Learning on Land

Due to high winds we were unable to be on the water Friday and Saturday, so we took the time to learn about marine life from new sources. On Friday, we started the morning with a lecture from our new marine program director, Dr. Phil Allman, on his area of specialty – sea turtles! We learned about the six species of sea turtle in the Florida area, their diet and life history, and that it was very rare for us to see green turtles mating as we did on our coral reef trip the day before. We followed this lecture with a visit to the Sea Turtle Hospital in Marathon. We learned about the challenges sea turtles have with trash, tumor-causing viruses, and encounters with boats. The Sea Turtle Hospital provides life-long care for those turtles that cannot be rehabilitated, but also treats and releases many turtles each year. After our visit, we bought groceries, had supper on our own, and then ended the day with some music at the restaurant near our cottages.

Saturday morning began with a lecture on marine fish provided by 2022 marine science graduate, Emily Brandeberry. Emily introduced us to basic fish anatomy and common species we would see in this area. It is always exciting to have our alumni support the work of current students! A lecture on marine protected areas and reserves followed. I asked students to share one takeaway from our lecture, and some common themes of interconnectivity, needs for different habitats at different life stages, the importance of protecting top predators, and different scales of management came up. It was a good discussion of varied perspectives.

Saturday afternoon we went to the J.N. Roth marine station to do some cleaning as the renovations are almost complete. We swept, mopped, washed windows, removed construction waste, and moved furniture. We were hot, dirty, and tired 2 hours later! But after a shower, we were ready for a great supper of hamburger and chicken sliders and studying for the taxonomy practical. Hard to believe we have just a week left of class! These students have been full of good humor, curiosity, and strong collaboration. I’m really enjoying our time learning together.

Jody Saylor, instructor