As our trip in Jamaica progresses, we’ve gotten to see an absolutely incredible variety of tropical marine organisms. From giant spotted porcupine fish (Diodon hystrix) to sleek great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), adorable spotted sea hares (Aplysia dactylomela) and menacing spotted scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri), the diversity of life here is truly incredible to witness. One of the largest driving forces that led me to the field of marine biology was sharks, and the class Chondrichthyes overall (Which contains sharks, rays, skates, sawfish, and chimaeras). It is a sad truth however that shark populations in Jamaica have declined dramatically in recent years. Here at the Discovery Bay Marine Lab, we learned that primarily due to overfishing and loss of habitat, it was unlikely that we’d encounter a shark while out in the water this winter. This news was very sad to many of us, and highlights the negative effects anthropogenic threats have on reef ecosystems. The dire position of sharks in Jamaica shines a spotlight on the action we need to take as a global community, to combat our destructive practices and protect one of our most important and beautiful natural resources; the oceans.

All was not lost however! While snorkeling with my group, Dante joined and informed us that a rare endangered spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) was seen on the other side of the seagrass beds. We rushed over as fast as we could, and managed to encounter the ray just as we were about to give up the search! The ray was absolutely gorgeous, and moved through the water as if it were flying through the sky! I’m very happy to have gotten to encounter a large Chondrichthyes on this trip, and hope that my luck allows for more encounters before we leave!

A beautiful spotted eagle ray (Aelobatus narinari) gliding through the seagrass beds

-Lillian