How to Identify Coral Reef Creatures… Without Getting a Frowny Face

            Our tropical marine biology course is just getting started, and between buying supplies and worrying about getting stung by jellyfish, the hardest part of this class is learning to identify animals along the coral reef. We’ve had these daily quizzes to test our knowledge for our big trip, but it’s hard deciding the most efficient way to prepare for them. So to avoid getting a frowny face written on your quizzes, here’s my guide to identifying coral reef organisms!

            Step one, figure out which ones you might know already. If you already know what a nurse shark looks like, don’t bother to study it! Might seem like intuitive information, but knowing which organisms to look at is really integral to being efficient while studying. Also set aside enough time to study, 30 or minutes or so at a time should be enough.

(You likely know who this is already)

            Step two, learn the “groups” that organisms fall into. No, I’m not talking about those fancy taxonomy terms, I’m referring to common name categories. Whoever was kind enough to name all these organisms often gave them similar names to other organisms based on their body shape.  For example, if you see a fish that’s roundish and spikey, it’s likely some kind of pufferfish.

            Step three, try to understand distinguishing features. Often times, there will be a fish or coral that looks almost exactly like another species, but with a couple slightly different features. Compare pictures of the two species side by side, and look for what’s different. Even try drawing the animals that give you the most trouble. By spending time creating a detailed drawing, you reinforce what that creature is in your brain. Or even good ol’ fashion flash cards will do if you prefer those.

And lastly step four, learn how to make a good guess. Now that you’ve spent all this time studying, you’re likely to forget something (or everything) on a quiz. But instead of panicking, you can try to break down what the name might be. Say you see a fish pop up on the screen, it has the shape of a blenny, and some sort of zebra pattern going on. But in the world of fish, vertical stripes are not stripes, they are called bars. So you can attempt to put “barred blenny” on your test and hope for the best. While this method won’t work too often, it might give you a chance to score a point that you’d otherwise miss.

            Want to test your skills? Visit www.reef.org for quizzes or webinars on fish identification. Or maybe you’re having trouble with corals? Visit http://www.snorkelstj.com/coral_gallery.html for tons of coral species and photos.

What do you guys think? Have any better tips for marine identification you wanna share? 

Exactly How Many Endangered Species Are in the Everglades?

The Everglades is a key source of water for both the people who live in Florida, and the animals that live in the Everglades. Water and fire is a key component for the many types of diverse wildlife that live in the Everglades. This wildlife includes diverse plants and animals. Slowly, but surely, the Everglades has been losing water supply and fires are starting to get out of control. These fires help some of the plants germinate, or spread their seeds, by the temperature increase that allows the seed pods to open. However, with a large amount of fires, these seeds are being destroyed slowly and these plants are not able to reproduce.

The water levels are also a huge factor for whether plant life or animal life will thrive. If there are too many floods, and not enough dry time for animals to burrow then the species will soon not be able to reproduce fast enough. We talked in lecture about the Cape Sable seaside sparrow and how it was a perfect example of how restoring the Everglades and helping the birds is extremely difficult. These sparrows build their nests low to the ground, and recent flooding has gotten to the height of the nests, thus destroying them. These birds are an endangered species because they cannot reproduce fast enough due to the water level and fires that have been destroying their nests.

Besides from the Cape Sable seaside sparrow, there is a huge amount of animal species that are becoming endangered, threatened, or even becoming a candidate of the two. There is an inventory of endangered, threatened, or candidate species that is taken by the National Park Service. There are twenty species listed as endangered that include turtles, bats, and butterflies. There are ten species listed as threatened that include turtles, crocodiles, and snails. There are six candidate species that are under review to see if they are becoming threatened or endangered. And at last, there are two species that are listed as proposed threatened, meaning that they were accepted as a candidate but are under a proposal to be added to the list of threatened.

These animals do not have a lot in common, besides the fact that they live in the Everglades. If we look at the endangered species list as a whole, there are turtles, bats, birds, panthers, mice, fish, butterflies, and even a species of manatee that are listed. These animals live in different environments throughout the Everglades, but are mostly listed as endangered because of the fire and water problems and outbreaks that has been happening.

The West Indian Manatee, for example, is a species that seems like it does not really belong on this list. This specific manatee is called the Florida manatee because there are other West Indian manatees that live in other regions of the world.  These manatees eat aquatic plants in the Everglades. They spend up to eight hours a day grazing, and enjoy swimming in the shallower waters. These manatees have no breeding season, and can mate at any time of the year. Females reach their maturity between three to ten years of age, and have around one to two calves every two to five years. The strangest part about the manatee, however, is not its slow breeding cycle, but its natural predator list. There is no list! How could these manatees be endangered only in this area if there are no natural predators to kill them?

If all the other species in this region are endangered and threatened because of the floods and fires that have been happening in the Everglades, shouldn't the manatee be the only animal that isn't endangered? Why do you think the manatee is endangered?

Life in the Everglades

Date: May 20, 2016

Location: Stockton University

Blog Post By: Morgan Gilligan

The Everglades is the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the U.S. It is filled with 1.5 million acres of saw grass marshes, mangrove forests, and hardwood hammocks that are over run by the wetlands. Water in South Florida flows from the Kissimmee River to Lake Okeechobee. The water then flows southward to the Biscayne Bay, the Ten Thousand Islands, and the Florida Bay. This slow-moving water created ponds, marshes, and forests. Over thousands of years this developed into a balanced ecosystem. Today, the Everglades are home to a wide variety of wildlife. The Everglades is home to many types of plants and animals that have specifically adapted to a wet, subtropical environment. Some animals like the Florida panther and the West Indian manatee have become symbols of the Everglades. 

There are over 350 bird species that can be found in Everglades National Park alone. The Everglades is known for many of its wading birds, such as egrets, herons and wood storks, but it is also a home for a huge number of migratory birds. Species such as the snail kite, wood stork and Cape Sable seaside sparrow have become endangered species.

Both alligators and crocodiles live in the Everglades. These two are sometimes mistaken for each other. American alligators like deep, freshwater channels of water called sloughs and wet prairie, where they can dig out ponds for nesting. The American crocodile likes to live in the coastal mangroves and Florida Bay. The Everglades' most endangered animal, is the Florida panther. There are only 80 that now survive. Other well-known Everglades mammals are the West Indian manatee, which is also endangered, and the bottlenose dolphin.

The Florida Everglades is also home to few invasive species. This happened on purpose and by accident. Altering water flows and wildfires allowed exotic plants, such as the Brazilian peppertree, Chinese privet, melaleuca, and Old World climbing fern to invade. The Burmese python is also breeding throughout the park after being released by pet-owners who could not take care of them.

Ultimately preserving the Everglades is important because it consists of many types of wetlands that offer habitat to a wide variety of plants and animals. If you're looking to visit, you can plan your trip here. To learn more about why this ecosystem is important and why we should preserve it, visit here.

Date: May 20, 2016

Location: Florida

Blog Post By: Ericca Rosenholtz 

 Pollution is taking over the seagrass

Florida has over 2.5 million acres of seagrass meadows and sevral different species exist. There three seagrass species that we learned in class were the Manatee grass, Should grass, and Turtle grass. Although all seagrass requires sunlight, all seagrass resides under the most shallow of waters, while being one of the most productive plant communities on earth. The variety of seagrass provides a habitat and food supply for 70% of all sea life! That is INCREDIBLE! Here are a few species that chow down on this nutrient packed seagrass: Manatees, sea turtles, and dolphins, sea trout, snapper, pink shrimp, and blue crabs, etc.The seagrasses act as a nursery for these species. They remain there until they are strong enough to leave the protected seagrass and become part of life on the coral reefs.

The seagrass helps stabilize the sediments and improve the water quality, which alters the pollutants from water bodies. Unfortunately seagrass are disappearing at an alarming rate from human impact. Boat Anchors are the most important threats to seagrasses, pollution and dredging. Seagrass roots stabilize the sea bottom just like land grass can reduce soil erosion. This function is important when tropical storms approach Florida's coastlines and threaten beaches, businesses and homes. Unfortunately anchoring destroys the seagrass beds by uprooting them which causes them to die off. 

There are visible and invisible pollutions that can affect seagrasses. The invisible chemicals can kill the plants from the inside out after absorbing the harmful substances. The picture above shows the detrimental effects that the visible and invisible chemicals pollution has done to the seagrass ecosystem.
NO SO FUN FACT: A seagrass meadow the size of a soccer field is lost every thirty minutes! This brings a seriously harsh decline for the aquatic species that depend on seagrasses for food, shelter, and habitat.If you would like to read more about the Seagrass that resides in the Florida Keys, CLICK: Florida Keys Seagrass!

Florida Department of Environmental Protection has come up with four ways to save the seagrass! 

Mapping, monitoring,outreach, and restoration are the four main ways to help restore the Florida seagrass. I strongly suggest that you clink these links and EXPLORE the wonderful world of seagrass!
Multiple seagrass Projects have been done that were listed under another URL for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. 

Creatures of the Mangroves

Mangroves is a habitat for many different species of organisms. Mangroves provide shelter, food, nurseries, and even protects the shoreline when there are major storms. Organisms that live in the mangroves range from small critters to large animals. A total of 220 fish species, 181 bird species, 24 reptiles, 18 mammal species and filter feeders are present in the mangroves. The mangroves are also inhabited by insects such as spiders, termites, ants and moths. 

 

Filter feeders, which are usually barnacles and oysters attach themselves to the roots of the mangroves. They are important to the mangrove environment because they filter organic matter that is flowing in with the tide. Crabs are also considered another important animal in the mangroves. Crabs help maintain the biodiversity of the environment by burrowing in the sediment, preying on mangrove seedlings, and they help with the decomposition of litter and help convert detritus energy to the birds and fish. Fiddler crabs are an example of species that leaves near the mangroves. Fiddler crabs have an enlarged claw that they wave in the air when they are looking for a mate. 

The Mangroves are a great place for birds to nest and feel protected. Not only do the mangroves provide shelter to the birds they also provide a food source for them and their young. The birds like to search and catch fish in the shallow waters. The nest of these birds are high above on the mangrove tree branches. Coastal birds that migrate to the mangroves consist of Blue Heron, Egret, Brown Pelican, and Osprey to name a few. These birds can be found during the dry months which occurs November through April. 

There are a wide variety of fishes that use the mangroves as a nursery and for protection. The fish can be found swimming around and through the roots of red mangrove. Some examples of fishes that you will see are sheepshead, gobies, schoolmasters, grunts, and gray snappers. Predator fishes also take advantage of the mangroves and prey on the fish that live there. The Florida Gar and the Spotted Seatrout are top predators that can bee seen in the mangrove. Roots of the mangroves provide protection of the juvenile fishes until they are grown and are capable of avoiding most predators. The sport and commercial fishing industries rely on the mangroves to provide nursery areas. As the mangroves are destroyed the sport and commercial fishing industries decline as well. 

Overall, the many animals that live and pass through the mangroves rely on them for food, protection, and reproducing which makes this environment vital to the many different species that take up residence here.  There is so much more to learn about the mangroves and the animals that live there, so if you want to take a deeper dive into the mangroves take a look at the links below. 

Want to learn more about the creatures of the mangroves? Check out this site!

More interested in the species of Mangroves?

Seagrass Q&A

Seagrass Q&A

By Jessie Dominick

After learning a whole lot about common seagrasses found in beautiful Florida, I decided to inform my little sister about them. She had some interesting questions along the way that offered great information for anyone who may not be a marine biologist, plant ecologist, or for anyone who is not a hard core biologist like myself:

Question 1. What seagrasses are you going to see down in Florida?

Answer: The three most well known and important seagrasses that I'm going to see are turtle seagrass, manatee seagrass, and shoal grass.

Question 2. Why are they called manatee and turtle seagrass?

Answer: They actually get those names because those are the animals that like to graze on these seagrasses. Manatee seagrass is for the famous sea cows you may see floating around the surface of the ocean, and the turtle grass is named specifically after the green turtle.

Question 3. How can you tell each of these apart? Don’t they all just look like grass?

Answer: Well yes, they are technically a grass. But they do look different from each other. Turtle seagrass looks most like common grass with its thin, long blades. Manatee grass is more rounded, just like a manatee’s whiskers! And shoal grass is almost like a mixture of the two; it’s flat like turtle seagrass, but it’s thick like manatee seagrass.

Question 4. Are these seagrasses all over the place?

Answer: No they are not. They need to be in shallow water in order to get enough sunlight for photosynthesis.

Question 5. What is photosynthesis?

Answer: Photosynthesis is to plants what eating is to us. Photosynthesis is how plants get their nutrients and grow enough to reproduce. Just like humans need to eat their veggies and drink their milk to become big and strong.

Question 6. Do these seagrasses do anything cool?

Answer: They do quite a few things that are really cool. First of all, they’re a nursery for young fish. That means that little baby fishes that aren’t big enough to defend themselves yet can live in here and be protected by the shelter of the seagrass. They are also a food source for animals, like turtles, manatees, fishes, and more! They even clear up the water, which makes it easy for people to see the fish living in the seagrass beds. And last, but not least, they can make pretty flowers!

To learn more about seagrasses and see more pictures of what these seagrasses look like, click here!

Coral Reefs: Diversity at its Finest

Location: Stockton University

Date: May 16th, 2016

Everyone knows that coral reefs are beautiful and are a perfect vacation spot, but just how important are coral reefs to the health of planet earth? Before we all arrive to the Keys for the greatest class trip ever, we first had to learn a little about the ecosystems that we would be seeing and exploring. Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems that can sustain a lot but it also has its limits. 

The organisms that live on the reef have specific adaptations to live there, how much light they need, what nutrients are available, how much space is available and how abundant predators are. At the top of the reef food web, the Caribbean Reef Shark can be found, lurking on the edges. The reef shark has evolved over millions of years to become an almost perfect predator. Their streamlined body helps them to glide through the water and to make it easier to speed up to catch prey. 

These sharks are actually believed to shape the coral community and maintain it. They could play a role in help shape the coral by keeping the fish that feed directly on the coral within its population limits. Since the reef shark is usually the top predator in the ecosystem, it doesn’t really need camouflage or a highly developed defense mechanism but its body color does have counter-shading; this is when the top of the fish is darker so it blends in with the dark sea floor while the bottom of the fish has a lighter color so it blends in with the light at the surface. The teeth are serrated and are specifically designed to cut into its meal, shredding it into smaller pieces for easier feeding. 

What makes this shark somewhat special is that it has been observed to be relaxing on the sea floor and even sometimes in caves. This is strange behavior for a shark that is so active. Just like every other species of sharks, they possess many electroreceptors on their snout, also referred to as the ampullae of lorenzini. These pores are specifically designed to help detect everything from magnetic fields to temperature changes; they’re basically a sixth sense for the sharks. Sharks along with every other living organism on the coral reef help keep it thriving, each in a special and unique way.

Interested in Seeing a Coral Reef in Person?

Just How Important are Coral Reefs?

Do you know how important seagrass beds are?

What are seagrass beds? Seagrass beds are not true grass beds but they are flowing plants that are underwater their entire life. They need sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into food and energy.

Seagrass beds are made up of turtle grass, manatee grass, and shoal grass. Turtle grass has strap-like blades with parallel veins and it almost looks like the grass you have in your front lawn, and believe it or not only the green sea turtles eat turtle grass the other sea turtles either don't have the mouth for it or they don't like it. Manatee grass is unique because it has cylinder shape leaves, and guess what manatee's eat manatee grass. They also eat turtle grass and Shoal grass which is part of their diet. Shoal grass is less than 3 mm in width and is strap-like leaf blades making it almost look like manatee grass, but manatee grass it harder and has a cylinder feeling as the shoal grass is flat. Shoal grass is also a very important seagrass because it grows where turtle grass and manatee grass cannot.

Seagrass beds are important because they provide shelter for marine fish and invertebrate, food for large marine mammals and the small fish and invertebrates that live within the seagrass beds. They also provide protection from other predators during the day for some fish. Another reason they are important is because they provide a nursery for some fish species and invertebrates that eventually move to the coral reef as they mature into adults. The seagrass beds also help with the wave action. If there is a big current with a lot of wave action the seagrass beds help to slow it down from doing a lot of damage to the shore.

Believe it or not seagrass beds were once used to fertilize fields, insulate houses, weave furniture, make bandage and they were even used for car seats. There are threats to the seagrass beds as well like, algae blooms that block the sunlight that hits the seagrass bed making them die off or get some type of disease. Also, removal of fish can also damage the seagrass beds because when large predators are removed intermediate predator overcome the seagrass beds and take out the smaller organisms that help keep the seagrass cleaned.

If you would like to learn more about seagrass beds please read this article.

Seagrass beds in Florida.

Top 10 Things NOT to Bring on a School Trip to the Florida Keys

Going on a school trip anywhere can be really exciting, but when you get to travel to a tropical location, it’s a whole other level of excitement. Keep in mind though, you will be with fellow students and teachers, so there are a few items that you might want to leave at home. Here are the top 10 things you probably shouldn’t bring to the Florida Keys while on a school trip:

1. A Winter Jacket

photo credit:http://www.fotosearch.com/CSP742/k17418650/

If you know nothing about Florida’s climate, I might be a little concerned. The average temperature in the Keys in the summertime is about 80°F. That’s just the average, so it can get much, much hotter. There’s a good chance that if you bring anything heavier than a t-shirt, you might have a heat stroke. No bueno.

2. A Hair Straightener

photo credit: http://www.kiagrace.com/2015/12/04/living-proof-frizz-humidity-shield-review/

Ladies and gentlemen with lots of hair, you have no need to worry about keeping that unruly mane tamed. Why? Because Florida’s humidity will wipe all of your hard work away. The average relative humidity in Key West is about 78. Any curling or straightening that you’ve done to your luscious locks will surely come undone in a matter of minutes.

3. Speedo/G-String

photo credit:http://www.swimoutlet.com/mens-swim-briefs-c9261/

Bathing suits are essential on a trip to the Keys but this is pretty straightforward. Keep in mind this is a school trip that you’re going on and you will be around your classmates and teachers. Yes, your teachers. No one really needs to see that much of you, especially the person giving you a grade.

4. The Shot Ski

photo credit:http://www.newschoolers.com

This little party favor is perfect for you and your frat boy friends. Even though Florida is known to have some great party schools such as the University of Miami and Florida State University, you won’t find any of that out on the Keys.

5.  That outfit you wore to the club last Thursday

photo credit: http://www.123rf.com/photo_13302048_girls-having-fun-at-club-tonight.html

Probably inappropriate for the club and most definitely inappropriate for a school trip. The Keys are filled with nice restaurants and bars but that little black dress will want to sit the bench for this trip.

6. Your Mother

photo credit: http://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/06/old-spices-new-mom-song-ad--freaky-or-funny.html

This is more of a make-sure-mom-doesn’t-pack-herself part of the list. If you’re traveling far from another state or even from another country, your Mom will want to pack herself away with you to make sure you are safe and sound. However, you need to go out and do this on your own, no matter how much your mom wants to climb in the suitcase.

7. Leonardo DiCaprio's First and Only Oscar

photo credit: http://www.popsugar.com

After 22 years, Leo finally got his first Oscar. Don’t take that away from him. Don’t bring it on your trip.

8. A Shark Onesie

photo credit: http://www.hollywood.uk.com/snappy-shark-onesie-costume-wi-aa8912

The Florida Keys have many sharks that are native to its waters. Some being nurse sharks, Black Tip Reef Sharks, and Makos. If you’re out and about wearing a shark onesie, you might get confused for a real shark. It’s Florida. You never know.

9. A Cardboard Cutout of Danny DeVito

photo credit: http://www.celebrity-cutouts.co.uk/shop/celebrity-cutouts

Though this item will fit into your suitcase due to its small stature, a cardboard cutout of Danny DeVito perched in the corner of the hotel room might be a little off-putting to your roommate. A beloved actor, but not a great cardboard cutout companion.

10. A Bad Attitude

photo credit:https://ohhowrandom.wordpress.com/category/opinions/

This is meant to be a fun experience. You get to go to the Florida Keys for school. How many other people have this opportunity? Leave the bad attitude at home and enjoy the experience! There is tons of beauty in the Florida Keys and you have the privilege of exploring and learning about its nature and history. Also nobody wants to hang around someone that’s always in a bad mood. It’s just not fun.

All in all, a trip to Florida with your school is going to be loads of fun, no matter what you bring. If you’re interested in knowing what you should actually pack, click here

Also, if you’re interested to learn more about the Florida Keys and its Islands, click here