The Blue Holes Foundation

About The Rob Palmer Blue Holes Foundation

General Info
Foundation Goals
Information about Stephanie Schwabe
Publications

Photo: Dr. Stephanie Schwabe

General Info:

A nonprofit Organization dedicated to the scientific and physical exploration of blue holes within the Bahamas and related environment.
The Rob Palmer Blue Holes Foundation was created to continue the scientific exploration of the caves and to coordiante safe access to these subterrestrial frontiers for exploration, research, and education.
Located in close proximity of the populated world, a few metres below the ocean surface, lies a pristine world that holds details of about 100.000.000 years of history.
Taking along that information leaves the caves essentially unaltered.
It is an important role of the Foundation to monitor the use and to prevent abuse of this spontaneous nature preserve.
Blue holes mark the entrances to these largely unexplored caves with their unique environment and ecosystem that may have persisted for millions of years.
Many caves were discovered during the past 30 years but thse efforts were not well organized and consequently about 90% of all caves are still virgin territory.
The efforts of the Foundation have yielded vital information on the past world climates, on geological and hydrological relationships within limestones banks, and on structure and speciation of living organisms, underground water resources and pollution control.
Their exploration, in both physical and scientific terms, forms one of the great modern-day adventures in submarine investigation.
The Bahama Islands are perfectly situated as natural laboratories at this time because they are for the most part, still pristine.
Pristine areas are indeed rare and when discovered offer a unique view into natural undisturbed surroundings for studies in environmental science.
If you are interested in more information or are interested in making a donation,

please make contact with Stephanie Schwabe, Director.

Foundation Goals:

The exploration and survey of the speleological resources of the Bahamas.
To encourage education in and conservation of Bahamian caves and blue holes, and their assocaited terrestrial and marine habitats, and to promote the concept of integrated ecosystems within the Bahamian environment.
To build the first state-of-the-art research facility in the Bahamas for use by visiting scientists and students, both from the Bahamas and universities abroad.
Hold frequent scientific conferences in the Bahamas.

Information about Stephanie Schwabe:

Stephanie Schwabe, BA, MSc, Ph.D., JD. - Rob Palmer Blue Holes Foundation based in the Bahamas..
She has been diving for nearly 25 years mostly in Bahamian blue holes, however her experience extends into USA waters, the UK as a registered HSE Part IV commercial diver and Australia.
She has completed her Ph.D. in the biogeochemical investigation of caves within Bahamian carbonate platforms (blue holes).
She has a degree in law with a focus on international environmental law and is a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of Queensland and a is a registered mediator.
She has also been a part of twenty-five scientific expeditions to the Bahamas, subject for Masters, Doctoral research, exploration and major film work for German, British, Australian and American television.
She is also a participant of a book, which is available now, titled, "Women of Discovery" published by Clarkson Potter.
Schwabe is also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London .

To learn more about How Stephanie Schwabe, became involved in exploration and cave diving, read her story in the recently published WOMEN OF DISCOVERY by authors Milbry Polk and Mary Tiegreen.

Dr Stephanie Schwabe - Founder and Director of the Blue Holes Foundation

Publications:

Herbert, R., Ranchou-Peyruse, A., Duran, R. Guyoneaud, R., and Schwabe, S.,

2005, Characterization of purple sulfur bacteria from the South Andros Black

Hole cave system: highlights taxonomic problems for ecological studies among

the genera Allochromatium and Thiocapsa: Environmental Microbiology.

Schwabe, S. J., and Carew, L. J., 2005, Blue Holes: An Inappropriate Moniker for

Water-filled Caves in the Bahamas, in Davis, R. L. and Gamble, D., eds.,

Proceedings of the 12^th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and other

Carbonate Regions, San Salvador, Bahamas, Gerace Research Centre, p.

Schwabe, S. J. ,and Herbert, R., 2004, Black Holes of the Bahamas: What they are and
why they are black: Quaternary International, v. 121, p. 3-11.

Callaghan, R. T., and Schwabe, S. J., 2000, Water Craft of the Islands: Bahamas Journal of Science, v. 7, p. 45-51.

Callaghan, R. T., and Schwabe, S. J., 1999, Water Craft of the Island: Proceedings of the XVIII International Congress for Caribbean Archaeology St. George, Grenada, West Indies

Schwabe, S. J., and Wheeler, F., 1999, Sterile and General Sampling Techniques for submerged Cave Environments, in Mylroie, J. E. and Curran, H. A., eds., Proceedings of the 9^th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and other Carbonate Regions, San Salvador, Bahamas, Gerace Research Centre, p. 116-124.

Palmer, R. J., Hutchinson, J. M. C., Schwabe, S. J., and Whitaker, F. F., 1998, Inventory of Blue Holes Sites explored or visited on South Andros Island, Bahamas: Caves and Karst Studies, v. 25, p. 97-102.

Carew, J. L., Mylroie, J. E., and Schwabe, S. J., 1998, The Geology of South Andros Island, Bahamas: A Reconnaissance: Cave and Karst Studies, v. 25, p. 57-66.

Schwabe, S. J., Parkes, J. R., and Smart, P. L., 1997, Significance of Bacterial Activity in Carbonate Diagenesis in Carew, J. L., ed., Proceedings of the 8^th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and other Carbonate Regions, San Salvador, Bahamas, Gerace Research Centre, p. 174-175.

Schwabe, S. J., Carew, L. J., and Mylroie, J. E., 1992, The Petrology of Bahamian Pleistocene Eolianites and Flank Margin Caves: Implication for late Quaternary Island Development, in White, B., ed., Proceedings of the 6^th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas, San Salvador, Bahamas, Gerace Research Centre, p. 149-164.

Abstracts

Schwabe, S. J., and Carew, J. L., 2006, A Hypothesis of Biogenic Cave Formation

(A Study Conducted in the Bahamas): 13^th Symposium on the Geology of the

Bahamas and other Carbonate Regions, Abstract with Program, p.

Schwabe, S. J., and Carew, J. L., 2004, Blue Holes: An Inappropriate Moniker for

Water-filled Caves in the Bahamas, in Davis, R. L. and Gamble, D., eds.,

Proceedings of the 12^th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and other

Carbonate Regions, Abstracts with Program, p. 28.

Gall, A, Herbert, R., Takaichi, S., Maoka, T., Verbavat, J., Schwabe, S. J., Cogdell, R. J., and Robert, B., 2004, Preliminary Characterization of the photosynthetic apparatus belonging to the purple photosynthetic bacteria of the South Andros Black hole: The 13^th International Congress of Photosynthesis, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Aug. 29 to Sept 3, 2004) p.

Herbert, R., and Schwabe, S. J., 2003, Taxonomy and physiology of Purple Sulfur Bacteria isolated from the South Andros Black Hole, The Bahamas; 1^st Federation of European Microbiology Societies (FEM); Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia (June 29^th – July 3^rd2003) p.

Herbert, R., and Schwabe, S. J., 2003, Black Holes of South Andros, The Bahamas: What they are and why they are black; 1^st Federation of European Microbiology Societies (FEM); Congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia (June 29^th – July 3^rd2003) p.

Gall, A., Cogdell, R. J., Herbert, R., Robert, B., and Schwabe, S. J., 2003, Preliminary characterization of the light-harvesting complexes from purple sulfur bacteria isolated from the South Andros Black Hole heat engine: Conference abstract, Max Plank Institute, Muelheim, Germany, p.

Schwabe, S. J., 2002, Biogeochemical Processes that Influence Cave Development within Bahamian Carbonate Platforms, in Martin, J. B., Wicks, C. M., and Sasowsky, I. D. eds., Proceedings of the Symposium on Karst Frontiers: Florida and Related Environments, Special Publication 7, Karst Water Institute, Inc., p. 103.

Schwabe, S. J., Parkes, J. R., and Smart, P. L., 1997, Biogeochemical Investigation of Submerged Cave Systems (Blue Holes) within Bahamian Carbonate Platform: 97^th Applied and Environment Microbiology General Meeting N101, p. 398.

Carew, J. L., Mylroie, J. E., Pace, M., and Schwabe, S. J., 1992, Development of Late Pleistocene Eolianites in the Bahamas: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program, v. 24, n. 7, p. A-142.

Schwabe, S. J., Carew, J. L., and Mylroie, 1992, The Petrology of Bahamian Pleistocene Eolianites and Flank Margin Caves: Implications for Late Quaternary Island Development: 6^th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas Abstracts with Program, p. 17.

Schwabe, S. J., Carew, J. L., and Mylroie, J. E., 1992, Petrology of Flank Margin Caves in the Bahamas, in Ogden, A. E., ed., Abstracts of the 1992 Friends of Karst Meeting, Cookville, Tennessee, Tennessee Technological University, p. 27.

Magazine Articles

Schwabe, S. J., 2004, The Floor of Fire, Feature article for January issue of Diver Magazine, UK., p. 26-32.

Schwabe, S. J., 2003, The Worst Dive: November issue of Diver Magazine, UK., p.

Schwabe, S. J., 2001, Blue Holes of the Bahamas: A Silent Death, in Immersed, Summer 2001 v. 6, No. 2., p. 29-33.

Schwabe, S. J., 1999, FESS (Fin Emergency Safety Strap) Immersed June., p. 61.

Book

Schwabe, S. J., 2006, Living in Darkness: A Women’s Scientific and Exploratory Adventures into the underwater Caves of the Bahamas: Projected publication date 2007.