Crystal Beach

01/10/15

Weather: 85° F, very cloudy, bright but not too sunny, slight breeze, humid

Salinity: 28 ppt (therefore there is a source of freshwater entering somewhere

Why are we here? We observed the estuary at Crystal Beach by splitting into three groups and finding the diversity number which indicates the likelihood of finding different amounts of species in the area. My group was by the pier. Here, we had to drag a 30m tape measure out along the pier's side, and go to every 3m, place a transept square on the top of the water and take a sample from the muck underwater, sift it through a net, and identify and count the different species we run into. Also, we marked down anything that may have passed underneath the quadrat in the water. We also took a walk on the pier to see if we were able to identify the different sub-straights in the estuary. 

Observations from pier walk: Smelly in the first straight due to it being mineral-based. It was very sandy and mucky, little to no plants in the area except the wrack line from washed up seagrasses. Second sub-straight, there were all the different types of seagrasses: shoal, manatee, and turtle grass. There were some oyster beds, as well as two sponges. Third sub-straight: many oyster beds with some seagrasses, large stingray, and large school of small fish jumping.

Activity: Some examples of species we ran into were: oysters, barnacles, sea stars, spiral shells, horseshoe crabs, red and black worms. After counting the total number of species we ran into, we used an equation to get the diversity number of: 0.824, which was how likely it was to find different species in the different sub-straights we encountered. The organisms we discovered in the muck all had to adapt to the environments in different ways. In the mineral sub-straight, the small spiral shells were able to used the minerals to produce larger shells as well as find the nutrients they need. In the plant sub-straight, the seagrasses had to adapt to find the best environment that would not expose them in low tide, but would be shallow and clear enough for them to use photosynthesis. Finally, we have the organism sub-straight with the oysters and barnacles. They adapted by finding the sub straight that had a solid shelf for them to form on. In the first two straights, it was filled with loose muck and plants with roots, but in the third the oysters are able to flourish on the firm ground. The barnacles use the oysters to create a home for themselves as well, which is an adaptation they learned in order to survive.

Overall, I learned a lot about estuaries, and how they are considered the cradle of sea life. And I will now always look at them as important ecosystems rather than just a smelly "beach".