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.

From Snails to Whales
Today we focused on Habitats. At 8:40 a.m. (July 23) it was low tide and we observed the intertidal zone and what type or organisms survive in it. The intertidal zone also known as the foreshore and the seashore, is the area above water at low tide and under water at high tide. This area can include different types of habitats, with many types of animals. We noticed that was a lot of green fleece algae growing on the rocks. They grow in clumps and is usually found in rocky waters tide pools, rocky shores, or attached to rocks. We also saw some seaweed that was of a brownish color, and on the rocks were white specks called northern rock barnacles. Barnacles are really crustaceans, yes, crustaceans, that remain fixed in one spot for life when they become adults, and they attach their selves to hard surfaces such as rocks or pier pilings.

These type of organisms live in the intertidal zone because they are small and uncomplicated. The supply of water they require to survive recurs at intervals and wave action around the shore will wash away or dislodge those poorly adapted or suited organisms. There were also some mussels in the intertidal zone at the dockyard.

Under the docks at the barking Crab we found like a bed of blue mussels that had a lot of growing plants and animals. The blue mussel is kind of smooth shelled with beaks and upon researching the guide book I found out they have teeth. The outside is bluish black and the inside is violet. We also saw unattached sea lettuce, rock weed, kelp, summer corn and ribbon weed. Upon breaking a small portion of the mussel bed we noticed that different species of shrimp were attached ,including the sharp-tailed cumaceans, caprelids, and long horned skeleton shrimp. We also found sea anemones that were kind of soft, and retracted their tenacles when they were touched. There was the frilled anemone which was disk lobed with fine tenacles, ghost anemones, striped anemones, and lined anemones. Swimming in the water were also small herrings and blackfish and we came across a star fish and a club tunicate also.

One interesting thing was noticed and it looked like some sort of man made reef that was very bright colored with orange pipe like objects sticking out maybe to attract organisms to cling to it and encourage some sort of life. It was held together by some kind of pipe at the top, It was interesting to see how many different species can cling together and live in the same habitat.

I have revisited Blackboard and now know the the orange like object is called an orange or red sheath tunicate. It has two holes where one sucks water in and the other spits it out.

This is the correction for my blog. I was having the hardest time editing. I had lost the document.

Tide Pool

Kathy Geoghegan-Barek

Purposes:

1. To continue to sharpen observation skills
2. Collect Data to support the our hypothesis that a greater diversity of life can be found in the tide pool on Lovells Island compared to the docks at the Barking Crab.

Specimen Collection

Date = 7/24/11, Time = approximately 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

Tide = Coming in. Low tide was approximately 11:30 am, therefore close to low tide

Weather = Warm, briefly had rain earlier that morning and the morning of the day before. Prior to that weather had been hot and dry for several days.

Collection Location = The first tide pool if you head left from the boat dock on Lovells Island

Habitat = Sea Water,

Obsevations and Specimen Description

When we first arrived at the tide pool, I knew the tide would be coming in so I headed out to where the water was knee deep, for me that’s approximately 1.5 ft. deep. I noticed this area was a lot less rocky than at the shoreline. However there seemed to be less life in this area.

As I headed in closer to the shoreline, I found several different kinds of shell that contained hermit crabs. Although I wasn’t able to get a look at any of the hermit crabs completely out of the shell, I was able to see enough of them to realize there were different types. They also seem to come in different sizes and therefore occupied different size shells.

At one point I had a hermit crab and a periwinkle in a container together and it appeared that the hermit crab was trying to pull the periwinkle out of his shell. Why? Did he want the shell? I don’t think so, the shell he had was already bigger than the one the periwinkle had. If the hermit crab’s had been smaller I could understand him wanting to take the bigger shell if he was growing. Was he going to eat the periwinkle. That was a possibility. I had read that hermit crabs in the wild are omnivores. But then Bruce had suggested that perhaps the hermit crab was just stuck to the periwinkle due to the sticky substance the periwinkle produces. That seemed reasonable. If he were stuck and was fighting to get free this might look like an aggressive behavior.

I found several other organisms as well. But did I find enough different other organisms to support our hypothesis that there would be more diversity in the tide pool than at the docks? I haven’t finished analyzing the data yet to answer that question but my initial impression is no. There were a lot of different organisms at the docks.

On the way back to the boat we encountered grove snails. These snails had a thinner shell than the sea snails, 4 antenna and had shells that displayed a in a variety of colors and patterns. The snails themselves came in a light and dark variety and they lack an operculum.

The chapter on snails posted on blackbord states that “Land snails represent multiple invasions of land from marine snail ancestors.” Therefore these land snails, I’m calling Brown lipped grove snails, must have evolved from the sea snail. They are an invasive species from Europe (https://www.msu.edu/~atkinso9/pestsnailpage.htm)

Georges + Lovells 7/24/2011

On Sunday our class embarked on a trip to Georges Island and then onto Lovells. We went aboard a ferry which took us first to Georges Island where we saw a very manicured island that had clearly been influenced by humans.

When you arrive you are led onto a pavilion where you can buy food or enter a shelter that has historical information about the island and the fort lifestyle. People are ferried two and from this island pretty frequently throughout the day and there is no camping. The grass is cut and there are bushes spread around. There is a rocky beach where boats are moored and people can dare to dip into the frigid water.

Deeper into the island you find Canadian geese having there way with the 'yard' and a fortified structure that is no longer in use other than a historical site. The rooms are damp and dark and the only animals I could see were us humans. There were calcium deposits along the walls and bricks. I enjoyed the view from the high point on the island. There you could get your bearings and see a very different type of habitat on an island just a couple hundred feet away.

We took a smaller boat over to Lovells island. When we disembarked I saw some very naturalized inhabitants. The rangers were well kept and the campers looked like they had been stranded there for months, it looked like a fantasy land. Boys were throwing sand at each other and I did not see one Nintendo DS, it was magical. I just wanted to abandon class and stay.

The paths on the island were more rugged and the facilities were less industrial. We got to our tidal pool habitat and I loved the pieces of the fort scattered around, it were the only clues to what was there rather than a fort there for you to explore.

I found it hard to interact with the Asian shore crabs but found a lot of periwinkles and barnacles. The mussel shells that I found were MUCH bigger than the ones at the Barking Crab and so were the barnacles. The shells were free of cluttering creatures and could exist and thrive. There were a few more different species of vegetation. I found a Tunicate that squirted water when I lifted it gently above the surface. We found a large shore crab clinging to life after being dropped by a seagull. There was definitely less human traffic and boats only came ashore a limited amount and you had to get a permit to camp.

As for the garden snails I can see them hopping onto the garden plants that the Lovells brought over when they were gentrifying their summer home. No bunnies though...

Nature had definitely gotten the upper hand on Lovells.

Pieces of curiosity.

 I do not usually see minute details. I let scenes wash over me in broad strokes, forming into a narative of impressions. Of course, the rigor of identification does not come easily or naturally to me ( though I believe I managed to identify correctly the following 18 items.) But this is not primarily what strikes me. What strikes me is first the adjustment to the small, to the domain of the minute. On my first ferry ride (which I took alone) all I could see was big masses- the ocean, the islands, the sky-scrapers. The experience was one of bigness. When we traveled to Lovell's island, what struck me was the sort of cyclical descent (in a Dante-like sense, but without the Hell,) from the suggested vastness of leaving the city to the sea, to the enclosed experience of fort Warren, and then, eventually, all of it terminating in a tide pool. Spending what could have easily been hours turning rocks and looking at and for small things. It is as if in one motion the rest of the world recedes and the entirety of the horizon is filled with what you are squinting to see, to get a better look at, right now. 

Another experience of absorption is getting in the water and chasing crabs. I never touched a crab. Now I find myself turning rocks, chasing them, struggling with their wriggling. It's not so much the fact that I haven't done this before, (or that I am slightly squeamish, usually).It's that there is no transition, or anything to think about. It's the task at hand and they are pieces of curiosity. Once you start looking, you want to see, and once you see all you want is to see more.When we leave reality snaps back into perspective, not before taking a segue into another tiny domain and gawking at snails. What I leave behind is a small explored alley, or a neighborhood block I got to know well. I only hope I remember everybody's name...

On Sunday, July 24th, we embarked on a journey to George's and then Lovell's Island. George's Island is a historical site with a fort (Fort Warren) which takes up the majority of the land there. When we arrived at George's we got off the boat and Professor Berman introduced us to some history of Fort Warren. Reading the signs that were scattered throughout the place was very interesting. I had no idea that Boston Harbor had such a strong military defense not so long ago.

After a couple hours, we got on the boat that left for Lovell's and arrived there around noon. Just at low tide. The ranger gave us a quick briefing on what to expect as we traveled the island's trails to get to the tidal pools that we would examine later. Because the tide was just coming in, it was a perfect time to start our field research. Once we arrived at the tidal pools I immediately noticed the large amount of periwinkles scattered throughout the pools. I quickly understood Professor berman's choice name for the class. In addition to the periwinkles, I observed many other animal species in the tidal pools. Among them were a variety of crabs; Rock Crabs, Green Crabs, and Asian Shore crabs, which are an invasive species to North America. The Asian Shore Crabs, as we were forewarned, were very aggressive in nature despite their small stature. We also saw many hermit crabs along the sea floor during the low tide. Many of them seemed frightened by human interaction and were somewhat aggressive towards one another.

I also noticed an abundance of plant life in the tidal pools. There was tons of hair-like green algae looking plants covering the majority of the rocks in the cove. I also noticed the familiar rock weed that we had observed in the previous day at long wharf and under the Barking Crab. I assumed that this was a cleaner area because Prof. Berman had previously told us that rock weed does not live in highly "nutritional" water.

After spending a some time in the tidal pools at Lovell's (I could have been there for hours, it was a very interesting and picturesque place) we commenced our walk back to the ranger outpost and the boating area. While on the way back we noticed another type of "snail". Professor berman provided us with a brief story/lecture about how there are a species of moon snails on the island that can be easily mistaken for periwinkles. The major difference between them is the fact that moon snails live on land and in trees, while periwinkles of course live in the ocean. We picked up a moon snail and it had a much flakier and thinner shell with brighter colors. It also had 4 antennae instead of 2 as well as a much longer body when it came out.

Overall, the day on Lovell's turned out to be not only informative, but fun as well. I would love to go back there sometime for some camping and discover some of the bunnies that Bruce was talking about earlier. Anyway, see you all tomorrow.

Sunday

Sunday morning we started off at Starbucks talking about what we were going to do that day and also going over some facts about the previous class. Some of the things we talked about was how rockweed is an indicator that the water was clean. We talked about brackish and how that was where salt water and sweet water meet. We talked about how salmon only spawn in fresh water then go back to the ocean when they’re done. And we talked about the inner zones and sub zones. From there we got on the ferry and went to Georges Island. As soon as we got there we sat down and talked about how foreign animals are brought over to America by boats from other countries. We learned that a lot of the animals that we saw that day at the barking crab were not native to this country. An example would be tunicates. Other examples would be pythons and parrots. After we finished discussing examples of (hitchhikers) we explored the island. From there we took another ferry to Lovell’s island. When we got there we talked about what we were going to do and then we got to action. We went to the rackline and looked for plants and animals in the water and on shore. First thing I saw was a crab. There were many different types of crabs. There were hermit crabs, Asian shore crabs, and crabs that appeared to be the same species just different colors like greenish and yellowish. There was an orange one that appeared to be the Jonah crab. The second thing I saw was a checkered peri winkle. They were all over the place stuck on the rocks. The third thing I saw was a Blue mussel. The fourth was razor clams. The fifth was tunicates, 6th rockweed, and 7th seaweed. The 8th thing I saw was slimy green grass that looked like sea grass. The 9th was barnacles. There was also baby lobsters in the water that we were trying to catch. After finding all these neat things we went to lunch. After lunch we saw these snail shells that had holes in them on rocks. There was couple of theories on how they got there. One theory was that birds use a certain rock over and over agint to break open the shells and that’s how the snails got there. Another theory that made more sense was that there is a bigger type of snail that drills a hole in the smaller snail and eats the snail that way. From there we went walking looking for those type of snails. We found many snails on trees. They were different colors. These snails were land snails and not sea snails. I believe they were either Helix albolabris or Cepaea nemoralis. They were different colors, which I though meant different species but I remember professor Brenan saying they were one species. After that we talked little bit more and waited for the boat. Overall I had a good time and I learned what Lovell’s Island had to offer

The blob

Here is a little fella I found under the dock at the Barking Crab. It was jelly like to the touch, had a nipple like head and round.After looking it up in the National Audubon Society Guide what we have is a Blood Drop Tunicate. This tunicate is a brooder and in late summer liberates scarlet tadpole larvae. kinda like a womb in the sea.

Better Late than Never?

Hi all,
My name is Dave Vadala. I'm a sociology major and I've lived north of Boston for the majority of my life. If all goes to plan this will be the second to last class I ever take at BU, at least for a little while. I suppose its also conditional on whether or not my career path finds me. I know that sounds strange but I've had a number of jobs and call it immaturity but I can't picture myself doing any of those things for the rest of my life on a 40 hour a week basis. Currently I work part time at Barnes and Noble and always keep my eyes open for paid case studies or performing gigs around Boston. No I don't street perform... yet. I spend a majority of my time with friends, reading, going to movies/concerts, and writing.

My experiences on the "water" include summers at Revere Beach, Life Guarding at a YMCA pool, and skim boarding on Pompano Beach in Ft. Lauderdale. I've never fished but it's on my list of things to do before the summer ends. I'm a big seafood guy and have endless debates with my friends on how seafood should be prepared.

Anyway I hope this post finds you all well and you're not like me where you're in the position of doing your whole report in one night and procrastinating by reading blog posts.

See you guys tomorrow on the bright!!

Georges and Lovell's Island

On Sunday the class embarked on a trip from the Long Wharf to Georges Island. We arrived on the island around 9:30 am and the weather was overcast with a slight drizzle. Prof. Berman announced that we had picked a good day because the low tide was around 12:30 about the time we were to arrive at Lovell's Island. Georges Island was a spectactular place with a large Revolutionary era fort and great views of the Boston Harbor island chain. There was alot of bird activity on and around the island were I observed different species of gulls and terns. The ranger at Georges explained the story of the Lady in Black and gave us the spooks. We explored around the fort as we waited for the water taxi to take us to Lovells Island.

We took the 11:44 ferry to Lovell's Island, which was right across a chanell from Georges Island. We stopped at a gazibo on Lovell's were a ranger told us the location of the tidal pool and bathrooms, as well the different wildlife sightings on the island. We walked towards the tidal pool and arrived at a beach, where Prof. Berman showed us the "wrack line", where it indicates the length of the tide. In the wrack line there were crab exoskeletons mixed in with different types of sea weed. We walked around the sandy beach until we turned a corner and the beach became more rocky. This began the exploration into the tidal pool.

As we walked in to the tidal pool I could already indetify the greenish algea like plant covering the rocks in the pool and it was sea lettuce. There was also another green branchy like plant that was half submerged and a student identified as kelp. Kelp had not been identified in the inner harbor. I identified a sea lychen bryozoans which were light colored bushy and rounded shape on the ends. On the rocks in the tidal zone I spotted a familiar animal the northern rock barnacle. They are white with triangular shapes on the top of the shell. They live in large colonies and are common all over the northern atlantic region. Alongside the barnacles and pretty much all over the tidal pool and beach were the Periwinkle snail which are an invasive species that are threatening the beaches. They are grayish and brownish with hard shells, and the shells have a tubular shape. They have two antenas and there grey bodies can stretch up to 2" long. Prof Berman indicated that the beaches at Lovell's Island had once been made entirely of sand, but over the years the sand has turned to rock. One hypothesis for this change has been the invasion of the Periwinkle snail.
In the Tidal pools we noticed many different species of crabs including the Asian shore crab which is an invasive species. Almost every rocked I turned over had an Asian shore crab under it, because i could identify them by there blackish and green color and red spots on their claws. Alongside the Perriwinkle snails, I saw alot hermit crabs that build there homes in abadon shells. They were reddish brown in color, with large eyes and lightly colored pincers. The largest crab I idenitified was the Atlantic Rock crab, which was orange and had yellow underbelly. The claws large and had black tips, while the legs were orange with red fuzzy hairs.
The trip to Lovell's Island was a great experience that I really enjoyed and want to go camping in the future

Exploring The Dark Side Of The Barking Crab Docks

Our second day started approximately 8:00am on Saturday, July 23, 2011 behind the Marriot Wharf Hotel beginning with an observation of the marine life on and around the barge. I saw some branch type of seaweed which was attached to rocks, green moss and I also saw that the water level was at half-tide. We walked over to the Federal Court House side of the dock at the mouth of the 4-point channel and there I observed that the tide was at two-thirds level and there was no seaweed in this area . We ventured on on over the "Old North Ave Bridge" which is preserved as a Historical monument and Professor Berman gave a brief history of the bridge and the surrounding area. This is one of four bridges that still open for boat passage. This bridge opens outward not upward and we got a chance to see it happen during our rest and discussion period after our Barking Crab exploration.

A short walk from the bridge we arrived at our destination the "Barking Crab". There we explored the unknown waters under the docks behind the structure for several hours. We pulled out kinds of interesting creatures from under the dock. In total I saw about 16 different kinds of stuff, some wiggly, some millimeter size crustaceans, some crawling things and some other stuff that did move at all.

One very interesting thing that I observed was a mussel that had an onion looking bulb that was soft to the touch with nipple on top surrounded by some brown mossy stuff. What is it????
There were several types of plants that might be sea anemones and a yellow/white star shape matter. I also saw two types of orange stuff: one had a bulb shaped bottom with two tubes extending out from it and black dots on tops and the other was a patchy algae type substance with black tips. Are the the same or at least of the same "family"...maybe or maybe not?

The dock posts under the ramp were covered with barnacles and one post had a star fish attached to it about 3-4 feet below the water. There were blue mussels and green lettuce looking something.

This was a very interesting trip. The waters hold a lot of strange and weird looking little and I'm sure big creatures and plants. Some I hope never to see in person.

Pictures taken at Georges and Lovell's Island

On our Way to the rocky shore at Lovell's Island

Blue and white mussel shell

Sea Lichen Bryozoan

Brown Rock weed

Enteromorpha or Green String Lettuce

Periwinkles attached to the rock

Green Crab not really green

Rock Crab relaxing

Green Crab

Northern Rock Barnacles

Brown Kelp

I could not figure this one out. i think it is Crumb of Bread Sponge

Atlantic Rock Crab

A Hermit crab at his best

A Hermit crab holding onto a periwinkle thanks for sharing Janelle

This one is for you David. A Scud

Fred.. the crab was mad at you for treating him like this.

Asian shore crab.. aggressive little fellow

Barnacles, periwinkles, slipper shells attached themselves to the blue mussel though its beard.

Moon shell and periwinkle snail attacked by the predator who sucked the life out of it.

Yellow-lipped snail

Grove snail close-up

Grove snail

Unripened blackberries

Snails business

Snails inter-winding

Snails that my class fellows found.. nice collection

Yellow- lipped and Grove snail at the Lovell's island

Sunday July 24th - We boarded the boat and was on our way to explore George's (our first stop) and Lovell's island. George's island is dominated by a civil war era historic fort - Fort Warren which is reputable for its ghost - The Lady in Black. Upon arrival at George's island, we grouped together for a briefing of the day's development and what we were to expect for the day. We then proceeded for a tour of that island but not before listening to the story of the Lady in Black by one of the Rangers. It was now time to test our nerves by visiting the "Black Hole". By golly! need I say more. That passage is pitch Black and it was a relief to get out of it and into the open. We walked around the grounds and could see some other islands, one which was very conspicuous because of the unique white egg like tanks that stood next to each other. That was Deer Island a waste treatment plant and it treats 350 million gallons of sewage per day. That plant separates solids and liquid waste through an outfall pipe which empties the treated water into the Bay.

We arrived at Lovell's island about 11:40 a.m. ready to search the tide pools. Ranger Red gave us a short briefing on what to expect and we were on our way. The tide was low coming in and it was perfect for exploring. I found lots of periwinkles all over the place. Among the findings also were Asian shore crabs, blue mussels, green crabs, Hermit crabs and Lady Slippers. There were also rock barnacles, which looked smaller than those found at the dock, kelp, seaweed that was green with fine, hairy like structures called green sea fern and rockweed. The blade of the rockweed is broad and flat with a strong mid-rib dividing into y-shaped forks. It has pea shaped air bladders which pop when you step on them.

After our lunch break we went looking for snails. We found two on the same tree. They had different colors but the same stripe on the shell. That was the beginning of our snail hunt. A group of four were found huddled together paying no attention to the chatter we had going around them. From then on we were spotting them easier, - look one, and here is another one.

The sides of the path were strewn with black berries but they were not ready for eating. Maybe the weather has hampered their ability to be ripe at this time of year. We trudged back to the docks after a day filled with fulfilled expectations and took the ferry back to Boston. It was a very fun filled, interesting day.

The Barking Crab on a Somewhat Sunny Day

Today I spent my day on the dock at the Barking Crab. It was approximately noon when I got down there and the tide had just gone out. The first thing I noticed upon walking down the steel ramp was the pier's pillars wallpapered in barnacles. I couldn't begin to guess what kind as there are over 1200 species of barnacles, regardless it was the first animal I could check off of my list. The next thing I noticed was the lack of clarity in the water. The Barking Crab is located by several factories, skyscrapers, hotels, a major road and major boat traffic congesting the surrounding harbor. I feel like I may have been able to see perhaps a foot under the grimy water. This jarred the memory of Bruce telling us that the water in this area was full of nutrients.

I spent most of my time on my stomach and a lot of time whipping my head back at those enjoying their meal from the top dock. I was by myself so had the impulse to look back every so often and yell "its for a class!" Under the dock was a veritable smorgasbord of plants of all kinds. Rockweed, seaweed, green algae, sea lettuce, and kelps of all kinds. (Ok just one kind of kelp that was red and rather tough looking) but I spotted what I thought was a minnow fish. Someone I talked to told me that it was likely a "chub fish," and that minnows were a tropical fish. I also noticed many blue mussels with an orange almost styrofoam texture. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Had it decayed, or was this some kind of foreign bacteria? I also saw a duck. It was a greyish black color so I pondered if it was originally born that way.

I thought I was going to have a hard time finding plants and animals in the city but perhaps the pollution worked to my advantage? I remember yesterday when we were discussing the Hitchhiker's guide that most of the species that I found were the products of ships emptying their bailers or the various types of ship barnacles inspiring new life in new areas. I wasn't lucky enough to see a starfish but I was lucky enough that it didn't rain =)

Georges and Lovell's Island

On Sunday, July 24, 2011 we took a field trip to Georges and Lovell’s Island. Weather was cloudy at 8:30 AM with light drizzling. We were on-board by 9:00 AM, so we can reach the tidal pool at Lovell’s Island for low tide at about 12:30 PM. At first we stopped at Gorges Island d and explored the Fort Warren which was built in 1850 as a Civil War fort that was also utilized as a prison for Confederate military and political prisoners. One of the rangers narrated the tragic story of “the lady in black” who haunts the Inside “Corridor of Dungeons” where her ghost has appeared over the years. However, I was about to faint in the darkness of that damp corridor, it was horrifying. Furthermore, we the outskirts of the neighboring Islands from the top of the fort, as well as Boston Light House.

Rocky Shore Habitats

Later on our class and some other passengers took the Water Taxi to Lovell’s Island. After our brief meeting with the ranger we followed the dirt trail to the beach to find, identify and observe different animal and plant species; which were there in abundance. First, professor mentioned the “wrack line” which is the top of the tide line and it usually brings dried brownish poppy sea weed, empty slipper and periwinkle shells, crab legs, blue mussels, and Sea Lichen Bryozoans. We had a little discussion how native species such as periwinkles and humans have impacted, rather changed the habitat from a sandy beach to a rocky and cobble stone one. The organisms which attach themselves to stones find this type of rocky shore to be their home. The average tidal exchange in Boston is 9.5 feet (3 m). The habitat we examined were Tide pools, pools of water left in rocky crevices and depressions down to the water line.

Observing Isopods (Green, Asian Shore, Hermit and Atlantic Rock Crab, Scud)

Moving forward into the tidal pools we found Green crab under the rock almost 3.6” long, fan shaped with blackish mottling above, with 5 marginal teeth. Green crabs were introduced from Europe and lives in tide pools and brackish water. We also managed to find Asian shore crabs which were much more aggressive in behavior, because they shed their skin at random times throughout the year, while displacing the other exposed crabs. They were blackish with banded legs, and red spots on claws, 3 marginal teeth and almost 1 in long. They were introduced from Asia and prefer rocks, cobble and live in intertidal zones. I also found a Hermit crab which was hiding under the periwinkle shell almost half an inch long. Which was brown to grayish in color, pincers were tannish-gray with white edges. It was long, and soft with segmented body. These Hermit crabs are common in Atlantic waters. Of all the miniature crabs we found a bigger one which was almost 5.5” wide and 3.5” long. It resembles the description of Atlantic Rock crab in the guide book with upper side yellow and dotted with reddish spots. Pincers were stout, short, fingers bent downward, black at tips, walking legs short and hairy at edges. This kind of crabs lives in low tide line. One of our classmates also found a shrimp like tiny specie which matched the characteristics of a Scud in our guide book. It was 1” long and ¼” tall. It was arched, brownish in color with pairs of long antennae, back smooth and segmented. This creature lives among seaweeds above low-tide line and feeds on mostly worms.

Observing Mollusks (Common Periwinkle)

The specie that is a native and has hugely impacted the shore slowly yet steadily are periwinkles (Littorina saxatilis) these are grayish, or brown with spiral nearly oval in shape. The surface is smooth to touch. It lives in intertidal zone, rocky and mud flats and feeds on alga. It is usually 1.7” in length but there could also be bigger periwinkles. They are invasive species introduced from Europe.

Northern Rock Barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides)

These were attached on the rocks in colonial pattern; I saw both white and yellowish barnacles which were flat at top but rough to touch. These are most commonly found in New England in intertidal zone they are up to 1 in” in width. They are also native species came from northern Atlantic to Delaware, and are in abundance in New England.

Kelp, Brown Seaweed, Enteromorpha , Sea Lichen Bryozoan:

Kelp is found in Sub-tidal zone. It was brownish in color. Kelps can range in size from the two-foot-tall to the giant kelp, which grows to over 150 ft long. They are an important constituent of some brackish water ecosystems. The brown leathery kelps and seaweeds were the most common fauna and flora found on the shore. Only next to green string lettuce with thin tabular strands, lime greenish in color, and very slippery algae which covered the rocks. Enteromorpha is common in the intertidal zone. I also found a colony of sea lichen bryozoans which was straw colored. The texture was rough and bushy, shaped like a ribbon on the edges, yet flexible. It was 1.5” long and 1” wide. It usually resides in low-tide line and widely found in New England.

Then after the lunch break we decided to search some land snails so that we can differentiate between the water and land snails. The first one we spotted on the tree was Yellow White- Lipped snail which was slightly smaller than the Grove or Brown-Lipped snail. The shell is usually 1” in dimension and shell has color banding of yellow and black, while it is brown and black for grove snail. The two species share many of the same habitats, such as woods, dunes and grassland, but the white-lipped snail tolerates wetter and colder areas than the grove snail can.

This is the end of my observations that I did at the Lovell’s island and also learnt that if I took the snail home I would need calcium for it to survive. On our way back, me and Janelle swam in the chilly Boston Harbor, until we saw our boat coming and quickly ran out of the water. It was a good learning experience over all.

P.S I am posting the pictures separate i think it is much easier that way