Unique Book Offers Window into Bahamian Natural History

The Danguillecourt Project, a Bahamian non-profit environmental organization operated in collaboration with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, presents Islands of the Sun: a Tribute to the Northern Exuma Cays, Bahamas. This spectacularly illustrated book tours the reader through the ecosystems of the central Bahamas, from the hilltops to the depths of the ocean. The book functions as an informative reference volume as well as a work of art, with photography and painted illustrations bringing to life the unique and diverse plants and animals of the Exuma Cays.

The culmination of a three-year effort, every chapter in the book features a different habitat, showcasing the wondrous and bizarre organisms that make their homes in this tropical island idyll. Remarkable color photographs depict a range of life from orchids and rock iguanas to sea slugs and reef sharks. All in all, a total of 298 members of the flora and fauna are featured. Accompanying text informs the reader about these species, including their historical and cultural value as food or medicine. Every chapter opens with a two-page landscape painting of the selected habitat and its denizens.  Each chapter additionally features a “special focus” section dedicated to a plant or animal of particular interest specific to that habitat.

This is a landmark publication both from an artistic and a scientific point of view, as Bahamas-specific volumes are rare.  Co-authored by two young Bahamians, John A. Thompson and Nikita Shiel-Rolle, the scope of the gorgeous imagery and informative text set this book apart—an unprecedented fusion of science and art guaranteed to fascinate and educate young and old alike.

Islands of the Sun is dedicated to Sergio and Jacqueline Kriz Danguillecourt, in celebration of the deep love they shared for the northern Exuma Cays. The book was produced for The Danguillecourt Project by Neko Meicholas, Guanima Press Ltd, and printed by AC Graphics using certified paper from well-managed forests and vegetable-based inks. The price of the book is $149.95 and all proceeds will support environmental educational activities of The Danguillecourt Project, such as the Young Bahamian Marine Scientists program, after school clubs, and summer camps.

For more information please contact Dr. Pamela Reid, preid@rsmas.miami.edu; Phone: (305) 421-4606 or Barbara Thompson, barbarathompson@coralwave.com, Phone: (242) 324-7060, or visit the website of The Danguillecourt Project at  http://tropicbirds.org. Orders can also be placed by visiting http://tropicbirds.org/islandsofthesun.