Participant July 19 UpDate:

How the summertime flies by! We leave for Roatan and RIMS in only three weeks from this Saturday! I have been e-mailing Jen at RIMS and the tentative schedule is pretty much the same as the copy you have. Here are a few reminders....

FORMS: If you have not completed the Waiver and Medical Forms please do so and send them to me ASAP. Thanks.

AIRPORT INFO: Plan to be at the airport two hours prior to departure. I plan to be there about 5:30 AM. The airline agent will need to see your passport and you may not be able to use a kiosk for check-in since this is international travel. Please be sure that the checked bag labels have “RTB” as the final destination. Sky Caps may not be able to check your bags to the final destination. Remember that there is a weight limit of 50 pounds for checked bags and 40 pounds for carry-ons. (One checked bag at 55 pounds will cost you extra but two checked bags [say 25 & 30 pounds] are fine!)

BAG YARNS & TAGS: Please remember to put the red, green and yellow yarn on each of your bags. Let me know if you need more. AND be sure to put the green"AKR" tags on all your bags.

CARRY-ON BAG: It’s always a good idea to plan as if your checked bags may take an extra day to arrive. I usually carry snorkeling & Mask and a swimsuit as well as a change of clothes and needed toiletries & prescriptions... You can also carry-on a personal item such as a camera or computer bag.

C-Cards: Certified divers must have your C-card if you plan to dive.

PASSPORTS: A copy of the photo and address page of your passport is a good thing to carry with you in case the original is lost. Be sure to pack it in a different bag than where you carry the original. I’m happy to make any copies for you if you want to stop by the Science Center.

WEATHER: The surface water temperature around Roatan is about 85°F or a little warmer. The daytime high air temperatures are reported around 88°F and nighttime lows 80°F. I think the seaside breezes will keep us pretty comfortable. --Don’t bother with a sweater unless you plan to use it in the airport!

SPENDING MONEY: Things not included in the cost of the trip include shopping and any extracurricular activities you choose to participate in... such as SCUBA with AKR and drinks from the bar....

DAILY WORKSHOP UP-DATES: I will be sending a sample of the daily up-date I hope to send for family and friends from Roatan. It has four small (100K each) photos and I need some feedback about ease in opening the e-mail. If this dosen't work I can try the photos as attachments or upload them to a weblog. Let me know what you think....

BOOKS:
The following books are available for loan over the summer and to take along on the trip if you have space and weight capacity. Most of these books are also available at RIMS.

The Peterson Guides by Kaplan give you a good description about each major phyla and each habitat we will visit. Gene Kaplain, biology professor at Hofstra University, directed the Marine Lab (HUML)in Jamaica and wrote these books as a course text for students visiting the lab.
Kaplan, E., Field Guide to Coral Reefs, Caribbean and Florida, 1982, Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, MA. ( Peterson Field Guide #27) (ISBN: 0-395-46939-2)
Kaplan, E., Field Guide to Southeastern and Caribbean Seashores, 1988, Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, MA. ( Peterson Field Guide #36) (ISBN: 0-395-46811-6)

Marty Snyderman is a well know marine life photographer. His book has great photos and has been described as the "who lives where" and "who eats who" guide.
Snyderman, Marty and Clay Wiseman, Marine Life, 1996, Aqua Quest Publications, New York, NY. (ISBN: 1-881652-06-8)

The best available Photo ID books for the Caribbean are the following. They are organized for ease of dentifying things you see in the water and Humann's fish ID termonology has become the standard for field descriptions. All three books have recently come out in new editions.
Humann, Paul, Reef Fish Identification, 1994 (second edition), New World Publications, Inc., Jacksonville, FL. (ISBN: 1-878348-07-8)
Humann, Paul, Reef Creature Identification, 1992, New World Publications, Inc., Jacksonville, FL. (ISBN: 1-878348-01-9)
Humann, Paul, Reef Coral Identification, 1993, New World Publications, Inc., Jacksonville, FL. (ISBN: 1-878348-03-5)

Another great book but not currently available from the Science Center is:
Deloach, Ned and Paul Humann, Reef Fish Behavior : Florida Caribbean Bahamas, 1999, New World Publications, Inc., Jacksonville, FL. (ISBN: 1878348280)

INFORMATION: Please feel free to call me, Garry Dole, anytime for additional information. Work: 800-344-9611, x2598 / 716- 679-3419 or home: 716-337-2737 or cell: 716-200-7427.

Welcome to Tropical Marine Ecology 2006 at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS). Twelve educators from Western New York will travel to Roatan, The Bay Islands, Honduras, Central America for a one week, in depth study of Marine Ecology. Join us as we post photos and events of this workshop beginning August 13, 2006.

The above photo is of a Pygmy Filefish found in a free-floating mat of sargassum weed near Anthony's Key Resort, Roatan.