DOCK BOSTON HARBOR (THIRD CLASS)

Today we arrived that Boston Harbor at the Aquarium at 9:00AM. The professor gave us a lecture outside of the Marriot Hotel. The professor was giving us the lecture when a security from the Marriot Hotel come to tell us that we were not supposed to be there because it was only for Marriot Hotel’s customer. The professor talk to him and later in the day he explained that it is a public space and that may be the reason why the security man did come back.

We start out walk thru the Boston Harbor rails by making few stop to observe the species that lives in the tides lines. First we stop at the place in the Aquarium were we took out boat yesterday and the tide was high this time. The professor says was may be around 9’ and it started to slow down a little bit because I was able to see some rock that were wet. Our homework for today was to observe the species write or draw about it, and at the end we discussed our observation and we identify our species with our guides book.

After lunch we eat we our group member to discussed our observation and identify them.

1)   Species had a pink and brown color. It looks like a romaine lettuces, it was soft, jelly when touched, and thin. We discuss with our team member and it was hard to find the same design in our field guide.  We decided that it look more like the Grinell’s pink leaf. I decided to double check with the information at Blackboard and it mention that at Boston Harbor it also has Irish Moss. This plant is similar to the Irish Moss. (plant)

2)   The second species is a green color, it is also a plant, and it has a lettuce shape, and is soft.  As a group and with the help of the guide we decided that it was a Sea Lettuce.

3)   Third specie is color orange and purple, it look like rotes and have head that were round at the end of the branches of the root. As a group we decided we were focused if it was a Brushy Red Weed or a Club Hydroid. I went home to look at our guide again and look at the information at Blackboard. We were not even close to the name of it. I find that the name was Crumb of Bread Sponge. I read the information on our guide and it seem that is very common in Cape Cop.

4)   The fourth was color yellow, it was thin, and it was sponge and had different branches. As a group and with the help of our guide we decided it was a Red Beard Sponge. In the guide it is mention that this sponge is one of the most common and recognizes sponges in South of Cape Code.

5)   The fifth was a clam, it had almost an oval shape, dark brown in the outside, and in the inside the color was white and blue. As a group we decided that it was the Blue Mussel. In the information at Blackboard it mention that blue Mussel are part of Boston Harbor.

6)   The sixth species was color oranges; it looks like a heart with two arteries.  We look at our guide and decided that it was Sea Peach.

7)   The seventh species was color orange; it looks like small circle with a point on in the middle. We decided that it was called Orange  Sheath Tunicate after looking at our guides.

8)   The eight had a dark green colors, it has the design of a flower that were next to each other. It also has color whites as branches. This is name Golden Start Tunicae. I read the guides and this kind of tunicae is found at Boston.

9)   The nine is a little shiny shrimp that it was very skinny and it was hard to identify. We decided that it names was Smooth Skeleton Shrimp.

10)                  The last one was color orange, it covers by a clean and jelly that protect the inside. As a group it was hard to identify and we find it was closer look with the sea pork. I can home to look more into the guide and in the blackboard information. It found that it was name it Sea Lace or Lacy Crust on Kelp.

I took a look at the pictures on blackboard about the Dock Section. It seem that it had a lot of species in one place. I don’t know if this photo was taken at the place were our professor show as a group of species that are together under water. It seem likes today we have more species if this it is the same place. I think that this is because as people keep taking more care of Boston Harbor species are living healthy and coming more freely to the Harbor by immigrating.