Hi everyone! I apologize for my tardy post, but I have been experiencing some technical difficulties with my PC. My name is Claudia, and I will be assisting Bruce with our class this week. I am a senior at BU; I created my own Interdisciplinary Studies major in the MET program based on a variety of interests: Business, Law, Criminal Justice, Art History, Film & Photography [they are all inter-related in odd ways].
Hopefully you all are learning lots and having a good time simultaneously. We have a lot to look forward to weather-permitted. You should all have my information, so feel free to email me or call me if you have any questions or concerns.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Observations Of Biodiversity
Location: Boston's inner harbor/ Barking crab dock
11:00, Warm and sunny
Observing using the good old fashioned methods of sight and poking/prodding
we managed to observe collections of biodiversity. We gathered these collections
from less than eight inches from the top of the surface.
The most prominent species (in area) that we found were mussels. These ranged from
medium sized mussels to groups of baby or small mussels. From research, i gather these
mussels to be blue mussels.
In the area that we initially observed there was a limited amount of orange substance,
however, moving around the docks we found areas that had larger quanities of this substance.
It is still a mystery to me as to what this substance could be as I could not find it in my guidebook
but previous postings and insights from my classmates intrigue me.
These collections of biodiversity surpassed my initial expectations.I expected to collect a few
different types of seaweed or moss and nothing more. I did not expect to find so many different
things living so closely together and as close to the surface as they were.
What i found most interesting was the insect like species that we found crawling over
the mussels and samples after we removed them from the water. While the mussels definatly covered
the most surface area it seems that the insects were apparent in the largest number. The "bugs"
looked like small shrimp shaped creatures but were crawling around the mussles shells. When looking
closely, one could tell that these creatures were of different shapes and sizes. We believe these to be
linear skeletal shrimp because of their color and segmented bodies.
Also present were different kinds of algae and seaweed, both green and red - most likely these were
rockweed, kelp, and moss.
Although the only tools available to use were pen, paper, and the human senses, I actually learned
more then i expected. Conclusions were reached using the National Audubon Society field uide to
seashore creatures as well as the Hitchhikers reading.
11:00, Warm and sunny
Observing using the good old fashioned methods of sight and poking/prodding
we managed to observe collections of biodiversity. We gathered these collections
from less than eight inches from the top of the surface.
The most prominent species (in area) that we found were mussels. These ranged from
medium sized mussels to groups of baby or small mussels. From research, i gather these
mussels to be blue mussels.
In the area that we initially observed there was a limited amount of orange substance,
however, moving around the docks we found areas that had larger quanities of this substance.
It is still a mystery to me as to what this substance could be as I could not find it in my guidebook
but previous postings and insights from my classmates intrigue me.
These collections of biodiversity surpassed my initial expectations.I expected to collect a few
different types of seaweed or moss and nothing more. I did not expect to find so many different
things living so closely together and as close to the surface as they were.
What i found most interesting was the insect like species that we found crawling over
the mussels and samples after we removed them from the water. While the mussels definatly covered
the most surface area it seems that the insects were apparent in the largest number. The "bugs"
looked like small shrimp shaped creatures but were crawling around the mussles shells. When looking
closely, one could tell that these creatures were of different shapes and sizes. We believe these to be
linear skeletal shrimp because of their color and segmented bodies.
Also present were different kinds of algae and seaweed, both green and red - most likely these were
rockweed, kelp, and moss.
Although the only tools available to use were pen, paper, and the human senses, I actually learned
more then i expected. Conclusions were reached using the National Audubon Society field uide to
seashore creatures as well as the Hitchhikers reading.
2 for 1
I could not get to a computer last night, so lets take care of both posts:
My name is Carmen Rondash, I am from Rochester NY and I am going to be a Junior at BU in the School of Education. I want to be a science teacher (one that can get people to have a good science experience) I am also on the NCAA Wrestling team at BU
(sorry, the roster picture was the most readily available, my computer is in the shop)
As for Today: Saturday, August 2, 2008, (Before Noon)
Location/Environment: Under a bridge that has only partial sun exposure. The dock goes up and down with the tides so the underside is always submerged.
Method: First, lay down on the dock (face down) and take a first glance at the little environment there. Then remove samples, place them on the dock or in hands and analyze.
Tools Used: eyes, hands, magnifying glass, gloves, logic and a touch of intuition, paper, pen, Audubon Guide for N. America
Observations: I think the large worm I held was a 12 scaled worm. I think the angry, flailing stick was a Long-horn Skeleton shrimp, just maybe of a different color. I agree with some of the other posts about the Club Tunicate, Orange Sheath Tunicate, Blue mussels. I could not give them as much attention as the others. As for the little buggers, I think they may be Red-eyed Amphipods, Mottled Tube-Maker (im not as enthusiastic about that one, but maybe?) and for lack of a narrower definition - brine shrimp (AKA Sea-Monkey's for $14.99)
Sources: Audubon Guide and Hitchhiker guide.
Thoughts: It was amazing to have an out of lab, hands on, getting dirty experience. I wish every science course could expose students to this: real science, not just memorization of facts and data. As a society this lack of experiencing true science does not service us: the data changes and the facts may be limited to the knowledge of the time; true science and the scientific method, with a basis in inquiry and discovery have a timeless quality.
And in response to Chris: I had a lobster roll for lunch and appreciated it all the more
CR
Observations were well made at Boston Harbor today - specifically at the Barking Crab docks.
11:30a
Conditions: Mostly Sunny, mid-70's
Used:
Eyes, Gloves, Magnifying Glass, Plastic Bag (to collect for later observation), , Pen and Notebook
I came across somethings that were rather familiar looking and once taking a look at a field guide I could correctly identify them - blue mussels, anemone (pretty cool) and it looks like we all came across similar types of seaweed (did anyone notice how delicate some of them were?!)
The picture below shows a great close-up of that orange jelly substance we all came across!
One thing that surprised me was when I went to grab ahold of a piece of seaweed underwater, my hand gently swept over what I would describe as this brownish in color, and rather fuzzy looking plant growth (It looked about 3-4'' in length ). It then squirted out a bright orange substance (this was much thinner and more airy than the orange mass pictured below). After pulling it from the water there seemed to be a number of baby mussels attached to it and a lot of those tiny shrimp-like creatures we've all been seeing. Once observed out of the water it definitely felt more rubber-like and mushy and seemed to resemble more of a sponge
...any thoughts on this one?
I'll try to get a picture or drawing of this to you all tomorrow!
Field Work...Day 1
Today we investigated the surprising biodiversity of the Barking Crab Wharf. Our materials were limited to our eyes, our fingers, a magnifying glass and a pen to poke with. In pairs, we hung off the wharf upside down to get a close look at the organisms that make this floating intertidal zone their home. The first sample we pried off of the wharf consisted of two mussels tightly bound with thread like substances, and hundreds and hundreds of tiny, squirming, shrimp like creatures. I believe the mussels are common blue mussels, but I have no idea what the shrimp creatures are. I could not find a shrimp like organism in my guidebook with a pointed tail like the ones I observed. The shrimp like creatures were abundant and their sizes varied greatly which led me to believe that they were of different ages and clearly establishing a healthy colony. Upon closer inspection of our clump, my partner and I found a small crab hiding inside one of the open mussels. Though I only caught a glimpse of the crab I venture to guess that it was a rock crab. There were a couple of different types of seaweed among the mussels, I think they may have been sea lettuce, rockweed, kelp and perhaps Irish moss. We also observed a different kind of shrimp like creature that was long, red and very active (until dried out). I believe these were longhorn skeleton shrimp. I saw one anemone that I think was a frilled anemone. The most mysterious organisms were the spongy layers which covered mussels and also floated freely, attached by a slim thread. I could not find anything quite like what I saw in my guidebook that looked exactly like the red/orange spongy substance but after reading earlier posts and doing some further research I agree that it could have been orange sheath tunicate. The other sponge like organism was bluish and had a flower or star pattern inside each small section. I think these were colonies of golden star tunicates. I gathered these conclusions from reading my fellow students blog entries, the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Seashore Creatures, the Hitchhikers excerpt, and the Boston Harbor Seaside Educator's Manual.
Saturday Observations - Steve Yang
Observations of diversity in Boston's inner harbor habitat.
Locations: many locations from Marriot long wharf harbor walls, the Barking Crab docks
Method: Examine the plants and animals under the dock and make identification
Tools: My hands & eyes, a pocket notebook, pens, magnifying glass borrowed from Prof. Berman, a guidebook from Carman
Observations:
Mussells were most easily found. They vary in sizes, tiny mussells were often attached to the big ones. By looking into the guide book that I bought after class, I agree those are Blue mussels.
The most interesting thing happend at the Barking Crab docks where I pulled out mass-combination of mussels, seaweeds, mud, orange stuff , and many different types of shrimps and insects. My guess on orange stuff was that, mussels might feed themselves from it since it came attached to others and never have been found by itself. After looking into the guide book, we concluded it as the Orange Sheath Tunicate. The center of attention for me and Carman was a long skinny shrimp getting real agressive when we poked, and pulled out of seaweeds. I think it is a Long-horn Skeleton Shrimp, although the color of shrimp I saw was different from that in the book.
Seaweeds vary in colors, color differences were based on the amount of sun they receive. It seems that seaweeds that are fully exposed to sun faded from green to brown or red. Those that were either partly exposed or not exposed were green. So my hypothesis is that sun does have some effects on turning colors of seaweeds. I oberserved two different kinds of seaweeds, dark brown ones with relatively narrow leafs and bright green ones with wide leafs.
Rockweed and sea kelp have been idenfied by Prof. Berman, and it was interesting to know that no sea gulls indicate the evidence of predatory sea gulls.
It was exciting to have a class in harbor where I personally observed and figured out the creatures that actually live under water. The knowledges that are acquired from experience last longer that the knowledges from the text book. So let's do it again tomorrow.
Locations: many locations from Marriot long wharf harbor walls, the Barking Crab docks
Method: Examine the plants and animals under the dock and make identification
Tools: My hands & eyes, a pocket notebook, pens, magnifying glass borrowed from Prof. Berman, a guidebook from Carman
Observations:
Mussells were most easily found. They vary in sizes, tiny mussells were often attached to the big ones. By looking into the guide book that I bought after class, I agree those are Blue mussels.
The most interesting thing happend at the Barking Crab docks where I pulled out mass-combination of mussels, seaweeds, mud, orange stuff , and many different types of shrimps and insects. My guess on orange stuff was that, mussels might feed themselves from it since it came attached to others and never have been found by itself. After looking into the guide book, we concluded it as the Orange Sheath Tunicate. The center of attention for me and Carman was a long skinny shrimp getting real agressive when we poked, and pulled out of seaweeds. I think it is a Long-horn Skeleton Shrimp, although the color of shrimp I saw was different from that in the book.
Seaweeds vary in colors, color differences were based on the amount of sun they receive. It seems that seaweeds that are fully exposed to sun faded from green to brown or red. Those that were either partly exposed or not exposed were green. So my hypothesis is that sun does have some effects on turning colors of seaweeds. I oberserved two different kinds of seaweeds, dark brown ones with relatively narrow leafs and bright green ones with wide leafs.
Rockweed and sea kelp have been idenfied by Prof. Berman, and it was interesting to know that no sea gulls indicate the evidence of predatory sea gulls.
It was exciting to have a class in harbor where I personally observed and figured out the creatures that actually live under water. The knowledges that are acquired from experience last longer that the knowledges from the text book. So let's do it again tomorrow.
Saturday Observation, by Mustafa
I started day by learning some new words for me, such as intertidal zone, and estuary. Intertidal zone is an area between tide marks upper and lower. We noticed that intertidal zone is less bio-diversified than lower zone. Estuary consists of combining fresh and salty water. Like Boston harbor, fresh water coming from Charles and Mystic Rivers flows into the open ocean.
I learned that most of the waterfront of the harbor is land fill. This means under water life was shaped depending on manmade water front. Before the big harbor cleanup project, the rivers flowing into the ocean was carrying on sewerage with nutrients. These nutrients were causing to reduce the rate of oxygen in the water. Reducing rate of oxygen also was affecting the natural life under the water.
The other thing I’ve learned is sunlight effect on the some costal creatures. We clearly saw this effect by observing a corner. On the east side of the corner, there are green and smaller moss and seaweeds. On the north side of the corner, there are brown and bigger mosses and seaweeds. Also, we noticed wave effect on these creatures. If these creatures are exposing open sea waves, their attaching a wall is more difficult. They most exist in no wave spots. We firstly saw our famous orange thing here.
A while, we also discussed about tree effect on business in the water front. Especially, an owner of an ice cream store complained about the trees blocking appearance of his store!
In the next stop, we observed something remaining from seagulls’ breakfast such as opened mussels and some parts of crabs.
If I did not misunderstand, even if you can build, at least 50 % of the total space must be public. Thus although we can approach a window of a building, we are not allowed to use its stairs! This was strange.
I think our story began with this question. Which place is more bio-diversified inner harbor or outer harbor? I am advocate of inner harbor. I think my side is right but we cannot certainly decide unless we see the outer harbor.
After a couple of stops, we went to the private dock just behind or in front (up to you) of the Barking Crab. We grabbed and took off a bunch of stuff full of lots of creatures. In first sight, we counted mussels, baby mussels, lots of crabs in early stage, a little shrimp like a stick, baby starfishes, brown seaweeds with fungus, sea worms and orange mucous membrane. All of them live together like brothers. I think scientists call that as a symbiotic life style. If financiers saw that, they would call it win win situation.
I saw 4 or 5 big mussels attached each other and they are wrapped up by seaweeds and spread out lots of baby mussels and others. Firstly, we tried to identify what we saw by using the guide. Then we measured their sizes. We thought this mussel must be a blue mussel but this kind of mussels should not be here as far as I remember. Then we stacked with the orange stuff. At that point, two scientists, me and my neighbor, dissent from each us. One of the scientists claimed that this orange mucous is coming from inside of the mussels. The other one claimed that it is a different creature from the mussels. When focusing on the orange stuff, it was posted on the mussels like a layer and there are some kinds of tubes upward in this layer.
We saw lots of baby crabs in early stage. They looked like a herd of grasshoppers. They were constantly moving up and down, back and forth.
All creatures in this colony seemed to us that they are so happy to live together although they are so different from each other. I wish we, human beings, could take a little bit lessons from this picture.
Finally, after learning brief information about the history of the harbor clean up, I noticed some victimized people from Missouri! The Bostonians took the Missourians money to initiate this project. Also you are keeping taking their money to host them! What's a pity for them!
Saturdays Observations
Saturday's Observations
Location: Boston's Inner Harbor / Winthrop's Crystal Cove
Observation conditions: Partly cloudy, 72 Degrees, Light wind from the east
During the morning session we observed the sea life that exists in the area around the Long Wharf. We speculated whether sea life would thrive in this type of area that has had human influence vs coastal island sites. We observed what appeared to be plant life and mussels as well as moss growing on three different types of material - granite from the man made inlet, wood from the man made dock and metal from the cooling device used for the nearby restaurant.
The most intriguing question to me was whether the sunlight had an effect on the growth of the sea life, or was it an optical illusion as the sun illuminated the substance and it's appearance changed.
Due to a personal issue I needed to continue my investigation in Winthrop's Crystal Cove.
Tools used
Pen- Paper- Knife- magnifing glass
Method
I was able to pull growing seaweed from under the dock, some from an area that was in direct sunlight and another from an area that was mostly in the shade.
Findings
When comparing the two samples in similar light on top of the dock I saw no visible difference between the two. Coloring of each as well as the texture appeared to be the same.
Conclusion
I am not totally convinced, but do believe that the sunlight has minimum effect on underwater plant life, based on how it appeared to me during my sample evaluation.
JFK
Location: Boston's Inner Harbor / Winthrop's Crystal Cove
Observation conditions: Partly cloudy, 72 Degrees, Light wind from the east
During the morning session we observed the sea life that exists in the area around the Long Wharf. We speculated whether sea life would thrive in this type of area that has had human influence vs coastal island sites. We observed what appeared to be plant life and mussels as well as moss growing on three different types of material - granite from the man made inlet, wood from the man made dock and metal from the cooling device used for the nearby restaurant.
The most intriguing question to me was whether the sunlight had an effect on the growth of the sea life, or was it an optical illusion as the sun illuminated the substance and it's appearance changed.
Due to a personal issue I needed to continue my investigation in Winthrop's Crystal Cove.
Tools used
Pen- Paper- Knife- magnifing glass
Method
I was able to pull growing seaweed from under the dock, some from an area that was in direct sunlight and another from an area that was mostly in the shade.
Findings
When comparing the two samples in similar light on top of the dock I saw no visible difference between the two. Coloring of each as well as the texture appeared to be the same.
Conclusion
I am not totally convinced, but do believe that the sunlight has minimum effect on underwater plant life, based on how it appeared to me during my sample evaluation.
JFK
Barking Crab dock observations-Sean
Today we went down to see what was living under the dock by the Barking Crab. I was not sure what to expect, probably some slimy seaweed and barnacles came to mind. I was surprised to see a variety of life in many different sizes and some quite colorful. I used several tools to make and record my observations including a small pocket knife, pen, note pad, and a copy of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Seashore Creatures. A magnifying glass would have been very useful and a plastic bag to bring home samples, however I did not have these available. The weather was warm (mid-70’s) mostly sunny with calm water and visibility in the water of approximately 1’-1.5’.
I first took a sample consisting of a mussel shell. After reviewing my guide I was able to determine that this mussel was a Blue Mussel. This mussel was no longer living, however immediately we discovered many small creatures resembling tiny “bugs” moving around the shell. Some were very small and hard to see and others were larger and easier to see in detail. They appeared to have an oval shaped body with four pairs of legs and a long “hook” like tail that they appeared to grab with. After exhausting my field guide and the other resources that Mr. Berman gave us I have been unable to identify these creatures and unfortunately I do not have a photograph to post so others can look as well. They might in fact be adolescent or baby skeleton shrimp that I observed after.
My second sample was an orange jelly like mass attached to one of the mussel shells. It was approximately the same width and length of the full grown mussel shell (3”-5”) around. It appeared to have a “brain coral” like design underneath a clear jelly like surface. This organism was surprisingly firm to the touch as it appeared to be jelly like. After a little research in my seashore creatures guide and the “hitchhikers guide” I believe that this creature is an Orange Sheath Turnicate.
A second sample had an Orange Sheath Turnicate connecting a couple mussel shells as well as some seaweed. The seaweed had a lettuce like shape, was translucent and bright green. None of the guides I have had available helped me identify this seaweed. After poking around in the seaweed I observed long “bug” like creatures. They were larger than the other unidentified creatures and were easier to see. They appeared to have a few segments and a few pair of legs or antennae on one end. The middle segment was the longest and had a pair of significantly longer and thicker legs that reminded me of a grasshoppers’ hind leg. On the other I saw a small pair of legs or antennae and a pair of long appendages. This creature appears to be a form of skeleton shrimp, however I am not exactly sure which one.
The last sample I looked at was shared with me by my neighbors and was a mussel shell with several small anemones. They were clear on the outside and had a cream colored core. In the water they sprouted hundreds on tiny threads. It was interesting to see that they immediately “closed-up” when brought out of the water. Their appearance and habitat indicated that they might be Frilled Anemones.
Most samples of mussels included baby mussels attached to the outside of the shells.
~Sean
Saturday observations - Ann
Observations of biodiversity in Boston’s Inner Harbor
Location: Barking Crab floating pier, collections were made from the subtidal zone less than 6 inches from the surface
Observing conditions: sunny, about 75 degrees, effectively no waves; water visibility to about 1 foot
Location 1 is likely permanently in the shade (under bridge)
Location 2 was sunny at 10:30am, and likely at least half of the day
Location 1
Pre-collection observations: mussels, sea anenomes, flat green seaweed
Collection 1 was of a mussel shell that had a number of baby mussels attached to it and a number of small (~3-5mm) creatures that we initially identified as being cumaceans.
Collection 2 was also of a mussel shell and was targeted because it had a number of sea anemones on it. It also was found to have baby mussels and many of the apparent cumaceans on it, as well as what may have been a tiny starfish (~2mm across).
The tentacles of the anemones, which were floating open under water, immediately contracted in when removed from the water so that the animals looked like soft columns stuck to the shell. They opened up again within 10 seconds of being re-submerged. Tentative ID based on book description and ruling out other options: Frilled anemone (Metridium senile)
A single collection was taken in this location to determine whether the mystery orange stuff had a different morphology in a sunnier environment. The sample included was of a mussel shell which was coated by the orange stuff and also had many of the cumaceans on it. The orange stuff in this sample had a number of projections that made it appear as if towers were growing out of it. At the time, I hypothesized that this could be a more adult version of what we had seen in the previous collections, or perhaps Loosanoff’s Haliclona. However, the latter was rejected because the northern end of its range is south of Cape Cod. Based on further reading and class discussion, I now believe that they may be the fouling organism known as the orange sheath tunicate.
Final tally of observed species (all identifications are tentative)
Rockweed
Sea lettuce
Blue mussels (young and grown)
Frilled anemone
Possible starfish?
Orange sheath tunicates
Many cumaceans
Skeleton shrimp
Jordy's Notes and Observations
Good evening, everyone-
Earlier today we set out to examine the sea life present growing on the docks nearby the Barking Crab. Our goal was to determine whether there is greater biodiversity in Boston's urban inner harbor, or among the, now protected and clean, bay islands.
At the time of our exploration ( 11:00-ish), the tide was rising, temperatures were warm(probably in the seventies), and the sky was relatively clear in spite of the impending storm that was to strike later in the afternoon.
Contrary to what would appear the logical thing to do on a lovely Saturday morning, I began my study in the dark shadow of the North Av. bridge. Amidst the cries of "oh look at this!" and "what the heck was that??" emanating from the sunnier sections of dock, I examined what, at first, appeared to be a minimal sample pool which included:
1) Long dark green tendril-like growths which I assumed to be a sort of seaweed. It appeared to grow in
a large mossy chunk rather than have small lettuce-like branches. Here is an amazingly accurate and detailed picture (I'm working on a digital camera. for now you'll have to bear with me as I attempt to draw what is saved on my cell phone ):
2)Squishy gray-blue oval-shaped growths that at first glance looked like baby mussels. After pulling one out of the water and poking it a bunch, however, I came to the conclusion that it was far too squishy to be a mussel! Often times these growths had a flappy butterfly-wing shaped piece that wiggled wildly in the water. For some reason I cannot add more pictures, but I will try to edit one in after I finish.
Aha, there we go. I got it!
3) Around the mussel-shaped-but-n
ot-mussels grew strange lettuce-leaf-shaped mossy plants. Oddly enough, at the center of one of these I found a brown, hard seed-shaped thing. I have no idea what it might be. These moss-lettuce growths had a lot of clear goop of about the consistency of mucus that I suspect bound the plant to the dock.
I saw some other strange things, but these three are the only ones I could really get a good look at. Unfortunately, none of them could be found in my guide book (National Audubon Society's Field Guide to Seashore Creatures). Item number (1) sort of resembles a double-fork plexarella in *shape*, however as we are regrettably not in the Gulf of Mexico, its presence seems rather unlikely. I was similarly unable to find anything in our online resources. Thank goodness I did not stop gathering information there!
After staring at and poking my three specimens for the better part of an hour, I decided to travel back down the dock to an area that was only partially shaded(I was not willing to completely surrender my dark position!) to see what all thee hubbub was about. The difference was astounding. The sea life present at this new location just a few yards away was far more abundant, completely coating the side of the dock-floater, and far more colorful. Although I regrettably did not have as much time to spend in this new locale, I was better able to guess at possible identities of the things growing there (it seems that both the class AND the guidebooks are biased against the critically important and very exciting dark-under-bridge niche!).
In this new area, I found:
1) Many small (less than 1/2 inch across in each individual lump, but growing together in a larger colony) lump-shaped growths adorned with a circular brown and white pattern that seemed to grow around other plants. I tentatively identified these to be Golden Star Turnicate while waiting for my ride after class. Located between the Bay of Fundy and N. Carolina, the species certainly falls within the correct range. Additionally, my guidebook mentioned that it can be found on pilings and the bases of seaweeds, which seemed to match perfectly with where I had found them. I was encouraged to see the "Star Turnicate" mentioned in the hitchhiker's guide as well. I'm not certain if there is a difference between normal "star" and "golden star," but I will assume they are at least part of the same family (as their pictures would indicate!), and that I was looking at one of the two.
2) Orange lumpy growths of several varieties: some larger and oval-shaped, and others chunky and more spread out. Looking through my guidebook, I'd say that visually many of the smaller ones most closely resembled Taylor's Colonial Turnicate, however this variety is listed as only appearing on the west coast. I thought some of the larger more circular ones looked like Sea Peaches, but the Sea Peach is 5" across, which is far larger than what I was looking at. Mushroom Turnicate, which grows as a colony of smaller individuals in varying depths of water and in varying conditions also seemed like a fair guess...or it would be if we were a couple hundred miles south. All that seemed to remain was the Orange Sheath Turnicate which, although the picture did not look quite like what I was looking at, is orange and lumpy, and could grow in Boston Harbor on docks of the nature we examined. So I will tentatively call this one Orange Sheath Turnicate.
3) Blue Mussels seem like the most reasonable candidates.
Having split my time between two sites and only hopping over to the new one near the end, I did not have enough time to write down good enough information to ID the rest of the new creatures(and my pictures turned out badly :( ), but I will attempt to draw from memory some other things I saw.
Thanks so much for reading-- Have a nice evening :)
Alright, this is basically a picture of what I was looking at at my first site, since I spent more time there. Again, this is MSpaint arit...so forgive the...um scribbliness. In the next few days, I hope to "steal" my brother's digital camera. We'll see. G'night all.
Earlier today we set out to examine the sea life present growing on the docks nearby the Barking Crab. Our goal was to determine whether there is greater biodiversity in Boston's urban inner harbor, or among the, now protected and clean, bay islands.
At the time of our exploration ( 11:00-ish), the tide was rising, temperatures were warm(probably in the seventies), and the sky was relatively clear in spite of the impending storm that was to strike later in the afternoon.
Contrary to what would appear the logical thing to do on a lovely Saturday morning, I began my study in the dark shadow of the North Av. bridge. Amidst the cries of "oh look at this!" and "what the heck was that??" emanating from the sunnier sections of dock, I examined what, at first, appeared to be a minimal sample pool which included:
1) Long dark green tendril-like growths which I assumed to be a sort of seaweed. It appeared to grow in
a large mossy chunk rather than have small lettuce-like branches. Here is an amazingly accurate and detailed picture (I'm working on a digital camera. for now you'll have to bear with me as I attempt to draw what is saved on my cell phone ):2)Squishy gray-blue oval-shaped growths that at first glance looked like baby mussels. After pulling one out of the water and poking it a bunch, however, I came to the conclusion that it was far too squishy to be a mussel! Often times these growths had a flappy butterfly-wing shaped piece that wiggled wildly in the water. For some reason I cannot add more pictures, but I will try to edit one in after I finish.
Aha, there we go. I got it!3) Around the mussel-shaped-but-n
ot-mussels grew strange lettuce-leaf-shaped mossy plants. Oddly enough, at the center of one of these I found a brown, hard seed-shaped thing. I have no idea what it might be. These moss-lettuce growths had a lot of clear goop of about the consistency of mucus that I suspect bound the plant to the dock.I saw some other strange things, but these three are the only ones I could really get a good look at. Unfortunately, none of them could be found in my guide book (National Audubon Society's Field Guide to Seashore Creatures). Item number (1) sort of resembles a double-fork plexarella in *shape*, however as we are regrettably not in the Gulf of Mexico, its presence seems rather unlikely. I was similarly unable to find anything in our online resources. Thank goodness I did not stop gathering information there!
After staring at and poking my three specimens for the better part of an hour, I decided to travel back down the dock to an area that was only partially shaded(I was not willing to completely surrender my dark position!) to see what all thee hubbub was about. The difference was astounding. The sea life present at this new location just a few yards away was far more abundant, completely coating the side of the dock-floater, and far more colorful. Although I regrettably did not have as much time to spend in this new locale, I was better able to guess at possible identities of the things growing there (it seems that both the class AND the guidebooks are biased against the critically important and very exciting dark-under-bridge niche!).
In this new area, I found:
1) Many small (less than 1/2 inch across in each individual lump, but growing together in a larger colony) lump-shaped growths adorned with a circular brown and white pattern that seemed to grow around other plants. I tentatively identified these to be Golden Star Turnicate while waiting for my ride after class. Located between the Bay of Fundy and N. Carolina, the species certainly falls within the correct range. Additionally, my guidebook mentioned that it can be found on pilings and the bases of seaweeds, which seemed to match perfectly with where I had found them. I was encouraged to see the "Star Turnicate" mentioned in the hitchhiker's guide as well. I'm not certain if there is a difference between normal "star" and "golden star," but I will assume they are at least part of the same family (as their pictures would indicate!), and that I was looking at one of the two.
2) Orange lumpy growths of several varieties: some larger and oval-shaped, and others chunky and more spread out. Looking through my guidebook, I'd say that visually many of the smaller ones most closely resembled Taylor's Colonial Turnicate, however this variety is listed as only appearing on the west coast. I thought some of the larger more circular ones looked like Sea Peaches, but the Sea Peach is 5" across, which is far larger than what I was looking at. Mushroom Turnicate, which grows as a colony of smaller individuals in varying depths of water and in varying conditions also seemed like a fair guess...or it would be if we were a couple hundred miles south. All that seemed to remain was the Orange Sheath Turnicate which, although the picture did not look quite like what I was looking at, is orange and lumpy, and could grow in Boston Harbor on docks of the nature we examined. So I will tentatively call this one Orange Sheath Turnicate.
3) Blue Mussels seem like the most reasonable candidates.
Having split my time between two sites and only hopping over to the new one near the end, I did not have enough time to write down good enough information to ID the rest of the new creatures(and my pictures turned out badly :( ), but I will attempt to draw from memory some other things I saw.
Thanks so much for reading-- Have a nice evening :)
Alright, this is basically a picture of what I was looking at at my first site, since I spent more time there. Again, this is MSpaint arit...so forgive the...um scribbliness. In the next few days, I hope to "steal" my brother's digital camera. We'll see. G'night all.
My Observation at Barking Crab Doc
In my obsevation i noticed that this orange plant like animal seems to come from the Ellis Bryozoan family. My hypothesis came from the National Audubon Society: Field Guide To Sea Shore Creatures image 47, p.714. During my observation i had found this organism attached to shells(muscles). When I looked at it from a closer view, to me it looked like a orange coral reaf with .
Saturday Observation- Jason lawrence
Jason Lawrence
Process
Today we looked at marine life attached to docks in the inner bay of Boston Harbor. More specifically the docks located behind the Barking Crab restaurant. The time at which the study took place was at 11 am to around 1230pm. The weather was partly sunny with modertate tempatures in the 70s. The tide was low, but was rising. The method we used was to observe the sea life attacehd to the docks under water, then take a handful from under the water and examine it closely, above water. The tools available to me was a pen, paper, and of course my senses.
Observations
My observations from the out side of the water was extremely different from what I actually saw when I pulled the marine life out of the water. After closer examaniton there was alot more species in the 2x2 sample after I pulled it out.
Process
Today we looked at marine life attached to docks in the inner bay of Boston Harbor. More specifically the docks located behind the Barking Crab restaurant. The time at which the study took place was at 11 am to around 1230pm. The weather was partly sunny with modertate tempatures in the 70s. The tide was low, but was rising. The method we used was to observe the sea life attacehd to the docks under water, then take a handful from under the water and examine it closely, above water. The tools available to me was a pen, paper, and of course my senses.
Observations
My observations from the out side of the water was extremely different from what I actually saw when I pulled the marine life out of the water. After closer examaniton there was alot more species in the 2x2 sample after I pulled it out.
In my observations I observed an orange, mushy like substance that was attached to the mussels and the rockweed. The orange substance seemed to have small miniature circles attached to it. After looking it up this was an encrusting sponge which I believe to be a orange sheath tunicate. Also on the sample was three mussels surrounded by what looked like a colony of baby mussels. These mussels were blue mussels. I also noticed small creatures that were very active with there legs and had an orange to red tint. I believe these to be Linear skeletal shrimp because of there color and segemented body. There was one piece of the sample that I could not explain it was what looks like a type of sponge or sea squirt. It was black, but had what looked like a flower design in green on the outside. It was spongy and popped when I pushed it in. I will keep trying to figure this one out. Im having trouble with uploading pictures so I will bring the drawing to class tomorrow.
Saturday Observation, by Timothy
Question: Where is there more bio-diversity. Intertidal areas or sea or island zones.
Date: Saturday, August 2, 2008, around 11:30 AM
Location: Boston, Massachusetts. Fort Point Channel, private floating boat dock, under the Evelyn Moakley Bridge (Northern Avenue)
Environment: Sunny, in the upper 70’s. Tide was rising; the water was cloudy could not see more then a few feet below the surface. Water temperature seemed warm.
Method: From the surface, observe the animals and plants in a two by two-foot area that are attached to the dock. Then remove a fist full of the specimens and examine more closely on the dock. Record observations.
Tool: The full capabilities of the human body, note pad, pen, small knife, digital camera,
Peterson Field Guide, for the Atlantic Seashore.
Observation:
Surface: Several medium sized mussels, large areas of an orange substance, brown moss or seaweed covering the entire area, small patch of green moss and a large volume of small shells.
On the Dock: Several black and brown medium sized mussels, large areas of a smooth orange substance, brown and black moss or seaweed covering the entire area, a large volume of small black mussels, hundreds of small bug like creatures.
Breaking the mass apart: Four mussels measuring between 1” to 11/2”, black and deep blue in color with a smooth outer surface, the internal contains of the mussels was the similar to the smooth orange substance on the surface. Several smaller mussels about a few 1/16 of an inch were attached to the larger mussels. The bug like creatures can be placed in a few different categories; shrimp, worm with a star, crab, caterpillar, and stick type.
Findings: By using our three resources; Peterson Field Guide, Seaside Guide and Hitchhiker guide.
The orange substance attached to the mussels is Club Tunicate
The other areas cover in orange is Orange Sheath Tunicat
The mussels are Blue Mussel
The worm with the stars is a Star Tunicate
The stick creature is Skeleton Shrimp
Still cannot identify several of the small bug type creatures.
Conclusion: Globalization does not just exist on the surface. These fouling organisms came from around the globe before they established them selves into other watery environments and changing the diversity of our underwater plants and animals.
Day One Observations
On my journey to figure out what the hell "this" is, I made the following observations. But first, a little background information:
We began the observations at 9:20 am in front of the Long wharf Marriot Hotel. This was a perfect opportunity to see the intertidal zone, as High Tide was not due for another four hours. The first location, a stone wall close to hotel itself, was a good place to begin.
Location 1-Long wharf Marriot harbor wall.
The intertidal zone was observed as a large dark band across the wall where water clearly hit at High Tide. The water clarity was slightly turbid, but also surprisingly clear.
There were a couple of species of local plant life.
The first observed was a bright green "moss" that covered the wall just above the intertidal zone. It seemed to just be out of harms way. The same moss seemed to also appear directly on the intertidal area, but was much less dense. Dark brown stranded plant life (seaweed) with swim bladders also grew prevalently in the intertidal zone. I noted this species also grew on submerged rocks. Local observance of animal life included barnacles scattered across the wall on the intertidal zone, small silver fish in the water were observed darting back and fourth quickly. My guess is they were eating. Empty mussel and clam shells littered the rocky sea bed under the wall. Unfortunately, we could not get a closer look to make more detailed observations.
Location 2-30 seconds down Harbor Walk from Marriot.
Very large cobble rocks were observed hanging out in the sun with a many a green moss growing happily over them. The moss seemed to be the same that grew above and on the intertidal zone. It is interesting to note that the denser populations of moss were observed in drier areas. Although there was moss in the intertidal zone, there as much less of it. (Salt water = ewww?) A different species of sea plant also noted looked like a slimy brown fruit roll up. Our professor begrudgingly gave this fact away- It was sea kelp. Local wildlife consisted of pigeons and female (?) mallard ducks. (I thought the floating duck house was cute). Again, we could not get close enough to the ducks to determine sex, but their coloring indicated female.
Location 3-another 30 seconds down harbor walk in front of the really bad art.
More seaweed! One species was observed before and identified as sea kelp, and the other had a similar constituency and coloring to lettuce. Interesting to note the location of growth. The green and brown sea kelp seemed to be engaged in a battle to the death for sunlight. The green seaweed was happily photosynthesizing in the east facing direction (east=more direct sunlight), while the brown sea kelp in the north was desperate for sunlight.
Location 4- 30 seconds more down harbor walk in front of the condos I can't afford to live in.
Observation of a dock yielded empty mussel shells and crab carnage. The work of a predatory bird, or a really hungry person? My money is on the bird. Orange growth that was not rust also observed growing on floating wooden planks.
Location 5-30 more seconds and a more open ocean.
This location was unique because the area was not confined, and the water had more freedom to explore. We observed waves and overall water movement. More orange growth and also more diversely colored underwater flora was noted. Of course there was more green lettuce (open area=more sunlight), and also observed was floating red algae.
Location 6-The Barking Crab Docks.
We reached the dock around 10:45ish and began exploring. My partner Anne and I chose a shaded area under a bridge to do our examining. Around 2 hours to high tide and the water was murky. My guess was brackish with fresh water coming in from the NEOPONSETT river. Dockside revealed the larges wildlife variety. The most prevalent species noted were mussel colonies. All sizes indicated a large range of "ages". Some shells pulled from the docks revealed empty. Interestingly enough the empty shells still teamed with life. (Life will prevail) One shell in particular had a colony of sea anemones growing inside and out. There was also a light orange gelatinous mass on one side where another student told me this is where it was attached to the dock. Another cool thing was all the little "critters" crawling around. These critters appeared to be a variety of small shrimp. The most interesting of the "critters" was a small shrimp no larger than a quarter inch in length that exhibited praying mantis type features. The legs were sectioned and there was a large "antennae" appendage at one of its ends. The outside of the sell revealed something that looked like a very small sea star. I could not get a close enough look to make an accurate determination. The star of our quest in what the hell is that stumped everybody. An orange jelly like "thing". To me, it looked like a micro colony of many orange smaller things all suspended in a gelatinous blob. I was stumped. Some guesses from fellow students included baby sea squirts and a coral type organism. It looked like an orange blob to me. Something interesting to note was the presence or another green, branched, seaweed with swim bladders. This type is called Rockweed, and it is a good environmental indicator of a healthy harbor ecosystem according to the professor.
*Educated guesses on what the hell this is and crappy drawings to follow.*
Hope you enjoyed.
We began the observations at 9:20 am in front of the Long wharf Marriot Hotel. This was a perfect opportunity to see the intertidal zone, as High Tide was not due for another four hours. The first location, a stone wall close to hotel itself, was a good place to begin.
Location 1-Long wharf Marriot harbor wall.
The intertidal zone was observed as a large dark band across the wall where water clearly hit at High Tide. The water clarity was slightly turbid, but also surprisingly clear.
There were a couple of species of local plant life.
The first observed was a bright green "moss" that covered the wall just above the intertidal zone. It seemed to just be out of harms way. The same moss seemed to also appear directly on the intertidal area, but was much less dense. Dark brown stranded plant life (seaweed) with swim bladders also grew prevalently in the intertidal zone. I noted this species also grew on submerged rocks. Local observance of animal life included barnacles scattered across the wall on the intertidal zone, small silver fish in the water were observed darting back and fourth quickly. My guess is they were eating. Empty mussel and clam shells littered the rocky sea bed under the wall. Unfortunately, we could not get a closer look to make more detailed observations.
Location 2-30 seconds down Harbor Walk from Marriot.
Very large cobble rocks were observed hanging out in the sun with a many a green moss growing happily over them. The moss seemed to be the same that grew above and on the intertidal zone. It is interesting to note that the denser populations of moss were observed in drier areas. Although there was moss in the intertidal zone, there as much less of it. (Salt water = ewww?) A different species of sea plant also noted looked like a slimy brown fruit roll up. Our professor begrudgingly gave this fact away- It was sea kelp. Local wildlife consisted of pigeons and female (?) mallard ducks. (I thought the floating duck house was cute). Again, we could not get close enough to the ducks to determine sex, but their coloring indicated female.
Location 3-another 30 seconds down harbor walk in front of the really bad art.
More seaweed! One species was observed before and identified as sea kelp, and the other had a similar constituency and coloring to lettuce. Interesting to note the location of growth. The green and brown sea kelp seemed to be engaged in a battle to the death for sunlight. The green seaweed was happily photosynthesizing in the east facing direction (east=more direct sunlight), while the brown sea kelp in the north was desperate for sunlight.
Location 4- 30 seconds more down harbor walk in front of the condos I can't afford to live in.
Observation of a dock yielded empty mussel shells and crab carnage. The work of a predatory bird, or a really hungry person? My money is on the bird. Orange growth that was not rust also observed growing on floating wooden planks.
Location 5-30 more seconds and a more open ocean.
This location was unique because the area was not confined, and the water had more freedom to explore. We observed waves and overall water movement. More orange growth and also more diversely colored underwater flora was noted. Of course there was more green lettuce (open area=more sunlight), and also observed was floating red algae.
Location 6-The Barking Crab Docks.
We reached the dock around 10:45ish and began exploring. My partner Anne and I chose a shaded area under a bridge to do our examining. Around 2 hours to high tide and the water was murky. My guess was brackish with fresh water coming in from the NEOPONSETT river. Dockside revealed the larges wildlife variety. The most prevalent species noted were mussel colonies. All sizes indicated a large range of "ages". Some shells pulled from the docks revealed empty. Interestingly enough the empty shells still teamed with life. (Life will prevail) One shell in particular had a colony of sea anemones growing inside and out. There was also a light orange gelatinous mass on one side where another student told me this is where it was attached to the dock. Another cool thing was all the little "critters" crawling around. These critters appeared to be a variety of small shrimp. The most interesting of the "critters" was a small shrimp no larger than a quarter inch in length that exhibited praying mantis type features. The legs were sectioned and there was a large "antennae" appendage at one of its ends. The outside of the sell revealed something that looked like a very small sea star. I could not get a close enough look to make an accurate determination. The star of our quest in what the hell is that stumped everybody. An orange jelly like "thing". To me, it looked like a micro colony of many orange smaller things all suspended in a gelatinous blob. I was stumped. Some guesses from fellow students included baby sea squirts and a coral type organism. It looked like an orange blob to me. Something interesting to note was the presence or another green, branched, seaweed with swim bladders. This type is called Rockweed, and it is a good environmental indicator of a healthy harbor ecosystem according to the professor.
*Educated guesses on what the hell this is and crappy drawings to follow.*
Hope you enjoyed.
Chris's observations of the underside of the docks
My intial expectations was to find perhaps some barnicles, a few mussels, seaweed and algae. The actual result from the first sample my lab partner Kyla and I examined showed that to be quite an understatement. The sample was about the size of a plum, taken at approximately 11:30am. Some blue mussels, possbily orange sheath tunicate, multitudes of tiny insect-like creatures, along with a small crab that skittered away before being identified. Identification proved to be a challenge, even with the magnifying glass due to the small size of some of the organisms.
A second sample, appeared to be a linear skeleton shrimp latched on to some kind of sponge. The shrimp was active and appear to expire after several minutes having been left on the deck out of the water.
The third sample which was extracted for the class generally appeared to expose a twelve-scaled worm.
I must admit, after seeing the first sample, my appetite for seafood had left me somewhat temporarily. I may be able to eat fish again by the end of the week, but I will continue to dislike eating mussels.
A second sample, appeared to be a linear skeleton shrimp latched on to some kind of sponge. The shrimp was active and appear to expire after several minutes having been left on the deck out of the water.
The third sample which was extracted for the class generally appeared to expose a twelve-scaled worm.
I must admit, after seeing the first sample, my appetite for seafood had left me somewhat temporarily. I may be able to eat fish again by the end of the week, but I will continue to dislike eating mussels.
Barking crab Dock
Today we went to Barking Crab dock and saw bluish color mussels all over in water and I found out from my guide book that they are "Blue Mussel" . I have uploaded some pictures too. We took out some mussels and saw that they are sticked together and are in large quantity . I saw that their was some orange thing in patches or were kind of tubes which i earlier thought it to be a sponge later when some one came up with the orange thing to be a kind of sea squirts I checked the guide and I just found out that it might Orange Sheath Tunicates and they grow on docks and rocks . If you see in a picture i uploaded you can see some small mussels growing or attached to the bigger ones and I think that they are also Blue mussels tiny blue mussels. I found one blue mussel which was closed and on opening it i found some skinny kind of thing and I think some thing was forming inside it .I even saw many insects on the mussels and I think that they were feeding or living on the mussels .The insect I saw was a sikinny and had an long with long antennae first i thought it to be a worm but when i was going through my guide book then I realized that its a shrimp and the picture shown on the guide book was quite similar to what I saw but I am not that sure its a Linear skeleton Shrimp which is found amoung sea weeds , bushy hydro ids . I even saw Sea weeds some were brown and green translucent leafed shaped while other one was red and was netty like thing . I noticed one more thing that the place where the area had sunlight had brown color sea weeds and the area where it was a shade it had green color sea weeds though I am not sure about it but ya i noticed it many times. Sea weeds had some worm like animals and i am still not able to figure it out that what it was but it was some thing tiny and was crawling all over the sea weed with many legs. On some sea weeds their was a brownish color covering with tiny holes on it which could be the home of those insects .....
In today’s lecture we attempted to distinguish between the Inner Harbor biodiversity and the biodiversity of the Boston Harbor National Park. My observations began at around 9:30 A.M. at the main marina facing Christopher Columbus Park. I noticed the tide was midway through low tide and rising. High Tide was forecasted for 12:00, so the timing for observation was ideal for identifying the marine life beneath the harbor dock. I estimated that the weather conditions were at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. My tools consisted of a naked eye observation from twenty feet, a pen, notebook, and my instinct. In and around the harbor I noticed there was a lot of cobbled rock. Flying around the dock were seagulls, pigeons, and ducks. Looking down into the water I could see tiny fishes which appeared to be feeding. I managed to also spot a small jelly fish. Their also appeared to be what looked like green algae and various forms of seaweed. Much of the seaweed varied in shape and sizes, more specifically I noticed red, brown, and dark green seaweed.
At a dock located behind the Barking Crab restaurant I observed the marina from a closer perspective. I lay down and looked underneath the floating dock. I must admit that my fear of the unknown restricted me from taking a more hands on approach to my field work. However I was able to notice baby mussels, more neon green algae, and various forms of seaweed. My classmates managed to find micro shrimp and an orange tubular creature (1.5 inches long) with large tentacles. The floating dock was surrounded with rock weed and brown sponges.
Based on my observations and limited knowledge of biodiversity I concluded that the inner Boston harbor is extremely bio-diverse. I believe that this is caused in largely by the presence of human life, pollution, and possibly the current of the ocean. The marine life around the docks seemed to be related in proportion to their positioning to the sun. Much of the algae, seaweed, and mussels were all located directly beneath the sunlight, which leaves me to conclude that they need sunlight to grow, live, reproduce, and ultimately survive. Most of the marine life seemed ‘attached’ to one another ; I believe that there must be many micro ecosystems amongst a much larger macro ecosystem of the Boston harbor, unfortunately due to lack of resources I was unable to positively identify them.
Ciao, Bonjour, hello!!!
My name is Adam and I'm originally from Scotland, but I was raised in Lagos, Nigeria. I have always been fascinated by sea. I took this class because I recently discovered the Boston Harbor and found out how AMAZING the Harbor and the Harbor Islands are. I jumped at the chance of spending another week with Professor Berman. I've attached a picture of a 22kg Barraccuda I caught in March.
My name is Adam and I'm originally from Scotland, but I was raised in Lagos, Nigeria. I have always been fascinated by sea. I took this class because I recently discovered the Boston Harbor and found out how AMAZING the Harbor and the Harbor Islands are. I jumped at the chance of spending another week with Professor Berman. I've attached a picture of a 22kg Barraccuda I caught in March.
Barking Crab Dock Observations
The area of the dock that we examined was at the very end in a shady section. My picture of a 2 x 2 section of the dock is not very good, and the sealife was definitely not as colorful as my picture seems. However, the orange "stuff" on the dock stuck out and we took a sample of it. Our group found that it was both growing on the dock itself and on mussel shells that were attached to the dock. It had a bright orange color, a jelly like texture, and brainy appearance. The thickness varied throughout the sample as well. I initially thought that it was a type of coral, however someone in class today suggested that it might be a sea squirt. I looked up sea squirts and there was something described in the guide book called Orange Sheath Tunicates. Orange Sheath Tunicates are classified as encrusting animals, and they are typically found growing on rocks or floats.... like a big dock. I don't think that this is exactly what we saw, but it maybe closely related to what we saw.
We also pulled up a couple of mussel shells, all of which had smaller mussels growing on them. The first mussel was covered in tiny worm-like animals. Im guessing that they were shrimp of some kind, but they were extremely small and I havent found anything in the guide books that accurately describes them. These animals had large head sections with long antennae and what looked like bristly sets of legs. They had 2 thicker legs toward their middle section that seemed to be largely responsible for their movement, and their hind sections were hook-like and curled in when the animal moved. Their markings were very distinct as well; they were a translucent yellow color overall with brown striping down their bodies. Im wondering if it's possible that they were younger shrimp that weren't yet fully developed. My best guess so far is the opossum shrimp. They live among seaweeds (which there was plenty of on the dock) and are translucent with dark brownish spots. They have plenty of bristly like appendages. However, it says in the guide book that their tale-pieces are forked, making a fan. Our samples hind sections did not look this way, but as I said they could have been young shrimp that weren't yet fully developed.
There were many other types of worm-like animals on the mussels, equally as hard to identify. One of the mussels had anemones on it; we identified them as frilled anemones. They were translucent/whitish with lots of very thin white tentacles. There was also a lot of dark brown sea weed that was very grassy, and every now and again there was a piece of bright green sea-weed that looked lettuce like.
....for some reason my pictures won't load. Ill try again later or ill send them to bruce.
hi
Hi everyone,
My name is Helen Chang and i'm from Hawaii. I'm a student at Boston University in SHA, hoping to finish my degree by the end of this summer term. I took a semester off to work in my hometown, Taiwan and finally came back this spring to finish my degree. The pic is from this July of a snout that I caught in Tampa...it was my first time fishing...apparently it was 22inches...nothing compared to the one caught by u professor!
Intro
Hello everyone! My name is Erald and I am from Albania, a small country in the Mediterranean Peninsula. I am a senior at BU and "hope" this will be last and final class. I have been living in the USA for the past 9 years and out of these 9 years I have worked for 7 years at a Seafood Wholesale company. I am familiar with many different fish and how they look but do not know much about the different species and the kind of fish found around Boston Harbor. I am looking forward to learn more about Boston Harbor and its marine habitat. I am anxiously waiting for the day when we go whale watching, something I have wanted to do for a very long time.
Fish tales...
Here is a picture of my friend Skip and I on a recent light tackle trip we took offshore. This 40 inch bass and 50lb tuna were both caught on 12 pound test.
On careful examination, they were both determined to be feeding on whiting and herring. After extensive peer review, they were also found to be delicious when served as sushi with a mix of wasabi and soy.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Hello
Hey guys. My name is Caitlin and I'm a full-time student at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA (think about half-way between Umass Amherst and Springfield and you'll find South Hadley...exciting, I know). I'm currently pursuing a degree in dance, but as I'm kind of on the fence about whether that actually constitutes a real degree I'm exploring a second major. Up until recently that major was Romance Languages, but I discovered that while I love speaking the languages and exploring their respective cultures I hated the actual courses themselves. After thorough exploration of other majors, I wound up at Geography (not exactly sure how). I do like looking at maps and analyzing hard data, which is something I definitely haven't had the chance to do in all those humanities classes I've been taking. I also grew up in the woods of Sudbury, MA so I'm looking forward to exploring the water and the shore and the life that calls these places home (I only know the animals in the woods around our house...South Hadley has a lot of woods, too) rather than just tanning as most people would. Being from Sudbury, I'm also an obsessive Sox fan but I promise not to mention you-know-who this week.
Don't worry, Jordy, you weren't the only late person, just the last late person.
I'm Ann, and I'm excited to take this class because I love knowing about the places where I live, and am especially intrigued by the complexity of the Harbor. I know some about the Chesapeake Bay because I used to live there (shout out to the person from Baltimore!) and am interested to learn how Boston Harbor is similar and different from the Bay.
I'm Ann, and I'm excited to take this class because I love knowing about the places where I live, and am especially intrigued by the complexity of the Harbor. I know some about the Chesapeake Bay because I used to live there (shout out to the person from Baltimore!) and am interested to learn how Boston Harbor is similar and different from the Bay.
Hi All
Hey guys I'm Liz and I'm senior here at BU. I'm originally from Ithaca, NY which is right on Cayuga Lake (one of the finger lakes of central NYS). I grew up living on the water yet I really never learned a whole lot about the plants, animals, and other creatures that inhabit the lake itself. So, this class (hopefully the last) is the perfect opportunity to get my hands dirty - and although Cayuga Lake isn't quite Boston Harbor, I figured this can't be a bad place to start...
See you all in class!
Hi everyone
My name is Mustafa. I'm from Turkey. I was born in Istanbul, a wonderful city with its famous Bosphorus and two seas. I cannot imagine to live a city without sea. My major is financial economy. "I hope" this is my last course at BU. I've been working for my government as a tax inspector for 11 years. See you in a harbor whether in Boston or in Istanbul.
Hello Everyone,
I am looking forward to this class. I have spent many years living in Boston and have many memories of the ocean. Growing up in Revere spending summers swimming there. Boating in Boston harbor, Cape Cod Bay, and Buzzards bay. I relish the thought of looking at it from a new perspective.
I do not have a scanner at home so you will have to wait to see me with my 48 inch 39 pound stripped bass.
JFK
AKA - Old School
I am looking forward to this class. I have spent many years living in Boston and have many memories of the ocean. Growing up in Revere spending summers swimming there. Boating in Boston harbor, Cape Cod Bay, and Buzzards bay. I relish the thought of looking at it from a new perspective.
I do not have a scanner at home so you will have to wait to see me with my 48 inch 39 pound stripped bass.
JFK
AKA - Old School
Late girl, reporting
Hello, everyone. My name is Jordana, however most call me Jordy. I'm the late girl. I am an almost-senior attending Bard College where I am currently studying Chinese (and a bit of Japanese) history. Although our marine bio class is a bit outside my field of expertise, I am very excited to get involved. I enjoyed science very much in High School, but in college I simply have not had the time or opportunity to explore the sciences as much as I would have liked (curse the credit-grubbing senior IIs filling all the non-major courses!). I love the ocean, and being outdoors and am looking forward to resurrecting my scienciness(tm) as we explore the harbor and islands this week.
Cya all tomorrow
-Jordy
Cya all tomorrow
-Jordy
Hey
I'm Chris, a part-time undergraduate CompSci student. My full-time job as a systems engineer doesn't leave me much time to take classes, so I took over a week off from work so I can check out the underside of a dock for signs of life, and am looking forward to it :) I can't say I have done anything remotely related to marine sciences since I brought home a starfish when I was a kid. Most of my core classes are complete and I'm focusing my electives to courses which will broaden my view on life. I look forward to meeting everyone in the days ahead.
Let's try again, Hello Everyone
My name is Timothy. I am in the final stages of completing my second under-grad degree, back in the 80’s I earned an engineering degree from Northeastern University when the harbor was not a place were people would live or explored.
I look forward to seeing, exploring and researching the harbor and it’s islands from a different perspective, other than my normal view from the small window of an aircraft on Monday morning or Friday night.
My name is Kyla and I am a senior at Pitzer College in southern California. I'm originally from Nahant but I've spent about half of my life in California and like to consider myself bi-coastal. I'm attempting to double major in Environmental Studies and Art and hope to pursue a career in Science Illustration after I graduate. I am absolutely fascinated by creatures...small, large, slimy and fluffy, and I cant wait to investigate the harbor with you all!
Hello
My name is Juwon Yang, again yall can call me Steve since lots of people have tried to pronounce my name and they all ended up calling me Steve. I came back as a full-time student at BU after taking leave of absence for 2 years due to the military service in my mother country S.Korea.
I took this class because I recently found out that I need to have 8 credits to maintain a full-time student status. I only had 4 credits, and was lucky enough to find out the course that meets my requirement. Even I took this course to maintain my status, it seems that I will really enjoy it.
I look forward to this class and meeting you all.
I took this class because I recently found out that I need to have 8 credits to maintain a full-time student status. I only had 4 credits, and was lucky enough to find out the course that meets my requirement. Even I took this course to maintain my status, it seems that I will really enjoy it.
I look forward to this class and meeting you all.
intro
Hi! my name is Sean. Im a part time student at MET, attempting to possibly pursue a degree in business management. I grew up in central Mass, and I've been living in Boston for 5 years. I am taking this class because it was highly recommended. I enjoy the outdoors, so this class sounded perfect for me.
Hello
Hi Everyone,
My Name is Jackie (again), and I've loved the ocean since childhood. I caught the Marine Biology bug from an early age, and I've been lucky enough to attend summer camps from elementary through high school. (I was hooked) I'm currently a Met student in the Biotech program. I look forward to this class and meeting you all.
Cheers!
-Jackie
My Name is Jackie (again), and I've loved the ocean since childhood. I caught the Marine Biology bug from an early age, and I've been lucky enough to attend summer camps from elementary through high school. (I was hooked) I'm currently a Met student in the Biotech program. I look forward to this class and meeting you all.
Cheers!
-Jackie
Introduction
My name is Hannah. Im a full time student at BU. Im pre-med but my major is International Relations with a focus on environment and development in Sub-Saharan Africa. I hope to pursue a dual MD-MPH in graduate school.
My home town is Baltimore, so I grew up going to our own harbor. I can't say that I explored much of the sea-life down there, but I can say that blue crabs are worth making the trip to Maryland for!
I took this class because I was prepping for the MCATs and realized that, while Ecology wasn't such a big part of the exam I didnt get much out of the Bio/Eco class that I took two years ago. This course looked interesting so I signed up... plus, I've never been whale watching.
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