Third Day At SSP

Today was our first field trip and I had a blast. We went to VA Key/Key Biscayne. We left the university clean and somewhat energetic (teenagers and mornings don't mix well) for the trip and came back sandy and smelling like sea water. But that didn't matter, because it was worth it!

We went to two beaches and they were both different yet somewhat similar. Our class caught plants (seagrass area) crabs, shrimp, shells and a great variety of fish. We even saw a mother blue crab and she was large. Once back at the university we put the organisms into three separate tanks (some of them would eat the others or produce a toxin, so separation was necessary). Sadly, some of the organisms did not make it. They floated towards the bottom of the tanks and we had to take them out. We ended up using two of the dead fish to feed the anemone and the leech. It was interesting how these completely different species gained energy via food. The anemone had to feel the dead fish against its tentacles before it grabbed it and began to feed. It took the leech less than five seconds before it began to feed (suck out all of its blood). I don't think I will ever stick my finger into the leech's jar.

Another field trip is tomorrow and I am excited. We get to spend the entire day at a mangrove. We will snorkel at Matheson Hammock.

Second Day at SSP

(The first blog was: Day 1 for the Marine Science program at the Summer Scholar Program. This day involved tectonic plates, latitude and longitude and how the Earth's oceans were formed. I also got a schedule for the next three weeks. The field trips look like so much fun. The professors helped us a lot when we had to do a lab on latitude and longitude. I found it interesting that Hawaii has islands formed by hot spots that cause volcanoes. Also, trenches are formed by two tectonic plates in the ocean. One of the plates slides underneath the other.)

Second Day:

I never knew that taxonomy and systematics could be so interesting. Tomorrow is our first field trip and we are going to VA Key (Key Biscayne). I can't wait to see the ocean first-hand and use nets to classify certain types of fish. We did a lab today that consisted of colored shells and two imaginary beaches. Statistics were involved with this lab and I found it extremely difficult. I didn't take statistics, yet!

I also made sure that my snorkeling gear was in check. It seems as though I am all ready to go for Thursday's snorkeling trip at Matheson Hammock. I've never been snorkeling before and hopefully I will love it. I'm sure I will!