Exploring Marine Ecosystems and Native Plants: Insights from Coral Reefs to Backyard Gardens
This blog category features posts focused on coral reef organisms and the ecological relationships that sustain reef systems. Through these posts, I explore species interactions, reef dynamics, and the factors that influence coral health and resilience.
Sometimes, when it's quiet while I'm stationed at MOTE's Contact Cove, I like to show guests (especially older kids who have a bit more patience and ability to hold still for a length of time) a fun way to interact with the peppermint shrimp. I usually start by asking if they would like to get a "shrimp manicure"? If people are game, I show them how to place their hand in the enclosure and tell them to hold very still and wait.
I regularly confuse gobies and blennies, so when I saw this amazing fish at Mote recently, I decided it was time to memorize their ID characteristics. I'm also excited learn a bit more about this goby.
I started watching this little juvenile burrfish in an enclosure off to the side a bit and found that I just couldn't stop- its magnetic! This recording I made was especially good - I caught the burrfish sampling some gravel bits almost as big as its face and nipping at the fins of the much larger squirrelfish which made me laugh out loud.
Everytime I visit the Keys, I always try to work in some time learning about and doing coral restoration. On this trip, the Coral Restoration Foundation team was able to accomodate my family for the morning learning session.
I finally finished a working-draft of the fish coloring book! What began as a simple idea to make a kid-friendly version of my fish journal has morphed into a massive - and ongoing - project that I hope to improve upon over time. At the end of this post, you'll find two downloadable versions of the most recent edition of the coloring book: a printable version and one for digital use.
Erica Lauer Vose 