Research is an integral component of The Danguillecourt Project. TDP has a field station located on Little Darby Island, Exuma. The Little Darby station houses wet lab facilities, microscopes, computers, and living quarters for four people. The Danguillecourt Project aspires to host visiting scientists at the Darby station and to be able to provide funding for various research projects. A long term goal of TDP is to develop additional field stations throughout the country. 

The current research project at the Little Darby field station is the study of living marine stromatolites.

The Little Darby Island Research Station.

What are “Stromatolites”?
Stromatolites are a unique and special type of reef.  Unlike most present-day reefs, which are composed of coral, stromatolites are formed by microorganisms. The characteristic feature of these microbial reefs is a layered internal structure-- indeed, ‘stromatolite’ is derived from Greek  meaning ‘layered rock’

A vertical section cut through a stromatolite shows the characteristic layered structure; the section is about 18 cm (7 inches) tall. Living stromatolites form reefs 2 m tall at Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas.

Why are Stromatolites important?
Stromatolites are the oldest known macrofossils, dating back over 3 billion years (Earth is ~4.5 billion years old). Dominating the fossil record for 80% of Earth history, they are an important source of information on the early development of life on Earth and possibly other planets. Moreover, scientists believe that the photosynthetic activity of cyanobacteria, the most important group of stromatolite-forming microorganisms, generated the oxygen in our atmosphere. This oxygen allowed the evolution of higher forms of life, including humans!

What is special about Bahamian Stromatolites?
Stromatolites are rare in today’s oceans. However, they can be found in several localities along the margins of Exuma Sound. The Bahamian stromatolites are living relatives of Earth’s oldest reefs. Bahamian stromatolites are unique in that they are the only known examples of present-day stromatolites growing in open ocean conditions, equivalent to those of many 1 to 2 billion year-old Precambrian platforms.


Living stromatolite reef complex, Highborne Cay, Bahamas


Earth 3 billion years ago (Smithsonian Mural)

Why study Stromatolites?
Living stromatolites form a compact ecosystem that is elegantly simple. A relatively small group of micro-organisms interact with the environment to form massive geologic structures. As such, stromatolites are an ideal model system for investigating fundamental questions in biology and geology. Studies of the stromatolite system provide models for biogeochemical cycling, population dynamics, and mineral formation in modern and ancient environments.
What is the Research Initiative on Bahamian Stromatolites?An international team of biologists and geologists is investigating fundamental processes and biological-geological interactions in the three billion year-old stromatolite ecosystem in living stromatolites in the Exuma Cays. This project is known as the Research Initiative on Bahamian Stromatolites (RIBS). Dr. Pamela Reid, director of The Danguillecourt Project, is leader of the RIBS team.

For more information on stromatolites and RIBS visit