Luis Abreu-Socorro

Conservation Related Experience:
During the summer, I was able to participate in a study abroad experience with the School for Field Studies on the South Caicos Island of the Turks and Caicos archipelago. My academic/research experience focused on the Marine Megafauna in the surrounding waters, where I was able to snorkel and conduct research projects on Rays, Turtles, Sharks, and other marine animals. One research project that I worked on was taking photographs of different Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles and using the I3S animal identification software to identify each individual species. With this, my group was able to determine the species population abundance in the area by determining whether individuals were spotted more than once.

Connection to Conservation Biology:
Studying abroad in the Turks and Caicos Archipelago wasn’t merely just an opportunity to gain class credit in a different country, but to gain hands-on research experience in an environment different from what is offered at UW-Madison. This research experience and the topics we learned about pertained to the overall conservation of the area and the species inhabiting the area. We focused highly on the effects of ecotourism and resource management, and from there determined the conservation efforts further needed to conserve these species.