Nature reports

Over the course of three visits in 2015, 2020 and 2021 on Sint Maarten land and freshwater mollusks were surveyed. Snails are important for a healthy soil and are an important food source for many species. Alarmingly, it has..

Two recently published studies document 35 new beetle species for the islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius. Even with these latest additions, it is still estimated that nearly three quarters of the beetle population is still..

Diadema sea urchins play a vital role in maintaining a balanced coral reef ecosystem and their restoration is essential to assist recovery of the degraded coral reefs around Saba and Sint Eustatius. A research by University of..

This year the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) became the new tenant of an old power plant at the Fort Bay harbor of Saba. SCF is planning and searching for funds to convert it into a Marine Research Station. The facility will..

Aegires sublaevis, a rare nudibranch, was recently documented in Bonaire. This nudibranch has not been reported from anywhere else in the Caribbean, and this discovery showcases again the diversity – known and unknown – of the..

On October 22st, 2021, the first ever recorded Diadema sea urchins in the Caribbean were cultured on Saba. Diadema sea urchins are important grazers and can facilitate corals by reducing their competition with algae. By culturing..

A student at the University of Amsterdam and a staff researcher of Naturalis Biodiversity Center and University of Groningen recently published the first detailed report of hard corals digesting salps in the Caribbean. Three..

New research from Wageningen University, University of Amsterdam and Florida International University highlighted the role herbivorous fish species play in staving off non-native seagrass invasions. A healthy and diverse fish..

University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein and Wageningen University and Research recently conducted a comparative study of artificial reefs within the Caribbean. This study provides new insights into the impacts of these..

Manmade structures such as seawalls, breakwaters, and jetties are increasing in frequency in marine coastal environments. Overtime, these structures are unintentionally recruiting marine life such as corals, resulting in the..