Marine Field Studies 2021: Week 5 - UWF

Photo by: Barbara Albrecht

This final week at UWF was really interesting and a lot different than the previous locations we went to. Unlike the other locations that had mangroves and coral, this location had bayous, carnivorous plants, and a variety of shore and seabirds. Although it was very different with its topography and orange clay, it also had many similarities with the other locations. Nearly every location we went to, including the Keys, Vester Marine lab, and USFSP there were many seagrasses. Thallassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Syringodium filiforme were the main three seagrasses seen at each sight. Before this class, I knew nothing about seagrasses, but now I realize that these seagrasses encompass a large part of Florida's ecosystems and provide habitation for many different species. For instance, many shrimp, and fish species live within the seagrasses, as well as snails and crabs. From the seine nets in Estero Bay and snorkeling in the seagrass beds at UWF, many similar species were found, for instance, the filefish that were found at the various locations. Pufferfish were also found at UWF, Estero Bay (FGCU), the Keys, and offshore on the weatherbird. Many of the same species were found in different locations depending on which life stage they were in as well. At Vester, a baby barracuda was found in a seagrass bed of turtle grass, and out in the keys there were significantly larger barracudas around mangroves and at many of the coral reef sites, we went to. Also, at the Navarre sea turtle conservation center, there was a map showing tracking of different sea turtles and I noticed many had been in the keys, then traveled up through Estero Bay, so sea turtles definitely have a large range showing how connected all of the sites are. Sharks were another species that were important at many of the locations, at UNF many of the pups were found around Pine Island in the St. Johns watershed, that would eventually go out into the Atlantic. We also saw many sharks in the keys while snorkeling and although they were different species of sharks the ones caught at UNF, the hammerhead, and sandbar sharks are also still within that range. The discussion of sharks was also brought up at UWF when graduate and undergraduate students showing their sea turtle research took note that every time a shark was spotted at a dive site, no sea turtles were found, which I found to be a really interesting connection.

There were also connections between the research methods used, seine nets were used at both UNF and FGCU Vester to take a biodiversity count of estuary sites. Snorkeling and identifying different plant, coral, and fish species were also done at many of the locations. Using identification field guides for invertebrates and vertebrates was also done at every site which has definitely helped me in knowing many of the native Florida species that are common. A YSI was also used at nearly every site to take water quality data, except on the weatherbird when a CTD was used to take data at various depths. Overall, this experience has helped me to understand Florida's ecosystems at different points as well as what similarities exist around Florida's coast.