A Dynamic Program, a Dynamic Team

Mia is a true CARICOM national. Born and raised in Saint Lucia, she has lived and worked in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Dominica, among other places. She is an aquaculturist by training but her educational and professional background also expand to include environmental and marine science. Her intention is to ensure that there will always be fresh lettuce available to all on campus, among other hydroponically produced vegetables. As would be expected, she does enjoy spending her time outside, the beach is her happy place. She also enjoys watching TV and considers popcorn to be a food group.

Michael Bowleg Jr is a Bahamian sustainability and aquaculture scientist from Nassau, The Bahamas and an alumnus of The University of The Bahamas’ Small Island Sustainability program. Michael graduated with honours from The University of Plymouth with a MSc. in Sustainable Aquaculture in which his thesis focused on the application of prebiotics in salmonids to enhance growth and immune system function. He also has substantial research and husbandry experience in finfish and crustacean aquaculture, aquaponics and environmental education. Currently, Michael is a 2nd year PhD student and Teaching Assistant at the University of Exeter in the UK. Currently at CEI, Michael’s research is focused on identifying marine ecosystems relevant to Caribbean spiny lobster pueruli settlement in Eleuthera. In particular, he hopes to identify the feasibility of Caribbean spiny lobster stock enhancement and production aquaculture and grow out.

Dorlan is a Bahamian bioprocess engineer from New Providence. Prior to joining CEI, he worked as a Process Engineer at Verso Paper in Michigan, USA and Assistant Residence Director at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. He received a B.E. in Chemical Engineering from Youngstown State University and M.Sc. in Bioprocess Engineering from SUNY-College of Environmental Science and Forestry, During his tenure as a graduate researcher, his thesis focused on thermochemical hemicellulose extraction of invasive Casuarina lignocellulosic biomass to produce biofuels and bioplastics. At CEI, he conducts research in utilizing fungi to produce food and biomaterials.

Bronwyn is from the East Coast of South Africa, more specifically Warner Beach, a little fishing village south of Durban. Prior to arriving in Eleuthera, she was a qualified horticulturist with most of her experience in coastal landscaping and more recently landscape management in the hospitality industry, both in South Africa and the Caribbean. Currently she is pursuing a M.Sc. in Horticulture and her research project is on Permaculture Design for climate resilience using The Island School as a case study.

Nick is a Bahamian marine biologist that hails from the fishing town of Spanish Wells, Eleuthera. Before returning to The Bahamas to lead the Cape Eleuthera Institute at The Island School, Nick worked as Deputy Director of the Marine Institute at the University of Plymouth in the UK. He began his research career studying the ecology and biodiversity of deep-sea habitats, completing his doctoral research at the University of Leeds and Natural History Museum, London. He has since diversified his research interests and is currently focussed on sustainable fisheries in The Bahamas, particularly the spiny lobster fishery.

Natalia is a Colombian marine biologist who started studying coral population and growth to improve coral restoration for her undergraduate and master’s theses. Since 2008, she has been involved in many coral projects in Colombia, The Netherlands, Bonaire, Curaçao and Qatar. Now, she is applying her expertise at the Bahamas Coral Innovation Hub project, hoping to help to rehabilitate threatened coral populations by using sexual and asexual propagation to grow and research different coral species. Natalia has been teaching dive courses for the last 15 years, training beginners, divemasters, new instructors and teaching specialties like the PADI Reef Rescue Course.

Eric grew up near Washington D.C. and has been working with CEI since 2013. His research interests are motivated by a need to conserve biodiversity and to improve the sustainability of fisheries. He has worked alongside fishers on projects focused on a variety of recreationally and commercially important species including stone crabs, pelagic sportfish, and bonefish. He received a BSc in Biology from Gettysburg College and a MSc in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from the University of Illinois. Eric is a PhD candidate at the University of Glasgow and has taught the Semester Research Class since 2013.

Reanna completed her Masters of Marine Biology from UNC Wilmington, with a research focus on the impacts of hypoxia and high temperature stress to physiology of staghorn coral. After learning to SCUBA dive with her undergraduate research at Clemson University, Reanna became passionate about coral reef biology, as well as education and outreach to local communities. Reanna aims to use research to improve effective field and land-based aquaria techniques for coral aquaculture. She enjoys spending time with her dog, Lacey, as well as reading novels, going surfing, playing board and card games, and longboarding.