Conservation Science Internships in Nicaragua

Nicaragua is a poor country with lots of natural resources at risk in a rapidly changing socio-economic environment. Whole forests can disappear overnight, lakes can go from pristine to polluted before anyone notices, and species may go extinct without ever getting a name in the first place. FUNDECI/GAIA has developed Conservation Science Internships to promote the protection of Nicaragua's delicate and wonderful natural world. 

Pier-Olivier Beaudrault, from Sherbrooke University in Quebec, studied the birds of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. During his internship, he established five monitoring sites for flora and fauna and began collecting data in a project that has now lasted five years. Photo by Catherine Bard-Descheneau.

The forests of the tropics face grave challenges in the twenty-first century. The worldwide construction wood business affects forests globally, as does urbanization locally. Furthermore, poverty drives many people to cut firewood from forests for sustenance and income. Our interns develop useful information to guide the community about what is important in the natural important and how to protect it.

Many of our conservation science interns are students of biology or environmental science, but not all of them. If you would like to participate as a conservation science intern, you don't need to be planning a career in biology. In fact, we can use people of many types of skills which can apply to our projects, ranging from science students to people dedicated to education, computers, construction, and even journalism. There are many ways in which someone can contribute.

Three of our Conservation Science Interns from Holland produced a video about their projects. We hope you like it. Please take a look!

Our focus is on protecting the natural resources of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. This means a lot more than just counting the monkeys and birds. It also means working with the people of the area. As a result, interns with diverse areas of professional development can be involved, all coinciding in a love of wild nature and a desire to help poor, rural people live more prosperous lives, sustainably. 

Mara McPartland is an ecologist from Bennington College in the United States. She is making a presentation on the variations in the bird communities in Laguna de Apoyo, according to human impacts on the forest in each site. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

Our Conservation Science Interns may study some aspect of the biodiversity in the lake or the terrestrial system of the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. 

Data gathered in field work is later used for purposes of advancing scientific knowledge and protecting the wild ecosystems found in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve and other natural areas.

Nicaraguans and foreigners will work closely on all projects.

Our current projects for interns include: care and promotion of rescue animals; organization and outreach for conservation and environmental education activities; and wildlife conservation and biodiversity research.

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A new bat record for Laguna de Apoyo: Pteronotus personatus

We have been studying the bats of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve a while. Three volunteers, Michael Persicke, Lukas Betthaeusen, and Florian Schmid, all have made great contributions to our knowledge of the bats of our area during their volunteer periods sponsored by GIZ. We have 27 bat species on our list, about a quarter of all the species documented in Nicaragua, among the more than 600 bats captured in our studies to date. Nonetheless, there is always something new and special out there. 

Our technician Elmer Nicaragua noticed a small bat hanging from the roof of our patio, and we quickly concluded it was not any of the species we know to be in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Elmer captured it with a butterfly net, and we examined it. 

Wagner's Mustached Bat, Pteronotus personatus, has relatively long, thin wings. Photo by Elizabeth Loudon.

The tiny bat was quickly identified by its distinctive face, long wings, and lack of a wing-sac which some species have. The face was distinctive, with a large flap on the chin. And, of course, hair over the upper lip, hence the name Wagner's Mustached Bat.

This little male Wagner's Mustached Bat is a fully grown male. Photo by Elizabeth Loudon.

Wagner's Mustached Bat consumes insects, and uses Doppler shifts in echolocation. This bat species is not well-known in Nicaragua, and this was our first record of it in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve.

This tiny bat (Pteronotus personatus) has several unique features on the face and head that may be aids in echolocation. Photo by Elizabeth Loudon. 

We are not surprised at this finding, because we are sure there are many more species of bats in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve than the 27 documented species to date. Our presence here in the reserve, however, and the careful eye of Elmer Nicaragua, allowed us to make this new species record, thanks to his careful, trained eye.

Adult male Wagner's Mustached Bat (Pteronotus personatus), captured in Estacion Biologica, Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve,  Nicaragua, 20 May, 2013. Photo by Elizabeth Loudon.

This bat supposedly roosts in warm caves, but it is likely that this individual just got lost and chose our roof for his rest during the day. He is one more example of the importance of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve to the wildlife of Nicaragua.

Our little bat takes a few minutes to rest on the clothesline before flying away. Photo by Elizabeth Loudon. 

At FUNDECI/GAIA, we conduct diverse activities to protect wild nature in Nicaragua. Volunteers and conservation science interns are always welcomed. Would you like to work as a conservation science intern? Contact us for more details.

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Lizards of Laguna de Apoyo I: Conservation Science Interns at Work

The Central American Banded Gecko is very attractive, but its intricate pattern hides it well among leaf litter during the dry season. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.  

The tropical dry forest habitat of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve dictates the kinds of animals found here. Both plants and animals must tolerate long months without rain, and in many areas, steeply inclined soils stripped of nutrients. Several species of lizards adapt well to the habitats found here, as conservation science interns Bryan Minne and Laura Ruysseveldt from Ghent University in Belgium found during their studies here.

The Central American Banded Gecko, Coleonyx mitratus, is uncommon in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt. 

Bryan and Laura spent a few months in Nicaragua, studying the geckos and other reptiles and amphibians of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. They turned up some solid information on gecko habitats, particularly regarding the recently introduced Asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, and its impact on native gecko species.

Field research on lizards and other herps usually includes a difficult process of identification. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

Laura and Bryan also surveyed several habitats in the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, in search of each of the reptile and amphibian species that could be found here. They were the first to find the Central American Banded Gecko (Coleonyx mitratus), a charismatic little animal that tends to stay on the ground, rather than in trees. 

Asian house geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) doing what they do best, which is among the reasons why they are now so abundant in Nicaragua, only a few decades after the first individuals arrived. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

Bryan and Jeffrey review trees for study plots for gecko habitats in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

Field work included systematic reviews of habitats for geckos to determine how native species, particularly the Yellow-headed Gecko (Gonatodes albogularis) and the Yellow-bellied Gecko (Phyllodactylus tuberculosus) are responding to the invasion of the Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus). Their project yielded some rigorous results, and they sweated a lot on long walks, but we are sure they are happy they came!

The Black-bellied Racerunner, Cnemidophorus deppei, is elusive and difficult  to photograph in the wild. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

The Black Iguana, Ctenosaura similis, is an effective symbol for forest destruction in Nicaragua, as poachers often set forest fires to hunt them during the dry season. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

We often ask ourselves how can we assure the protection of lizards and other wildlife in Nicaragua. By sponsoring conservation science internships for students such as Laura and Bryan, we are learning more about our herpetofauna, including what problems each species may be facing. For instance, while surveying the reptiles in our area, the staff at Estacion Biologica, along with Laura and Bryan, witnessed an attempt to capture a large Black Iguana (Ctenosaura similis). We stopped the hunters as they chased the animal through a ravine, and then reported the activity of these people to the park rangers, who responded within minutes to warn the people that hunting is illegal inside the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve.

The Rose-bellied Lizard, Sceloporus variabilis, is a close relative to several fence lizards found in the US and  Mesoamerica, and is abundant in rocky and dry areas. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

Forest fires are often set to hunt iguanas and mammals. The fires destroy the habitat of and kill many smaller reptiles and other mammals, too. Laura and Bryan participated in extinguishing a forest fire that burned several hectares, just behind Estacion Biologica. Many animals live precariously in the forests where humans may abuse them in numerous ways.

Bryan examines a captured specimen before making a presentation on the reptiles of our area to the students of a local school. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

Bryan and Laura returned to their studies in Belgium after completing a detailed, quantitative project as well as lots of time in the jungle, in search of lizards and other reptiles, and hopefully, we can utilize their knowledge to promote better stewardship of wild nature in Nicaragua.

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Earth Day 2013 in Laguna de Apoyo

Mara McPartland is an ecologist whose internship with FUNDECI/GAIA culminated with a presentation on a five-year  monitoring project on the birds of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua.

This year, we celebrated Earth Day by learning about the birds of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Our conservation science intern Mara McPartland (Ecologist, Bennington College) presented the results of five years of research on the birds here. The presentation was sponsored by the Municipality of Catarina, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, and Movimiento Ambientalista Guardabarranco in Masaya. 

Plenty of people are very interested in the environment in Nicaragua, which is the principal reason behind the extensive questioning all throughout Mara's presentation. She fielded lots of questions about the procedure, objectives, and results. Furthermore, many people offered their commentaries about the birds of Nicaragua, the status of environmental health in Nicaragua, and the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. 

Mara McPartland discusses the different sites monitored during the bird study conducted by FUNDECI/GAIA in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

Mara discussed how data was gathered, through counts made in specific locations monthly, by experts. Our conservation science intern from Sherbrooke University, Pier-Olivier Beaudrault, established each of the monitoring sites used in this program of study. Each site was chosen to represent a typical forest structure of the area, varying by the extent and type of human activity in the area. The study design took into account the pressures on wild areas in the reserve. To demonstrate whether areas with trees cut, undergrowth cleared, houses nearby, agriculture, or reforested second growth vary in their bird communities, we sampled the bird populations in five different sites.

The audience of this Earth Day presentation included young people from the local community, park guards and municipal staff members, as well as tour operators and conservation professionals. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

The five sites have been followed in this study have special attributes which are reflected in the bird communities. Mara explained that birds in the deepest, closed forest were different from the birds in areas which had been deforested recently, such as former agricultural plots are areas near houses. The lake edge was also monitored, yielding several aquatic birds not seen in the terrestrial ecosystem. 

Mara McPartland discussed the birds most commonly seen in a recently deforested area of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, on Earth Day 2013. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

Among the common birds throughout the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve are the Rufous-naped Wren (Campylorhynchus rufinucha), White-throated Magpie-Jay (Calocitta formosa), Long-tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia linearis), White-fronted Amazon (Amazona albifrons), and the Clay-colored Thrush (Turdus grayi). These birds were not all found in equal abundance in the different parts of the reserve, and furthermore, lots species of birds were less abundant near homes and in deforested areas than in the deeper forest. In brief, we humans are driving out many species of birds from their homes in the forest, even inside the protected areas. 

Mara demonstrated lots of mathematical aspects to the bird abundance data collected over the years, much of it used to demonstrate how the bird communities are affected by buildings, farming, and forest clearing in the area. She also convinced us that Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve has plenty worth saving. One hundred fifty-one bird species were reported in the study, and seventy-five other species were documented outside the study. This immense diversity includes many birds that depend on our protection of the best forest, because so many of them are not compatible with yards and pastures. 

The audience came from the community of Laguna de Apoyo, as well as Masaya and Managua. It included tour operators, conservation professionals, and lots of folks just interested in admiring and protecting the beautiful aspects of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. It was nice to see that so many people found interest in the birds, and cared to celebrate Earth Day!

Mara contemplates the Chestnut-capped Warbler, a resident bird of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Laura Ruysseveldt.

The study of the birds of Laguna de Apoyo presented was co-authored by: Pablo Somarriba, Elmer Nicaragua, Marlene Kroner, Vera Neumann, Lukas Betthaeuser, Michael Persicke, Catherine Bard-Dechesneau, Pier-Olivier Beaudrault, Jeffrey McCrary, and Joe Taylor. All of these people have placed great amounts of effort into making the study produce high-quality data. Few scientific studies of this magnitude have been conducted and published in Nicaragua, and we hope to have the principal results published soon.

Earth Day gives us an opportunity to remember how fragile nature is in comparison to our tremendous capacity to destroy, and our capacity to channel our energy into positive actions to make the human-dominated work in greater harmony with nature. Earth Day is celebrated each year on the birthdate of Vladmir Ilyich Lenin, which to some is demonstration that environmentalism is a communist plot. The Daughters of the American Revolution, for instance, once said about the date,  "subversive elements plan to make American children live in an environment that is good for them", a convincing argument of the real intentions of environmentalism. 

FUNDECI/GAIA provides opportunities for interns and volunteers in rural development, research, environmental activism, and conservation activities. If you would like to consider an internship or volunteer position with us, please contact us!

We welcome interested people to visit us at Estacion Biologica. 

Our offices are located at Estacion Biologica Research Station in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. You are welcome to visit any time. 

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SCUBA diving in Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua

Hundreds of young arrow cichlids (Amphilophus zaliosus) are only perhaps sixty days from hatching. Although they have been abandoned by their parents, they continue to school at a nesting site. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

We often get asked what can be seen while SCUBA diving in Laguna de Apoyo. Nicaragua has lots of lakes and rives, but most tropical freshwater sites here and elsewhere have low visibility. Lake Apoyo visibility is almost always 5-12 meters at the locations where we dive.

The fish of Lake Apoyo are special, too. The most commonly seen fish are members of the Midas cichlid species complex. Six species in this group have been discovered  in Lake Apoyo, all of which evolved in the lake and inhabit only this lake. The first to be discovered was the arrow cichlid (Amphilophus zaliosus) in 1976 by a professor at University of California-Berkeley, George W. Barlow. Most of these six endemic species can be seen while scuba diving.

Arrow cichlids, like all the other members of the Midas cichlid species complex in Lake Apoyo, nest in rocky reefs, but they also nest often over sandy bottoms in water from 4 to 8 m depth. All the fish in this species complex, which is found throughout the San Juan River watershed and a few rivers to the north and south, provide parental care to their fry for several weeks after hatching. Here is a photo of the arrow cichlid fry after the parents have abandoned them. These fish are no longer defended from predation by the parental units. 

These arrow cichlids have not yet dispersed but are no longer receiving parental care. Photo by Martin Cabrera. 

The parental units expend a lot of energy during the seven weeks of care of the fry. Predators constantly attempt to capture the small fish and they are fended off by the parental units. It's a long seven weeks, not including the courtship and egg-incubation. Parental units often look battered and even emaciated at the end of the period of parental care. However, the great majority of nests never make it to seven weeks fry age, because predation and disease will have killed of the entirety of their nests.

After a scuba dive in Laguna de Apoyo, the clearest lake in Nicaragua. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

Lake Apoyo is the easiest of all locations for scuba diving in Nicaragua. We are located only one hour from downtown Managua. Estacion Biologica collects data at three sites in Lake Apoyo, all have easy reach from the shore, and great views below. We enter our study areas from the shore, along property managed by Estacion Biologica.

Life is good after a dive. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

One vital reason for our monitoring program is the bigmouth sleeper, Gobiomorus dormitor. This fish looks a lot like a goby, only much larger as an adult. This voracious predator sits quietly on the lake bottom, where it awaits an injudicious move by any appropriately sized fish, when it strikes with lightning speed. The fish of Lake Apoyo spent thousands of years without the threat of bigmouth sleepers or anything similar, so they are now evolutionarily naive to the grave threats this fish presents.

The Bigmouth Sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitor) is a dangerous predator. It was introduced into Lake Apoyo in 1991. Photo by Martin Cabrera. 

Bright blotches, usually randomly placed, are not exactly uncommon among fish. These colors are usually caused by a specific mutation, such as in the goldfish, which is simply a selectively bred variant of a wild carp. Midas cichlids have a similarly brightly colored variation in the wild, although the "golds" are much more common in some locations than in others. Lake Apoyo, for instance, is considered to have no gold forms. Nonetheless, as the photo below demonstrates, gold forms may also be found in Lake Apoyo.

Gold form Midas cichlids are relatively common in some lakes, but not in Lake Apoyo. Fish such as the one in this photo are exceedingly rare. Photo by Martin Cabrera. 

Which gene(s) control the gold color form in the Midas cichlids is not known. Nor does anyone understand why Lake Apoyo has so few golds. In comparison to most other natural habitats of the Midas cichlids, Lake Apoyo has far fewer golds.

Some Midas cichlids show 

This clownish coloration is quite common among Midas cichlids in Lake Managua, some parts of Lake Nicaragua, and other volcanic crater lakes such as Lake Masaya and Lake Xiloa. Why is it so rare in Lake Apoyo? We don't know.

This breeding, gold form Midas cichlid stays near the nesting hole. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

Midas cichlids are territorial when nesting. A breeding pair will occupy a natural or constructed hole, often at the base of rocks, in which a hard, flat, usually vertical surface can be utilized to adhere eggs. The pair will defend the site vigorously against predators and usurpers.

The gold-normal breeding pair linger near the nesting cavity. Photo by Martin Cabrera. 

The great majority of Midas cichlid nests do not result in the eventual creation of new adults. Hundreds of eggs are produced in each spawning, but very few fry will reach the age to swim away from the parental units and begin life independently of them.

The Bigmouth Sleeper has occupied Lake Apoyo only two decades, but is now very common. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

The newest reason for the demise of nests in Lake Apoyo, the bigmouth sleeper, has become very common in the lake. Some of the Midas cichlid species of Lake Apoyo are so rare that the bigmouth sleeper could even make the species disappear. Who would even know if a fish species in Lake Apoyo went extinct?

Filamentous algae forms a carpet on the lake bottom where Chara macroalgae was once abundant, placing much of the life in the lake at risk. Photo by Martin Cabrera. 

The bigmouth sleeper has a neutrally colored, mottled pattern along its sides and back, making its detection difficult. It sits on the bottom, awaiting a false move by some other fish. It strikes rapidly, with the intention to sink its long, fine teeth into the prey and then gradually move the prey into the mouth to swallow it.

A Bigmouth Sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitor) pair in courtship in Laguna de Apoyo. Photo by Martin Cabrera. 

The success of bigmouth sleeper (Gobiomorus dormitor) during the two decades of its time in Lake Apoyo is startling. They are extremely common. Recent research conducted by Topi Lehtonen and the research team at FUNDECI/GAIA demonstrated that the Midas cichlids of Lake Apoyo do not recognize the threat these fish present to their fry.

These Midas cichlid fry must share their nest space with garbage left by humans. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

Lake Apoyo's fish species are facing several threats from humans. Soil introduction into the lake is higher than ever, coming from constructions in the watershed. Predation and loss of habitat by introduced species have done lots of damage to the species found here. And of course, garbage follows humans everywhere we go. The fish of Lake Apoyo have no choice but to utilize garbage-filled areas of the lake to feed and reproduce.

Juvenile Amphilophus cichlids in Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua. Photo by Martin Cabrera. 

Lots of juvenile Midas cichlids are present year-round in Lake Apoyo. By diving during the different seasons, one can see the smaller fish grow and, by the end of about a year, start their first anniversary as members of the next breeding stock. The intense uses (and misuses) of Lake Apoyo by human beings requires that we assure adequate habitat for these fishes in all their life stages.

A blind Amphilophus astorquii in Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

To date, six species of the Midas cichlid species complex have been described in Lake Apoyo. All of them are only found in this lake. There are eight volcanic crater lakes such as Lake Apoyo, near the Nicaraguan Great Lakes, which have multiple species of Midas cichlids in them. What was once thought to be only one or a few species is now considered to be dozens of species, with very small ranges, and in some cases, populations of only a few thousands of adults. One of those species with a very small population is the chancho cichlid, Amphilophus chancho. It is the largest of the Midas cichlid species complex found in Lake Apoyo, with males sometimes reaching well over a kilogram weight.

Amphilophus chancho defending fry in a nesting hole in Lake Apoyo. Photo by Martin Cabrera. 

Child-rearing is an expensive venture for most species. It is especially so for the Midas cichlid species of Lake Apoyo, too. Providing care for the fry means eating less and lower quality food. It also means getting in harm's way. The parental units must confront potential predators and utilize displays, threats, and if nothing else works, direct attacks to drive away the fish and crabs that would want to eat the fry. Adults often look emaciated and battered at the end of the breeding season.

Amphilophus fishes near a hole beneath a rock in Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

A scuba dive with the staff at FUNDECI/GAIA usually means seeing most of the six species of the Midas cichlid species complex, perhaps about five hundred individuals in total. Occasionally, we get to see jaguar cichlids (Parachromis managuensis) up close, while nesting. It also means seeing the ubiquitous bigmouth sleeper, lots of them, perhaps upward of a hundred individuals in a single dive. Other fish, crabs, and the dramatic undwater views round out most dives. Some of the dives take you to thermal vents, where clear, warm water flows from between rocks into the lake. And especially during the appropriate season (November through February), lots of fry in nests!

An adult bigmouth sleeper uses a hole beneath a rock as a hiding spot, from which to hunt. Photo by Martin Cabrera.

Diving in Lake Apoyo is different than in the ocean and generally much easier. No currents, waves, poisonous animals produce dangers here. The dives are rewarding and especially so when contemplating the rarity of some of the fishes, to which our divers contribute to study and protect them. Please contact us if you would like to dive with us in Lake Apoyo.

Jaguar cichlid (Parachromis managuensis) fry are feeding in open water outside their nest cavity in Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua. A small clump of Chara vegetation can be seen in the lower left. 

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