FAQs, TRAVEL & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Our college programs are intended for students looking for research field experience. Students with previous field experience and scuba certification will be given priority. However, there are shallow reef data collection objectives and historically, a few highly motivated non-certified, non-majors have collected useful data and have been successful members of the overall research team.

Our Dive With a Researcher (DWAR) programs are an opportunity for advanced SCUBA divers to join a scientist and assist in field research while learning about the major conservation concerns of today.

Our high school sea camp is an academically oriented program to enrich your educational experience in conservation and marine biology. Fun activities include diving, snorkeling, hiking, biking, sea kayaking, boat building, community service activities, and enjoying being in residence at the Little Cayman Research Center.

ARE THERE ADDITIONAL COSTS?
Tuition, fees, housing, food, and excursions are included in the cost of our programs. Travel (airfare, etc.), major medical insurance, and all personal expenses are not included in this fee. Diving gear is not included but is available for rent at the Little Cayman Research Center.

WHAT GEAR CAN I RENT & HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Scuba rental is $30 a day. This includes your BC and Regulator. We supply tanks, weights and weight belts as part of your program fee. We do not rent masks, snorkels, fins, or wetsuits.

ARE THERE OTHER REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS?
CCMI waivers must be completed and mailed to us once you are accepted into your program. Participants must also show proof of Divers Alert Network (DAN) insurance (see http://www.diversalertnetwork.org).

WHAT IS IT LIKE ON LITTLE CAYMAN?
Little Cayman Island is one of the least developed islands in the Caribbean, harboring reef systems of remarkable biological diversity including over 350 species of fish, 37 species of coral, and shallow lagoon, wall, and deep ocean (several thousand meters) habitats that are all within swimming distance of each other and the Little Cayman Research Center. With stunning reef walls, shallow reef structures, and large populations of mega-fauna including spotted eagle rays, one of the last spawning aggregations of the Nassau grouper, hawksbill and green turtles, and a healthy shark population, Little Cayman is consistently ranked one of the top three diving destinations in the Caribbean. With a human population of less than 150 permanent residents, there is little to no anthropogenic impact on the reef system. Combined with the distance of this island from continental influences, Little Cayman is an ideal location ideal for educational and research initiatives in tropical marine science.

ABOUT THE LITTLE CAYMAN RESEARCH CENTER
The Little Cayman Research Center is a field education and research station. It has labs, a classroom, and dormitory-style or private-room living accommodations to support researchers and students. For further details, please see About LCRC.

WHEN DO I NEED TO ARRIVE?
Program participants are responsible for purchasing and reserving their own flights to and from Little Cayman. You will arrive from your departure city into Grand Cayman on the day that your program begins and depart from Little Cayman on the last day of the program.

Make airline reservations between your home and Grand Cayman, and between Grand Cayman and Little Cayman arriving no later than 5:30pm on the first day of the program; and arrange for return flights with a Grand Cayman departure any time after noon on the last day of the program.

DO I NEED A VALID PASSPORT?
Yes. This is an international flight and you will be required to show your passport upon departure and arrival.

HOW DO I GET FROM GRAND CAYMAN TO LITTLE CAYMAN?
Several airline carriers fly direct to Grand Cayman. Cayman Air Express is the only airline that flies between Grand Cayman and Little Cayman so please make your reservations immediately upon acceptance into our program. Call 1 (800) GCayman to book your inter-island flight or see http://www.caymanairways.com.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO I NEED?
Qualifications vary for each CCMI field program. Please see the appropriate web page for the field program in which you will participate. Participants who plan to dive need to be SCUBA certified.

CAN I GET COLLEGE CREDIT?
Academic undergraduate and graduate credit may be earned through our participating universities. Academic credit is generally transferable and can be arranged through the credit granting institution (Kean University or Rutgers University).

WHAT IS THE HOUSING LIKE?
Little Cayman is a remote island with few services. Participants will stay on Little Cayman at the LCRC dorm facility. Dorms are well ventilated with fans and situated to benefit from the local Caribbean breeze. Rooms will be shared with one or more participants to a maximum of six. Individuals will participate in the daily maintenance of their living quarters.

WHAT WILL WE EAT?
All food arrives on the island by barge prior to your stay, if you have specific dietary requirements this information must be passed on to your supervisor or directly to the Little Cayman Research Center Station Manager (Contact Us) at least 2 weeks prior to your arrival. Meals are designed to be healthy and hearty including a variety of local cuisine. Meals are taken in the dining pavilion overlooking the ocean.

CAN I BUY FOOD AND GOODS ON LITTLE CAYMAN?
There is one small general store on Little Cayman. Food is extremely expensive. If there is something that you like to have every day, we recommend that you bring it with you. There are a few small gift shops on the island.

CAN I MAKE PHONE CALLS?
The Little Cayman Research Center plans to provide free access to internet telephony services via Skype and a headset. We recommend anyone you must be in contact with over the course of the trip download Skype's application (see http://www.skype.com) and purchase a ~$20 headset. Phone quality is high but requires a headset and a broadband internet connection. Regular phone calls to and from the Cayman Islands are expensive. The best way to make a phone call from Little Cayman is to purchase a phone card at the airport in Grand Cayman or use a credit card. Foreign phone cards do not work in the Caymans. Some cell phone services work in Cayman with partner companies.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND DISABILITIES?
Anyone with a medical condition or disability will require a doctor's note stating that they are capable of participating in the program. We would like for everyone to have an opportunity to participate in our programs. However, since we are working and living on a remote island, we may not have all the resources available to provide for certain disabilities. Please contact the Little Cayman Research Center Station Manager (Contact Us) if you are interested in one of our programs and we will determine if participation is possible. A wheel chair ramp has been incorporated into the main building. However the facility is not entirely accessible.

WHO IS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN MARINE INSTITUTE?
The Central Caribbean Marine Institute, founded in 1998, is guided by its mission to conduct and facilitate research, education, and outreach that will sustain marine diversity for future generations. The organization is incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit in the US, a Cayman Islands, and UK Charity. For further details, please see About CCMI.

RECOMMENDED GEAR
We recommend you bring along the following gear:

• Mask, fins, snorkel. We do not provide them on the island.
• Wetsuit (not required but 2mm suit recommended for divers enrolled in winter courses)
• 2 (or more) disposable underwater cameras
• Regular camera or digital camera.
• Water shoes (Teva water sandals or dive booties that you can use in and out of the water)
• T-shirts that you can wear in the water
• Wide brim hat
• Scuba divers—Certification Card, BC, and regulator, otherwise you may rent them on Little Cayman. DO NOT BRING WEIGHTS. There is no charge for tanks, air fills or weight belts borrowed from the Little Cayman Research Center.
• Sunglasses and extras
• Sunscreen, 45 SPF—you will be spending all day in the sun
• Bug Spray
• Beach Towel
• Backpack
• Mesh bag or backpack to carry snorkel gear in
• Water bottle
• Rain jacket
• Recommended: Paul Humann Coral Reef Guidebooks (Reef Fish, Reef Corals and Reef Creatures). These books are available for purchase at the Little Cayman Research Center. As of October 2007, there is a boxed hardcover set of the three available from Amazon.com for about $75
• Field Notebook and pencils (cheap mechanical pencils)
• Little Cayman is remote, with only one small grocery store. Everything is very expensive. Don't forget the essential things that you use on a daily basis. A supply boat comes weekly. Give us any special dietary needs in advance. Local businesses accept credit and debit cards and US Dollars, but there are no ATMs on Little Cayman.