Small islands like Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are on the front lines of global biodiversity loss. Having evolved for thousands of years in relative isolation from humans, our islands nurtured unique species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. For decades, scientists have been studying the delicate ecosystems of islands, recognizing
The endangered Sister Islands Rock Iguana population has been in steep decline for years, as shown by surveys which started in 2014. In response to calls from the Little Cayman community and evidence of predation on young iguanas, the Department of Environment began controlling feral cats in 2022, supported by a Darwin+ grant through Biodiversity
A virtually untouched haven for native species and virgin habitat, Little Cayman has been exploring the potential benefits of invasive species controls for nearly two decades. As steep declines in annual population surveys of the Sister Islands Rock Iguana – found only in the sister islands and nowhere else in the world – were consistently recorded, cameras placed out in the wild, along with iguana remains showed clear evidence of cat predation, particularly on hatchling, young, and sub-adult segments of the population.
Nestled along the rocky shores and cliff tops of the eastern bluff of Cayman Brac are what remains of the Cayman Islands’ only Brown Booby colony (Sula leucogaster). Established long before human settlement, the colony was once thousands strong according to historical accounts from the early 20th century, yet the 2021/2022 nesting season saw a