The Bahamas’ blue holes, such as Sawmill Sink on Great Abaco Island, contain a trove of well-preserved fossils that provide insights into the islands’ natural history dating back to the last Ice Age.
Researchers have been exploring Sawmill Sink since 2005, retrieving thousands of fossils of animals like tortoises and crocodiles that are now extinct on the island. The fossils show how the islands’ land area and wildlife have changed over thousands of years.
The blue holes preserved the fossils well due to the challenging diving conditions and lack of disturbance over time. However, in 2019 Hurricane Dorian devastated the island, destroying the natural history museum that housed many of the collected fossils.
While 80-90% of the fossil collection was salvaged, the museum has not been reopened. Plans to turn the blue holes into a protected national park have also stalled as the island focuses on recovery from the hurricane.
The blue holes still hold more secrets and scientific potential, but the future of this research is uncertain without the dedicated work of researchers like Nancy Albury and David Steadman who have studied the site.
Source: ScienceAlert
