TURKS AND CAICOS 2022
TURKS AND CAICOS 2022
Oana and Roger make their way down the rocky coastline
The sea erodes fossil dunes from the last interglacial making spectacular cliffs
The sea erodes fossil dunes from the last interglacial making spectacular cliffs
Roger takes in the view
A lovely beach waits beyond the dune
Roger takes in the view
Fossilized dunes break up the modern beach on Middle Caicos
An old house in the hills of Middle Caicos
The team heads inland after a hot walk
Over the dunes is considerably easier than through the forest
Coastal caves and speleothems are suggestive of a higher sea level
The team ascends a fossil dune to start the long hike back to the car
Platico Point
A holocene coral (orbicella anularis?) clast sitting in lithified holocene beach
Lithified holocene beach and dune sediments
Rounded and abraded beach rock clasts encased in lithified holocene beach
Last interglacial aeolianite at Gamble Point
Last interglacial aeolianite
A 7 meter diameter orbicella annularis (organ pipe morph) from the last interglacial
A 7 meter diameter orbicella annularis (organ pipe morph) from the last interglacial
The team sets out on our morning traverse to Juniper Hole and Highas Cay
Close up of last interglacial fossil corals
The team surveying a fossil coral reef from the last interglacial
A rock boring urchin hanging out on a hardground just below low tide
The team discusses the history of the fossil reef beneath their feet
Oana samples a large Orbicella Annularis (Organ Pipe Morph)
Billy and Oana carry their kayak across a carbonate hardground
Billy and Oana bring their kayak in to harbor
A nice landing spot when you are looking for fossil reefs
The team lands on Highas Cay and finds treasure
Tidal notches in last interglacial aeolinite from Highas Cay
The modern reef front seaward of Highas Cay
The team sets off for Highas Cay
Tidal notches in last interglacial aeolianite from Highas Cay
Roger and Billy get to work
Billy takes some notes while Oana learns that the drone controller is out of battery
Sand grains marching along
Roger uses the packraft to ferry our gear across the tidal creeks
Sandy tidal creeks between Middle Caicos and East Caicos
Roger and Oana crossing over to Dickish Cay
Dickish Cay is loaded with the endemic Iguana to the Turks and Caicos islands
Billy and Oana crossing Dickish Cay
Roger bringing the packraft in to the beach on Joe Grant Cay
The team heads to a soft spot for lunch
The team enjoying some food and the view
Oana is happy to find a nice fossil coral after the long and hot trek
Billy disappears into the landscape of Joe Grant Cay
The drone checks in to see if Billy is working
Good spirits all around, in spite of the extreme heat back in the bush
Oana and Billy discussing sediment transport while the GPS samples
Thick calcite cements hide these beautiful carbonate sands from the world
Roger finishing up a survey of a fossilized last interglacial reef
Oana is impressed with the quality of this Psuedodiploria sample
A fossil reef hugs the landward flank of last interglacial aeolinites
You can't tell, but Roger's face is expressing joy at another successful day
A fossilized red coralline algae sits atop fossil coral reef
Preparing the packraft to transport gear to the distant cay
Small stony brain corals are common in the upper layer of this fossil reef
Roger hands a sample of the lithified reef sand to Oana and Steve
Cerion snails weathering out of a fossilized terrestrial dune
The team enjoys the view during lunch from Three Mary Cays
Differential erosion causes these elkhorn corals to stand out from this fossil reef outcrop
Billy manages the GPS while the drone looks on
Marine sands entomb this fossil reef
This gap in the fossil coral reef collects sand today, resulting in a nice pocket beach
Billy balances the GPS on an Orbicella Annularis while Steve and Oana discuss a coral sample
Alternating bands on coarse and fine sand provide clues to the environment these sands were deposited in
The team finishes the final steps of another survey site
The sun and heat is brutal in the late afternoon, but the team pushes on
Billy collects a GPS point during the heat of the late afternoon
These fossilized air bubbles formed as waves pushed air into the sand of this ancient beach
A lively discussion of the last interglacial on West Caicos
These fossilized air bubbles formed as waves pushed air into the sand of this ancient beach
Oana and Steve exploring a fossilized last interglacial reef
Sand and coral rubble cover this ancient reef
A close up view of a Knobby Brain Coral
A close up view of a Knobby Brain Coral and a resident Christmas Tree Worm
Differential weathering etches the limestone surrounding this fossilized Finger Coral colony
Some Fire Corals and Elkhorn Corals just getting started
Roger gets close for a better look at the Elkhorn Coral and Banded Butterflyfish
Algae colonize most rocky surfaces underwater in the tropics
Roger exploring the deep
A few small Elkhorn Coral colonies
A sand filled groove in the reef surface