Research begins!

Today was another full day of learning and experiencing the amazing marine ecosystem. We woke up for an 8 am lecture on positive interactions in the marine system. These are important relationships where at least one organism in the relationship benefits and neither organism is harmed. We also learned about the taxonomic groups in Phylum Cnidaria and Mollusca. We then had study time until after lunch. I decided to study while relaxing on the beach. Then 1pm rolled around and we all hopped onto the bus and headed to our first research site – the Bight. Today was a cooler and windy day so we needed to be in the Bight in order to be protected from the wind and the current.

Since only one group was conducting research in the Bight, several others assisted this group in collecting data. Another two in our group collected several sweeps of the Thalassia bed in order to capture small organisms. The rest of the group snorkeled and were on the hunt for new species we haven’t observed yet. We didn’t find many that we didn’t already know so we decided to pick up ones we knew and test the class on them. These included Gonodactylus oerstedii (mantis shrimp), brittle stars, Thalassia testudinum, Microphyrs bicornuta (decorator crab), and many more.

We brought some small organisms from the sweep back to the community center to observe under the microscope. We found a very small jellyfish, and it was fascinating to watch it pulse and swim! We identified some new organisms including a limpet, small shrimp, and the gastropod Lithopoma phoebium. We were also able to view a variety of diatoms and other small protozoans. Overall it was a day full of learning, research, and discovering new things about marine life. And yet we have only scratched the surface of what the ocean holds in it!

– Gwyn Bellamy, ’24