Keys Ecosystems

It's safe to say we all had a blast at the Keys Marine Lab this past week. We had the chance to see, learn, and experience so many different marine ecosystems.

 We were privileged enough to see the astoundingly surreal coral reefs off the middle and lower Keys, all of which were at least slightly different from each other. We saw both artificial and natural coral reefs, as well as reefs with different diversity and structure in regards to coral, algal and fish species (we were professionals at identification by the end of the week).

We also were able to explore a mangrove island that made the environment particularly inhabitable for many species due to the structure and protection the mangroves provided. 

It was very interesting to see life teeming beneath the surface! 

We also explored seagrass beds similar to the ones we saw at the FGCU Vester Station, except we saw a lot more macroalgae (although that might have been due to the fact that we KNEW a lot more about macroalgae). Also, one of my favorite spots we went to (besides the coral reefs, of course) were these fascinating tidal pools at Bahia Honda park. If you took the time to look, there was so much life to be found.

A juvenile Sergeant Major

A goby species

Oh, and they were a cool place to just relax and hang out (at least, Ken thought so...)

All in all, we got to see lots of different marine habitats. Some of them housed different species of fish, but most had the same species but at different life stages. Also, the habitats were all constructed differently with various mediums, like coral and algae, or mangroves, or seagrass beds. It was all wonderful to observe, and the Keys Marine Lab will be sorely missed by us all.