Belize: T Innis
Program: Ceiba Foundation Coral Reef Ecology, Summer
T’s Major: Wildlife Ecology
What is your most memorable experience?
My most memorable experience was when we were out on the boat heading to some patch reefs far into the atoll, and we saw dolphins swimming around near us. We took a poll and voted to jump in and swim with them right then and there, and so we super quietly got off the boat into the ocean with our snorkel masks on and just got to swim around while the dolphins swam right under and around us. There were about 6 or so, and there was a super young one with them. Our boat driver told us that this pod was likely from a domesticated pod of dolphins that decades ago had been in this zoo on one of the cayes in the atoll, that when a hurricane had struck, released the dolphins into the atoll, where they presumably have lived ever since. This was an amazing moment that I will never forget.
How did your identities impact your experience?
Due to being nonbinary, it was a little alienating every time locals referred to us all as males and females/men and women/boys and girls, and needing to dorm with those as the same AGAB as me was a bit uncomfortable, but everyone on the trip was nice. My classmates did their best to respect my pronouns and my identity and the instructors made it clear from the beginning that I had support and if I had said I had needed a change in the rooming situation I have no doubt they would have been willing and able to help. My advice is just to advocate for yourself if something is not working and is making you uncomfortable. I was able to avoid discomfort with my body through choosing swim wear and using rash guards to make sure I felt comfortable. Don’t worry about looking out of place when everyone else just has swim shorts or a bikini, by the end most people will be utilizing rash guards and/or shorts as well to avoid sunburns.
the instructors made it clear from the beginning that I had support … and I have no doubt they would have been willing and able to help.
Describe your fieldwork and how the experience helped advance your studies.
We were able to craft our own research topics and complete the necessary field work, which for my group meant conducting coral reef population surveys and parrotfish population counts in order to assess the connection between the algal grazers and coral diversity. The fieldwork was definitely rough, as we were planning on researching sea urchins but had to switch while there due to how difficult it was to find the urchins. The weather during the days we were out working made the water super choppy which made holding a transect line and swimming above and around the coral super difficult at times. I learned a lot about making things work and how fieldwork can pose a big issue depending on environmental factors that are occurring at the time. However, being able to actually conduct research and do fieldwork was eye opening as to what I want to do in my future. I wasn’t 100% set on doing research when I went on this trip because I wasn’t sure I would do well with such a nonlinear and nonrepetitive future, but I had such a wonderful time, and was not bothered by being so far from home, which gives me hope I can get into research and enjoy it.