Fred Howard State Park

Temperature: 81 degrees

Cloud Coverage: 80%

 

Water temperature about low 80's/high 70's due to rainfall earlier in the day

 

Objective: To observe aquatic life within a seagrass bed community

 

 

Observation 1: Seagrass

Flat and Skinny- Shoal grass

Round and Stiff- Manatee grass

Flat and wide- Turtle grass

 

Foam on the shore line is fat from sea organisms

 

Seine Net:

Weights on bottom, Floats on top

Captured: Fiddler crab, unidentified fish and white mangrove baby

pH- 6

Salinity- 35ppm

 

Observation 2: Snorkeling

Water was very clear despite the earlier rain fall

-horseshoe crab

- scallops

-several different species of fish

- sponges

You could visually see the transition from shoal grass to turtle grass to manatee grass.

 

Overall this trip was very enjoyable and interesting.