Internship week 4! The Importance of Resilience

September Blog week 4 .

The final week of our internship looked promising! We had plans to travel on our day off, and stay on Contoy Island National Park to help rangers with conservation and rehabilitation efforts on the island for the remainder of the week. This was going to be a privileged opportunity, as access to stay on the island is exclusive due to Isla Contoy’s status as a Marine Protected Area.

On Sunday, we awoke early to travel to Playa del Carmen to visit the beautiful cenotes along the highway. It was incredible to swim in an open cenote, which had amazing biodiversity of freshwater fish and plant life. We also visited a closed cenote, and it was fascinating to snorkel and observe divers swim into the intricate cave systems many metres below us. The water was beautifully clear, dark and cool. The day was an amazing taste of the natural wonders Mexico has to offer, and made us wonder how many cenotes remain undiscovered in the jungle. It was also sobering to see the beauty of these cave systems and remember the construction plans being developed in cave systems across the country.

Tuesday was our proposed day to sail to Contoy, but weather reports held the plans under uncertainty. By Monday evening, the weather system had developed into a tropical storm. I honestly thought we would end the internship without experiencing a hurricane in September… but alas!

We made preparations for the arrival of the tropical storm Helene, such as closing window shutters, unplugging electrical items, and stocking up on food and water. The storm passed us with intense wind and rain during Wednesday night, and we couldn’t help but think of families on the island without secure homes, or captains who were working to protect their boats in the marina. We were grateful our accommodation had the protection of the nearby mangrove system and lagoon. Mangroves and coral reef systems are natural barriers that absorb the brunt of storms and increase the resilience of an ecosystem after a destructive event.

Urban development areas where mangroves have been cleared are at high risk from hurricane damage, and we witnessed firsthand the effects of this with flooding in Playa de Norte. Experiencing Helene definitely made us very conscious of the reality of climate change. Tropical islands will continue to be affected by sea level rise and increased storm frequency/intensity. It will be essential to develop programs and resources that help the communities bounce back from more frequent storm events. As well, it will be more vital than ever to make efforts to assist Caribbean reef health and recovery so that Isla Mujures can retain this natural storm barrier- and this will need to involve Healthy Reefs, fisheries and government efforts. We commend Karen for building such great relationships and trust with these networks during her management of the Manta Caribbean Project.

Although our trip to Contoy Island was cancelled, we quickly bounced back from the disappointment to savour the last few days of the internship. Once the electricity (and wifi!) returned, the rest of the week involved finalising an infographic, translating more documents, and developing our own grant proposals. I enjoyed completing an infographic about associated fauna of Mobula species in the Mexican Caribbean, combining my passion for science with artistic illustration.

We found it both challenging and rewarding to develop our own grant proposals for a topic of our choice. Karen has been teaching us about the difficulty-reliance relationship scientists have with grant proposals. Grants are essential to fund non-profit organisations, and there are many different types! Research grants, travel grants, equipment grants, grants for educational materials… all are essential, all use different formats, and all involve a process of many months to find, write, apply, and probably be rejected. This makes resilience a key character trait for any scientist or non-for profit, in order to maintain hope and keep applying for potential grant funding!

As we reflect on highlights from the trip, three stand out to my mind:

·  Swimming with the manta ray and whale shark on our first field trip! It was incredible to partake in scientific research on these graceful creatures.

·  Getting to know the island and growing in love for the beautiful Isla Mujures community in everyday experiences, such as shopping at Chedraui or taking the bus to gorgeous snorkelling spots.

·  World Manta Day- it was wonderful to meet local youth and teach them about manta ray conservation, hopefully inspiring the next generation to protect the ocean. We were also proud to see that our efforts designing this event made it a success.

We have thoroughly enjoyed interning with the Manta Caribbean Project!

A big thank you to Karen for patiently teaching us all she knows in the field and in the office, to Ixchel and Jesús for bearing with us during field trips, Deli for providing accommodation, and Valentina for sharing her incredible photography/film journey with us.

Adiós!

Written by Amy Cantrill (September 2024 Intern)