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria through the windward islands, the staff of the dive operators on Saba, comprising Saba Divers, Sea...
  • St. Eustatius: economic value of nature
    The Caribbean Netherlands Science Institute (CNSI) hosted two “Economic Value of Nature” workshops on St. Eustatius from 3-6 April 2017. These...
  • Status of St. Maarten’s Reef
    Last September, major category 5+ Hurricane Irma caused widespread damage to St. Maarten. This was a strong reminder of the urgency to preserve the...
  • Annual Shark Conference of the European Elasmobranch Association
    For three days in October 2017, Amsterdam became the shark capitol of Europe, as 150 scientists, policymakers and nature conservationists from all...
  • Three new exotic gecko species identified on Curaçao
    As part of the Caribbean Island Biogeography meets the Anthropocene project, researchers initiated their surveys for exotic reptile and amphibian...
  • POP Bonaire: Rural Development Program: 2014-2018
    Increasing concern over Bonaire’s dependence on dive tourism and the importation of food products has led the government to push for the sustainable...
  • Drastic effects of coralita on the biodiversity of insects and spiders
    A study by researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam shows that the invasive plant coralita and urban development have led to large, distinct...
  • 71st annual conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
    The 71st annual conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) was held in San Andres, (Colombia) from 5–9 November 2018. This...
  • Bonaire: Roi Sango (EU BEST 2.0)
    Starting in 2016, Echo – a small nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the Yellow-shouldered Amazon parrot – has been working...
  • Curacao’s New Underwater Research Station
    Plans for a cutting edge, underwater research station ‘PROTEUS™’ have recently been released.  The modular design, inspired by coral polyps, will...
  • Environmental DNA FOR Lionfish Mapping
    When a new species is introduced to a foreign environment, it can upset the natural balance.  One such example, was the introduction of the Pacific...
  • Using Digital Footprints to Manage Conservation Efforts
    Researchers from Wageningen University and Research compiled thousands of photographs taken on Bonaire to analyze tourist activities and highlight...
  • Molluscs of the Dutch Caribbean Islands
    The journal of the Netherlands Malacological Society, Vita Malacologica, dedicated its December 2017 edition to the malacofauna of the Dutch...
  • Rat Invaders: Islands Fighting Back Against Killer Rodents
    Since the furry stowaways landed here aboard sealing and whaling ships in the 19th century, they've been wreaking ecological havoc on the island and...
  • Marine biodiversity research expedition on Bonaire
    An international research team will come to Bonaire from 21 October to 9 November 2019 to investigate its marine biodiversity. Although Bonaire’s...
  • St. Eustatius: rat control program
    Introduced predators such as cats, dogs, and rats can be found all over St. Eustatius and are a primary threat to the island's biodiversity. Rats,...
  • International Meeting on Protection of Sharks
    From November 20-24th, 2017 a group of international shark experts gathered at Captain Don’s Habitat on Bonaire to discuss measures for the...
  • BioNews 9 - October 2013
    This month’s issue focuses attention on a very important species group – butterflies. Due to their sensitivity to environmental conditions,...
  • Nutrient monitoring data on Bonaire and Curacao, 2007
    Raw data of a comparative nutrient monitoring program that included seasonal sampling for nutrients (ammonium, nitrate, DIN, SRP, TDN, TDP),...
  • Reef photo quadrants of St.Eustatius. Raw photo material of the 2017 survey
    Raw photo material of the 2017 reef survey using the GCRMN method. The 20 survey sites lie within the St. Eustatius National Marine Park, which...
  • Reef photo quadrants of St.Eustatius. Raw photo material of the 2016 survey
    Raw photo material of the 2016 reef survey using the GCRMN method. The 20 survey sites lie within the St. Eustatius National Marine Park, which...
  • Raw data of turtle in-water-catch monitoring on Bonaire by STCB
    Raw data of sea turtle in-water-catch monitoring on Bonaire, including locations, species, carapace size, diseases, parasites, etc. Please contact ...
  • Taxonomically annotated underwater hyperspectral and color images of coral reef transects from Curaçao
    This dataset contains underwater hyperspectral imagery that can be used by researchers in the domains of computer vision, machine learning, remote...
  • Reef photo quadrants of St.Eustatius. Raw photo material of the 2015 survey
    Raw photo material of the 2015 reef survey using the GCRMN method. The 20 survey sites lie within the St. Eustatius National Marine Park, which...
  • Bats Bonaire
    As pollinators of the typical dry forest cacti, bats are a keystone species. Dry tropical forests are the most threatened type of forest in the Dutch...
  • Reef photo quadrants of Bonaire. Raw photo material of the 2019 survey
    Raw photo material of the 2019 reef survey using the GCRMN method. The 12 survey sites lie within the Bonaire National Marine Park, which surrounds...
  • Een natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek gericht op het behoud van het Lac op Bonaire
    After news was received that the Netherlands Antilles' largest and as yet almost unspoiled lagoon would be involved in development plans, a...
  • Staat van de natuur van Caribisch Nederland 2017
      Sinds de staatkundige herstructurering van het Koninkrijk in 2010, maken de Caribische eilanden van Bonaire, Saba en St. Eustatius als speciale...
  • Future of Bonaire: Greenpeace review on the impacts of climate change on the Dutch Caribbean island Bonaire
    Bonaire or Boneiru, as it is known in Papiamentu, is a Dutch Caribbean island. An island full of heritage, gorgeous sunset views and a place that...
  • Impact of terrestrial erosion on coral reef health at Bonaire: a plea for nature-inclusive “watershed-to-reef” based coastal management
    Coral reefs are rapidly degrading worldwide, due to  a combination of global and local stressors. While gloal stressors, such as ocean warming,...
  • Cruise report RV Pelagia 64PE430 : Bottom topography, groundwater discharge and cyanobacterial mats of mesophotic reefs, 25 January - 2 February 2018Curaçao-Bonaire-Aruba (NICO expedition leg 3)
    The Caribbean is well known for its tropical islands fringed by beautiful coral reefs. However, reefs nowadays shift from coral dominance to...
  • Monitoring the effect of cat removal on reproductive success in Red-billed Tropicbird colonies on Saba, 2013-2014: first season of results
    One of the most deleterious invasive introduced predators worldwide is the domestic cat which has been found responsible for many island extinctions...
  • Diversity, abundance, distribution and habitat use reef-associated sharks in the Dutch Caribbean
    Shark are in serious decline in the Caribbean due to fishing pressure and slow reproductive life-history. The Dutch Caribbean Nature Policy Plan in...
  • Avifaunal and Botanical Survey of The Jan Thiel Lagoon Conservation Area, Curaçao
    The Jan Thiel lagoon can be considered the most important wetland of Curaçao based on its combined value as a feeding habitat for terns. As is likely...
  • St. Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme - Annual Report 2005
    Abstract: The St Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme was initiated in 2001 due to concerns that the island’s sea turtle populations were...
  • ‘Quick scan’ to assess the prevalence of dermal parasites among coral reef fishes of Bonaire.
    In the past, diseases and infections have had dramatic impacts on Caribbean coral reef ecosystems (e.g. white band disease in corals (Pantos and...
  • St. Eustatius National Marine Park Management Plan 2007
    Abstract: The St. Eustatius Marine Park was created in 1996 and extends around the entire island from the high water line to 30m depth contour. St....
  • A Report on the Status of the Coral Reefs of Bonaire 2003 with Advice on the Establishment of Fish Protection Areas
    Bonaire has long been considered to have amongst the healthiest reefs of the Caribbean. However, at the 2002 Annual Meeting of Pew Fellows for Marine...
  • A Report on the Status of the Coral Reefs of Bonaire in 2005 with Advice on a Monitoring Program
    This report characterizes the state of Bonaire’s reefs as of March 2005. We pay particular attention to structural and functional attributes of reefs...
  • Activity budget of the princess parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus): a comparison between daylight and sunset periods
    Abstract: Most animals are active either during the day, night, or twilight, and transition periods between these times exhibit interesting behavior...
  • Cruise report seabird and cetacean survey Saba bank expedition October 2011
    Abstract: In October 2011 an expedition took place to the Saba Bank, on board of the ship the Caribbean Explorer II. Main aim of the expedition was...
  • Ecological values of the 12 miles zone of Bonaire
    In 2015 an Expert group assessed the ten Dutch World Heritage candidate sites and advised the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science with regards...
  • Baseline assessment of the coral reef fish assemblages of St. Eustatius
    The shallow marine habitats surrounding St. Eustatius fulfil critical ecosystem services in terms of fishery production, recreation, dive tourism and...
  • Evaluating the Effectiveness of Marine No-Take Reserves in St. Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: Marine reserves, in which exploitation of marine organisms and other human activities are restricted or prohibited, can be valuable tools...
  • Combatting oil pollution in vulnerable areas
    This report contains an explanation of the vulnerability charts that were drawn up for the Caribbean Netherlands (the islands of Bonaire, Sint...
  • Ocean Current Patterns and variability around Curaçao for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
    Msc. thesis Large-scale changes in ocean conditions caused by installing and operating Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) have not been studied...
  • Erosiebestrijding en natuurherstel
    Een gezond koraalrif is cruciaal voor Bonaire. De economie is voor 80% afhankelijk van het toerisme. De twee grootste bedreigingen voor het koraalrif...
  • A population assessment and habitat description of the Alsophis rufiventris on the Quill and Boven National Park, St. Eustatius
    Abstract The genus Alsophis used to be very abundant in the Lesser Antilles. Numbers have declined ascribed to anthropogenic causes and the...
  • UAUCU Student Research Exchange Collected Papers 2018 (Vol. 4)
    Introduction to the fourth edition of the UAUCU Student Research Exchange Collected Papers This volume presents academic papers and personal...
  • Vegetatie onderzoek Bonaire 2019
    This report describes a field visit to the Caribbean island of Bonaire aiming at collection of field data on the arid vegetation, which consists...
  • Research and Monitoring Results for the Size Class Distribution and Abundance of the Queen Conch, Strombus gigas, and Seagrass Characterization in Lac Bay, Bonaire
    Executive Summary This report provides a comprehensive coverage of accomplishments completed to date by Environics for the Lac Bay queen conch (...
  • Caribbean Humpback Acoustic Monitoring Programme: 2016-2017 Report
    In September 2016, the West Indies distinct population segment (DPS) of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), was delisted under the US...
  • St. Eustatius GCRMN Caribbean Final report 2017
    Twenty sites across four monitoring zones of St. Eustatius’s marine ecosystem were assessed using the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network Caribbean...
  • Bescherming en Beheer Mariene Biodiversiteit in de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba. Een analyse van het internationaalrechtelijk en nationaalrechtelijk kader.
    Samenvatting: Het Ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit (LNV) heeft TNO Bouw en Ondergrond en het Netherlands Institute for the Law of...
  • Funding Protected Areas in the Wider Caribbean. A Guide for Managers and Conservation Organizations
    Abstract: This document is an orientation to sources of funding for protected areas and biodiversity conservation. It is designed to serve as a...
  • A Report on the Status of the Coral Reefs of Bonaire in 2007 with Results from Monitoring 2003 – 2007
    Bonaire’s reefs remain among the best in the Caribbean. However, our monitoring has revealed some potentially troubling trends that may require...
  • Monitoring Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas. A practical guide on how monitoring can support effective management of MPAs
    Abstract: Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an important tool for marine conservation and management; monitoring plays a critical role in managing...
  • Status and Trends of Bonaire’s Reefs, 2011. Cause for grave concerns
    Unusually warm ocean temperatures surrounding Bonaire during the late summer and fall of 2010 caused 10 to 20 % of corals to bleach (Fig. 1)....
  • Water Quality Testing July 2012 -St. Maarten Nature Foundation
    The Nature Foundation carried out water quality tests on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th of July 2012 at seven sites surrounding St. Maarten. These tests,...
  • Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire - Progress Report 2008
    Our 2008 work plan focused on the following objectives to help us achieve our mission: Science - Improved understanding of sea turtle biology through...
  • Rare plant species, establishment of exclosures and recommendations for a monitoring program in the Washington-Slagbaai Park (Bonaire)
    Abstract: The aim of the present project–commissioned by the management of the Washington-Slagbaai Park (WSP)- was to set-up a more strategic...
  • Monitoring program for waterbirds inhabiting the saliñas located on the northwest of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Year report 2008
    Management Recommendations: The boundaries of the WSNP should be expended to include all the salinas included in this survey. This expansion will not...
  • Lac Bonaire - Restoration Action Spear Points, September 2010
    Lac Bay, Bonaire is the most important mangrove and seagrass area of Bonaire and has been undergoing steady ecological decline in the last decades....
  • Saba Bank - Special Marine Area Management Plan 2008
    Findings A management plan was prepared in close consultation with a considerable number of stakeholders and stakeholder group representatives. The...
  • Tropical Americas Coral Reef Resilience Workshop Report
    The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assumed leadership of the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN) in 2010 with...
  • Restoration of Resilience of Nature and Society in the Caribbean Netherlands
    The project "Resilience Restoration of Nature and Society in the Caribbean Netherlands" contributes to halting the decline of the coral reefs in the...
  • Tracking digital footprints in Bonaire's landscapes - spatial distribution and characterisation of tourists on Bonaire using social media
    Introduction and aims With the introduction of smart phones that also take photos combined with GPS tracking applications, more tourists are able to...
  • Quantifying the state of the coral reef ecosystem in relation to biophysical benthic and pelagic indicators and biological drivers of change in the Saba National Marine Park, Dutch Caribbean
    Abstract   Coral reefsare experiencing large scale degradation. Motivated by the need for regular data monitoring and forquantification of the state...
  • Seagrasses and coastal protection: The role of Halophila stipulacea in sediment stability at the coast of St. Eustatius, Dutch Caribbean
    Abstract Seagrasses are increasingly being recognized for their potential in protecting the coastlines from flooding and erosion. As ecosystem...
  • Marine assessment guideline for BOPEC and Nustar operations
    As part of the permit, Rijkswaterstaat requested an ecological monitoring and evaluation framework guideline to accompany the permit-application for...
  • Frame Survey Curaçao’s fishing fleet 2016
    A brief inventory of the current fishing capacity (frame survey) of the insular fishing fleet of Curacao was conducted. Curacao is part of the...
  • St. Eustatius GCRMN Caribbean Final Report 2018
    Twenty-two sites across four monitoring zones of St. Eustatius’s marine ecosystem were assessed using the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network...
  • SE FL ECA Reef-building-coral Disease Intervention and Preparation for Restoration: Progress Report
    Stoney coral tissue loss disease   Final summary report by Brian Walker on Southeast Florida’s reef-building coral response to amoxicillin...
  • Lac Bay: Then and Now… A Historical Interpretation of Environmental Change During the 1900s A Site Characterization of Lac Bay for Resource Managers and Naturalists prepared for Bonaire Marine Park
    Executive Summary This Site Characterization report provides a comprehensive coverage of past and present scientific research that had been conducted...
  • Humpback and minke whale acoustic presence with reference to fish sounds and ambient noise levels at Saba Bank, Caribbean Windward Dutch Islands
    The Antillean Island chain is a known breeding and calving ground for North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). However, while most...
  • Bird communities of contrasting semi-natural habitats of Lac Bay, Bonaire, during the fall migration season, 2011
    Findings: Species richness Species richness is highest in Lac’s mangrove thickets and salt flats. They have a two-fold higher total species richness...
  • Bonaire National Marine Park. Tropical Storm Omar; Report of Reef Condition
    Abstract: On October 14 and 15, 2008 Tropical Storm Omar reached Bonaire. Wind speed averaging 18 to 20 knots from SW started at 3 am on October 14...
  • An Assessment of the Health and Resilience of Bonaire’s Coral Reefs
    Abstract: From July 19-26, 2010, a dedicated team of researchers completed transect surveys on 25 reefs located on the leeward side of Bonaire and...
  • Monitoring program for waterbirds inhabiting the saliñas located on the northwest of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Year report 2009
    Management Recommendations: Include all the area of Salina Goto and salina Frans inside the borders of WSNP. This expansion will not only benefit the...
  • Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire - Progress Report 2007
    We focused our 2007 work on six objectives designed to help us achieve our mission: Science - Improved understanding of sea turtle biology through...
  • Saba Bank; health status 2010. Cruise report
    Findings: The main conclusion from this study is that the health of the reefs of the Saba Bank has deteriorated since the first observations in 1972...
  • Predation threats to the Red- billed Tropicbird breeding colony of Saba: focus on cats
    Summary: Feral domestic cats (Felis catus) are recognized as one of the most devastating alien predator species in the world and are a major threat...
  • Generic ecological assessment framework for coastal ecosystems in the Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract: The aim of this study was to draft a generic ecological assessment framework for coastal systems in Caribbean Netherlands (CN) that offers...
  • Assessment of Ramsar site Lac Bonaire – June 2010
    Findings The main issues that Lac Bay faces were identified as follows: Filling-in of Lac and reduced water circulation. Over-grazing by extensive...
  • A review of coral reef restoration techniques
    In this review the following three reef restoration techniques are discussed: 1. Coral gardening, 2. Larval seeding, and 3. Reef balls. These...
  • Draft Business Plan for U.S. Coral Reefs
    The Coral Reef Ecosystem business plan describes a comprehensive 10 year strategy to guide NFWF’s conservation investments to achieve measurable...
  • On the spatial-temporal distribution of the minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata and B. bonaerensis) in the Wider Caribbean Region and adjacent western tropical North Atlantic
    Abstract Until recently, minke whale sightings in the northern Atlantic Ocean (NA) were thought to belong exclusively to the common species...
  • Status and Trends of Bonaire’s Reefs in 2017: Clear signs of resilience
    The “resilience” of coral reef ecosystems has been an important goal of managers and policy makers for decades. At its most basic level, resilience...
  • MAP MANGROVE PLANTING SITES & COMPARE AND EVALUATE MANGROVE RESTORATION TECHNIQUES
    Abstract This thesis assignment consists of two parts: mapping mangrove planting sites along the southwest  coast of Bonaire, and comparing and...
  • The potential Outstanding Universal Value and natural heritage values of Bonaire National Marine Park: an ecological perspective
    The Southern Caribbean forms a separate biogeographic province for marine mollusks and marine fish faunas. The terrestrial desert and xeric...
  • A population assessment and habitat description of the Alsophis rufiventris on the Quill and Boven National Park, St. Eustatius
    The genus Alsophis used to be very abundant in the Lesser Antilles. Numbers have declined ascribed to anthropogenic causes and the introduction of...
  • St. Eustatius GCRMN Caribbean Final Report 2019
    Twenty-two sites across four monitoring zones of St. Eustatius’ marine ecosystem within the national marine park were assessed using the Global Coral...
  • Modelling Mangrove growth and salinity: a semi-arid case study
    of the mangrove forest in Lac Bay, Bonaire is an environmental issue. Mangrove forests surround Lac Bay. Lac Bay has a status as RAMSAR site (RAMSAR...
  • Saba Bank research expedition 2011 – Progress Report
    Abstract: The Saba Bank is a large submerged carbonate platform of approximately 2,200 km2 in the Caribbean Sea which lies partially within the...
  • Species Management Plan: Yellow-shouldered Amazon Parrot, Amazona barbadensis, Dutch Caribbean
    MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS: Threat mitigation Boost population growth rate and address nest site limitation Reduce poaching Habitat protection Grow...
  • Quick scan environmental impact assessment of the St. Eustatius harbour extension
    At St. Eustatius a project has started for the improvement and expansion of the Seaport St. Eustatius. The planned activities related to the project...
  • Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire - Progress Report 2005
    2005 was a very successful year for Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire as we built upon the accomplishments of 2004. In all the program areas, staff and...
  • Management plan for the natural resources of the EEZ of the Dutch Caribbean
    On the 10th of October 2010 the governmental entity known as the Netherlands Antilles is scheduled to cease to exist. Each island will aquire a new...
  • Growth, mortality and recruitment rates of the brown alga Lobophora variegata in relation to herbivory and nutrients on Bonaire
    Abstract: Declines in herbivory and increases in nutrient concentrations on tropical coral reefs are considered two of the major drivers of coral-...
  • Biodiversiteit voor de BES-eilanden: Bonaire, St. Eustatius en Saba: onderzoeksvragen en verplichtingen
  • Marine Area Survey: an inventory of the natural and cultural marine resources of St. Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
    The purpose of this survey was to describe and map the natural and cultural resources of the marine environment with a view to sustainable...
  • Bonaire deep reef expedition I
    The deep reef of Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands, was explored with the aid of the “Curasub” submarine of Substation Curaçao. The shallow reefs of the...
  • Pilot study on behaviour of sharks around Saba using acoustic telemetry
    Worldwide many shark populations are in strong decline mainly due to fisheries. Population status of sharks in the Caribbean is still poorly known....
  • Initial Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) studies on St. Eustatius
    The large marine gastropod, Queen conch (Strombus gigas) was studied over a period of 3 months on the island of St. Eustatius. Strombus gigas are...
  • Research and Monitoring of Bonaire’s Sea Turtles: 2013
    Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) was initiated in the early 1990s to protect the island’s marine turtle populations. Our current research and...
  • A Case Study in the Effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): the Islands of Bonaire and Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean
    The islands of Bonaire and Curaçao, Dutch Caribbean, were both mapped along their leeward coasts for dominant coral community and other benthic cover...
  • Evaluation of the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database: user perspectives
    The Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database (DCBD; www.dcbd.nl) is a nature and biodiversity web-platform for the Dutch Caribbean funded by the Dutch...
  • Sponge density increases with depth throughout the Caribbean
    Mesophotic coral reefs (MCEs) are ecologically unique components of coral reef ecosystems that occur at depths from ~30 to 150 m where they support a...
  • Flamingos on Bonaire and in Venezuela
    Results of a three year study (1975-1978) of Flamingos on Bonaire and in Venezuela, including population size, food availability, migration and...
  • Feasibility study of a new harbour on the island of St. Eustatius
    St. Eustatius is a small island in the Caribbean that belongs to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its existing harbour is due for upgrades and repairs...
  • Description of the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the Proposed Marine Nomination Properties of the Bonaire and Curaçao Marine Parks (BCMP
    This report describes the possible Outstanding Universal Value of the potential World Heritage nomination that combines the Bonaire National Marine...
  • Studies on the flora of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands
    This vegetation survey is the outcome of an investigation of the islands of the Netherlands Antilles carried out under the auspices of the Foundation...
  • Factors that Influence Red-billed Tropicbird Survival on Pilot Hill, Sint Eustatius
    Red-billed Tropicbirds breeding on Pilot Hill on the island of Sint Eustatius have been exhibiting an average survival rate of between 30-40%. The...
  • Linking spatial gradients and habitat to reef fish assemblages: Insights from a remote coral reef system
    Student Report  Drastic loss of Caribbean coral reef habitat in the past decades has recently begun to negatively affect reef fish assemblage...
  • An insight into Saba's heritage properties for the purpose of World Heritage nomination
    In 2011, the Saban government submitted the tentative list for nomination of the UNESCO World Heritage list. On this tentative list, the whole island...
  • Mountain biking on Aruba's wild coast
    The island of Aruba predominantly has a ‘sun, sea and sand’ tourism destination image. The Arub Tourism Authority (A.T.A.) aims to diversify the...
  • What is Bonaire’s Cruise Tourism Worth
    The ecosystems of the island of Bonaire support a range of activities that depend on the quality of the natural environment. Tourism is one of these...
  • The ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Saba (Netherlands Antilles)
    In 1937, 1949 and 1963 P. Wagenaar Hummelinck collected vertebrates with some co-operators. The ants of these expeditions were selected and stored (...
  • Investigating Variation in Coral Reef Morphology with Photomosaics and Analysis of Percent Cover
    Coral reefs serve as an important component of tropical marine ecosystems’ functionality and composition. However, coral cover in the Caribbean reefs...
  • Coral bleaching in the Bonaire National Marine Park 2016-2020
    STINAPA report Mass coral bleaching is becoming more frequent and widespread and poses a major threat to coral reefs worldwide. Mass coral bleaching...
  • The vegetation of the Netherlands Antilles
    This vegetation survey is the outcome of an investigation of the islands of the Netherlands Antilles carried out under the auspices of the Foundation...
  • Mas Piska pa Boneiru: A social mapping study of the fisheries sectors of Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius
    Why is it so difficult to manage the fisheries sector on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius and how should this be tackled in the future in order to...
  • How channel dimensions relate to the erosivity of tidal flows in mangrove channels in Lac Bay, Bonaire. BSc thesis
    Almost the entire shoreline of Bonaire belongs to the Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP), from the high water line to 60m depth. The marine park...
  • Nature Foundation Marine Park, Reef & Marine Research Assessments Post Hurricane Irma
    On the 6th of September powerful category five storm Hurricane Irma struck Sint Maarten with 185 MPH winds, causing widespread damage to the island...
  • An Inventory of the Geographical Distribution and Conservation Status ofMarine Turtles and Sharks in the Wider Caribbean andRelationship to Fisheries
    Findings on Marine Turtles ·         Migration routes to and from nesting sites (typically index beaches) are variously known in the Caribbean,...
  • Coral Reef Resilience Assessment of the Bonaire National Marine Park, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: Although Bonaire’s coral reefs remain among the healthiest and most resilient in the Caribbean, this IUCN report based on the IUCN...
  • Eutrophication status of Lac, Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean Including proposals for measures
    Abstract: Lac is a semi-enclosed lagoon located on the south-eastern side of Bonaire, and contains a diversity of shallow water coral reef associated...
  • Humpback and minke whale acoustic presence with reference to fish sounds and ambient noise levels at Saba Bank, Caribbean Windward Dutch Islands
    The Antillean Island chain is a known breeding and calving ground for North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). However, while most...
  • The Lesser Antillean Iguana on St. Eustatius: 2012 status update and review of limiting factors
    Abstract: The endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana, Iguana delicatissima, is an emblematic species for the island of St. Eustatius and in Caribbean...
  • Research and Monitoring of Bonaire’s Sea Turtles: 2015 Technical Report
    Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) was formed in 1991 in order to protect the island’s marine turtle populations. In 2002 we standardized our...
  • Results of Nature Foundation Research into invasive Seagrass H. stipulacea in the Simpson Bay Lagoon
    Abstract: In February 2013 the St. Maarten Nature Foundation confirmed the presence of Halophila stipulacea, an invasive seagrass, in the Simpson Bay...
  • Research and Monitoring Report 2012 - Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire
    Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire proudly presents its 2012 Bonaire Sea Turtle Research and Monitoring Report. In this report you will read about...
  • St. Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme - Annual Report 2006
    Abstract: The St Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme was initiated in 2001 due to concerns that the island’s sea turtle populations were...
  • The influence of terrestrial erosion on Acropora palmata occurrence on Saba, Dutch Caribbean
    A high influx of sediment resulting from terrestrial erosion, imposes a major threat on coral reef ecosystems worldwide by inducing sedimentation and...
  • Improving water circulation into backlands of Lac Bay through channel management
    Lac Bay is the lagoon of Bonaire; in that lagoon a mangrove forest of red and black mangroves grows. The mangrove forest of Lac provides birds and...
  • The infauna habitat of invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea on the Dutch Caribbean island of St Eustatius.
    Student Report  Since the opening of the 160km long Suez canal on November 17, 1869, it was possible for large ships to navigate between the...
  • St. Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme - Annual Report 2007
    Abstract: The St Eustatius Sea Turtle Conservation Programme was initiated in 2001 due to concerns that the island’s sea turtle populations were...
  • Population Assessment of Queen Conch, Strombus gigas, in the St. Eustatius Marine Park, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: Queen Conch, Lobatus gigas, is a large, herbivorous, marine gastropod found primarily in the Western Atlantic Caribbean region. Adult conch...
  • Breeding success survey of White-tailed Tropicbird, Phaeton lepturus catsbyii, on the islands of Bermuda - 2006 to 2008 Nesting Seasons
  • Naturalised and invasive alien plant species in the Caribbean Netherlands: status, distribution, threats, priorities and recommendations
    Abstract: The Netherlands are signatories of the international Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This implies that the nation will protect...
  • Interactions between invasive mammals and their effects on Red-billed Tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) nesting productivity
    Abstract: Red-billed Tropicbirds (Phaethon aethereus) are cavity-nesting seabirds with important nesting colonies on Saba and Sint Eustatius in the...
  • Important Bird Areas in the Caribbean Netherlands
    Abstract: The Important Bird Area (IBA) programme is an initiative of BirdLife International aimed at identifying, monitoring and protecting a...
  • Multivariate Analysis of Gorgonian Habitats on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles
    The second Saba Bank Expedition in October 2008 aimed at improving the knowledge of the gorgonacea by generating a comprehensive species list for...
  • Exotic and invasive terrestrial and freshwater animal species in the Dutch Caribbean
    We here provide an overview of 72 invasive animals of the terrestrial and freshwater environments of the Dutch Caribbean, eleven of which are no...
  • Environmental Impact Report for Off Road Driving (ORD) in Parke Nacional Arikok
    Aruba has overstretched its resources beyond sustainable levels (ATA 2018). One of numerous factors putting pressure on Aruba’s natural resources is...
  • The status and trends of the coral reefs around Saba, Dutch Caribbean, 2016
    Coral reefs are of great value for millions of people, but at the same time they are facing a lot of threats of which almost all come down to human...
  • Reef dissolution : Rates and mechanisms of coral dissolution by bioeroding sponges and reef communities
    Embargo until April 04 2020 PhD thesis For coral reefs to persist, the rate of CaCO3 production must be greater than the rate of erosion to enable...
  • Hurricane Lenny, Klein Bonaire dive site damage report
    This handwritten report hurricane Lenny's damage to all dive sites on Klein Bonaire provides an overall impression of the condition of all corals /...
  • Sinkhole expedition Luymes bank, Saba bank
    The Saba Bank is a large (ca 2400 km2 ) submerged carbonate platform of 15-40m depth rising up from 800-1000m depth and fringed with coral reefs. It...
  • An archaeological assessment of Steward plantation, St. Eustatius, Caribbean Netherlands
    In November 2011, the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research was asked to conduct an archaeological assessment of Steward plantation. The...
  • Fisheries Baseline Assessment of Statia Marine Park, St Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles
    Abstract: St. Eustatius Marine Park was established in 1996 and became actively managed in 1997 to conserve and protect the marine environment. It...
  • Research and Monitoring Report 2011 - Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire
    Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire (STCB) is a non-governmental, non-profit, research and conservation organization that began in 1991. Our mission is...
  • The Protection and Management of the Sargasso Sea: The golden floating rainforest of the Atlantic Ocean
    The Sargasso Sea is a fundamentally important part of the world’s ocean, located within the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre with its boundaries...
  • A Management Capacity Assessment of Selected Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas in the Caribbean
    Abstract: This report presents the findings of an assessment of capacity building needs for the management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the...
  • The Saba Bank- A large atoll in the northeastern Caribbean
    Findings Abundant coral growth within the Saba Bank is restricted mainly to the two large windward reefs. These two reefs carry a very rich reef...
  • An Assessment of Nesting Seabirds within San Nicolas Bay, Aruba, 2009
    Executive Summary: The eleventh field season of the Aruba Tern Project was completed in 2009. The study continued its stated aim of producing a...
  • Coral restoration Bonaire. An evaluation of growth, regeneration and survival.
    The Coral restoration of Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and Elkhorn (A. palmata) as practiced by the Coral Restoration Foundation Bonaire (CRFB) is...
  • Radar Surveys for Audubon’s Shearwater on Saba, Netherlands Antilles
    Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri), known locally as Wedrego on Saba and St. Eustatius, is a medium-sized seabird species that feeds at sea...
  • Biological Inventory of St. Maarten
    St. Maarten is one of the islands forming the inner arc of the Lesser Antilles. It is older than Saba and St. Eustatius. The oldest rock strata date...
  • Brief biological inventory of Bolivia, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
    The lands of the former Bolivia Plantation amount to about three-thousand three-hundred (3,300) hectares of wildlands and basically constitute the...
  • Tracking digital footprints in Bonaire’s landscapes
    Introduction and aims  With the introduction of smart phones that also take photos combined with GPS tracking applications, more tourists are able to...
  • Rare and/or Endangered Land and Freshwater Molluscs of St. Martin
    Rare and/or Endangered Land and Freshwater Mollusks of St. Martin. In this article, Sint Maarten means the Dutch part and Saint-Martin the French...
  • Status and trends of coral reef health indicators on Saba (Caribbean Netherlands)
    Coral reefs are threatened globally and their trajectories of decline are very similar worldwide. In the Caribbean coral cover has declined by 80%...
  • Assessing the viabiliy of the groasis waterboxx for dry forest restoration and reforestation projects.
    Extensive deforestation of dry tropical forests is globally impeding the ecosystem services and functions that the forests provide, which millions of...
  • Quantifying the state of the coral reef ecosystem in relation to biophysical benthic and pelagic indicators and biological drivers of change in the Saba National Marine Park, Dutch Caribbean
    Student Report Coral reefs are experiencing large scale degradation. Motivated by the need for regular data monitoring and for quantification of the...
  • Biological Inventory of Saba
    Abstract: Saba is the smallest of the three Windward Islands in the Netherlands Antilles, with an area of 13 km2. Saba is the northernmost island...
  • Status and Trends of Bonaire's Coral Reefs in 2015: Slow but steady signs of resilience
    Bonaire’s coral reefs remain among the healthiest in the Caribbean. Although the island’s reefs have suffered bleaching disturbances similar to those...
  • Tanker Anchoring Impact Study and Recommendations St Eustatius Marine Park
    Abstract: St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA) is the only active environmental non-government organization on St. Eustatius, and was...
  • Assessment of the Breeding Success of Red-billed Tropicbirds on St. Eustatius
    Abstract: We assessed the breeding success of Red-billed Tropicbirds Phaethon aethereus on St. Eustatius, particularly in relation to predation at...
  • Activity budget of the princess parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus): a comparison between daylight and sunset periods
    Abstract: Most animals are active either during the day, night, or twilight, and transition periods between these times exhibit interesting behavior...
  • An Atlas of Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat for the Wider Caribbean Region. WIDECAST Technical Report No.6
    Abstract: Six species of sea turtle nest in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). In partnership with more than 120 Data Providers, the spatial database...
  • Seabird conservation status, threats and priority actions: a global assessment
    Summary: We review the conservation status of, and threats to, all 346 species of seabirds, based on BirdLife International’s data and assessments...
  • A landscape ecological vegetation map of Sint Eustatius (Lesser Antilles)
    Abstract: A semi-detailed landscape-based vegetation map (scale: 1: 37,500) based on field data from 1999 has been available as an update of Stoffers...
  • World Heritage and Tourism: the Case of Curacao How to combine local and global interests
    Objectives: This paper examines the relationship between World Heritage and Tourism on Curacao focusing on the interests involved on a local and...
  • Introduced agricultural pests, plant and animals diseases and vectors in the Dutch Caribbean, with an “Alert species” list
    A review of the introduced agricultural pests and animal and plant diseases and vectors for the Dutch Caribbean in which a total of 47 exotic pests,...

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