Voices of the Sea: Community Perspectives on Indigenous Languages, Ecological Knowledge, and Mangrove Conservation Education
Voices of the Sea: Community Perspectives on Indigenous Languages, Ecological Knowledge, and Mangrove Conservation EducationHow do community collaborators describe the connections between their languages, ecological knowledge, and conservation education? This paper examines community-authored introductions to multilingual mangrove textbooks. These accounts reveal how language, place, memory, and identity shape the meaning of science education, and show how community perspectives helped inform Marine Conservation without Borders’ Ethnotranslation Model and Hybridization Hypothesis of Ecological Knowledge Systems.
Thigpen III, R. C., Castillo, Y. M., Romero Durón, J. A., Majil, Z. N., Matamoros Erazo, G., Arceo Heredia, L. F., Castillo, C., & Poot Cahun, H. (2026). Voices of the sea: Community perspectives on indigenous languages, ecological knowledge, and mangrove conservation education. Mesoamericana, 28(2), 60–94. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48204/j.mesoamericana.v28n2.a11313
Ethnotranslation and Biocultural Education: Bridging Indigenous Ecological Knowledge and STEM Curricula
How can science education connect with the languages and ecological knowledge of the communities it serves? This paper introduces the Ethnotranslation Model, a collaborative approach to developing science curricula around locally familiar species, landscapes, and practices. It presents translation methods that enable communities to express scientific concepts in their own languages while integrating their ecological knowledge and cultural perspectives. Biocultural constants provide shared points of reference between Indigenous, Creole, and Western ecological knowledge, supporting the adaptation of educational materials across linguistic communities within a shared bioregion.
Thigpen III, R. C. (2026). Ethnotranslation and biocultural education: Connecting indigenous ecological knowledge with STEM curricula. REA: Revista Científica Especializada en Educación y Ambiente, 5(1), 156–207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48204/rea.v5n1.10078
The Hybridization Hypothesis of Ecological Knowledge Systems
The Hybridization Hypothesis of Ecological Knowledge Systems
How can different ecological knowledge systems contribute to a shared understanding of the living world? This paper proposes the Hybridization Hypothesis of Ecological Knowledge Systems and examines biocultural constants as connections between Indigenous, Creole, and Western scientific perspectives. Drawing on a bilingual mangrove curriculum, it explores how shared ecological knowledge can support culturally grounded science education, collaboration, and environmental stewardship.
Thigpen III, R. C. (2025). Hybridization Hypothesis of Ecological Knowledge Systems. REA: Revista Científica Especializada en Educación y Ambiente, 4(2), 111–140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48204/rea.v4n2.8847
EDUCACIÓN AMBIENTAL INTERCULTURAL: DESARROLLO Y PILOTAJE DE LIBROS EN LENGUA MAYA PARA NIÑOS DE PRIMARIA INDÍGENA EN QUINTANA ROO
What role can Maya-language environmental education play in Indigenous primary schools? This master’s thesis documents the development and piloting of Maya-language textbooks in Quintana Roo. Responding to concerns about declining language use among younger generations, the project brings environmental learning into children’s own language and examines an educational approach intended to support both ecological understanding and the continued use of Maya.
Poot Cahun, H. (2025). Educación ambiental intercultural: Desarrollo y pilotaje de libros en lengua maya para niños de primaria indígena en Quintana Roo [Master’s thesis, Universidad Intercultural Maya de Quintana Roo] Read the thesis
Non-lethal Methodology for Stable Isotope Analysis of Spiny Lobsters (Panulirus argus)
Can researchers study lobster diets without killing the animals they investigate? This study compares stable isotope signatures in walking-leg, antenna, and abdominal tissues from Caribbean spiny lobsters collected near Caye Caulker, Belize. Walking-leg tissue closely reflected abdominal carbon signatures, while nitrogen results required additional interpretation. The findings support a practical approach to reducing lethal sampling in ecological research.
Creed, R. P., Jr., & Thigpen, R. C., III. (2007). Non-lethal methodology for stable isotope analysis of spiny lobsters (Panulirus argus). Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, 59, 263–266. Read the paper