Exploring Marine Ecosystems and Native Plants: Insights from Coral Reefs to Backyard Gardens
In response to the growing need to identify coral genotypes with greater resilience to thermal stress and bleaching, the CBASS system was conceived and developed in order to help identify thermal resilient coral genomes. CBASS is a standardized, low-cost, portable experimental system that uses customizable temperature control and flow-through aquaria to conduct standardized empirical assessments of coral thermal limits.
A recent assignment for my Marine Biology class was to present on a chosen marine animal. Obviously, I chose coral. This is a collaborative work with my group members credited in the presentation. You can click through the slides to see what we put together.
Articulated red coralline algae grows in intertidal and subtidal coastal areas such as the tidepools where these photos were taken. The name "coralline" refers to the fact that these coral deposit calcium carbonate in their cell walls creating a hard outer covering that bears a resemblance to coral. This calcification of the thallus serves primarily to deter most herbivory as the hard material is extremely difficult to bite or chew.
Bahama sea stars have eyes at the tips of each arm. These eyes are capable of seeing light and dark areas and can form very low resolution images with no color. You can experience this for yourself with a very simple experiment.
I am constantly being surprised and delighted by horseshoe crabs! From their funny, bumper car-like walk and tiny, skittery feet to their ancient ancestry and their life-saving medical properties, these creatures are endlessly amazing.
Erica Lauer Vose 