2024-11-04T18:36:31-07:00 2023-12-31 990 2023-01-01 464866535 BAHAMAS MARINE ECOCENTRE BAHA 3052380186 7201 SW 144 St Miami FL 33158 Ruth Pamela Reid President 3052380186 2024-10-15 1 2023 2024-10-15 13:58:12Z Ruth Pamela Reid 7201 SW 144 St Palmetto Bay FL 33158 425349 0 X www.bahamas-marine-ecocentre.org X 2014 FL Research and Education: Bahamas Marine EcoCentre focuses on marine science education and research and promotes scientific and artistic activities that foster environmental stewardship. In 2023, activities were focused in three geographic areas: Bahamas, Western Australia, and Northern Chile, as outlined in Lines 28-30. Research on gypsum depositional system in lagoons in the Atacama Desert, which initiated as a consulting service in 2017, became a funded research project in 2018. Supported by the Chilean mining company, SQM, BME is investigating the role of microbes in sedimentation in the desert lagoon systems. 4 4 0 9 0 0 240607 425349 0 0 0 0 233 0 240840 425349 101500 87500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 186956 224007 288456 311507 -47616 113842 20858 134700 0 0 20858 134700 Research and Education: Bahamas Marine EcoCentre focuses on marine science education and research and promotes scientific and artistic activities that foster environmental stewardship. In 2023, activities were focused in three geographic areas: Bahamas, Western Australia, and Northern Chile. Research on gypsum depositional system in lagoons in the Atacama Desert, which initiated as a consulting service in 2017, became a funded research project in 2018. Supported by the Chilean mining company, SQM, BME is investigating the role of microbes in sedimentation in the desert lagoon systems. 0 0 6668 0 0 Research and education activities in the Bahamas are based out of the Darby Island Research Station, Bahamas which is maintained and operated by Bahamas Marine EcoCentre. In 2023, we focused on preparation of two manuscripts, both of which were submitted for publication in 2024. One was an evaluation of early diagenetic signatures of lithium and stable strontium isotopes in shallow marine carbonate sediments submitted to Chemical Geology. The second was synthesis of previous Bahamian microbialite research in an invited paper for Annual Reviews of Marine Science. Costs for Bahamian program services were mainly associated with station maintenance and travel. 206892 22500 0 Our second geographic area of research was the Atacama Desertof northern Chile where we continued monitoring stromatolite growth in saline lagoons. This research involved one post doctoral fellow and a consultant. Program expenses pertain to field activities, laboratory analyses and writing reports and publications. As reported in 2022, three peer reviewed papers were published in 2022 and additional papers are currently in preparation. (1) Oehlert AM, Suosaari EP, Kong T, Piggot AM, Maizel D, Lascu I, Demergasso C, Chong Díaz G, Reid RP. (2022) Physical, chemical, and microbial feedbacks controlling brine geochemistry and lake morphology in polyextreme salar environments. Sci Total Environ. 2022 Aug 25;836:155378. doi.org10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155378. Epub 2022 Apr 27. PMID: 35489513. (2) Suosaari, E.P., Lascu, I., Oehlert, A.M., Parlanti, P., Machabee, P.F., Piggot, A.M., Reid, R.P. 2022. Mg-clay biomineralization as a prerequisite to microbial carbonate precipitation in non-marine settings: a case study from the Puquios, Salar de Llamara, Northern Chile. Nature Communications Earth and Environment 2022 DOI 10.1038/s43247-022-00658-5. (3) Suosaari, E.P.; Oehlert,A.M.; Lascu, I.; Decho, A.W.; Piggot, A.M.; Palma, A.T.; Machabee, P.F.; Reid, R.P. (2022) Environmental and Biological Controls on Sedimentary Bottom Types in the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara, Northern Chile. Geosciences 2022, 12, 247. https:// doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12060247. 70609 65000 0 A third area of research activity was Western Australia,where we cont'd research into modern marine stromatolites in Shark Bay. This research involved one PhD student. The following three papers were published in 2022 and 2023: (1) Vitek, B.E.; Suosaari, E.P.; Stolz, J.F.; Oehlert, A.M.; Reid, R.P. Initial Accretion in Hamelin Pool Microbialites: The Role of Entophysalis in Precipitation of Microbial Micrite. Geosciences 2022, 12, 304. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12080304. (2) Suosaari, E.P., Reid, R.P. Mercadier, C., Vitek, B.E, Oehlert, A.M., Stolz, J.F., Giusfredi, P.E., Eberli, G.P. (2022) The microbial carbonate factory of Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia: Scientific Reports (2022) 12:12902 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16651-z. (3) Vitek,B.E., Suosaari, E.P., Oehlert, A, M., Dupraz, C. Pollier, C.G.L., Reid, R.P. 2023. Bidirectional Fabric Evolution in Hamelin Pool Microbialites, Shark Bay, Western Australia. The Depositional Record, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dep2.244. 0 0 0 284169 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 FL X Ruth Pamela Reid 3052380186 7201 SW 144 St Miami FL 33158 X Ruth Pamela Reid President 10 1 X X 0 0 0 Alexander Tecle Treasurer 1 2 X X 0 0 0 Peter Ortner Director 1 0 X 0 0 0 Jamie Foster Secretary 1 3 X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 AP Research 8925 SW 158 St Palmetto Bay FL 33158 consulting 124150 1 0 0 0 0 0 425349 0 425349 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 425349 0 0 0 X 0 0 87500 87500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 182019 182019 0 0 0 0 0 0 2131 2131 778 778 12003 12003 4702 4702 field and lab equipment 2647 2647 0 0 publication charges 200 0 200 0 maintenance Darby lab 19527 0 19527 0 311507 284169 27338 0 20858 134700 20858 134700 0 0 X 20858 134700 0 0 0 0 20858 134700 20858 134700 113842 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 0 0 X 133759 196159 199234 240607 425349 1195108 3000 242 264 232 0 3738 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 136759 196401 199498 240839 425349 1198846 31000 0 35000 50000 34985 150985 0 0 0 0 0 0 31000 0 35000 50000 34985 150985 1047861 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 136759 196401 199498 240839 425349 1198846 0.87406 0.84892 0 0 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED Central America and the Caribbean 0 0 Program Services Research and education activities were carried out in the Bahamas at the Darby Island Research Station, which is maintained and operated by Bahamas Marine EcoCentre. Expenses were mainly associated with station maintenance and travel. Insurance and caretaking for the research station were included as management expenses in the financial statement. Primary efforts with respect to Bahamian research focused on manuscript preparation for two papers that were submitted for publication in 2024: an evaluation of early diagenetic signatures of lithium and stable strontium isotopes in shallow marine carbonate sediments and a synthesis paper on microbialite growth. 6000 South America 0 0 Program Services Programs services associated with environmental studies in northern Chile were conducted within the US. No program service funds were spent in Chile. 0 East Asia and the Pacific 0 0 Program Services Programs services associated with environmental studies in Australia were mainly conducted within the US. 10 days of field work were conducted in July 2023. 2500 0 0 8500 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Fellowship for post doctoral research Smithsonian Institution 1 65000 0 peer reviewed scientific papers Fellowship for University of Miami PhD student - research and course work 1 22500 0 dissertation preparation and peer reviewed scientific papers Schedule I, Part I, Line 2 Two fellowships were awarded. One fellowship ($65,000) is to a post doctoral fellow at National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. A second fellowship ($22,500) was award to a PhD student at University of Miami. In both cases, the awardees were actively involved in ongoing research supervised by the organization president, Pamela Reid. Results were presented to the public in peer reviewed scientific journals. Form 990, Part VI, Section A, Line 8b There are no committees. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11b - A zoom call with board members was conducted to review the 990 form. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 12c The conflict of interest policy is Appendix A of BME's Bylaws. Each member of the board has a copy of the bylaws and signs an annual disclosure. The duty to disclose, procedures for determining whether a conflict exists, and procedures for addressing the conflict or violations of the policy are defined in Article III of Appendix A. Board members are reminded to update their conflict of interest statement at each board meeting if circumstances have changed. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 All of the organization governing documents and conflict of interest and financial statements are available upon request. Form 990, Part IX, Line 11g Fees for services include $57,869 to University of Miami for isotopic analyses of samples and $124,150 to AP Consultants for field work, data analyses, report writing An extension was filed and granted 04/03/2024