Scientific investigation and documentation on Guana Island includes biology, archaeology, geology, and meteorology — in descending order of effort. Guana science began, so far as we know, in 1932 when retired U.S. Army Major Chapman Grant came to the British Virgin Islands (BVI). He visited Guana and published his results: he listed a half dozen species of terrestrial vertebrates (not including those that could fly) — all reptiles. Among them were an iguana and a small boa. A couple of years later the Bigelows of Boston purchased the Island and began preparations for making it a vacation retreat for their friends. They kept records of archaeological interest but said little about fauna or flora. In 1937 and 1938 Mr. and Mrs. George Dewey of Worcester, Massachusetts, came to Guana and made a collection of land snails. This was written up by Dr. William Clench of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), Harvard, and became the second published report on Guana's wildlife. World War II intervened and years went by before another scientific note was taken. In 1952 ornithologist Erma J. (Jonnie) Fiske and her husband Bradley became regular visitors. This was the beginning of systematic listing of birds — and documentation of nesting sea turtles — that lasted well into the 1960's. There was a short gap then until the mid- or late 1960's when investigation of fruit flies, directed by Dr. Richard Levins of Harvard, began. This resulted in a thesis by Levins' student Mary Lou Pressick (University of Puerto Rico), but we are not sure just who visited Guana to get the flies, or when. Levins published two papers in 1969 that included data on Guana's fruit flies. There was another gap until 1973 when Virginia Orr Maes, of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, came and commenced studies of marine snails. She made four visits through 1979 and published her results in 1983. Maes spanned the period when the Bigelows gave up the Island and Mary Randall came in as manager. The Jarecki family of New York bought Guana from the Bigelows in 1974 and installed Randall. She began systematic recording of rainfall and kept anecdotal notes on birds, mangroves, and other bits of natural history. In 1976 the Cambridge University (England) ornithological team came to the BVI for most of a summer and visited Guana at least once. Their trip resulted in the first published record of birds (Mirecki 1977). In 1980, Dr. James Lazell of MCZ and The Conservation Agency (TCA) came to Guana while conducting extensive surveys throughout the BVI on behalf of the (then) Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Lazell's efforts were funded by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and his first encounters with Guana's wildlife caused him to send for ornithologist Dr. Robert Chipley, then with TNC. Lazell's 1980 Report to MNR and TNC, while covering all the BVI, marks the initiation of what has become intensive investigation centered on Guana Island. While some marine biology was included in the early years of the project, it was not until 1992 that Dr. Lianna Jarecki initiated a marine month similar to the (largely) terrestrial program directed by Lazell. The marine and terrestrial program operate cooperatively but independently. A bibliography of published works based in whole or in part on work done and/or specimens and data collected on Guana follows the Reports. Because so many years have gone by and specimens and data have been available for so long, we are sometimes unaware of publications based (usually in small part) on them. Any such publications known to users of this site may be reported to: HQ@theconservationagency.org We will be most grateful. Comments and questions are welcome too. This website has a powerful search capacity. It can pull up people and organisms by name and topics by subject and keywords. Try it. Requirements:    This website requires a user and password to access our publications.             Click here to request a FREE user name and password via E-mail.