Belize Audubon Society

Research Program

The Belize Audubon Society's research program is designed to provide current and pertinent information to its management team while building institutional capacity and Belize's scientific knowledge base. The Belize Audubon Society has adopted an integrated resource management (IRM) approach to managing protected areas in order to build and maintain the capacity to carry out research. As the Society adapts its management activities to meet increasing user demands, sustained threats to biodiversity, and constricting resources, the generation of data is key in prioritization of management activities.

Institutional support for its research include coordinating technical personnel and a complement of field staff stationed at the protected areas trained to provide support in field research. The research program is equipped with a GIS system and basic field equipment to carry out a variety of field activities. The Society also manages the Belize Biodiversity Information System (BBIS, http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/wcs/ ) that hosts data on a large variety of species found in Belize. The Society welcomes opportunities to build this database and enhance national knowledge. One of the Society's strengths is the support it receives through its volunteer program and frequent opportunities for volunteers to participate in researchby matching skills with research needs.

Working at the landscape and species level, the Society has established its long-term monitoring programs and routinely collects data. Through collaborative efforts with local academic institutions and international conservation and research organizations, the Society has been able to study critical species such as the Jaguar (Panthera onca ), Black Howler Monkey (Aloutta pigra), Jabiru Stork (Jabiru mycteria) among others. Researchers also monitor vulnerable marine spawning aggregations of Groupers ( Serranidae ) and Snapper (Lutjanidae).

The Society maintains facilities to accommodate researchers at Half Moon Caye Natural Monument (marine), Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (terrestrial), and the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve (Designated solely for scientific research), which houses modest facilities.

Research Activities and Opportunities

	Ongoing	Principal Investigator	Research Opportunities
Blue Hole National Park	Biodiversity Monitoring (Birds, mammals, anurans)	BAS staff	Icthyology survey.
	Basidiomycete Fungi in Belize	Dr. Jeanne Lodge

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary	Migratory Patterns of Jabiru	Marco Figueroa	Water Quality Monitoring.
	Biodiversity Monitoring (Birds, mammals, anurans)	BAS staff	Water Quality Monitoring.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Jaguar	Linde Ostro/Bart Hamsen-WCS	Socio-economic mapping
	Biodiversity Monitoring (Birds, mammals, anurans)	BAS staff

Guanacaste National Park	N/A	N/A	User impact monitoring.

Half Moon Caye Natural monument	Commercial Species monitoring.	BAS staff	Diver & User impacts study.
	Coral monitoring	BAS staff	Socio-economic mapping.
	Spawning Aggregation Monitoring.	BAS staff
	Marine Turtle nest monitoring	BAS staff

Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve	N/A	N/A	Rapid Ecological Assessment.