Coral Bleaching

Florida is home to many beautiful reefs, full of life; whether it be the plentiful fish, the sharks, or most importantly to a reef, the corals. The amount of diversity in coral reefs is absolutely mind-blowing and a sight to see for any novice diver looking to explore the beautiful world that lies underwater. Sadly with global warming and constant pollution, these beautiful reefs are at risk to an epidemic found worldwide, Coral Bleaching.

Coral Bleaching is the term used when Coral, a two part organism, expels the photosynthetic zooxanthellae and loses its color, turning white. The cause of the majority of bleaching is thought to be linked to warming of ocean temperatures, but bleaching can also be caused by diseases in the coral. Luckily, none of the dive sites we visited had any noticeable bleaching, but the issue is still widespread in Florida. Looking through pictures, it’s so sad to think that within the next few years these reefs could also succumb to the bleaching.

The only way to hopefully stop this epidemic from destroying the beautiful reefs in Florida would be to stop rising ocean temperatures, which optimistically could happen but it is likely this wont be the case. The main hope in saving reefs comes from more temperature resistant corals withstanding rising temperatures, but this will result in a drastic change of species composition within reefs.

There is however a way that a traveler can help not do even more harm to the reefs, this is by using reef safe sunscreen when swimming in the ocean. These sunscreens lack oxybenzone and octinoxate which are proven to contribute to coral bleaching. By not using sunscreens containing these chemicals, travelers reduce the amount of stress coral is put under. Less stress correlates to less bleaching, and any effort counts.

With that said, go out there and explore your world! 71% of our planet is covered in water and there is an entire world beneath it, full of colorful fish, invertebrates, and corals!

https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/keynotes/keynotes_0914_coral_bleaching.html

https://keysdiver.com/Pages/reefs.htm

Harrisons Top 6 Florida Moments

#6 – The lubbers!

One of team #3s first encounters in Florida was in the everglades with the always ready for action lubbers. We couldn’t walk 5 feet without hearing a couple of lubbers getting it on in the bushes off trail.

#5– That Time I had a heat stroke

After spending all day in the heat and exploring the Coral Fossil site, I was incapable of forming a sentence much to everyone’s amusement for a short moment. Luckily I was actually fine and it was probably just a dry mouth, but it definitely became a recurring joke for the rest of the trip.

#4- Kayaking The Mangroves

Everyone visiting the Keys should definitely rent a kayak for the day and go through the Mangroves. When the trees are too thick its awesome to Tarzan through without paddling, pulling and pushing off roots and branches.

#3 – The Night Dive

Beautiful yet terrifying, a night dive is the best way to see creatures that typically hide during the day. Green Sea Turtles and biolumescent plankton are plentiful at night and a sight to see through the cone of your flashlight. Make sure your dive buddy doesn’t have chronic nosebleeds… it might draw some unwanted attention from barracudas in the water.

#2 – SHARKS

The shark dive was easily one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, getting so close to so many Nurse Sharks was so amazing especially since it was one of my first SCUBA dives. They are such interesting and inquisitive creatures, they were very interested in the divers and would nudge up to them, almost as if they were saying hi!

#1 – Making New Friends

Gotta go with the cheesiest one for my favorite “moment”. The best thing to come out of the trip to Florida was the friends I got to know. It’s so insane to think we became such good friends over a week long trip. These moments wouldn’t be the same without such an awesome team. Shoutout to Papa Mike!

If you’re interested in planning a trip to Florida heres a few links for reference!

https://www.captainslate.com/pricing.html

https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/travelodge/florida-city-florida/travelodge-florida-city-homestead-everglades

https://www.paddlethefloridakeys.com/

3 Ways to Enjoy Your Trip in Florida

Now that my school trip to Florida is over, I have learned some tips that could help others going or wanting to go to Florida. These few tips are especially beneficial to people who are not used to hot and humid climates. These tips include:

1.   Keep Hydrating with water and replenish your electrolytes

One of the most important things to remember when in Florida, especially during the summer, is to stay hydrated (Hydrate or “Die”drate).  This is because of how hot and humid it can be, which causes you to sweat a large and abnormal amount. Therefore, you are losing not only water from your body but also electrolytes. That is why it is a necessity to drink lots of water anddrinks with electrolytes (e.g. Gatorade). If you do not hydrate enough, you can potentially get sick (e.g. overheat or severely dehydrate) and not be able to enjoy on your trip.

2.   Put sunscreen on… and aloe

Another essential tip is to make sure that you are applying sunscreen on constantly. The sun in Florida is closer than it is in other states, so the UV index is much stronger and therefore people can get more easily burned from the suns rays. Burning is not the only problem when facing issues about the high UV index. You could get sun poisoning and even skin cancer. What I recommend is to get 50 SPF sunscreen (that is coral reef safe) and apply every two hours or after going in the water. Even if you do end up getting burned, you should apply aloe to your burns to help alleviate any pain and redness.  

3.   Bring ecofriendly utensils

One of the tips that I have learned from other students on the trip was to be more ecofriendly. This is especially important in very touristy places, such as the Florida Keys, where many people are using single-use plastic products in a sensitive environment. Eco-friendly products could include metal or collapsible straws (or even ask for no straws at a restaurant) and even bamboo silverware. These simple changes could make a great positive impact on the environment and can also inspire others to do the same.

#Florida memories #think about the coral #hydrate or diedrate #stop single-use plastics #tropical marine biology

https://simplystraws.com/products/the-new-utensil

https://ordinarytraveler.com/florida-keys-travel-guide

Think Before You Drink

Yesterday, we could really feel the heat and the humidity when we were cleaning up trash and plastics at Bahia Honda beach. The eight of us were split into two groups, one going to the right side of the beach and other group going to the left side. We filled our water bottles, put loads of sunscreen on, and grabbed a reusable trash bag and gloves. We then set out picking up trash and all different types of plastics. One thing that stuck out to me about the trash that we picking up were that it was many of the products that we use such as plastic straws, plastic jugs (e.g. laundry detergent), plastic caps, and Styrofoam. Also, many of the trash pieces were very small and had been broken into tiny bits that can be easily consumed [by accident] by marine life. Even before we started to pick up trash our group was shown tracks of a turtle coming on the beach and laying eggs in the sand. Marine life, like those turtles, could consume those plastics of even become obstructed from larger plastics.

There are many negatives of single-use plastics, since they are only used once. One being that plastic is not biodegradable and has a lifespan of millions upon millions of years. This means that all of the single-use plastics that are discarded on the ground (not in the recycling bin) affect wildlife for millions of years. When animals or any living organism consumes bits (if not the whole plastic product) of plastic products, it accumulates in there stomachs and makes them feel full. This then leads the animal to die from starvation because they are full of plastic. With consuming the whole plastic product, such as straws, the animal could choke and then die. Either way, single-use plastic is causing so many unnecessary deaths that could easily be prevented from not using them.  

The main ways to counteract the damaging effects of single-use plastic is to either recycle and/or use alternatives to plastic. When properly recycled, the plastic can be reused for another purpose instead of going into the ocean/environment. It is also important to research alternative products to plastics, such as metal straws or reusable bags. Not many people realize that there are small changes that they could make that could help them save money and save wildlife. Overall, this beach clean up has really made me think about how the products that I use every day affect marine life and others.

#Bahia Honda #stop using single-use plastic #save our oceans #think of the turtles #make beaches beautiful again 

https://www.floridastateparks.org/BahiaHonda

https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/sustainable/5-plastic-substitutes.htm

How not to get seasick

Yesterday our group went scuba diving and snorkeling in Key Largo. The night before we were warned that if we know that we sea sick that we should take Dramamine. Since I did not get sick from riding the boat on Friday from tagging sharks the whole day, I decided not to take any medicine. While riding out to our scuba diving/snorkeling destination I did not feel nauseous in any way. However, I did become seasick while I was snorkeling. Therefore I got motion sickness from the movement of the waves when swimming and not on the boat. Then I tried to take medicine but it was too late to have effect while we were still on a boat. This resulted in me not be able to snorkel at the next stop. I was told to sit at the middle of the boat, facing out. This is because the boat rocks the least in that spot. I was also told by others to keep my eyes on the horizon since it is the only object that is still. After learning my lesson, I took two Dramamine tablets at night and one in the morning. This was done because it takes many hours for the Dramamine to work. In the end, this process of taking Dramamine did work and I did not get seasick from the boat all day.

Seasickness or motion sickness is when a person becomes nauseous from the motion of a boat in the ocean. The reason for seasickness is that the signals of ears, eyes, and sensory receptors are not matching up. The reason can also be summed up as an inner ear disturbance. 

One of the most common ways to treat seasickness is the medicine Dramamine, also known as Meclizine. Other types of medication include: Scopolamine, Promethazine, Cyclizine, and Dimenhydrinate. The main issues or side effects of Dramamine are that it causes drowsiness and can make you very sleepy. This will make any activity, such as snorkeling, very hard to do. That is why there is non-drowsy type of Dramamine so that you are able still be active. Overall the lesson was to always take some type of motion/sea sickness medicine the night before you go on a boat.

#seasick #snorkeling #Dramamine #Nauseous #sea legs

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176198.php

https://fla-keys.com/diving/

How Mangroves Managed to Put Up With Florida

Today, after our fun excursion of scuba diving and snorkeling we went right next door to a surfing-like rental place where we rented some kayaks and a paddleboard.  Our group paddled into the main channel where we took a turn into a mangrove forest in Plantation Key. The mangrove forest had a narrow path that sometimes was near impossible to pass through with all of the roots and branches everywhere. Even with that said the sights of the mangrove forest and the small path that we took with our kayaks and paddleboat was amazing and unique.

Mangroves are actually an important ecological component for many species. Some examples of the importance of mangroves includes: the ability of land formation; it is a primary producer; it is a nursery and/or habitat for many species; it is a buffer for storms (e.g. hurricanes); and aids in filtering run-off.  In addition to those ecological services, mangrove forests/swamps offer economical services such as greatly supporting the seafood market and construction material from its branches. 

Mangroves also provide information on how to adapt to waters with high salinity and temperature, humid climate, and tidal changes. One of the mangrove’s adaptations is the various root structures that the mangroves have to allow for more efficient gas exchange because the soil can become anoxic. Those root structures include root knees (aerial loops in horizontal roots), prop roots (develop from the stem), drop roots (develop from the branches), pneumatophores (develop from horizontal cable roots), and plank roots (vertical extensions of horizontal roots). Mangroves can also have adaptations in their leaves that allow them to lose less water due to the constant hot climate. Leave adaptations include hairs, stomata, and thick outer wall and cuticles. Generally, depending on the species, mangroves either adapt to high salinity by excreting salt, storing salt, or blocking salt intake. 

The mangroves that we saw and today (and other days) was the red mangrove species or Rhizophora mangle. One of the easiest ways to identify red mangroves is, of course, that it has red bark (on young roots and stems). Other characteristics would be that its flowers are white, the fruit is green and viviparous, it has prop roots or drop roots, and the leaves are opposite and leathery. 

http://www.florida-tourism.net/florida-keys/plantation-key.htm

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Plants-and-Fungi/Red-Mangrove

#Florida’s weather is impossible #mangroves #kayaking #paddle boarding #snorkeling 

Blast From the Past

Today was another hot and humid day in Florida, which seems to be the consistent climate so far on this trip. However, the views of Key West today was beautiful, which is why people have come and still come to the Florida Keys. While on our way to Key West, we passed by a historic and culturally valuable railroad. It turns out that the railroad was the first main way of travelling to the Florida Keys. The railroad was beside the current bridge and was almost completely made of wood. From what I saw, the railroad bridge is now missing large parts and people would not be able to walk along it nevermind have a train go across it. It was truly a sight to behold to see such an amazing historic landmark.

The railroad was built in 1905 to transport people and tourists from the mainland of Florida to the Keys. The main purpose of this railroad was for people, especially fishermen, to have a more accessible way to get to the Florida Keys (e.g. Key West). However, when more people were able to get to a great vacation spot, the more infrastructure is needed to accommodate those people. All of that infrastructure, including buildings, restaurants and hotels, destroys the diverse ecosystems that Florida had. In addition, that infrastructure meant that more people were able to come and stay in the Keys, which in turn causes for more need of infrastructure. This was the never-ending feedback loop that had led to the destruction of the ecosystem (e.g. mangroves and seagrass beds) of the Florida Keys. That destruction especially includes the marine life such as fish declining in number and size from the overfishing from commercial and sports fishermen. Furthermore, the destruction of [nursery] habitats that support numerous species will decline and have a cascading effect to other species and ecosystems. 

            Overall, this railroad can be associated with positively and negatively. When thinking about this railroad in a positive way, it has a great deal of history and is an amazing accomplishment for the time that it was built in. But even though this railroad is fascinating in its historical aspects and had a big part in how the Florida Keys are the way they are now, it still has caused massive ecological damage. 

https://owlcation.com/humanities/lasttrain

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/national_key_deer_refuge/

#railroad bridge #FloridaKeys #historic landmark #95% humidity #tropical ospreys

Reflecting back while Sleeping in and Staying in

 Reflecting back while Sleeping in and Staying in

            It’s been over 12 hours since I was in Florida.  Let’s take a moment to reflect…The first day was great! Didn’t die on the plane ride there and didn’t lose any of my luggage and got on with the day. The second day was great too! Going snorkeling during our free time was enjoyable. It was the first time I finally got to submerge myself in the marine ecosystem in the keys. Sad to see a team member leave that night but the adventures must go on!! The third day, SHARK TAGGING! While it wasn’t my first time around sharks, being able to pull up the lines and see the whole process was so interesting. I would love to go back and do more! The fourth day, scuba and snorkel. This was super fun! I got to practice some mellow free diving with my new snorkel, and it was great! Being able to identify all the fish felt like a significant accomplishment and showed that hard work does pay off. Day five Snorkel again, this time with sharks!! It was my first time ever swimming with sharks and eels, and I had such a great time! The last full day… the hottest day…but the day where we helped mother nature. Our beach clean-up, even though we were hot, sweaty, and dehydrated. In the end, we made a difference, and the smallest difference still has an impact. 

 

            Looking back on everything while in bed, I am thankful for the fantastic opportunity and being able to say I was a tropical osprey. However, sleeping in and staying out of the sun has never felt more relaxing in my life! I missed my bed, my bunnies, and my fresh bagels. While I may not go outside in the heat for a few days and not move from my bed, I still had a great time. This trip, I learned to not be afraid when you are with people you barely know in a new location; we were the group that never talked, to be the group with the most inside jokes. New friends, new experiences, and new outlooks are what this trip gave me, and I would not change any part of it. 

Links: 

http://ganderson.com/long-beach-island-properties-for-sale/?campaign={campaign}?keyword=?device=c&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0K-1qpeF4wIVhAOGCh0mbgsaEAAYAyAAEgKc6fD_BwE

https://brightside.me/wonder-animals/30-adorable-bunnies-to-put-you-in-the-easter-spirit-712810/

A Grape Day

On our last day before heading to the airport we stopped at a local market called Robert is Here.  This fruit stand is a family-owned business that has so many different fruits, vegetables, jams, and so much more!!  This local market started off as a little stand that was on the side of the road.  Robert was only seven years old and he would be pointing to a sign that said, “Robert is Here”, along with having a small stand that was loaded with veggies like cucumbers.  Now he has a huge farm like building with any fruit that you can think of, and some that you have never even heard of. 

His stand is often referred to has the Disney World of Fruit Stands, and after walking through there I can understand why!! Everywhere you looked there was more and more fruit.  There was one massive fruit that looked like a green sea urchin that was called the jackfruit.  This fruit can weigh up to eight pounds!!!  How crazy is that!! The texture of the fruit was similar a pineapple or a mango, but some say the fruit tastes like pulled pork??  Another fruit that I saw that looked like the sea cucumber that we found yesterday was called the Guanabana.  When describing this fruit, it was said that it tasted like pineapple cotton candy!! Sounds good!!  One other fruit that I have seen and heard of before but have never known what it would taste like was the dragon fruit.  It was said that the dragon fruit tastes like raspberry, strawberry, and kiwi all combined into one fruit. 

 

This fruit stand also sells homemade fruit smoothies with so many different options.  There were some smoothies that would see in other places like strawberry banana, mango, and pineapple, but there were also some that I had never even heard of!! They had a strawberry key lime smoothie, mamey, guanabana, and so many more!! But these weren’t just any normal smoothies they were actually milkshakes!!  This market also had so many different farm animals out back like goats, ostrich, baby ducks, chickens, and so many more.  One thing that I though was interesting was that they had many different flavored hot sauces, jams, jellies, salsas, and barbecue sauces.  This market is definitely a must visit for anybody visiting this area!!

  

 

If you want to visit Robert is Here... https://www.robertishere.com/

If you want to discover new fruits... https://www.halfyourplate.ca/fruits-and-veggies/fruits-a-z/