Coastal Ecology

The coastal ecology program has involved surveys of the terrestrial flora of Vista Alegre as well as the underwater habitats around the site.  This work was done by Dr. Derek Smith.  Dr. Smith has also brought his expertise as a malacologist (a scientist who studies mollusks) to the collection of marine shells from the site.  To date we have investigated thousands of shells that the ancient inhabitants of Vista Alegre and Conil used as food and the raw materials for tools and jewelry.  This work has been combined with the archaeozoological (the study of animal remains from archaeological contexts) research.  These analyses were initially done by Dr. Chris Götz of the Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY) until his untimely passing.  Since that time Elizabeth Rodriguez has studied the faunal materials as part of her MA thesis research at the University of Granada. Rissolo and Glover and also collaborating with Dr. Nayeli Jimenez of UADY, who took over for Dr. Götz.  To date the analysis of over 25,000 animal bones has revealed a diet heavily reliant on nearshore species (bony and cartilaginous fish + mollusks) combined with wetland and terrestrial fauna.  

We are also collaborating with Dr. Nadia Rubio of Mar Sustenable (https://marsustentable.org/) who is investigating anthropogenic impacts on the fisheries and ecosystems around Holbox.  In so doing, she is incorporating the archaeological data to help her understand the long term patterns of human impacts on the local environment.