Hello KML

We are now in the Keys - Long Key to be exact - at Keys Marine Lab. So far we have been snorkeling everyday - even Saturday when we arrived we snorkeled back behind KML and were amazed at the sights, but that has not even compared to going offshore and seeing the reefs. Schools of fish are very interesting to watch and swim amongst. Behind KML, I was able to swim amongst a school of Parrotfish, which turned their eyes to watch me as a swam over them. We also saw tons of spiny lobster, but better than that is stopping to listen to the constant crackling underwater of the organisms nibbling on various things. The crunch from a Parrotfish chewing on coral is audible! Very cool.

Parrotfish, photo from Arkive.org

Our ride.

On Monday we rode 5 miles offshore. I couldn't enjoy the reefs as much as I would've liked due to seasickness, but it was such a different experience being in 20 feet of water compared to the 4 or 5 feet behind KML. The current is stronger and is very efficient in carrying snorkelers away from the boat, so keeping an eye on the boat is important for making sure you don't drift too far! We went to 3 sites Monday, and at the second one I discovered a spotted stingray swimming along the sand, and then shake twice to bury itself. It was very cute actually! At the third site I saw an eel, and site 3 had a higher abundance of corals and algaes than the other two.

Riding out on the boat.

The water was amazing - very light shades mixed with darker blue.

On Tuesday we went to Koch Key and snorkeled around it observing the mangrove habitats, and also used seagrass quadrats to study seagrass coverage, species of seagrasses, organisms, and abiotic factors - dissolved oxygen, salinity, and temperature. While we snorkeled we saw many tunicates, several types of fish, birds, lobster, crabs, and sponges. It was an interesting experience as I've never snorkeled around mangroves before, and we witnessed how important they are as habitats.

Koch Key and a group working on the quadrats.

Unfortunately during the seagrass quadrat process many of us discovered how the cnidarians in seagrasses really can sting you. These little organisms had gotten into my shoes, and otherwise stung wherever they touched, and my feet now have small red sting marks all over them. In the long run though, any experience, good or bad, on this trip is going to be something I treasure. I'm learning so much more than I ever could have imagined or expected in such a short period of time, and learning by experience is the best way to do it! I included some pictures of creatures we collected today.

Sea cucumber and star fish.

Brittle Sea Star

Larval spiny lobster.

Sea anemone

Emerald Crab

On Wednesday we learned about macroalgae and went to a shallow location near Long Key and snorkeled over sponges, macroalgae, corals, fishes, etc. Angelina and I saw a batfish - it looks like they could develop feet, as they flap their fins backwards and onto the sediment to move forward. I also saw some trunkfish, and a large Southern Stingray! I was swimming over empty sand, when suddenly there was a cloud of sediment just to my left, and a second later a stingray went racing by directly under me! As it registered what I was seeing, I may have screamed a little...causing the creature to speed up and disappear. I think it had to have been 3 feet wide at least. We both startled each other it appeared. Of the macroalgae, I saw Halimeda, Pencillium, Udotea and many others while snorkeling.

NOAA Image of Halimeda

After that site we went offshore again to some artificial reefs. It was beautiful! We spotted a 9 foot Nurse shark, a barracuda, some bar jacks, some sergeant majors, yellow and blue headed wrasses, and much more. There were so many corals and fish to look at, and it was cool to see the old 7 mile bridge repurposed as a reef. The corals and fish certainly don't discriminate between artificial or not. Unfortunately all of my pictures from these snorkeling adventures aren't on a digital underwater camera.