My first day at USFSP began with a delectable breakfast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, and onions from "The Reef". Following that, Dr. Judkins gave us an excellent introduction to the "Open Oceans". We surveyed the numerous types of plankton classifications and were introduced to the different sampling techniques used to catch and study these organisms. We ended the day with an awesome field trip to Fort De Soto Park where we found sea urchins, filefish, small puffers, and pipefish.
The word that stuck with me the most today was "pleuston", which are organisms that live at the air-water interface of a body of water. One interesting pleustonic animal is the by-the-wind-sailor (Velella velella), which lives on the surface of the water and sails with the assistance of a modified flotation chamber held above the water.
Wow! That is funky looking! Looks like you're having a good time and learning a lot! Keep up the good work.
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