Our post from this past weekend features the writing of Jose Chiquito, a first year double major in sociology and sustainability.
Saturday came as a slow-paced day, which was quite needed. Our lecture did not begin until 10:30 AM so it was perfect to take our time with breakfast or get a run in to explore vibrantly colored neighborhoods and the scenic mangroves that surround us. After lecture, which was about mangroves and their ecological importance, we tidied up the station by dividing up chores. Soon it was time for lunch and we had another great lecture on sponges which went perfectly with the trip we took next.
We hauled the usual equipment we carry when we go out on our two boats. This usually consists of buckets, nets, gloves, snorkel gear, sunscreen, life jackets, and dive flags. We counted sponges in groups to answer the research questions of the day. (Students looked at the distribution of loggerhead sponges and studied how fish density changed with sponge size).
That Saturday was particularly eventful after arriving from that day’s sponge counting as we were welcomed back to our dock by a manatee. Although not uncommon, it is still a wonderful sight to behold, so we naturally rushed all the equipment back to its designated locations and some of us, myself included, went out in kayaks into the canals in search of the elusive resident manatee. Martin and I were not particularly successful in our search but other colleagues certainly were. Soon after supper, it was time for a night snorkel. It was an exciting experience trying to find bioluminescent organisms along a rocky coast, but I unfortunately had no success. Despite that, snorkeling in almost complete darkness can be humbling to us pretentious and terrestrial humans who are not used to being completely vulnerable in such vast places and dimensions. Luckily we all made it back in one piece despite fears of jellyfish and nocturnal sharks. Our day ended well with many of us rehearsing some good ol’ Menno hymns for the next day’s service.
In the blink of an eye, Saturday came and then soon left. Sunday was completely different and brought with it much needed relaxation and adventure. Again, our morning started a little later affording us to take a slower start to the day. At 10:00 AM we all walked down in our Florida Sunday best to the Layton Community Baptist Church. We were warmly welcomed and were given the opportunity to sing our hymns. After church, everyone jumped into cars and we headed to lunch at the Islamorada Fish Company. The place was amazing with docks, enormous tarpons, and delicious food (I ordered an awesome quinoa burger).
After that, we returned to the station but soon enough headed out to the Coco Palm Beach in Marathon. The beach has been by far one of the highlights. The smooth white sand felt amazing and was nice change from the recent rocky shores we have encountered. The water was warm and pleasant after a few rounds of volleyball. As with any trip to the beach, it seemed almost too short, but some of us had to leave to pick up some groceries.
We ended our weekend with a chat with Uncle (and retired professor) Duane Kauffman, who told us tired marine biologists about the history of our beloved program. With full stomachs and an amazing end to our weekend, we will be ready to tackle an even busier week.
– Jose
(Read the full story of our field station here in Florida by downloading the pdf available at the following link https://www.goshen.edu/academics/biology/facilities/marine-biology/ )
