On our last day, we dove at two reef sites relatively close to our hotel. The first site followed a lovely coral wall which swayed along the coast like a ribbon. It then opens up onto a large sandy landscape stretching as far as the eye could see. In this vast distance, I was able to make out an enormous barracuda slinking stealthily towards the edge of the reef. It’s long narrow body flashed reflected sunlight as is swam. It moved with such little hurry, as if it had no care in the world. This was quite the departure from practically every other fish on the reef. Most species would speed away when you got too close. This reminded me of the food webs we discussed in class. Such a creature has little to no predators, especially in Grand Cayman where large aggressive shark populations are not common. Since it is practically at the top of the aquatic food chain, it has little to worry about. However this also made me think of why I see so few of them. They are completely dependent on every fish and plant below them on the chain. This in turn means it is harder for their populations to grow rapidly. On the second dive, I tried to focus on some of the smaller species I might not have otherwise noticed. Sure enough, I spotted what I’ve come to learn was a Peterson’s shrimp. This lovely little crustacean was a royal blue, with some parts clear. It rested inside a concealed piece of coral, and its long antennas stuck out. I had almost forgotten how many other species were present other than just the major schools of fish we was. This small specimen is near the bottom of the food chain, being easily consumed by many small fish species. Because of this, they must find means of blending in, like hiding in coral.
Clark Brown
