Exploring Marine Ecosystems and Native Plants: Insights from Coral Reefs to Backyard Gardens
"We're moving to Florida", I say. "Florida! ... but why?" Is what I keep hearing in response. I understand the confusion. It's hard to find a more distant and different place from the Pacific Northwest than Florida. But I know this is the right choice. There are a number of reasons for this move, but the simplest and most important one is this: there's coral in Florida and I want to study coral. I'm working on getting a Marine Science degree and this is part of that process.
One of my absolute favorite day hikes is the Hoh River trail. It never disappoints! The wildlife along the trail is beautiful and surprising every time.
Rialto beach is a very special place for me. When I can get out there, I like to catch the low tide and hike through Hole-in-the-Rock. We started the 1-mile hike about 2 hours before low tide. Because of the unusually low tides, we got to see many more of the tide pools than we normally would have! Even better, because we got out so early, we got to see the sunrise and have the beach to ourselves for almost the whole hike.
One of the many reasons coral reefs are so remarkable is the symbiotic relationship between the heterotrophic coral species and the unicellular algae most commonly known as "zooxanthellae". The term "zooxanthellae" is used to refer to an enormous and incredibly diverse group of endo-symbionts including many diatoms and dinoflagellates. This is confusing as it generalizes taxonomically diverse symbiotic relationships. The Symbiodinium are part of the Phylum Dinophyta (Dinoflagellates) and the clade Alveolates. Because of the diversity of species and the complexity of clades and taxonomic groupings for these organisms, they are better and more accurately referred to by their genus “Symbiodinium” which encompasses an enormous group of endosymbiotic dinoflagellates.
Not long after I got certified to scuba dive, I learned about the Coral Restoration Foundation. CRF is a really exciting and amazing organization dedicated to "actively restoring coral reefs on a massive scale, educating others on the importance of our oceans, and using science to further coral research and coral reef monitoring techniques." While… Continue reading Citizen Science with Coral Restoration Foundation
Erica Lauer Vose 