Dr. Lesley de Souza, a research biologist at John G. Shedd Aquarium, writes from Guyana, where she studies the region?s rich aquatic wildlife, including the arapaima, one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world.
Jan. 22, 2013
The river flows slowly as the sun sets on the Rewa River, painting the sky beyond the trees with colors of bright orange, red, pink, and slight purple hints. A large black caiman floats downriver gently swaying its tail, riding the current as a calm breeze blows. I am invigorated by the peace that emerges as I coexist with these beauties.
However, this peace belies the threats this area faces from development, oil drilling, gold and diamond mining, logging, and agriculture, and my research is critical to advancing sustainable management initiatives that can protect endangered arapaima and their habitats. I am here during the dry season to begin filling the knowledge gaps about the basic biology and migration routes and patterns of ancient arapaima. But in order to obtain that information, I must catch and tag these giant fish. The triumph of our first tagged arapaima has been muted by almost two weeks of frustration. Fishing with a rod has not been very effective, and my net is still held up in customs.
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Jan. 23
It is morning and I anxiously await the sound of the approaching boat. I hear the engine far in the distance. Restless, I retreat to my hammock to wait for news. Peeking around it, I see the guests, captain, and bowman arrive as they climb the stairs from the landing.
Bowman Shun Alvin approaches me in my hammock. ?You owe me, de Souza. Your net is here; it is joke!?
This is one of the many local sayings that have become most endearing to me. They often use it to mean, it is no big thing. In this case, he is referring to the approximately 200-pound net and the fact that he carried it alone from the landing to the boat and now up Rewa?s steep stairs. Every bit of my anxiety melts away, replaced by an influx of sheer joy and excitement. Now, my research can proceed. What I learn may be vital in determining protected areas and community based management plans for this extraordinary species.
With the morning chill still in the air, my crew sets out for two weeks upriver. We camp in an area where we can strategically hit several sites with arapaima. In the evening, over the fire, we roast a delicious meal of lukanani (peacock bass) and piranha with farine. Cassava-based farine with fish is a main staple of the Amerindian diet, and now has happily become one of mine.
We retreat to our hammocks, swaying gently, and the storytelling begins. Winston Edwards regales us with tales of conflicts with jaguars. Naturally, our fascination with the ?king of the forests? also awakens fear. I resolve to take no more middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks. Winston and others continue with stories of bushmen living in forest and mermaids of the rivers. Listening intently, I am captivated by their knowledge and relationships with these forests and rivers.
Jan. 24
Arriving at the first pond early in the morning, we see several arapaima roll.
(Arapaima roll by arching back into the water headfirst after surfacing to gulp air. The action causes either a graceful and gentle break in the water in which the body is revealed head to tail slowly or an aggressive breach above the water?s surface with a loud tail slap as it submerges back into the water. When arapaima are traveling, they roll sequentially as they move across the surface. I?m reminded of dolphins making semicircular arches across the water, only arapaima do not rise completely out. It is mesmerizing to watch.)
Arapaima are often found in ponds that connect to the river in the wet season. My team, made up of local guides, is critical in showing me where to look. After finding a population, we target one fish and begin setting the net. Terry Haynes and Davis Edwards paddle in a canoe toward the deep end of the net while the rest of us slowly pull the net toward the bank. A colorful array of fishes jump out of the net, and I feel several others swimming between my legs. I try not to think about the slew of possible critters in the water with me: piranhas, electric eels, anacondas or the caiman watching us about 80 feet away.
In a flash, the net tightens and the floats submerge. Terry jumps into the water to hold the arapaima and I rush to meet him. Together with the arapaima secure in our grasp, we swim toward the shallows. Short of breath we reach the edge where Liz Smith waits. One hard kick, and the arapaima nails me in the gut. The men regain control while Liz secures the surgical tools. While feeling slightly nauseous from the blow, I insert the radio transmitter, for monitoring arapaima migration patterns and routes.
In the days following these successful attempts, my crew gets into a rhythm and we become more efficient at catching and tagging arapaima.? These men have an astounding and nuanced understanding of these animals. They know how long the arapaima can be handled or in the net, how to recognize signs of stress, and the best techniques to safely release them. Terry jumps into the water without hesitation to keep the arapaima safe in the net. Davis remains underwater for long stretches of time working to secure the fish. Carlson and Terry are both hit in the face several times by several arapaima ? -and still hold on. They act swiftly when two large caiman are snared by the net among the arapaima, and release them without being attacked. I am awed by their knowledge, effortless grace and skill as they maneuver each circumstance confronted in the field.
As I depend on my local team members? guidance for my arapaima research, Amerindian communities depend on local ecosystems and associated wildlife for resources of food, products to construct homes, canoes, crafts and medicine. Fish provide Amerindians with more than 60 percent of their protein on average. Protecting this flagship species means protecting a diverse suite of habitats and associated wildlife, which their culture depends. Together with my findings, working with the Amerindians of Rewa helps me better aid these communities as they develop management plans for threatened natural resources and, hopefully, the fauna and culture that are intimately intertwined.
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