Visit to the island of Vieques
- The team visits the island of Vieques to interview scientists.
- We participated in the field work of collecting microalgae.
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Carolina, Puerto Rico ( updated June 7 , 2024).
Our entire team is now in Puerto Rico and we have carried out the first activity related to the project, visiting the small island of Vieques, where two of the Micropoderosos microorganisms live.
The trip took place on June 5 and 6. We took the ferry from the town of Ceiba, and once we disembarked in Vieques, we met with Mark Martin Bras, the project director for the Vieques Conservation and History Trust . He guided us to Esperanza, the town in the south of the island where the institution is located, and introduced us to the people who work there.
We had the privilege of interviewing Airamzul Cabral Guadalupe, the person in charge of the laboratory and much of the work related to one of the microorganisms at the center of our project. She helped us learn more about Pyrodinium Bahamense, gave us great advice, and emphasized conservation, which is everyone's job.
Accompanying Mark, we were able to attend the sampling of Puerto Mosquito Bay , where this species is extremely abundant, giving rise to bioluminescence. The experience, as is always the case with visiting this place, was magical and also tremendously exciting due to the stormy conditions that night. We also had the honor of interviewing him to share it with the public. Every moment we spent with Mark was absolutely pleasant and enriching.
Along with Airamzul and Mark, other people provided us with a wealth of knowledge and enjoyable moments, such as veteran historian and tour guide Robert Marino, who shared key information for understanding Vieques's past and present, and young marine science researcher Hatuey Connelly Molina, who gave us many insights into the island, providing a local perspective, and even providing us with native music closely related to our project. Ultimately, these and all the other people with whom we shared conversations were very kind.
For all these reasons, the visit was very educational, personally enjoyable, and enriching on all levels. Without a doubt, the contributions of those we had the pleasure of meeting will be of great help in creating works to disseminate these microorganisms.
* Photograph of Jenny with Airamzul.