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.