Today was very exciting because it was the last day in the classroom and that much closer to the trip! We started out the class going over a few things on what to bring and also various expectations. After we finished talking about that, we moved right into two articles. The first article discussed the leaping blenny and how it is able to go onto land. They observed three different types: terrestrial, amphibious, and aquatic. The experiment showed that only the terrestrial leaping blenny had tail twisting. Due to this unique adaptation that allowed it to move on land, the conversation soon moved onto evolution in which we discussed if the leaping blenny was part of our evolutionary line. Then, we began the second article that talked about how lionfish have now invaded the Atlantic coastal waters of the United States. The effects of the lionfish seem minimal for now, but if populations increase, various reef communities may be impacted. When we finished the articles, we then presented our group projects over various things in the BVI. The first group talked about bony fish including various characteristics and physiology. The next presentation was over cartilaginous fish and that these fish have a swim bladder to help with buoyancy. The third group discussed various marine turtles such as the Hawksbill and Green turtles. My group was next, and we went over marine mammals specific to the BVI and how they have various adaptations and forms of communication. The final group explained marine plants like the seagrass plants and Mangroves and their importance in the food chain. All of this information will be put to use on our trip because the topics were of things we may see in the BVI. Knowing what we are looking at will allow us to examine things closer and also enjoy it all even more. Although I don’t really want to pack, I am very excited for Sunday!
