09. Central America – Coral Reef Studies 1991-1995

After coral collections the ship visited the Bahamas, the Lesser Antilles, Venezuela (we drydocked the ship there), Mexico, and Miami in search of a new home port and to study coral reefs.  Anchored in Belize, coral reef studies were conducted in Turneffe Atoll and reefs off the Belizean mainland in collaboration with the Fisheries Department of Belize and Phil Dustan, College of Charleston. Leaf litter traps were set up in the mangroves to collect mangrove leaf samples for Matt Finn of the Smithsonian Institution who worked on the Biosphere 2 project. Dr. Josef Gittelson visited to study algaes.

Coral reefs became the Heraclitus’ focus of exploration and research for the next ten years.