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Now that the trip is almost over I can tell you my view on science has changed. Science is not just all fun and games. To get results you really need to work hard and put forth your best effort to make sure your data will come out completely unhampered in order to get actual results.

The vegetation survey was a lot of work!

While taking a vegetation survey in East Wells we learned it takes a little sweat and hard work to get results. It was about 95 and sunny. Not a cloud in the sky. We had to walk and make measurements while being consumed by mosquitoes for 3 hours. Experience in the field has completely changed my view on science and the actual findings real scientists have. Experience in the field has shown me that you can never execute a flawless experiment. There are always variables that can throw off your results and lead you to make wrong conclusions.

Everyone searched the reef for fish.

Although science can be frustrating it can also have huge rewards. Doing a fish census at Turtle Rocks was the coolest thing I've ever done. Turtle Rocks has both deep blue water with huge coral heads and big fish, as well as crystal clear shallows strewn with smaller corals and a wide variety of fish. Our job was to snorkel around with waterproof clipboards and record the number of fish that we encountered by species. When we return to Miami we will submit the data we collected to REEF. The Reef Environmental Education Foundation uses the data submitted by thousands of scientists and volunteers to study the health and biodiversity of the world's reefs. Overall this experience has excited me for my future and has inspired me to pursue science past HSMB.

Kyle Cook

Today we journeyed to a part of Cat Cay that is under construction. It intrigued us to snorkel on this part of the island because we were unsure as to the affect that the construction had upon the natural habitats. Jumping into the water, we began surveying the area and were shocked to see that as we drew nearer to the alleged shore, we could barely see any signs of life at all. We also noticed that the shallow water was quite foggy, which made it hard to see. As we got closer to the shore line we began to notice that dredging that had already occurred from construction. Recognizing this, we were able to decipher from the apparent dredging that most animal life had vanished from the area.

This Cassiopia was one of the few animals living in the dredged area.

Snorkeling along we noticed cement and rocks that had been placed there during the period, which was meant to stop erosion from the already dredged sands. However, once we turned the corner, and were clear of the foggy waters, a whole world of natural life flashed before our eyes. We were able to see on the grassy bottom a lot of fish, urchins, anemone, rocks bottoms, several seashells, and natural habitat. After our snorkel Captain John explained that before the dredging the most of the shoreline looked like the undisturbed area around the corner. During our snorkel we learned that development can be quite destructive, but nature can survive along side progress.

Megan and Tyvae

Answers to some of your questions:

Question:

It's great that you've seen all those species! I had some questions
about the loggerhead turtles - why are they named that way? How big do
they grow? What is their average lifespan out in the wild? I
understand that they can hibernate....can you tell me more about that?

Answer:

The loggerhead gets its name because it resembles your typical deep woods loggerman. It is big and built like a linebacker with hardly any neck between its head and shoulders. They typically grow to sizes of up to 4 feet long as adults that weigh in at 200 to 350 pounds. They have been know to live between 15 to 30 years on average but can potentially live much longer. Loggerheads will take regular naps but they are not known to hibernate. They're kind of like a dad after a football game. They need to rest every now and then, but never completely relax.

Question:

Where are the photos of the barracudas and nurse sharks? Show some love
for the people who aren't cool enough to be there, post more pics!

Answer:

We have seen many barracudas along with a few nurse sharks. The reason we don't have many pictures of barracudas is because they tend to blend in with their environment and don't turn out well in the photos.

Question:

What is your favorite animal? What fish to you see the most?

Answer:

Marty's favorite fish is the blue head wrasse. Chris' favorite fish is the porcupine fish. The fish we tend to see the most are the sergeant majors.

Today we went to Shark lab in southern Bimini and got to see a ton of cool stuff. After a quick trip on our inflatable boat we were standing on the dock getting consumed by mosquitoes. Retreating inside, we started to talk a little bit about their program and what they are currently working on. Shark Lab consists of 16 researchers who spend their days catching and tagging various species of sharks.

After a quick overview we headed outside and met one slithery critter that is endemic to Bimini (only found in Bimini). The Bimini Boa's habitat is in danger of being destroyed because of human expansion throughout the island even though they are considered endangered. Our guide Kat, took out their temporary snake resident and let us take turns holding it. It was very smooth and shiny, reflecting the colors of the rainbow.

We then headed down to the shark pen full of about 40 juvenile lemon sharks and one nurse shark. Kat and a resident Diego, carefully and got into the pen and caught one lemon shark pup and the nurse shark pup. The Lemon Shark is the most commonly tagged shark by Shark Lab because Bimini has an abundance of mangroves and sea grass. Baby Lemon Sharks are born in the mangroves alive and swimming unlike most sharks that lay eggs.

Each night for six nights Shark Lab sets up a gill net and attempts to catch every baby shark in the area so they can tag them using PIT transmitters for years to come. The PIT tag is a little chip that goes in right below the dorsal fin and gives each shark an individual ID number. After catching all the sharks they can, every shark is released at the same time and it is a mad dash to freedom.

After the shark pen we loaded back into the boat and took off to the Coral Reef II. On the way back we saw 5 Green Sea Turtles just chillin by the mangroves! A perfect way to end an awesome trip.

Kyle and Conrad

Today aboard the R/V Coral Reef II was quite exhausting. The morning started with a snorkel over a sandy bottom habitat and a snorkel in the mangroves. Our boat later traveled to the shipwreck Hesperus for our first snorkel over an artificial reef. There were tons of new animals on the artificial reef.

The Hesperus was a barge that sunk and is now a refuge to a variety of different animals. The wreck is located roughly in twenty feet of water. It was our deepest snorkel to date. Some of the animals were: southern stingrays, loggerhead sea turtles, horse eye jacks, barracuda, ocean triggers, spotted moray eels, and nurse & reef sharks. Later that night, we snorkeled the wreck again to see the different species that inhabited it at night. It was everyone's first night snorkel.

Although it was choppy and the visibility was poor, we did manage to see some cool wildlife. Again we were able to see some loggerhead sea turtles, cobia, and donkey dung sea cucumbers. Although the four snorkel day was quite tiring, it was also very rewarding. Everyone is looking forward to a future night snorkel!

Answers to some of your questions.

Question: Octopus. I'd like to see a photo of an octopus, because that will mean you'll have seen one. But honestly, any species that can be identified while you snorkel would be great to see!

Karen

Answer: Alright well keep an eye out for one. They are a little tricky to find because they are so good at camouflage and are excellent hiders but we'll try really hard to locate one.

Comment: Look for the Donkey Dung Cucumber.

Answer: We looked today and actually found 2. They were pretty cool and felt weird.

Sam

Question: I'd like to see sharks and schools of dolphins porpoising! Can you all post latitude and longitude coordinates once in the morning and at the end of the day? I'd like to chart your adventure on a map her at home.

Answer: I'd love to see pods of dolphins porpoising as well but it seems they are a little tricky to find here in the Bahamas. We actually post out position every day. Click on the map in the top right hand corner of each page to check it out.

Comment: Look for Flamingo Tongue! It's gorgeous and would be a great find.
Good luck with all of your snorkeling adventures!

Joy

Answer: We found some Flamingo Tongue on some purple fans on our dive on Saturday. The picture was posted last night so you can check them out. They are pretty cool looking and we'll be keeping an eye out for some more.

Question: I hope you see sting rays. What type of sting rays live in the Bahamas? How big do they get?

Answer: We saw a TON of sting rays today! We saw mostly southern sting rays which get to be up to 8 feet across and are the most common here. There were also about 7 spotted eagle rays swimming under our boat which inspired all of us to jump in and try to catch a glimpse. Several other species can be found with the Manta Ray being the largest which can be 22 feet across!

Question: What is it like to swim in the ocean? Can you see very far underwater?

Answer: Swimming in the ocean is like gliding through a cloud. The salt water makes you float more but tastes very unpleasant when swallowed. It depends on the day and the conditions but here in the Bahamas the water is almost crystal clear on most days. You can see about 50 feet in front of you.

Today we began our first researching mission as we set out to study the creatures living in the shallow, sandy areas around Bimini. We had just finished our first snorkel (in the reef filled area known as La Chance Rocks), and were fully ready to take on a new adventure. After a few of our group members carried the equipment to shore in the skiff (small boat), the rest of us snorkeled over the grassy bottoms until we reached white-sand shore.


We immediately began the process by having all students grab a side of the collection net, known as a seine, and forming a straight line along the beach's shore. Then we slowly walked out into the salty ocean water remaining in a single file line. When we reached shoulder-deep tides, we made a ninety degree turn so that we were parallel to the beach. The most challenging part was bringing the net back to land. Four of the students grabbed the corners of the long net and began to carefully walk towards the shore, as the rest served as "splashers", who splashed waves inside the net to make sure all of the marine life in our vicinity stayed within the net's boundaries. With the help of a student who served as "the snorkeler" to keep the seine from tangling, and our mentors coaching us through the process, we were successfully able to bring the net back to shore and begin identifying the wide range of species.

The most exciting part of our researching mission was searching through the net for sandy beach creatures. While keeping the net submerged in water we carefully sorted through the sea grass for tiny crabs and many different fish. We found conch shells and many mojarra fish, as well as swimming and blue crabs. After recording our data we set the creatures free and shook all of the sea grass out of the net, and conducted a second trial. We then hauled the net into the skiff and snorkeled back to the boat just in time for dinner. We hope to use our data to determine the biodiversity of marine life in the different ecosystems around Bimini.

Pasama and Erin

After 6 months of preparing, we are finally aboard the R/V Coral Reef II. In early February, the application for High School Marine Biology 2009 was released. 100 eager applicants applied for this once in a lifetime opportunity, but only 20 students were lucky enough to be accepted. After acceptance, orientation quickly passed by, and in no time at all, pre-trip classes were upon us.

Today, 10 of those original students had their dreams come true. The flight to Miami was short compared to the amount of time we have waited for this moment. We eagerly boarded the R/V Coral Reef II and are awaiting our time of departure to Bimini, Bahamas.

When our instructors asked us what we would most like to see on our trip, sharks were on the top of the list. The boys are most eager to see a Hammerhead shark, while the girls seem to want to encounter less intimidating animals. We have all been assigned our tasks to maintain the boat's good condition, and our eager to do so with smiling faces. Good attitude is important for an enjoyable and fun trip- none of us seem to be lacking this. Tomorrow will prove who the early risers are as we will Miami at 5 AM.

Bon Voyage

Megan Glowacz & Erica Knox

We can't believe that today is the last day of the trip. It has been an amazing experience; none of us want to go home. Today we went to Cat Cay to do a beach seine. It was interesting to look at the homes that were being built as well as a sea wall on Cat Cay. It made us wonder how the building may affect the environment. Also this morning we finally looked at the plankton from the tows we have been doing all week. It was very cool to be able to see the difference between the different tows. The night tow was the best tow, with the largest yield. We really have gotten some interesting data this week which will help us study how development may affect the environment. Later in the day we had some fun surprises.

We were on the way to Cat Cay and we saw wild dolphins swimming next to our boat. It was miraculous to be able to see a pod of bottlenose dolphins. We had encountered dolphins in the distance before, but this was the first time we saw them up close. This week we have seen a cornucopia of spectacular species of many different phylums. We have studied different kinds of zooplankton, squid, sea turtles, as well as nurse sharks, lemon sharks and even sting rays. Participating in HSMB has enlightened us to what we want to do with our lives. It has helped us to realize our aspirations and future job opportunities. This has been an amazing and eye opening trip and we will be extremely sad to leave the Coral Reef II, which has been like a second home for all of us during this amazing week.

Jordan and Olivia

Question:

What an incredible snorkel that must have been in the mangroves. You mentioned the upside down jellies...did they worry you? Did you find it hard to keep your head in the water and just drift along? Also, what has been a favorite snorkel so far, and why?

Answer:

Yes, the mangrove snorkel was an amazing experience. The upside down jellies, called Cassiopea, were abundant on the seafloor throughout the mangroves while we were snorkeling. When we were swimming in less than 3 feet of water a strong kick with a flipper could send a jelly floating into the face of the snorkeler behind you. It made some of us uncomfortable, and everyone was a lot more careful than usual. Although a jelly floating towards your face may make you want to get your head
out of the way, the best thing to do was just to float and let the current carry you. A favorite snorkel for many of us occured at sunset on Day 4. We were on a twilight snorkel in the wreck of the Hesperus, where we were approached by multiple sea turtles.

Question:

Is there a difference in doing a Plankton Tow during the day and at night?

Steve

Answer:

Yes, there is a huge difference between the day plankton tow and the night plankton tow. The phytoplankton and the zooplankton follow them in order to feed on them. Another reason plankton come to the top during the night is because theyare not easily seen by predators during the night, as they are in the day because of their huge biomass and density.

Question:
If I want to study sharks what do I need to study in school? How did you get to go on this program?

Answer:

To study sharks in the future, we were told it would be beneficial to take all the science courses (biology, chemistry, physical science, etc.) you can during high school and college. Also, volunteer in different nature-based environments, such as aquariums, nature centers, or research centers. We got into this program by going through the application process, which begins with an online application form found on the Shedd Aquarium's website.

Today we visited a shark research lab on Bimini. We met a researcher named Kat who worked on not only protecting Lemon Sharks, which is the main species that they study, buy also tag a number of other shark species that live in Bimini. She took us out to a pen and showed us some of the baby Lemon Sharks that they were studying. Some other shark species that live on Bimini are the Tiger, Bulland the occasional Hammer Head sharks. We learned that one of their goals was to protect the diversity of habitats of Bimini, but most importantly the mangroves that are an important nursery for Lemon Shark pups and a number of other species.

Talking with the researchers at Shark Lab opened a lot of our minds to the possibility of choosing a career in science. One way that we could get a career in science would be to volunteer at different organizations that care or are dedicated to protecting and understanding nature. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people that could open up a lot of new doors for you. It is important to us and many other people to get a career in marine science because we want to conserve and learn about our amazing world.

Nick Green
Brockton Malenke

We really appreciate all of the comments,questions, and suggestions that we have gotten so far. We will try to answer a few questions each day.

Below are answers to a few of your questions.

Question:

When you were crossing the Gulf Stream what type of dolphins did you see? How many types of dolphins are there in the Bahamas? Do you think you will see any whales?

John T.

Answer:

Dear John T,

While crossing the gulf stream on Thursday morning, we saw two dolphins. However, they were swimming fast and we were unable to determine whether they were spotted dolphins or bottlenose dolphins, the two dolphin species found in The Bahamas. As for the whales, it's pretty rare to see them, but anything can happen and we'll keep looking.

Maddy and Maria

Question:

In your notes from the trail you said you saw a huge barracuda. I have heard that they can be over 5 feet long. What is the biggest one that you have found their? What is your favorite animal? Mine is the shark.

Write back soon! Will

Answer:

Dear Will,

So far on every snorkel we have seen Barracudas or various sizes. However, on our snorkel near Turtle Rocks, there was a Barracuda pushing 4 feet long. Sharks are one of my favorites also, so you should be pleased to know that there was a 5 foot Nurse Shark at the same snorkel site as the 4 foot Barracuda. We will continue to post sightings , so keep checking for our latest discoveries.

Maddy and Maria

Question:

What type of plankton did you find? How do you tell what it is, do you need a microscope to see the plankton? Can you send me a picture?

Brandon

Answer:

Dear Brandon,

We collected phytoplankton and zooplankton from the plankton tow. We have not looked at them through a microscope yet, but you can tell the difference between the two pretty easily. The phytoplankton is green and does not move, while the zooplankton usually has a grey, black, or brown coloration, and moves around. We'll take a better look at the plankton samples on the last day. We will try to post some photos of plankton on our last day.

Maddy and Maria

Question:

How big is the boat? Are you sea sick? I have not been to the ocean. My mom got sea sick on a boat. I want

to go on a big boat. Is it fun?

Jill from Chicago

Answer:

Dear Jill,

The R/V Coral Reef II is 80 feet long, plenty of room for the 16 people living on it this week. A few people have gotten a bit green from the rocking of the sea, but luckily, nobody has gotten severely seasick. And yes, everyone is having TONS of fun on the boat.

Maddy and Maria

This afternoon we headed to Turtle rocks and took a walk along the rocks, we saw starfish, conch shells, Laughing Gulls, and tons of crabs. After a short ride to the other side of the rocks, we got into the water for a late afternoon snorkel to start our fish ID research project.

We were immediately surprise when a Nurse Shark swam underneath us. We started on our adventure and just kept seeing surprise after surprise. We were treated to an octopus hiding in the rocks and an eel just chilling out. We saw fish that just added to our amazement of the world that lives beneath the surface. We collected data that shows the huge diversity of fish and life that live on a coral reef. As we headed in we were treated to a huge treat as three Spotted Eagle Rays swam underneath us and swam off into the distance.

Alana and Jordan K

So how do the mangroves get in trouble in the first place? Humans are damaging them? If so, are they wrecking the mangroves intentionally because they are using something from them as a resource and taking elements from theml ? Or are they just using the area for something and getting rid of them? Or are they just doing other things that indirectly damage them? A combination of all of these things? Just interested in the preceding events that first might damage the mangroves to better understand the later effects that you're examining. Brad

Answer:

Mangroves can get into trouble from a lot of natural disasters such as hurricanes and man afflicted problems. They can be disrupted from all the dredging that takes place, as well as the area that they are being bulldozed over.

Nick & Jordan K.

Question:

Sounds like you're having a great time! And you all definitely deserve it after all your hard work. Were you able to see any manatees or flying fish on the way to Bimini?

Answer:

As we left the Miami River we saw no manatees, but we did see flying fish and dolphins on our way to Bimini

Question:

Is it scary being in the ocean? Kelly from Atlanta

Answer:

It takes some time to get used to being in the ocean. I was really scared at first, but then I realized that nothing would attack a big pack of humans, as we looked like one ginormous fish because we were all right next to each other. Also, I trusted my group leaders and captains enough that I knew it was safe.

Amanda & Brock

Question:

I think the main topic you have chosen for your projects is definitely one that everyone should think about. It would be really interesting to see what you discover about mangrove destruction near coral reefs vs. healthy untouched mangroves and their nearby coral reefs. Which coral reefs would be healthier? Would you see any difference at all? Let us know what you discover! Ana

Answer:

We predict that natural mangroves are always healthier than mangroves that have been effected by humans or disasters. There could be a noticeable difference between the health of the natural mangroves and those of the affected mangroves, such as dredging, chemical runoff, and a variety of other factors. We will be analizing the data we collect when we return to Chicago and publishing our results in August.

Nick &Jordan K.

Question:

Why do they hurt the mangroves? What have you found in the mangroves? Dave C.

Answer:

There are many reasons why mangroves are occasionally getting hurt. From human and natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes. We have found different species of animals in the mangroves such as barracudas, sea turtles, small fishes, and rays.

Nick &Jordan K.

Question:

One more, since you are crossing the Gulf Stream: What was it like when you left shallow waters and headed out to what is truly the deep blue sea? Was it one of those increadibly calm days when you can see forever when you look over the rail to the horizon or down into the water, or did you clouds and chop that turned you and your thoughts inward, inside the salon?

Question:

I like your question about how changes in one coastal habitat impacts nearby habitats. There are so many issues in the Bahamas about land-based development, like golf courses and resorts. How do these changes on land impact the coastal habitats like mangroves, sea grasses and reefs? Don't forget your sunscreen! - Michelle, Sustainable Practices Dept

Answer:

If a lot of land is destroyed then the endemic species environments will be disrupted. Changes on the land can sometimes be attributed to changes of marine environments. We imagine that the dredging that is taking place well definitely affect other species of animals in the water. During our pre-trip we read a article "Effects of Large Scale Seafloor Excavation in the Bimini" by Samuel Gruber. It gave us a good explanation of the different effects that land impacts will have on coastal habitats.

Nick & Jordan K.

Question:

Hi HSMB I love the R/V Coral Reef II, its crew and the Bahamas. I've read recently about threats to seagrass communities worldwide. If you get a chance to talk to any locals, I'd be interested if they have seen changes in the huge seagrass areas in the Bimini area. I'm sure you will be snorkeling through/over these areas too. What are your impressions? What do you see, hear, smell? How is it familiar, how is it different from other places you have been?

Answer:

We have not had a chance to talk to the Bahamians about the seagrass community changes in local areas. Our first impressions of the seagrass was very interesting. We noticed that it was a place were different species of fish reside and hide into . Fish also eat in these seagrasses. Some of the seagrasses in the mangroves were covered in a film of sediment. We saw different species of rays, barracudas, and turtles in and around the seagrass. The seagrass provides a different environment than a sandy bottom, which brings in different species. We've been to both sandy bottoms and grassy bottoms.

Nick and Jordan K.

Question:

What do I need to study in school to do what you are doing? I am going to be in 7th grade next year. You are so lucky!!!!! Please write back!!!! Beth

Answer:

Well there's nothing that you need to specifically study in school, but you need to have a passion for marine science, a great personality in interviews, good grades, and good recommendations. It will all be worth it in the end! And there's nothing like the happiness that you feel when you find out you are accepted into the program!

Amanda & Brock

We had an amazing experience; something that very few people could experience or imagine. During the day, we had about three Loggerhead Turtle sightings around a ship wreck or ?artificial reef? called the Hesperus. They came to the surface for a few seconds to take a breath of air. They were about the size of a hula hoop with reddish brown spots on their head and a brown algae covered shell. Their flippers were long and flat with brown colored spotted plates. Each turtle swam very slowly with at least two silvery Shark Suckers attached to their undersides. These fish serve as freeloaders to the sea turtles, picking up scraps that the messy turtles leave behind when they eat vegetation.

After dinner, we went on a night snorkel. We saw a Nurse Shark as well as a lot of Southern Stingrays. That was just the start of the show. We then saw four Green Sea Turtles. It was awesome! They swam right underneath us. One of them turned around and swam towards the surface towards our group about ten feet away from us. For some of us, it was a little too close. Everyone in our group agrees that this was an amazing experience. HSMB 2009 will definitely not forget this.

Amanda Hodo and Brockton Malenke

Today on the R/V Coral Reef II, we learned more on the importance of focusing our research on how man-made changes in the envirnment can affect biodiversity. We decided to research habitats of Bimini that could be affected by future developments and compare it to ecosystems that have already been altered by development.

During our first day on the research vessel, it felt great because our time and hard work has finally paid off. It finally hit us that we were actually going to the Bimini Islands in the Bahamas! We can hardly wait to see the coral reefs and to discover new animals that we have never seen before. At 5:00 in the morning, many of us are planning to get up and watch the sun rise and maybe even see manatees, dolphins and flying fish during the crossing from Miami to the Bimini Islands.
On the boat, we learned how to use some of the equipment. We went over some of the safety rules of the boat and had a life vest "drill". We got rewarded from our hard work by getting an excellent lunch, dinner and sundaes for dessert.
Brock Malenke
Maria Murray

Over the three days that we have been in the pre-trip classes, we have been doing many team building activities to expand our knowledge of each other. During this process we have learned that communication is the key to a well functioning group. As we were handed the task of completing the "Human Knot."

Many students entangled in the human knot
The object of this game was to lock hands with two people in a random fashion, therefore leaving you in a knot to untangle. At first glance it looked as if it was not difficult, but to our amazement we were faced with the difficult task of untangling ourselves. Learning to trust one another is also one of the many things we have to accomplish as a group.

Tyvae "Getting to know her tree"
With the game "Get to know your tree." With this game one person was blindfolded while their partner lead them to a tree in which they would have a minute to feel the distinctions in their tree, and after words we were required to find our tree. We were able to put our trust in our teammates hand as they guide to our destination.

Team building activity(The tent pole game)
Teambuilding brought us closer together as a group, and through these processes we learned to communicate and most importantly, motivate each other with positive attitudes. Last but not least, we had lots of fun during these exercises.

On July 23, 2008, both weeks of HSMB 2008 re-united to begin our post trip classes. During these classes, most of what we worked on prepared us for the final event in August. Some activities included; collaborating on our research projects, exploring careers in the marine science field, and sharing our experiences from the trip.

Most of what the trip gave each of us was inspiration to continue marine biology as a career, so we headed to Shedd's computer lab. There, we explored many career options and variations of how we could continue our new knowledge to the future. Being a marine biologist wasn't the only way to express ourselves through environmental research. Oceanography, engineering, writing, filmmaking; there were so many options we learned that would still impact conservation. We also had a few Shedd employees come to our classroom and explain how they got to where they are today. Their stories gave us an idea of what we could do with Shedd as well as possible paths we can take after high school.

Throughout the three days, we also created posters within our research groups. We put up data supporting our research and summarizing our experiments. With this, we had the opportunity to unveil our creative sides by putting together the posters. Having shared the experience together, it was more fun to assemble them. Teamwork, dedication, and motivation allowed us all to complete it productively. This project strengthened the anticipation for the final event.

On the third day of class, we took our group photos on the main stairs in front of the Shedd. Standing on the staircase, the atmosphere filled with unity and affection. It gave us the strong sense of family. The friends we've made, the interests we've shared, and knowledge we've gained, has, in one way or another, changed us all. What we experienced with Shedd's High School Marine Biology will never be forgotten.

HSMB 2008!

Our last day in the Bahamas was one to remember. We did some work, had a lot of fun, and realized how thankful we were for the opportunity to be part of the High School Marine Biology research team of 2008. We woke up to the smell of cinnamon rolls at 7 a.m. Breakfast was delicious, as usual. We then had our article discussion on the slaughter of some Blue Iguanas. The leaders helped us to understand why someone may commit crimes like this. It was interesting to hear about various scenarios and make connections to similar incidents like the Gorilla killings last year in Democratic Republic of the Congo in Virunga National Park.

This morning we woke up finding out that many of us were sunburned from the day before. We started off our day with a snorkel to Gun Cay were we collected different types of algae. Each person was assigned a different type of common algae to collect around the small coral reef. We carried small amounts of algae in our mesh bags back to the ship. There we sorted out and identified the different species of algae. We then used herbarium paper to make algae presses.

Then we snorkeled back to Gun Cay for another beach seine and vegetation survey. This time our beach seine was conducted in the sea grass beds near shore. We caught many species of fish including puffer fish, filefish, cowfish, wrasse, flounder, and mojaro fish. We also caught shrimp, swimming crabs and other tiny invertebrates. Heading back down the beach we spotted a southern sting ray. After two trials we reapplied sunscreen and headed down the beach to work on vegetation survey. We looked at how the Australia pine trees were blocking sunlight for other native plants by there canopy coverage. We were able to see some of the different types of lizards which included anoles, geckos and, amieva. We headed back to the ship where Chef Matt was waiting for us with a cold snack. Eating our ice cream desserts on the captain's patio, we headed over to Moxen Rocks.

We woke up to a grey, drizzly morning and ate our breakfast sluggishly. When we were told that we would be visiting the Shark Lab, our lethargic behavior quickly became one of excitement. We took the skiff to South Bimini, where the Shark Lab is located. There we were greeted by Kat, one of the managers at the facility, she guided us through the building to the research room. There she discussed with us shark conservation and the types of research Shark Lab carries out. Afterwards she took us outside and showed us a Bimini Boa. Some of the HSMB students were scared at first but they faced their fears and all of us were able to hold it. Kat then led us to the shark pen at the research center. Two Lemon sharks and three Nurse Sharks were in the pen. One of the Nurse Sharks was a baby and Kat caught the baby in her net first. She held it out for us to observe, discussing different aspects of its body. She then held out a Lemon shark for us to compare body structures. She told us about the proper way to hold a shark, and explained that when you turn a Lemon shark upside down, tonic immobility kicks in, and it becomes very calm, as if it's in a trance. While holding this shark, she also discussed how to differentiate a Black-tip Reef Shark and a Lemon Shark. She taught us about the "sixth-sense" of sharks, which is called the Ampulae of Lorenzini. This provides sharks with the ability to sense electromagnetic currents, which helps them pick out the injured fish in schools of fish. Shark Lab was really fascinating for all of the HSMB crew.

Upon waking up and having a delicious breakfast of French toast and fruit, we quickly dawned our snorkel gear and prepared for our mangrove experience. It was not long until we headed for the skiff and rode towards the mangroves, seeing numerous starfish, a great barracuda, and two southern stingrays. It was not long after we entered the water that a storm rolled in, causing the sedimentation to be stirred up, impairing our vision. Despite the powerful storm, we continued our snorkel and saw a spiny lobster and an upside-down jelly. Nearly all of the students experienced the wrath of the upside-down jellies, causing our lips and face to tingle irritably. Deciding enough is enough, we returned to the skiffs and headed back to the Coral Reef II.

It was about 5:00AM when the Week 2 HSMB crew gathered at the bow of the boat to watch our journey out the Miami River. Despite our closing eyes and sleepy heads, we all sat and anxiously awaited the sunrise. Behind us, in Miami, we could see a storm approaching. To the right we had a gloomy, gray sky, in between we had haze, and to our left, the most beautiful sunrise and sky as blue as the sea! This was quite a view! During our voyage to the island of Bimini, we also saw many flying fish.

After months of anticipation and hard work, we have finally come to the most exciting day of our summer. Despite our dark and gloomy morning due to the rain, we all got our baggage together, put our fins in our book bags and headed for the airport where we all met, full of excitement! After some delay, we finally boarded the plane and headed for our destination. To our surprise, when getting off the plane and heading toward the baggage claim, we met our mentors Maggie and Colby who were heading back to Chicago. We exchanged a couple of words and quickly headed toward the baggage claim knowing that Laura and Matt were waiting for us there. After gathering our baggage we headed to the luxurious limo-bus, which took us to the shipyard. There we boarded our home for the next week, The Coral Reef II. We were all thrilled to finally be here!

Notes from the trail with Claire and Carly Today was the last day, so we've been taking it a little slower. This morning concluded our series of plankton tows and we all finally had the chance to observe many of specimens that we collected. Most of what we found were Zooplankton, many of which were Copepods. It's so different to see something so abundant in such minuscule drop of water. It was especially cool to see the larva of animals that we have seen in adult form during our snorkels, such as crabs, fish, and shrimp. We observed a definite difference in the diversity of plankton in the day versus the night. It was also pretty neat using the microscopes and feeling like real scientists.

By the afternoon, all of us were pretty eager to get in the water. We went on a snorkel at Cat Cay where we observed some manatee and turtle grass communities that had recently been drastically changed by the construction of a concrete sea wall. It wasn't very deep, so we really had the chance to observe a lot of creatures. Some of us caught a glimpse of an octopus, tucked away in a rocky crevice and a Scrawled Cowfish, resting in the sea grass. Definitely the most exciting part of this snorkel was when we had the to see a Green Sea Turtle! It curiously observed us and then swam away gracefully.

To start off another day of our wonderful journey, we awoke to a delicious breakfast. Everyone was still tired but thrilled to embrace the rest of the day ahead. After breakfast we had our daily article to read and discuss the new topic. The topic included shark captivity in order to cook and sell them for food such as the popular shark fin soup. So many of the great predator sharks are being killed by people who cut off their fins and leave them there to drown. We also discussed the consumer's power and how they can help to end the terrible slaughter of sharks.

After reading our article we traveled to the east side of North Cat Cay. There we did a vegetation survey about the invasive species of plants called the Australian pine. We used tools like the densiometer to measure how much of the Australian pine shadows out the native Bimini species. There we observed how this invasive plant is taking over the territory of all the native plants

Day 4 started off bright and early with a 7:00 AM breakfast of cereal, cinnamon rolls, and fresh fruit. After, we jumped right into the daily article discussion. Today's topic was the destruction and bleaching of coral reefs. It explained how factors, such as global warming and pollution, affect the lives of coral. After that, we went right into our first snorkel. We anchored right next to an shipwreck from World War I, The Sapona. The ship provides a habitat for an abundance of life that we got to see up close today. We started to swim around the ship and saw various fish such as French Grunts, Blue Tangs, Gray and French Angelfish as well as many others. There were also several Southern Stingrays in that area. We then entered the ship through large openings on the side. Inside there were other fish like Rainbow Parrotfish, Sergeant Majors and others. Next, we traveled over to Turtle Rocks, where thousands of coral make their home, as well as a variety of other reef creatures. We snorkeled from the R/V Coral Reef II to the rocks and made our way along the coral colonies. We viewed tons of amazing fish, such as Queen Angelfish, Yellowtail Damsels and many more. But the time went fast and we eventually had to trek back to the boat for some lunch. Chef Matt cooked us some soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, and chicken salad. It was delicious!!!

We got up a bit later today-around 7 am-to an egg and biscuit meal made by Chef Matt After that, we cleaned up and began to talk about the previous night's article regarding the politicization of scientific topics in debate, in specific, global warming.

After a lengthy discussion we were briefed by the Vegetation Survey team on our morning's first activity. They took the skiff down to the shore, and we all hopped into the water to snorkel over-only to get out a minute later when incoming storms cancelled the survey for today.

Storms kept us in the boat most of the morning (or at least on the boat-as a few of us tried in vain to photograph the lightning), but we still managed to go on the mangrove snorkel, which was one of the best snorkels I've ever been on. We took both skiffs out to the tidal river, and swam with the current through the mangrove area. At first glance it seemed a bit barren, but as we progressed we saw more and more wildlife, some of the most notable being Upside-down Sea jellies, an adult Blue Crab, some small Barracuda, and a stingray at the end of the snorkel, complete with a Sharksucker Remora. All the wildlife in the area really reinforces how important the mangroves are for harboring large wildlife communities.

To start off our early and amusing adventure we began with a 5 o'clock wake up call. Everyone awoke to await the take off of the ship and see the morning sunrise, but what made it even better was the late night view of the city. There is so much to see at night and the view was magnificence which gave everyone their big boost of energy. Everyone wanted to see the bridges go up so that we can finally make our way out of the city and man what a view!

Then, we finally got a chance to see a fish that most, if not all, of us had never seen before: Flying Fish. Those fish really do fly and can glide for a long period of time. The long-awaited sunrise was a beautiful sight, rising above the pure blue water. We started breakfast at around 7 o'clock: our first breakfast on the boat so far! With chocolate chip muffins on everyone's' plates, you'd think we'd be awake, but we're all pretty tired from our day yesterday.

To pass time in between our long boat ride on the open sea and our arrival in Bimini, we all read over an article about the affect of sunscreen on coral. Did you know that a recent study found that sunscreen contributes to coral bleaching? It doesn't allow the algae, or zooxanthelae, in the polyps to photosynthesize, resulting in the polyp getting rid of the useless algae, literally starving the coral.

To start off our very early day, we put our buddy system to use, calling our buddy to wake them up on time. Everyone had to be at the airport around 8:00, our plane leaving at 9:00, and to add to our already stressful morning, there was a huge gate mix-up! Some students were in C1 while others were in C3 or C7. When we were finally settled, we boarded our long-awaited flight and started our journey to Miami Florida. While some students and our lovely instructors have flown many times before, other students, such as LaParrish, were experiencing their very first flight. But for all of us, landing safely in Miami was a relief.

Being part of the Shedd team has been such an amazing once in a lifetime experience. Although we've only been here for four days, we already feel like part of the family. On the first day, we arrived and were put to work, playing various team building games, such as "screaming toes" and "human knot." We got our first experience in the labs, learning about the scientific method through paper puzzles and funny skits. Finally, we learned about the history and culture of the Bahamas, from Lucayan people (the indigenous people of the Bahamas) to Spanish and English occupation, pirates and finally independence and tourism. Did you know that some of the first settlers of the Bahamas came from West Africa? To wrap up the day, we all wrote questions on what we learned on our first day to be used in a game of Jeopardy the following morning.