A unique opportunity to advance tropical marine research in Belize

Are you ready to dive into a true scientific adventure? Join us on a journey that will bring you face-to-face with the ocean's most incredible creatures, all while playing an integral role in cutting-edge marine conservation. As an Expeditioner, you won't just observe — you'll experience what it's like to be at the heart of marine research.

Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize's most secluded coral reef, harbors a rich diversity of marine megafauna: reef, lemon, and nurse sharks; occasional hammerheads; and key turtle species–hawksbill, loggerhead, and green turtles. These sentinel species are paramount indicators of ocean health.

Be a part of the Caribbean’s longest marine megafauna monitoring project, get hands-on experience deploying technologies to record, measure and track sharks, rays, and turtles, you will make essential contributions to the conservation of these sentinel species while providing sustained economic alternatives for former shark and turtle fishers.

This is your chance to be part of something truly extraordinary!

Join us on this unparalleled Expedition, where each moment promises discovery, adventure, and a profound connection with the mesmerizing world beneath the waves

Immerse yourself in marine science and learn the following megafauna monitoring techniques:

• Species Identification of Sharks, Rays, Turtles, and Piscivorous Fishes: Identifying marine megafauna by species is an important part of assessing biodiversity. Species ID will be used during in-water visual transects and in analyzing Baited Remote Underwater Video recordings.

• In-water Visual Transect: Transects are a non-invasive method for assessing the diversity and relative abundance of marine megafauna. Each transect involves four swimmers positioned in the water and spaced 15 meters apart. Transects are 1km in length, and throughout the transect, each swimmer is responsible for recording species, quantity, distance estimation, and size estimation for the sharks, rays, turtles, and piscivorous fish they see within their area. You will learn species identification and size estimation techniques to accurately record data. Following field work, you can help to transcribe data to provide indices of species diversity, abundance, demographics, and size frequencies according to the different habitats sampled.

• Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUVs): BRUVs are structures made out of PVC pipe or metal that contain a GoPro camera and an extended arm with a bait cage. BRUVs are deployed at various sites around the Bay Islands for at least 60 minutes at a time in order to record species that are attracted to the bait. These videos are later analyzed to record the species and relative number of individuals and assess diversity and relative abundance.

• Longline Capture and Tagging of Sharks and Rays: Scientific longlining is another method to assess shark and ray diversity and abundance, especially over long periods of time. This technique involves setting a line of 50 baited hooks in order to capture individuals and collect more specific measurements, tag the animal with a marker that will identify them in future captures or sightings, and collect a tissue sample for DNA and contaminant analysis. You will assist with baiting and setting the longline, collecting environmental data, and learning proper handling techniques for safely tagging and releasing sharks and rays.

Your lodging on Half Moon Caye is in modest but comfortable glamping (Glamorous Camping) accommodations in simple but nicely laid out large “yurt” style tents, sleeping two volunteers each. Meals include breakfast, lunch, and dinner, ranging from traditional Belizean cuisine, fresh-caught seafood, to homemade baked goods.

• Upon arrival you will be shown your accommodations and all the facilities so you can get yourself settled in.

• Lunch on Half Moon Caye with the full MAR Team introductions.

• You will be working in the field in the afternoon.

After breakfast, pack up your gear, conduct some fieldwork before lunch, and review some of your data and findings with the team.

After lunch, board the boat and take the return charter boat to Belize City, where you will check into your hotel.

From her early days growing up by the sea in Tunisia, Dr. Rachel Graham was drawn to research, conservation, and development across Latin America, Africa, and Micronesia. For over 30 years, she has worked with the private sector and organizations such as the United Nations, University of York, Smithsonian Institution, and Wildlife Conservation Society. In 2014, Rachel founded the international NGO MarAlliance to promote inclusive, grassroots science and marine conservation.

For over two decades, Rachel has lived in Belize and worked with fishers and partners in several countries to identify threats, research needs, and conservation opportunities for threatened marine wildlife and their critical habitats. Her work has driven megafauna research and conservation worldwide, and she actively serves on the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, co-founding several National Shark Advisory Committees to advance policy reform for elasmobranchs.

In recognition of her contributions, Rachel received the Whitley Fund for Nature Gold Award in 2011 and the Pew Marine Fellowship in 2021 for her shark research and conservation work. Rachel holds a BSc in Zoology from Oxford, an MSc from Edinburgh, and a PhD from the University of York, UK. She is especially proud of her two sons, who share her passion for fishing and marine conservation.

Growing up in a fishing family, Kirah developed a deep love for the sea early on. Her commitment to marine science was sparked while volunteering at Half Moon Caye, where working with researchers on spawning aggregations affirmed her career path. While completing her Bachelor’s in Biology at the University of Belize, she began her role as a biologist, overseeing monitoring efforts at Lighthouse Reef Atoll. She later joined the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, one of Belize’s most visited MPAs, where she spent 17 years advancing from biologist to program supervisor.

During her tenure at Hol Chan, Kirah obtained a Master’s in Protected Areas Management and Eco-Regional Development from the University of International Cooperation in Costa Rica. Passionate about sea turtle conservation, she has led Belize’s sea turtle preservation efforts. Today, she serves as MarAlliance’s National Coordinator for Belize, working alongside Dr. Rachel Graham and the Belize team to support the conservation of marine megafauna and their coastal communities.