After learning how juvenile Lemon Sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) utilize mangroves for protection and foraging Coastal Carolina students were able to see them in their natural environment. The clear waters of Bimini allow for crystal sightings of these incredible sharks!

As the week starts with @ccusharkresearchlab got to see the Caribbean Reef Sharks (Carcharhinus perezi).

Students were able to snorkel the reef, getting an up close view of the classically sharky looking Caribbean reef sharks! This is one of the most iconic Shark Lab dives.

That’s a wrap!!

We had numerous courses join the Shark Lab and see these amazing sharks up close and personal. It was also our pleasure collaborating with @Biminiscubacenter on these excursions.

📸: Wyatt Albert

Eckerd College joined us for the second time this year for a jam packed - and very sharky - week! We saw hammerheads, stingrays and Caribbean reef sharks up close in their respective habitats.

Education and Conservation are two of our main missions. We cannot have conservation without education! We strive to raise public perception and awareness of sharks and other marine species.

NEW PUBLICATION ALERT! 🚨

A new study looked at 17 years of Bimini Nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) data to assess age and growth in this species and contribute crucial life history information for their conservation and management.

frontiersin.org/articles/10.33…

An introduction into Marine Science!

This past week we had first year Eckerd students who are interested in Marine Science. During their time students were involved with many lectures that were brought to life with field activities led by the Shark Lab and Bimini Scuba Center

Nebraska takes on Bimini!

Baylie Fadool who graduated from University of Nebraska Lincoln got the opportunity to lead a course from her undergraduate univeristy to the Bimini Shark Lab to provide students an opportunity to get field experience in marine biology.

WOW! What a YEAR we have had!!

Today we wrap up and close the station for a well deserved holiday break, and what better way to finish up than by reflecting on all the amazing things our team has accomplished in 2023!

Throughout the week University of The Bahamas got the opportunity to listen to lectures and learn a lot about the marine life surrounding Bimini. Students also participated in snorkels with many different sharks, such as Blacktips, Lemons, and Great Hammerheads!

Sharks have tiny teeth-like structures on their skin that are called dermal denticles. If you run your hand down a shark from head to tail, you'd notice it is very smooth, but if you run your hand from tail to head, you will notice the texture is like sandpaper. 📸 J A Z

Summing up her volunteer experience at the Bimini Biological Field Station Foundation, Baylie Fadool says 'Even if I can fly, I will never forget how to swim', an ode to the self she was growing and evolving into.
Read more about her experience here:
saveourseas.com/update/i-found…

Smile for the camera!

A smile can be a distinguishing feature to tell who is who, but that is not always the case. As you can see in the second picture, there is a distinguishable ventral pattern that can help us recognize the one and only Selene!

biminisharklab.com/hammerheadcons…

Mangroves provide refuge for different organisms and serve as primary prey for lemon sharks in this stage of life. As they grow larger and learn to forage in deeper/more open areas, they will most likely encounter larger predators.

So what happens on a windy day when we can’t get out on the water?

There is one very exciting water activity that we can do even when it is too rough to be out on the boats - the bull shark cage dive!

The Shark Lab is so much more than just a field research station that offers internships to get experience in shark research. Read the blog linked in our bio and below to read Baylie's heartfelt story about her time at the Shark Lab.
biminisharklab.com/post/i-found-h…
📸 Baylie Fadool

Dolphin days! In Bimini, we commonly see two different species of dolphins. You may see the Bottlenose Dolphin or the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin. Bottlenose are typically larger, and spotted dolphins are usually smaller, with unique spot patterns all over their bodies.

What do we do to keep records of fish caught? After a big catch or first speared fish, we use the art of gyotaku, which is a form of Japanese art that began over 100 years ago, to keep records of fish caught. It even captures the subtle patterns and textures of their catch!

Eye from the sky captures the beautiful Bimini blues. Bimini means “two islands” and is located on the Great Bahama Bank. These waters are very shallow and usually have sandy bottoms, where we get the beautiful blue color around the island.
📸 & ✍️: Jasmine Nyce