We do science.
At Isla Mar, our work focuses on coral reef and fisheries research to inform conservation and management across interconnected island ecosystems.
OUR SERVICES
Scientific expertise and skills for diverse projects
Specialized diving services to support advanced marine research including deep decompression dives, logistically challenging field locations, low visibility, task-oriented and specific scientific data collection dives. Team includes AAUS scientific divers and IANTD closed circuit rebreather diver, with over 40 years combined diving experience.
Planning and implementation of fish community and benthic composition surveys to monitor long-term and short-term biodiversity in marine habitats.
Deployment of specialized equipment in marine habitats such as hydrophones and ADCPs, including site selection and logistics of long-term data collection needs for specific project objectives.
Handling planning, logistics, dive team management, implementation of a diverse array of marine research projects including hydroacoustics, fish tagging, biodiversity assessments and more.
Knowledgable and experienced team to assist field implementation of coral reef restoration methods, including fragment collection, transport and outplanting.
Over 10 years of experience in training field techniques such as fish identification and community surveys, benthic characterization and analysis, coral reef restoration monitoring and specific scientific diving skills including AAUS-specific needs.
Non-field projects such as meta-analyses and reviews requiring extensive literature research and evaluation, generally management and policy focused.
Nassau Grouper Recovery
Monitoring the only known spawning aggregations of Nassau grouper and identifying critical habitat used by the species throughout ontogeny.
Coral Reef Restoration
We collaborate with HJR Reefscaping to actively outplant corals on multiple reefs along the west and south coasts.
Marine Debris
Isla Mar is actively involved in significant environmental initiatives aimed at reducing marine debris around Puerto Rico.
Fisheries Monitoring
We have dedicated ourselves to monitoring commercially significant groupers and snappers through innovative and consistent fisheries research.
Feeding Ecology
We use advanced next-generation sequencing to analyze fish gut contents, providing insights into their feeding ecology.
Marine Protected Areas
We are dedicated to helping marine protected areas achieve their goals through effectiveness assessments, site evaluations, and standardized biological data to inform management.
Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems
We explore deep coral reef ecosystems (> 30m) to characterize fish communities and document differences in this ecosystem compared to shallow water coral reefs.
Island Sciences
We are seeking new collaborations to advance our Ridges to Reefs initiative, aimed at exploring and understanding the complexities of science.
Resources
Our projects have generated many useful resources for our community. For project specific reports, please see the links above.
MEROS PR
A website we developed to provide clear guidance on fishing regulations for groupers in Puerto Rico.
Grouper Guide
This waterproof card provides regulation and identification guidance for common groupers.
ADV Prevention Guide
This waterproof card for boaters was provided for free at our outreach events to promote proper securing procedures.
Coral Optimism Guide
Tools and messaging for coral reef restoration practitioners for communication with a diverse audience.
Urban Ecologist Planting Guide
A small guidebook for an urban ecologist workshop.
Climate Vulnerability Guidebook
A scientist's review guidebook for the Caribbean climate vulnerability assessment.
.png)
Citizen Science Guidebook
A reference book for the citizen scientists of the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve program.
