We started our Sunday by taking a practical exam over the taxonomy we have been learning during the first two weeks of our trip. To prepare for this exam we memorized 50 different species or groups of species and learned how to identify them. All of these creatures are part of categories called phyla which are groupings based on common traits. The phyla we memorized included members from Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta, Porifera, Cnidaria, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and Chordata. It was a lot to memorize, but we all learned a lot about the different classifications for creatures local to Long Key. I especially find it helpful to memorize the names of these creatures because it makes it easier to notice the vast diversity present in the marine environment. It can be easy to look at a seagrass bed and say that it all looks the same, but after learning the names of many of the organisms we have begun to notice Codakia orbicularis shells, clumps of Halimeda opuntia, and the wavy translucent tentacles of Bartholomea annulata.
After spending the morning showing off our skills in the practical exam, we headed to Key West! It is about an hour and a half drive from Long Key all the way down US Highway 1, but we enjoyed the day as tourists instead of students. Many of us shopped and all of us found good places to eat. I had a delicious grouper taco which I highly recommend. Overall, the day proved to be full of excitement and a good way to kick back before the busy week of field work, research, and exam which will round off our stay here in Florida.
Henry Meyer, ’26
