The Tribune

THE third Bahamas Natural History Conference - organised by The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) every two years - will take place next month at the College of The Bahamas (COB) in Oakes Field.

The theme for this year’s event - from March 14 to 18 - is ‘Reversing the Decline’. Delegates will explore the past, present and future of the Bahamian environment and share the latest research by local and international scientists.

Top sponsors for the event - which is open to the public - are the College, the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, a Florida-based fisheries conservation group which has contributed $10,000 to help underwrite the event.

“The support of these three key sponsors is pivotal for the success of this landmark event,” said BNT Executive Director Eric Carey. “But there are many other contributors who will also be recognised for their support.”

The first Bahamas Natural History Conference featured scores of research papers on a range of issues. Well-known Bahamian naturalist and former BNT president Pericles Maillis was the keynote speaker.

In 2014, three celebrity scientists anchored the second conference. Dr David Campbell, an author who was BNT executive director in the 1970s; Dr Sylvia Earle, former chief scientist at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and renowned Audubon Society bird expert Glenn Olsen.

“The purpose of this science conference is to encourage research on the Bahamian environment and share the results,” said BNT conference co-ordinator Shelley Cant-Woodside. “These key sponsors clearly understand how important conservation is to our quality of life.”

More than 80 papers by both international and Bahamian scientists will be presented at this year’s event. The presentations will include work by Bahamian college students, and the Donald Gerace Prize for best overall student paper will be awarded to one of them.

According to COB President Dr Rodney Smith, “this is our third time hosting this conference, which is a major event for both students and faculty. We are committed to furthering the protection of Bahamian natural resources and biodiversity, and I look forward to a productive week”.

Michelle Liu, vice president of marine aquarium operations at Atlantis, is responsible for the world’s largest open-air aquarium on Paradise Island. She also runs a number of marine education programmes at the resort. “We have presented, at previous conferences, our observations on marine species which live in our aquaria,” she said. “The natural environment is precisely why people want to visit us, and Atlantis strongly supports this BNT initiative, which will communicate important information to the wider community.”

The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust has been working with the BNT and others to identify and protect important bonefish habitats in The Bahamas over the past decade. And according to the Trust’s Justin Lewis, the fly fishing industry contributes more than $141m a year to the Bahamian economy. “Sponsorship of this event is an important part of our support for the conservation of natural resources and culture,” he said. “We expect the conference to have a considerable impact on Bahamian conservation efforts.”

The natural history conference was initiated by the BNT to provide a forum for scientists working here to present their findings to the public. A secondary goal is to build relationships that can lead to more interdisciplinary research and improved conservation efforts.

Registration is $50 per day or $100 for the entire conference. BNT members pay only $10 to attend the entire conference, and COB faculty and students may register for free.