Nicholas Dell '12

Today's presentations were very engaging. We talked about parrotfish and how they feed on coral, specifically porites. The article wasn't trying to prove anything other than the fact that this type of fish was feeding on these corals. The next reading was over the invasive species lionfish and the application of grouper to their environment. I found this article...

To begin this weeks class we had different groups present different articles regarding marine life. The first article was about butterfly fish and their mass consumption of coral. The second article was about the massive decline of mollusks. Both of these readings really put into perspective the impacts that one small thing can have on the entire marine ecosystem....

Last nights reading concerned different viruses that live in our oceans. These viruses infect and kill different bacterias in the ocean environment. These viruses also negatively affect the carbon production in the ocean. I found this article very informative and easy to read and follow. The different charts explained what was happening very thoroughly. In today's class we talked...

Today we went over a very interesting reading regarding the concept of hypoxia and anoxia. The article talked about two species, the crucian carp and the epaulette reef shark. Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen. These two species of fishes have adapted to live in conditions with very little oxygen. I found this article very interesting. The bulk of...

Today we reviewed the readings we had read the prior night regarding the origin of life. The two readings touched on the scientific and somewhat theological theories regarding the beginning of life. Prior to these readings I hadn't really given this topic much thought. After reading the article I was assigned, my entire perception on the origin of life...

Today in class we went over the two readings we had read the prior night. These readings were pretty difficult to follow, but I was amazed at how much I had retained and could analyze in class. We also went over the process of conducting an experiment. Dr. Gruninger walked us through an experiment that he had conducted on...

Day 1 of class has been quite successful. I hope to gain knowledge in field experiments as well as group projects while in the British Virgin Islands. I really enjoy diving and I cannot wait to get to BVI to begin diving. My favorite marine organism is the sting ray because I got the opportunity to swim with them...