Author: REEF Education Team
The Grouper Moon Project is a collaborative research effort between REEF, the Cayman Islands Department of Environment (DoE), and scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and Oregon State University, aimed at studying one of the largest and last known spawning aggregations of endangered Nassau Grouper.
Each winter, thousands of Nassau Grouper gather at a special location in the waters of Little Cayman to spawn after the full moon. Over the years, the species has suffered dramatic declines due to fishing on spawning sites. 2024 marks the 22nd year of the Grouper Moon Project, which includes monitoring, acoustic tagging, soundscape research, juvenile habitat and genetics studies, oceanographic research, and more.
REEF has developed Grouper Moon educator resources to engage students with this amazing natural phenomenon, and help them understand the ecological and cultural importance of Nassau Grouper as a top predator on Caribbean coral reefs.
Photo (c) Grouper Moon Project, by Tiago Peixoto
Author: REEF Education Team
Grouper Moon education resources are available for all grades. Lessons are easily integrated into existing curricula, or can be taught as an immersive unit with scaffolded lessons. Resources include games like Guess Who, Grouper Moon-O, Race to Survival, and Human Food Web.
Check out this page to see lesson plans, and visit the Grouper Moon Project Educator resources page for additional ways to connect your students to this project, including videos, interactive Virtual Field Trips, and even a Grouper Moon book for young adults - perfect for a class read-aloud!
REEF’s Grouper Education Program has been implemented in 25 schools and 95 unique classrooms, and reached approximately 3,000 students in the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos Islands, the US, and the UK. We hope your class will join in the fun!
Author: REEF Education Team
You and your students are invited to dive into science and research by tuning in to a live-from-the-field webchat with scientists studying the Nassau Grouper aggregations in the Cayman Islands!
Upcoming livestream sessions include:
1. Monday, January 29, 2024: Gathering Groupers - Updates from the field featuring Grouper Moon scientists. Designed for Primary Grades.
2. Tuesday, January 30, 2024: Scientific and Research Technology and Tools - Exploring diverse pathways to becoming a scientist. Designed for Secondary Grades.
3. Thursday, February 1, 2024: Underwater Dive! Life on a Spawning Aggregation - Talk with a scientist underwater in Bloody Bay Wall, Little Cayman. Designed for all grades.
All livestreams will take place at 10:30am EST. It’s free to join in, and livestreams will be broadcast on REEF's YouTube channel.
Video sessions are scaffolded with pre-activities to build background knowledge, along with follow-up activities to deepen your students' learning experience.
Photo (c) Grouper Moon Project, by Josh Stewart
