Garry Buffenbarger
Fred Howard Park
Thursday, September 17th
Temperature 79- 81
On September 17th a
Thursday I went to Fred Howard Park with my class to explore aquatic life and
learn about organism, sea grass and the aquatic life. It was an overcast and
much cooler than normal. The temperature was between 79- 81°The water was refreshing and the waves
were very small. The pH level of the water was tested and recorded at a 6 and the
salinity was measured at 35.
We used a seine net to collect the different biologic
life that was in the water .We learned how to stretch the net out , as one
person stand still while the other person walks around in a huge circle to until
they come together with the net trapping what was in the net. We did not catch much
aquatic life in the net. A small bait fish was captured and small hermit crab, there
was a small sting-ray spotted by a couple students.
As a
class we ventured to the other side of the waterway and we went out and
snorkeled for the rest of our time. There was much to see while snorkeling, a
couple of different types of seagrasses was seen. Turtle grass and shoal grass and
manatee grass .Most of the aquatic pieces of turtle grass were long and
could see it on the beach as well in the water several pieces of this grass could
be seen floating. The turtle grass blades are flat and ribbon-like and is a common seagrass of
Florida.
Shoal grass is perhaps the most grass-like of
the seagrasses however the blades are somewhat stiff and flattened shoal grass
was seen in the shallower of water. It was more difficult harder to see aquatic
life in the shoal grass than in the turtle grass, by moving your foot and wave
of your hand and disturbing the water in the shoal grass, you could see plenty
of aquatic life that was living among the grass.
The Manatee grass blades of this
seagrass were cylindrical with two to four blades arising from each of its stems.
One of the reason it is referred to as manatee grass, it is a
favorite food of the manatee.
While snorkeling I seen several sponges and filter feeders in
groups clams,
mollusks, a horseshoe crab and many different kinds of bait fish. You could just
drift over them and watch different species feed on these grasses.
Even
though the day was cloudy and overcast I enjoyed getting into the water and experiencing
the aquatic life of these species. Good trip.
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