Bermuda Field Course 2013 :: Daily Report

Day 06 | Tuesday, March 05, 2013
The search for seagrass at St. Catherine’s Fort

With challenging weather theming the week, we exchanged our coral day for a quick bus tour of St. George’s on the search for a sheltered seagrass bed which we found nestled behind St. Catherine’s fort. To our surprise, it was not as prevalent a seagrass bed as we expected but rather an intriguing mixture of habitat teeming with life. UNCW and Southampton students worked together in groups to construct survey methods for investigating their various questions. Some groups examined the change in algal cover on the rocky habitat and found themselves in a game of peek-a-boo with a well camouflaged octopus. Other groups measured lengths of seagrass blades and came face-to-face with, not just a fish, and not a lizard, but a lizardfish. We then enjoyed our lunches hillside of the fort with the sun on our faces and a gentle breeze blowing through our hair. From there it was back to the station for hot showers and a relaxing cool down. Looking forward to calm seas tomorrow for our exploration of the coral reefs.

< Day 05 | Day 07>