Today’s blog post is from senior Nat Thorne, a sociology major with minors in women’s and gender studies and PJCS.
Florida provided the class with another gorgeous, eventful day in the water. After our 8 a.m. taxonomy lecture, two research groups ventured out to Triton Flats for the second day of data collection. Triton is a shallow area in the middle of the Florida Bay with a diverse ecosystem consisting of Thalassia seagrass, colorful sponges, numerous coral types, various algae species, and an array of marine wildlife. Though we didn’t make any large catches in the morning, my favorite find was a little sponge crab living by a tube sponge. Sponge crabs are unique in that they cut a small piece of live sponge to hold on their backs like a shell. The practice allows them to camouflage into their environment in order to go unnoticed by predators and unwanted friends. Fortunately for us, we were able to find the little guy despite its best efforts. The relationship seemed to be a little one sided, but it quit being so *crabby* after awhile.
Later in the day, we made a few more bigger catches and sightings. Out at the Bight (the area of water adjacent to the facility), I caught a needlefish with my bare hands! However, the most exciting catch of the day goes to Naomi Peters who wrangled a big ol’ Horn Shark in the Thalassia beds. Sadly enough, it managed to slip away before she was able to place it in our collection bucket. While all this comm-“ocean” took place out at sea, one group stayed back in the canals to continue day two of studying sponges on mangrove roots. They, however, had their own excitement as several students came face to face with a giant stingray! Luckily nobody was harmed in the encounter.
After a long day in the sun, we spent a quiet evening inside to find refuge from the ravaging heat. One more day down and the class remains intact. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see what new adventures the marine world has in store for us.
