This year we repeated the lobster experiment since it is an excellent way to get the students involved in critical thinking and overcoming the challenges that marine field work presents. They were tasked with locating sponges that had lobsters in them, and then capturing the lobsters to tag them with color coded ribbons. The goal … Continue reading Lobsters in the Cudjoe Bay
Cudjoe Bay
For our first day of class we traveled to the Cudjoe Bay area which has become like a second home to me since I have spent so much time in this particular area. My perspective this year was different since I was no longer a student taking the course but beginning my graduate studies. I … Continue reading Cudjoe Bay
John Dell’Angelo’s Master’s Project
Below is information provided by John Dell'Angelo regarding the Lobster Experiment: A component of last year’s marine field ecology course was the survey of a channel-bay located on the gulf side of Cudjoe Key. We found an area inhabited by numerous spiny lobsters, Panulirus argus, that were associated with the vase sponge, Ircinia campana, and the loggerhead sponge, Spheciospongia vesparium. Also, … Continue reading John Dell’Angelo’s Master’s Project
Lobsters & Polychaetes in Cudjoe Key
Originally, we were going to do some observational work with the long spine sea urchins and compare our findings to a few scientific articles that we read. However, since we were unable to locate the sea urchins, we had to come up with another activity for our class. As a group we developed the lobster … Continue reading Lobsters & Polychaetes in Cudjoe Key
Cudjoe Key
Today was a super long day! We went to an area in Cudjoe Key where we visited last year and ran into an octopus. No octopuses this time, but the area was a prime place to practice a multi-person transect. We lined up and swam together scouting our "lanes" for lobsters in sponges. This proved … Continue reading Cudjoe Key
Last Day of Class
Today we ventured to Cudjoe Key for our last day of class. We snorkeled right off of a boat ramp into the bay area, and when high tide came in, we investigated the mangroves.
Marine Field Ecology Course – Rutgers University 