Today we embarked on two significantly deeper dives where we explored the coral walls of two reef sites. In doing so, we got to see many different organisms and behaviors. Specifically, one of my favorite memories from the first dive was a camouflaged griped fish which was swaying with one of the soft corals. This fish moved as the coral did, masking its vulnerable body. It even changed its color to a spotted and striped brown to match its moving protector. By masking its appearance, it was able to shield itself from any other creature which might see it for a meal. This idea of camouflage reminded me of the adaptation unit we had in class, along with the previous defense mechanisms I witnessed yesterday. This unique ability to change ones color provides a tactical advantage in avoiding predators over other more brightly colored fish. On the second dive, we witnessed a population of fairy basslets which resided along a specific ledge. Each fish had their own burrow, and they poked in and out upside down observing the world in reverse. Although their burrowing technique was quite interesting, this experience highlighted the fragility of many marine species for me. Without this ledge, the fairy basslets might not be able to survive in this area. Or at least they would have a significantly harder time doing so. This reminded me of the environmental changes we discussed in class. When one major factor of an environment changes, the ripple effects on the ecosystem can be catastrophic. In class, we simulated this with the squid activity. In which me saw how the problem of overfishing could negatively effect the squid population. If the arch housing the fairy basslets were to collapse, the fish would no longer have their source of protection, and would instead have to fend for themselves. In turn, the fish and other organisms that may rely on the for food, or utility, may suffer greatly as well. Lastly, in the evening, we watched a documentary following Dr. Silvia Earl, a well renowned marine biologist and enthusiast. Though the documentary had many good lessons to learn from, I had one major takeaway. After watching the documentary, the amount of change that has happened in such a short period of time shocked me. This immense disruption in the environment over the span of several decades is a grim look of what our future may hold. This reminded me of the prehistoric PETM period. This grand change in the planets CO2 amounts happened over millions of years. While humans have mimicked a similar process, but sped it up exponentially. I feel a similar situation is happening within the ocean. In the past, the marine species have had millions of years to adjust and adapt to their environment. However, with the rapidness of human intervention, there is no time to get acclimated with the ever changing environment. This in turn creates a landslide of problems devastating the ecosystems which are so delicately constructed.
Clark Brown
