This morning, our group took a trip to two different dive sites to get acquainted with the new environment. As we dove into the water, we gradually descended and followed our guide Curtis around the reef. Large schools of colorful parrotfish swam around the abundant corals, munching on them as they passed. After we finished with the guided tour, my buddy and I ventured off a little further along the reef. A very small red creature caught my eye, and it sparked a memory from when I was younger. This memory being a clip from a blue planet documentary discussing Christmas tree worms. This small and seemingly insignificant organism was actually quite captivating up close. As I remembered, they recall back into their burrows when slightly disturbed, and the slowly extend outwards again assuming the shape of a brightly colored Christmas tree. So, I approached the rock in which it rested upon, and gently waved some water at it. Sure enough, it shrank back into its hole rapidly. This brought me back to our discussions from class, talking about adaptations and evolution. This simple but extremely effective method of survival allows the worm to sense any amount of danger, and properly react. Similarly, on the second dive, my buddy and I stumbled upon a sandy area which appeared barren from a distance. As we approached, it turned out that a large group of garden eels were poking their heads out and nipping at food as it drifted by. This sparked my interest. I proceeded to approach them staying a careful distance away, and they began slinking back into their sandy homes similarly to the Christmas tree worms. It was at this moment that I realized how interesting the situation was. Two completely different species were utilizing the exact same tactic to remain safe, and feed happily. Later in the evening, a few others and I went snorkeling in the bay, where we observed a barracuda lurking under the safety of the boat, using its large size to hide its thin body. Though this tactic is slightly more aggressive, it is no different than the worms using rock, or the eels using sand. Lastly, that night we had a debate on the ethics of stingray city. Prior to the discussion, I thought nothing was wrong with the idea. After arguing for the negative side, I ended up changing my mind. Though we didn’t collect much information on the topic, my major take away was that squid was not a part of a natural stingrays diet. This alternative food source actually can be detrimental to the species immune system, causing a higher risk of disease and parasites. Furthermore, then interaction with human touch wipes away the protective layer which shields the rays from the dangerous uv rays of the sun. Sadly, the rays are also quite dependent on the humans they interact with for food. Even though they may be able to survive on their own using natural instincts, this could have negative effects on the other native species.
Clark Brown
