Eighth Observation

For my eighth observation I thought it would be interesting to study and learn about all of the different types of scuba gear that is needed to go diving. I was interested in this because since I went to the scuba club meeting I wanted to learn more about scuba diving, the equipment, and what it entails. I went to a local dive shop called Diver's Direct. At this shop they sell everything from scuba gear to snorkeling gear and more. At the store one is able to purchase scuba life vests or BDCs, regulators, octos, dive computers, gauges and compasses, tanks of oxygen, masks, fins, snorkels, wets suits, scuba accessories and more. So much equipment goes into scuba diving that it does turn out to be quite costly. A lot of the equipment was first introduced to me at the store, like the scuba BDC. This piece is somewhat like a life vest that holds that oxygen tank for breathing and can help one stay afloat. The regulators control the oxygen tank system and the octo is the device that you breath out of. Dive computers, gauges and compasses regulate where you are, water pressure, and other various information. The tanks of oxygen of course hold O2 and allow you to you breath. The masks help you see, the fins aid in swimming, and snorkels aid in an additional way of breathing, if you are not scuba diving. Wet suits keep you warm from the cold water and there are various accessories to fancy up all the equipment. I really enjoyed the visit to this store because the employees were very nice and friendly and gave be a lot of informative information about all the equipment. I now know what equipment is the best for scuba diving and how I can save money on the equipment by purchasing the good, but cheap brands.

octo

Oxygen Tank

Regulator

Scuba BDC

Gauges and Compasses

Snorkel

Fins

Dive Computer

Mask

Seventh Observation

For my seventh observation I attended a meeting at a club on campus called the Scuba Crew. The Scuba Crew is a club in which potential marine biologists and those interested in learning how to scuba dive can become certified. It takes an entire semester to become scuba certified. The first process is to pay for the course. It can be very pricy, but it is a lifetime certification that will never have to be paid for again. The first couple weeks consists of lectures and text book study. This covers everything from how to properly use the equipment to the safety hazards of this activity. The following weeks they go on several training dives in the swimming pool at Nova Southeastern University. They learn how to properly wear and use the equipment. They then get into the water properly equipped with the diving equipment and become familiar with the weight. While submerged in the water with a oxygen tank, mask, and mouth gear it can be quite uncomfortable and heavy. They also must train their mouth to breath in and out constantly without the use of their nose. After mastering the use of the equipment with several pool dives they then move up a level and go on supervised open-water dives. Here they experience what scuba diving is all about with the help of experts. After this stage in the process they are then ready to obtain their certification. They receive a laminated license and a logbook. The license allows people to buy the equipment they need and the log book lets dive charter operators know that the person diving has enough recent dive experience.

At this meeting they finally all received their licenses and discussed their last open ocean dive. Next weekend they are planning to take a leisure dive at the Oceanographic Center. They plan to go to the center, where they are able to access a boat and dive at a close artificial reef near the center. I really enjoyed going to this meeting because I met people going into the same field as I and who also have similar interests. It was really a great experience to see the emotions and reactions that the students had when they received their certifications. I am really excited to join the Scuba Crew next year and receive my certification after the long and devoted process one must go through.

Sixth Observation

For my sixth observation I was recommended to visit a Nature Center called Gumbo Limbo which is a coastal and marine preserve located in Boca Raton, Florida. Their mission is to increase public awareness of coastal and marine ecosystems through research, education, preservation, and conservation. The center is a great place to go and learn because they have so many activities going on. They have school programs as well as public programs. They have beach programs such as beach clean ups, flied trips, day trips, overnight trips, offsite trips, onsite programs, arts and crafts activities, lectures, family programs, adult programs, children's programs, and camps. They really do try to involve the community to embrace the ecosystem around them. They want to teach them that this land around them is something we can not take for granted. There is also a lot of research that goes on in the park. Turtle research is being conducted as well as shark research. It's really endearing to know that people care so much about not only our environment but the ocean's and the creatures that call the ocean home.

As I arrived I went to the Nature Center first to find out some information about Gumbo Limbo. I was able to view the saltwater tanks where I saw many different fish. I also saw sea turtles and rays. I then walked around some paths that were full of wildlife. There were birds chirping and butterflies flying, soon enough I realized I had just walked through the butterfly garden. There were several exotic butterflies with gorgeous colorations. Then I was able to go into an observation tower were the view was indescribably beautiful. I have never been to a center that has so much to do with the community. It was a very heart-filled place. If I am ever to open a research center one day, I would hope for it to be similar to this place because not only do they do marine and animal research, they also allow for the community to be involved in the research as much as the researchers. It just makes me hopeful for the future because young minds are being filled with this important information and they are learning how important these ecosystems are not only to the animals who call it home, but also to us.

Fifth Observation

For the fifth observation I kind of took a turn and decided to observe a different sort of marine life. It is known to be one of the largest subtropical wilderness areas in the United States and it has very rare and endangered species. It has also been designated a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance. It is a very significant place to all people of the world and is known as the Everglades National Park. The day started off really early because it is about a two hour drive from Fort Lauderdale. My dad drove to the National Park and so of course I brought my pillow to rest my head on. As we got there we started hiking on a small path; there are over 150 miles of trails throughout the park. We saw several herons, such as the great blue heron and white heron. We also saw many alligators soaking up the sun and staying as still as a rock. We only saw them move if they were swimming to a different location or after food. My father and I walked about four different paths where we saw a 12-foot alligator, turtles, butterflies, and birds. The turtles we saw are called Florida Soft Shell Turtles. These turtles are found all around Florida, but mainly in the Everglades. They are limited to South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. These turtles rarely come to shore and spend most of their life in the water.

The park has many activities and things to do such as boating, camping, hiking and much more is always goes on. From Ranger led activities for the visitors, to great environmental education programs, to new scientific studies about this vast and unique ecosystem are just a few activities that take place daily. The Everglades National Park protects only one-fifth of the historic Everglades ecosystem. This massive landmass possesses several different habitats for a variety of wildlife. As time moves on and the human population and developments increase, National Parks must take on big roles to put a halt on the impacts of man on the natural world. If we do not preserve now we will be the ones that are to blame in the downfall of these precious reserves. Scientific study is the key to better understand and manage the resources that rely on our protection and care.

Interview

On my first visit to Nova Southeastern’s Oceanographic Center, I was so excited to be there. There was hardly anyone around and when a boy, who looked like a student, walked by I politely said, “Excuse me,” and told him about my Comp 2000 project. He gave me a woman’s email that goes by the name of Missy. Her real name is Melissa Dore and she is the Departmental Administrator of the center. I emailed her and she kindly volunteered to let me interview her.
As the Departmental Administrator, she is in charge of the graduates, the budget, research and statistical data, she updates the academic schedule on the online calendar, confers student’s degrees, and more. In college, Missy obtained a biology degree and a minor in English literature. Through time her interest in marine biology naturally progressed because since she was a child she has lived on the water. At the center there really is no such thing as a typical day. Each day brings something new to the table, but of course there are simple daily tasks that must be done, such as checking your email. Lab research, dive journeys, studying, classes, and maintenance are other rituals that most likely happen quite often at the center. As for research projects, there are several people who go out on the dives and some people who stay in and study what was obtained out in the field. Only 1 percent of the student population of Nova, study at the center and 75 percent of all grants go to them. The center just recently received a $15 million dollar grant from NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) to construct a new building for the center. The three-story building will be called the Center of Coral Excellence with coral labs, classrooms, and offices. It is a $30 million dollar building and Nova is going to match what NIST has already granted.
As for the students, usually after graduating 20 percent of them go for their PhD. Some go into the consulting field, but a majority of them receive state, county, and federal jobs and some work for NOAA fisheries. Obviously, people do not go into this field for the paycheck, but for the love and degree of concern of the environment. Marine biologists tend to be on more of the adventurous side and love to go out exploring and diving. This field is so important because the ocean has the most biodiversity than other ecosystem in the world. Coral reefs are the rainforests of the sea and you can find more biodiversity in corals than in any tropical rainforest. Marine biology is also one of the fewest and most rare fields studied and there is so much information to be learned and researched to enhance the world’s knowledge. The center is doing just that. All the research they do is put out to inform the people. They have peer review publications, articles, seminars, conferences, and also the Dean of the center has written and published a book. Nova’s program at the Oceanographic center has benefited not only Missy, but also the students in so many ways. They have active research, great grants to be able to conduct the research, hands on techniques and not always just in the classroom, a good networking system, the opportunity to travel abroad, and the center has the family sense. Missy has been working at the center for 18 years and has seen it progress and grow so much because it is now 4 times the size it used to be. She says that she loves the center and would not have it any other way because they all know each other, it is in a great location, you never know what will happen from day to day and, “I get to be in the center of it all.”



http://marinebio.org/

http://www.nova.edu/ocean/

Fourth Observation

As most of you may know, I am doing the subculture of people who study marine biology. I have specifically narrowed it down to studying the people of Nova Southeastern's Oceanographic Center. I finally was able to make my first trip to the center. At the center there are 15 full-time faculty members, 6 research scientists, and 11 professors that specialize in different marine science research. There are many graduate students there that are research assistants, which, is great because then they can do work in their area in which they study. The center has three buildings on its ten-acre campus. The largest building is known as the Forman building, which contains classrooms, offices, laboratories, and a library which has 83 subscriptions to journals, 3000 books and monographs that can all be accessed by the online catalog. The next building is called the Shore building, which contains the graduate program offices, administration offices, the National Coral Reef Institute, the Guy Harvey Institute, and laboratories for advanced research like fish biology and coral geology. The smallest yet busiest building is called the Mellon building. This houses the wet lab classroom, which holds the fish, coral, and invertebrate collections. The center is so close to the ocean that they go out into the field and study very often. They can study the deep-sea because they have access to it in minutes. From this easy access they can gather and research specimens from the ocean. With actual specimens and artifacts the students learn much more from their field of study. They rely on these things to discover and explore the ocean’s elements and all the variety of different life forms. This is a great way of learning because most people learn from hands on experiences and this is not only hands on, but also out in the environment where the specimen came from.

The people were all very friendly and I had the chance to interview Melissa Dore, who is the Departmental Administrator of the center. She was very informative and provided me with so much information, about the center, their research, daily tasks, and much more. She took me to a lab classroom to show me what some students are currently working on. They are working on sorting out protists, which look like tiny grains of sand. Protists provide much information, with some new technology they provide the ocean's temperature, salinity and more at the particular time they were obtained. After I was down with the tour, interview, and lab observation I got the chance to see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in south Florida. With a view like that I cannot wait to one day study at and be a part of the Oceanographic Center here at Nova.

Third Observation

I have specifically chosen for my subculture to study the graduate students who are majoring in marine biology at the Oceanographic Center at Nova Southeastern University. I have yet to make a trip to the center because I do not have a car. It is very difficult for me to get off campus without a car. I ask other people to help me out with rides, but they are just really busy with their own lives. I am hoping to make a trip out there this weekend somehow. If only the shark shuttle could offer rides there. I could possibly make an appointment with the dean and speak with him to see if the shuttle could help those students without cars out. Anyway, I was able to make a third observation through a undergraduate marine biology class. I was able to go on a trip with them during their lab class. They went to the Biscayne Bay National Park and luckily I was able to tag along. I talked to a professor here who teaches the course and told him about our subculture project. Now, I know this is not specifically about my certain subculture but the graduate students of today did indeed have to take a course like this when they were younger to have gotten where they are now.

The Biscayne National Park was one of the most beautiful parks I think I have ever been to. The water was so clear and there were little mangrove islands that made the scenery even more enjoyable to look at.We took a boat ride out to the sites and it was very relaxing as we drove out unto the middle of the ocean. We saw several flying fish on our way out. It was really neat to see them flap their tails and glide across the water. We also saw dolphins from a distance and sea turtles. After about a forty-five minute drive we got to our first reef site. It was a shipwreck and so many fish were around it. It was really beautiful watching the fish swim and all of the colors mesh together to make this wonderful community. I saw Mangrove Snappers, Yellow Tail Snappers, Stop Light Parrotfish, a Hogfish, a Spanish Hogfish, General Major Fish, and many more. After about 30 minutes we were called back to the boat to go to another site. The next site was much smaller and we only stayed about 20 minutes. Here I saw starfish, Spanish Mackerel, Bermuda Chubs, Great Barracuda, Lane Snappers and most of the fish I spotted at the other site. We then headed back inland and swam around the mangroves for a few minutes. I looked at the roots of the trees and saw how they were planted in the ground. It was so cool because you could see so many roots under water and above the water it looks like an island. Under the water you see that it’s not an island; in fact its roots that form a protective shelter for juvenile fish and many other species. Visiting the mangroves and reefs really helped me to understand the different types of ecosystems that form about the ocean. The ocean fascinates me and has made me realize that it’s a whole world inside itself.

As I was making observations about this class trip, I also was able to study the students themselves. Some of them had underwater cameras and they took pictures of the fish and the habitats. Others had waterproof notepads and were taking down notes as they made observations and while on the boat some had fish charts to identify the fish they saw. I could see that they had great prospectives in becoming marine biologists one day. It was quite inspiring to see other people with the same interests and having the strive to learn more about the ocean and its community.

Thoughts

I feel that technology and money in a way have ruined us and when I went to this estuary I was so surprised to find out that people actually do CARE. People care so much about natural environments and are finding ways to keep them alive. I was so happy to see that people dedicate their entire lives to protect and research these special environments. What intrigued me was that there were people everywhere doing what they loved. I saw boaters, hikers, kayakers, all within a few short minutes. And I thought to myself wow maybe it's not all about technology and money, which intrigues me because I feel like these days that's what teens only care about. I took a hike on a path around the estuary and there were sooo many mosquitoes that was about the only thing that disturbed me, if I had seen trash or cans in the water or in the path that would have also disturbed me, but again people really do care about this National Reserve. Nothing about this place was boring I found it so interesting and uplifting, that I recommend anyone to go and explore. This observation varies from my first observation because in my first observation it was more of just a beach visit with my friends and it took me back down memory lane by remembering in the first place why I wanted to study marine biology. In the second observation I studied and researched information about the estuaries and found how, where and why they are protected, how they aid in our environment and the oceans, why it is such a wonderful place, and what we can do to help.

Rookery Bay, Florida

Last Saturday I had the honor to visit Naples, Florida, during my visit there I went to a National Estuarine Research Reserve known as Rookery Bay. The bay is located at the western edge of the Everglades on the Gulf coast of Florida. The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve encompasses 110,000 acres of native habitats including perfect conditioned mangrove forests, uplands ad protected waters. Also there are more than 150 species of birds and several threatened and endangered animals that live in this unique environment. The reserve represents one of the few undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America, and serves as an outdoor classroom and laboratory for students and scientists from around the world.

This is a great environment in raising awareness of our actions and trying to help what undisturbed environment we have left. In the environmental learning center there are monitoring environmental conditions in which the Reserve Scientists and visiting investigators conduct numerous research activities to help improve the understanding of estuaries. People are also trying to help restore the native habitats by doing activities that implement science-based management strategies to enhance native biodiversity and help to sustain the natural resources. The reserve also provides unique opportunities for education and interpretation of the estuary through hands-on marine study programs, trial walks, and through the Environmental Learning Center. So I keep talking about all these ways of protecting and raising awareness of these mangroves but why? Why are they so important to have there own national reserve? Well here are a few reasons why: they trap and cycle various organic materials, chemical elements, and important nutrients in its coastal ecosystem, provide as a basic food chain resource for marine organisms, mangroves provide a physical habitat and nursery ground for many marine animals, serve as nesting sites for many birds, they are storm buffers by reducing wind and wave action, and they protect the water's quality and clarity by filtering runoff and trapping sediments from the land. These are just a few reasons why they must be protected and knowledge must be past on for generations to come because once they are gone, they are gone forever. Without mangroves we would be ruining the lives of not only the animals to this environment but to the ones out and beyond because each ecosystem has chain effect on the other.

There are three National Estuarine Research Reserves in Florida: Rookery Bay, Apalachicola Bay and Guana Tolomato Matanzas and they are yours to explore, yours to enjoy, and yours to protect. Obviously the people of this subculture take it very seriously in order for there to be reserves, education, recreation, and so much more for our benefit and the environment's. In the Estuarial subculture you will find many people taking advantage of the opportunities and outdoor enjoyment that estuaries provide for us. Things such as kayaking, canoeing, bird watching, nature photography, fishing, and boating are all some of the activities people seem to enjoy most around these areas. Due to the fast population growth in southern Florida a need for improved outdoor etiquette by boaters, fishers, birders, and people who visit beaches has increased. Now all reserves have a set of guidelines that visitors must follow in order to keep the natural environments spotless. Some of these rules are: To properly dispose of trash and fishing lines, abide by state fishing regulations, take no live shells or artifacts, never feed, follow or disturb wildlife, and to please keep pets on your boat, leash, or at home. If we follow these few simple rules these beautiful reserves will last for years and years to come. We want to enjoy and protect what natural and available beauty of these reserves we have left. And we are well on our way.

Ever since I was a little girl my parents brought my little sister and I to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for vacation. My mom's brother moved to this area years ago and I can obviously see why he made the decision to do so. We would always visit him and of course make several trips to the beach. Looking out at this endless blue utopia I couldn't help but to think that the ocean is a whole different world inside itself. Then and there I decided that I would love nothing more then to study and become more involved with the ocean. There are limitless amounts of creatures and organisms to be discovered and possibly things that we will never discover that makes life exist here in what looks like complete bliss. In my field researching I plan on going to different sites in south Florida to snorkel them and see what types of reefs and fish are in that particular area. I also plan on visiting the Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic center so see what types of research goes on there. As for my field research this week, I went to Dania beach. There is a pier where people seemed to be fishing, so I realized that there must be a good abundance of sea animals around this area. The ocean was a beautiful clear blue as the sun was setting and lit the sky to several colors of the rainbow. And the sand was soft and felt nice underneath my barefooted feet. Marine biology as a subculture is quite vague and there is much to learn about this certain group. So join me in my quest to find out more about this fascinating world that makes up more than half of our home.