Enhancing Capacity for Research and Education at the CCMI Little Cayman Research Centre

小开曼岛是加勒比地区最不发达的热带岛屿之一，但由于中央加勒比海洋研究所（CCMI）在2005年开发的设施，它提供了一个独特的研究机会。CCMI的小开曼研究中心（LCRC）提供了一个理想的设施，在那里珊瑚礁受到最小的当地人为压力，远离大陆的影响。由于人口密度低和完善的海洋保护区，小开曼岛提供了难得的机会，将对珊瑚礁及其居民的人为影响与环境影响分开。LCRC为科学家提供实验室、教室、住宿、车辆、船只和海洋仪器来进行这项重要的研究。LCRC的研究取得了重大突破，包括发现了新的海洋无脊椎动物，提高了对低光珊瑚礁的认识，先进的古气候重建，一个新的浅海日加热物理海洋学模型，以及模拟2100年海洋pH值以评估海洋酸化和钙化之间的相互作用。这项工作正在改变对基本海洋学过程和驱动珊瑚礁压力和恢复力的机制的认识和理解。设施的改进将进一步促进发现和科学理解，同时通过LCRC举办的项目促进教学、培训和学习：K-12海洋生态学和本科课程，本科生小开曼研究体验（REU），地球观察研究所，以及为残疾美国退伍军人开设的新的英雄潜水项目。与领先的学者和机构建立的越来越多的新伙伴关系突出了LCRC对更广泛的社区的重要性，并导致更多的访问科学家。该提案旨在满足LCRC访问科学家和学生日益增长的需求：1)翻新主楼，为访问科学家和研究生提供两倍的现场住宿；（ii）修改和更新公共区域（餐厅、浴室），以支持其研究和教育项目期间入住率的增加。（三）升级到飓风级别的门窗，以减少天气对研究项目的不利影响，并提高人员和设备的安全性。由于容量和能力的增加，本提案中的现场站改造将使LCRC的项目更有效地同时运行。LCRC开展的项目应继续通过同行评议的科学出版物、科学会议、每月新闻频道、报纸和杂志文章、每周系列讲座和社交媒体网络更新等方式广泛传播。有关LCRC的更多信息，请访问http://reefresearch.org/lcrc/。

Little Cayman is one of the least developed tropical islands in the Caribbean, yet it provides a unique opportunity for research because of the facilities developed by the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) in 2005. CCMI's Little Cayman Research Centre (LCRC) provides an ideal facility where the reefs are under minimal local anthropogenic stress and are far removed from continental influences. Due to low population density and well-established marine protected areas, Little Cayman provides the rare opportunity to separate anthropogenic from environmental effects on coral reefs and their inhabitants. LCRC provides the laboratories, classroom, accommodations, vehicles, boats, and oceanographic instrumentation for scientists to conduct this vital research. Research at LCRC has led to major breakthroughs including the discovery of new marine invertebrates, improved understanding of low light reefs, advanced paleoclimatic reconstructions, a new physical oceanographic model for diurnal heating of shallow seas, and simulated ocean pH for 2100 to evaluate interactions between ocean acidification and calcification. This work is transforming knowledge and understanding of fundamental oceanographic processes and of mechanisms that drive coral reef stress and resilience. The facilities improvements shall further advance discovery and scientific understanding while promoting teaching, training, and learning through programs held at LCRC: K-12 Marine Ecology and undergraduate courses, the Little Cayman Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), the Earthwatch Institute, and a new Dive with Heroes program for disabled US military veterans.The increasing number of new partnerships with leading academics and institutions highlight the importance of LCRC to the wider community and are resulting in more visiting scientists. This proposal seeks to meet the growing needs of the visiting scientists and students at LCRC by i) renovating the main building to double on-site accommodations intended for visiting scientists and graduate students, (ii) modifying and updating common areas (dining room, bathhouse) to support the increase in occupancy during its research and education programs, and (iii) upgrading to hurricane-rated windows and doors in order to reduce the chances of weather adversely affecting the research projects and to improve the safety of both people and equipment. The field station renovations in this proposal will allow the programs at LCRC to run more efficiently and simultaneously due to the increased capacity and capabilities. The programs conducted at LCRC shall continue to be broadly disseminated though peer-reviewed scientific publications, scientific conferences, a monthly news channel segment, newspaper and magazine articles, weekly lecture series, and social media network updates. For more information about LCRC visit http://reefresearch.org/lcrc/.