Today was another day of working on research projects and lectures. We had a short taxonomy quiz in the morning and then went early to the boat, and made the half hour trip to Old Dan Bank.
On the boat ride we were able to see a sea turtle, large schools of fish along the bottom, and a horseshoe crab. While anchored at Old Dan Bank we saw a dolphin in the distance, our first one! The research projects involved counting percent coverage of sea grasses (Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme) and sponges, measuring the spatial distribution of sponges, and counting the number of brittle stars (Ophiuroidea) living in sponges and the green algae, Halimeda opuntia.
After a break to eat lunch, we gathered for a lecture at 4:00pm on coral reefs. We will be able to go see one tomorrow, which is very exciting. We also welcomed Dr. Phil Allman, the new marine biology professor who will be directing the marine biology program starting this fall. He is joining our class for 3 days to meet students and become familiar with the area and program collaborators. He will teach two courses, marine ecology and marine conservation, and supervise senior thesis research and internships for marine biology majors in their semester-in-residence, in addition to other spring courses.
The evening meant an early dinner of pasta and garlic bread, watching the large group of laughing gulls that gathered around us as we ate dinner, and also looking once more at the marine life along the rock wall on the edge of the RV park.
Trevor Stutsman, ’23
