Page 16 - AHATA

Monday 23 June 2025 LOCAL
A10

The Shoco: Aruba’s national symbol

The shoco is a small bird owlets hatch after three to
which is seldom seen. They four weeks. The shoco owl
are active during the day but takes care of the owlets for
are more active later in the three months until they leave
day and at night for hunting. the nest. Only a few owlets
These owls have very good survive.
night vision and very good
hearing. The shoco is the na- The owls dig burrows in the
tional symbol of Aruba. ground with low grass veg-
etation. An owl can live up
The shoco has about 20cm to nine years.
of length, and the females
are slightly heavier than Its defense mechanism is sim-
the males. They are light ply to fly away or retreat to
brown in color, with many its burrows. They eat mostly
white spots. The belly of the insects, mice and lizards, and
Shoco is either white or light the main threats to their sur-
brown, and the shoco has vival are boas – an invasive
striking yellow eyes. Its beak species introduced by hu-
is yellow/green. Young owls shoco cannot find a burrow, every other day until all the mans as pets – and humans
do not have white spots and The nest of the shoco is a it will dig one in soft soil. The eggs are laid – a shoco can through destruction of their
are lighter in color. burrow in the ground. If the shoco lays one or two eggs lay up to four eggs. The first habitat.q

Aruba’s Bocas: home to the rarest fossil reefs on the planet!

(Oranjestad)—If you’ve been
to the northern coast of Aru-
ba already, you’ve probably
noticed how the ground dif-
fers entirely from the sandy
beaches on the southern
part of the island. These hard
surfaces, with sharp bumps
and holes are actually fos-
silized coral reefs, of which
its growth and changes can
be traced back to the last
glacial period.

On May 30 2023, geosci-
entists, Dr. Patrick Boyden
from the Marum research
faculty at the University of
Bremen, Prof. dr. Alessio Ro- dr. Gianfranco Scicchitano, research on these fossilized research included study- island hold such rich history,
vere from the Ca' Foscari Uni- from the University of Bari coral reefs at the University ing the health and forma- history that dates back to
versity of Venice and Prof. Aldo Moro, presented their of Aruba. Their focus for their tion patterns of these coral a time that most of us can-
reefs, and to investigate how not even imagine. As the
these reefs have responded scientists themselves have
and can respond to fluctu- pointed out, these fossilized
ating sea levels or extreme reefs on the windward side
weather, like hurricanes and are truly an incredible and
tsunamis. rare remnant of geologi-
cal history, as they provide
Through underwater and a clear view of how these
land surveillance, and 3D reefs have formed.
models of the reefs, they
were able to narrow down This research is also important
when these formations start- for the future of coral reefs on
ed to take place. They were the island. By studying rising
also able to track the fluc- sea levels and climate im-
tuation of sea levels during pact on these coral reefs, we
the past hundred or even are able to take concrete
thousands of years, and the action in protecting and pre-
effects that this fluctuation serving our coral reefs. So, if
has had on the coral reefs of you are ever visiting one of
the windward side of Aruba. the bocas or driving along
the northern part of the is-
These findings can certainly land, please be conscious
put things into perspective. to help protect our natural
The ground on which we historical remnant. Oh, and
have walked many times wear (coral-friendly) sun-
in the northern part of the screen! q