Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Saturday-exploration
















On Saturday morning we met at Long Wharf in the morning to start our journey to The Barking Crab. We observed many things such as the algae, rockweed, and barnicles growing on the rocks and barge of the Harbor. It was cloudy and did rain but it was short lived and on we went toward our destination. We crossed a 103 year old bridge and settled on the dock below the restaurant.

We found star tunicate, blue mussels, rock shrimp, skeleton shrimp, a gross worm, tiny crabs all massed together to form a living clump . It was a mix of native, non native species and fouling species such as the star tunicate. The water here is brackish meaning a mix of salt and fresh water. The salinity and the relative lack of water movement change what one sees. I did not see rock weed here. Over all the feeling ofaccomplishment that came with making this foray into the sea life under the Barking Crab was very worthwhile, even on a very hot day in a totally unfamiliar environment.

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