2008 Joint Meeting of The Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies with the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM

Paper No. 1
Presentation Time: 1:30 PM

Geology at the Gerace Research Centre, San Salvador, Bahamas


ROTHFUS, Thomas A., Gerace Research Centre, San Salvador, Bahamas, rothfusgrc@gmail.com

Since 1971 the Gerace Research Centre (GRC) on the island of San Salvador, Bahamas, has supported research and education in geology, biology, and archaeology. Each year over 1,200 people make use of the Centre. These are primarily undergraduate and graduate students, but also include faculty, researchers, high school students, and teachers. While most field sciences are pursued at the GRC, geology in particular has a long and rich history, which should become quite apparent in this session. There are on record over 225 geology research projects which have been conducted at the GRC, with over 15 of these still active, ranging in focus from stratigraphy to karst development to trace fossils to climate to paleontology to many others. While the researchers themselves have obviously been critical in advancing their work on San Salvador, none of this would have occurred without the tireless efforts of Don and Kathy Gerace, who not only established the GRC (formerly CCFL and Bahamian Field Station), but also ran it for much of its history. Whether suggesting projects, arranging for field trips, or providing logistical support in countless ways, Don and Kathy, who continue to devote much of their time toward supporting the GRC, have made significant contributions to the fields of geology, biology, and archaeology through their involvement with the GRC, and thus are honored here.