Lisa Mitchell
has lived in the Caribbean for over 20 years starting as a dive shop owner on the island of Tortola in the  British Virgin Islands.  Her passion for diving led her to be the head of training and marketing for SSI (Scuba Schools International).  She now is the Executive Director  R.E.E.F., an environmental awareness foundation that is making a worldwide difference with its fish monitoring programs and surveys.  In addition to her other responsibilities, Lisa is passionate about her pet project The Threat of Lionfish on Caribbean Reefs.  Join Lisa to understand the perilous state of many areas already and what we can do to stop the invasive species from spreading.  Her proper bio will be posted soon.

Dates, times and schedules of presentations and field projects TBA. 

Roderick Stewart
is a volcano-seismologist at the Seismic Research Centre, University of the West Indies, Trinidad. Recently, he has spent part of his time as Acting Director of Montserrat Volcano Observatory, monitoring the Soufriere Hills Volcano which has been erupting for the last thirteen years on the small Caribbean island of Montserrat. Rod, as he tends to be called, trained as a seismologist and then worked in such diverse areas as nuclear-explosion monitoring, geothermal energy and the oil industry. He was bitten by the volcano bug when he took a job at Rabaul Volcano Observatory in Papua New Guinea and witnessed a major eruption. Since then, Rod has worked on volcanoes in Japan, the Caribbean and the South Atlantic and has become well-respected in his field. He tried to give up volcanology for a while, but was tempted back to the subject and to the Caribbean in 2007. The Seismic Research Centre is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes throughout the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean which allows Rod to indulge himself in what he now admits to be an obsession with earth changing events.  In 2008, Rod was a favorite with his final evening presentation on volcanoes.  Join Rod this year to tell us about earthquakes in the Caribbean. 
Dates, times and locations in mid October TBA. 

Mark Marks
is a research biologist living in his homeland of Oregon.  Marks is best known for his pioneering graduate studies of the behavioral ecology and sociobiology of the great white shark off South Africa. The scientists’ focus on applying experimental biology techniques in the field outside the confines of a shark cage have provided him a unique perspective on the little known world of white shark behavior and feeding ecology. Marks’ extensive scientific background with elasmobranches (Sharks, Skates and Rays), spans more than twenty-five years, taking him to remote locations off four continents, ten countries and including research with dozens of shark species. For this extreme biologist the possibility of uncovering and elucidating new, yet described shark behavior is the driving force behind exploration and expedition adventures with a distinct academic twist.  Marks has most recently returned from his fourth research trip to Guadeloupe Island, off Baja Mexico, where he participated with National Geographic in filming white shark predation of Northern Elephant Seals. 

Join Mark for plenty of shark talk on Saba.  Dates, times and schedules TBA.

Jan Lupton
is part of the waterfront staff at the marine resource centre of the School for Field Studies In Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean where she is conducting an independent research project on Spotted Eagle Rays.  Jan's passion for the marine environment arose from a year spent studying and traveling throughout Australia, Thailand and Fiji where she spent more time in the water than out of it.  Her love of sharks and rays in particular developed from time spent at the Bimini Biological Field Station in the Bahamas researching shark behavior, population dynamics and tagging methods. After completing her MSc in Tropical Coastal Management at Newcastle University, Jan became part of the waterfront staff.  As an advocate of Spotted Eagle Ray awareness and protection, she is also involved in community outreach with primary and secondary schools on the island.  Her specific area of focus has been to coordinate students and staff collecting photographs of individual Spotted Eagle Rays and applying software that matches their spot patterns.  This same methodology is used for whale sharks populations studies.  By studying habitat, movements with tides and social organization, she can investigate the population dynamics of the species.  Join Jan to understand more about Spotted Eagle Rays in the Caribbean and specifically Saba's population.

Dates and times for presentations and field projects TBA.

Piotr Naskrecki
is Director of the Invertebrate Diversity Initiative at CABS, Conservation International (residing at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.) He is an entomologist whose research interests focus on the theory and practice of invertebrate conservation biology, bioinformatics and its role in solving the biodiversity crisis as well as understanding the evolution of acoustic behavior of insects and host-guest association among arthropods. He received his M. Sc. in Zoology from A. Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland) and Ph. D. in entomology from the University of Connecticut. Recently, he has been involved in the development of a model for a network of virtual type collections that will allow researchers worldwide to catalog and remotely examine critical type specimens.  This work is instrumental in his setting up of a comprehensive data base on Saba.  Join Piotr this October and be a participant in producing a comprehensive data base of Saba's insects.

Check out Piotr's fantastic hardback book:  The Smaller Majority!

Dates, times and schedules of presentations and field project TBA.

Join Anya to dive Saba's Marine Park and monitor our groupers October 8-16.  Dates, Times and Schedules of her presentations and field projects TBA

Barbara Richardson
is recognized worldwide for her study of the assemblages of invertebrate animals that live in bromeliads and other phytotelms [plant held waters]. Since 1993 she has collected, counted, identified and analysed the species richness of the animal communities in these bromeliad microcosms, especially in the rain forests of Puerto Rico, but also in Dominica and Costa Rica.  Last year, she spent time on Saba where she collected and studied  Saban bromeliad animals as part of a comparative study of island biogeography. Barbara was a professor at Napier University, Edinburgh, teaching ecology and animal behaviour, and still lives in Edinburgh, but is never happier than when she is studying invertebrates in Caribbean bromeliads and heliconias. Her work is funded by the US National Science Foundation through the Luquillo Long Term Ecological Research program where she is a Principal Investigator, collaborating with staff at the University of Puerto Rico and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry. She is helped in the field, and in the maintenance of a large database, by her husband Mike, a retired plant pathologist. Together they have published papers on phytotelm ecology, and on the ecology of insects in forest floor litter, in leading journals. As part of the Sea & Learn Program Barbara will talk about biodiversity on Caribbean islands and demonstrate how she uses bromeliad microcosms to assess the biodiversity and functioning of these small ecosystems. Her presentation will illustrate some of her results and show photomicrographs of the normally ‘unseen’ small animals in these habitats.

On Saba October 7-27 '09.  Updates on schedule of presentation and field projects shortly.

Paul Sikkel
 

For the past 25 years, Paul Sikkel has conducted research on numerous aspects of the behavior and ecology of temperate and tropical marine reef fishes. His current research focuses primarily on the interaction between Caribbean reef fishes, parasites, the cleaning organisms that remove parasites and how these interactions are influenced by changes in the reef environment. In addition to this work, Paul is conducting research on parasites of invasive lionfish in the Bahamas. A marine ecologist at Arkansas State University, Paul also serves on the board of directors for the Caribbean-based non-profit group Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC). He holds a B.A. from the University of California at San Diego and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Oregon State University. Paul’s work has been featured in a variety of popular outlets, including a 2008 episode of National Geographic’s Wild Chronicles and Howard Hall’s Seasons in the Sea. His work is currently sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Falconwood Corporation, the Durfee Foundation, and Earthwatch Institute. Paul has involved over 100 teen and adult volunteers in his research and works closely with elementary, middle, and high school students and teachers on the Island of Culebra, collaborating with CORALations to develop an educational module on fish parasites. Join Paul on Saba to learn about the fascinating lives of parasites (that make up over half of all organisms on the reef) and to understand how their interactions with Caribbean fishes can be influenced by changes in the reef environment.
http://www.centre.edu/web/news/2008/sikkel/sikkel.html
https://www.centre.edu/web/news/2009/PuertoRico/index.html

Dates, times and schedules of presentations and field projects TBA.  Paul will be on Saba mid to late October 2009

Jeffrey A. George
is the Curator for Sea Turtle, Inc. based on South Padre Island, Texas.  The center rehabilitates injured sea turtles found on the south Texas coast.  Additionally they provide education about sea turtles and their marine environment and assist with conservation efforts in Texas and around the world by supporting sea turtle nesting programs.  George holds a B.S. degree in mathematics and is a retired steel industry executive.  Jeffrey began his work with sea turtles as a volunteer in 1992 and turtles quickly became his passion.  He has worked with veterinarians for the last 9 years in developing protocols for treatment and has successfully released over 400 rehabilitated turtles.  In 2008, he is part of a team attempting a prosthetic flipper for an Atlantic Green sea turtle with only one flipper.  Due to the timing of last year's Hurricane Omar, Jeffrey was delayed and few people were able to enjoy his presentation.  We've invited Jeffrey back in 2009 to provide a diver’s guide to identifying sea turtle species and sea turtle rehabilitation stories including telling us all about the success of Allison and her revolutionary new fin. 
Dates, times and schedules TBA.

Stewart Chipka
is now a familiar face on Saba--commonly referred to as "The Orchid Guy".  Stewart began his interest in orchids as a child, inspired by his Czeh immigrant grandfather, a Miami orchid breeder.  Trained as a structural engineer his life long interest in orchids resulted in his pursuit of a Masters degree in Botany and continuing toward his PhD specializing in orchids.  He has worked extensively in orchid research in Belize, Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica and Cuba and publishes in orchid magazines and botanical journals.  His activities on Saba began in the winter of 2002 with the beginning of an island orchid survey that continues to this day.  He has also assisted in the survey by the New York Botanical Garden cataloging project on Saba for the past two years.  To date, he has catalogued 26 naturalized species of orchids, in six genera, for the island of Saba.  A founding member of and past president of Encyclia Enthusiasts, Inc., a specialists group of the American Orchid Society, he established the Saba Biological Research Foundation on Saba in 2006.  He is currently preparing a book on the Saba orchids as a result of his studies and field research.  Join Stewart on a hike as well as his intriguing presentation about Saba's orchid populations.
Date, times and schedules of presentations and field projects TBA. 

Linda J. Walters
is a Marine Biologist and Professor of Biology at the University of Central Florida.  She holds a BS in Biology from Bates College, and her MS and PhD from the University of South Carolina.  Her research interests are diverse but all of her work focuses on human impacts on marine ecosystems.  Currently, she and her colleagues and students are studying: 1) interactions among corals, seaweeds and the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum, 2) the invasion of three invertebrate species along the east coast of Florida, 3) damage to mangrove shorelines and intertidal oyster reefs from wakes of recreational boats, and 4) the biology/ecology of macroalgal species used extensively in the aquarium hobby industry to determine if these organisms have invasive characteristics.  In addition to the science, Dr. Walters has been extensively involved in community outreach with young children.  She is currently producing three children’s’ books focused on marine environmental stewardship.  While on Saba she will explain the importance of the correlation of urchins and algae on our reefs.

Dates, times and schedules for presentations and field projects TBA.

Tom van t'Hof
is a marine biologist recognized worldwide for his designing of marine parks. Tom is to be given credit for the design of Saba and St. Eustatius's (the more common name for our neighboring island St. Eustatius is "Statia") marine parks but also for Bonaire, Curacao and other parks from Kenya to Indonesia. Choosing Saba as his home since 1986, Tom was the original director of Saba's Conservation Foundation for its first ten years. As an active environmentalist, author and consultant, Tom is never at a loss for something to do. The Nature of Saba, Guide to the Saba Marine Park, and Guide to Saba's Nature Trails are just the books about Saba which Tom has written or co-authored.  He and artist wife Heleen own Saba's Eco-lodge Rendezvous. 
Throughout the month of October, join Tom on Wednesday nights @ The Ecolodge for his cloud forest presentation--his official Sea & Learn presentation TBA.

Barbara Kojis
has lived and worked in the US Virgin Islands for 18 years as a biologist in coastal zone management and as Director of the local fish and wildlife agency.  She also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the Marine Biology Department of the University of the Virgin Islands.  Kojis completed her Ph.D. at the University of Queensland in Australia and carried out research on coral life history strategies on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and in Papua New Guinea - research on latitudinal changes in coral reproduction and the effect of temperature and turbidity on reproductive output.  In the USVI, besides being involved in management issues associated with coastal development and fish and wildlife, she conducted research on coral recruitment (settlement of coral spat on tiles), recruitment of larval lobsters, and the distribution and abundance of the great land crab. Although officially retired, she is currently working with fishermen on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to determine the status of a mutton snapper spawning aggregation funded by a Caribbean Fishery Management Council grant.  Join Barbara on Saba and learn more about Caribbean lobsters--their anatomy, behavior the sustainability of Saba's lobster population and its effect on other areas of the Caribbean.

Dates, Times and Schedules TBA 
 

Roger Hanlon
has made over 5,000 research dives during his 30 years as a marine biologist. He was inspired first when an octopus on a coral reef in Panama scared him out of his wits during his junior year in college. He survived that experience - and an athletic scholarship - to receive a B.S. Degree in Biology at Florida State University. He then served as Lieutenant in the US Army for two years before obtaining the MS and PhD degrees from the University of Miami, and conducted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Cambridge, UK. Field work combined with laboratory experimentation has helped to satisfy his continuing curiosity about how cephalopods (squid, octopus, cuttlefish, nautilus) survive and thrive in an ocean dominated by fishes and mammals. Along the way, he has been employed in academic research centers, first at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston (where he achieved full professorship in the School of Medicine) and since 1995 at the nation’s oldest marine laboratory, the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole on Cape Cod. Dr. Hanlon is a Senior Scientist in the Marine Resources Center at the MBL and still follows the mantra of Louis Agassiz, whose famous quote hangs in the library in Woods Hole: “Study nature, not books.” Roger's first trip to Saba in December 2004 served as a reconnaissance trip for the first octopus monitoring work in the Caribbean by Hanlon.  He has already identified 5 species of octopus around Saba including his publication on Saba's mimicing octopus--a behavior previously thought to be only in Pacific octopus.  Join Roger and become part of the Saba research team. 
Join Roger to learn more about octopus and his work this October.  Dates, Times and schedules TBA.

Leslie Bishop
has been studying tropical spider ecology since 1990. After completing her PhD at the University of Tennessee, she worked on the post-hurricane dynamics of spider populations in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico for ten years. In addition, she supervised numerous student projects in Puerto Rico on the web-building behavior, courtship behaviors, and predator-prey interactions of the orb weaver, Leucauge regnyi. For the past six years, she has been studying the diversity of spider species across various habitats in the Commonwealth of Dominica. In collaboration with the Dominica Forestry Department, Leslie is establishing base-line information on the spider species present on the island, and has given numerous presentations to professionals, schools, and the public. She is currently working on a field guide to the spiders of Dominica. Leslie is a professor of biology at Earlham College in Indiana, where her courses include Invertebrate Zoology, Insect Biology, and Biological Diversity.  In addition, she loves teaching her tropical field courses: Marine Biology in the Bahamas and St. John, USVI, and Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica and Galapagos. Join Leslie on Saba as she explains the exquisite biology of spiders and other amazing invertebrates.

Presentations, night hikes and schedules TBA.