Another perfect day in the sun. The conditions today were again spectacular. One boat of students went to Old Dan Bank and a second to Triton Flats for more research. On the way we saw a dolphin and a small group of very large (i.e. 5-6 ft) fish. At Old Dan we caught a sea horse (Hippocampus erectus), pipe fish, and a sponge crab during the data collection process.
We had a particularly interesting visit by a sharksucker (Echeneis naucrates). This fish species attaches itself to sharks (and rays and other large fish) and parasitizes the shark by removing blood with a sucking disc on the top of its head. Needless to say it was trying to attach itself to each of us and kept returning repeatedly. We had a hilarious time trying to catch it – slamming nets into one another’s posterior ends. Field work offers a new surprise each day!
The evening was spent processing data and planning for Thursday’s field visits. We ended the day with our weekly tradition of Key Lime Pie – a deserved break for the students have a hard day of work.
