ECBahamas07

Getting sample

Getting sample, originally uploaded by powersdale.

We use a pump to get a sample of the organic flocculent which sets on the lower level of the pond. This layer is between a few inches to several feet thick.

Yes, this might not be the cup of tea for every one. This might some similarity to the oozes found on the ocean floor. Ooze is a scientific term! You can find more about it in an encylopedia or a textbook. The textbook we are using is "Essentials of Oceanography" by Tom Garrison -- 3rd edition -- 2004. If you hunt on bookfinder.com you can sometimes find it for about $8 plus $3 shipping. (I might just have created an increased demand for this used text -- let's see.)

Sea Anemone in Mermaid Pond

Sea Anemone in Mermaid Pond, originally uploaded by powersdale.

This was a difficult photo to take. Notice that much of what you see in this photo is a reflection off the water. The Sea Anemone is located just above center of photo.

Although this is a pond, it has the same salinity as the ocean and thus has some of the same plants and animals found in the ocean.

See comments in the next post and the photo of Ajene who spotted this Anemone.

Checking out the far side of the pond

Checking out the far side of the pond, originally uploaded by powersdale.

Seven students and Lisa swam nearly to the other side of the pond -- to one of the underground conduits that connects this pond to the ocean.

This pond has the same salinity (salt) as the ocean because some of daily mixing of the water due to tides. Inspite of that mixing, some of the clams and snails are different than those in the ocean. Lisa Laterman, Julie Button, and Rob Erdmann were the first to discover some of these differences and published them. Since that time, many other scientist have taken an interest in the life in the pond.

One of the benchmarks of good science is when others note your work and take an interest -- and sometimes even compete to make new findings.

Ajene helped me collect samples from the side of the pond

Ajene helped me collect samples from the side of the pond, originally uploaded by powersdale.

Students in Mermaid Pond

Students in Mermaid Pond, originally uploaded by powersdale.

Students got a real blast out of experiencing the pond. (I wonder what's in the water?)

Collecting Ants from the Banana Tree

Collecting Ants from the Banana Tree, originally uploaded by powersdale.

Oh yes, we continued our ant collecting. It's a hundred years since ants have been surveyed in San Salvador. It's time to do it again. (Research can be almost anything you can imagine.)

Here we a collectin ants under a banana tree. We got several small ants and a couple of large ones -- or at least something like small red wasps with wings. Here is where we let the biologist figure it out again.