Our first task was to collect plankton for the evening lab. We got great looking samples of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Then we set up for the first scallop drag of the day to collect invertebrates from the bottom. After some mechanical issues with the drag the boat crew set up the second drag and we collected sea stars, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, scale worms, sea peaches, a purple sunstar, hermit crabs, and more. The students were excited to see, touch and explore the items dragged from the bottom of the ocean.
While sorting through all the animals we cruised further out into Passamaquoddy Bay to gather data on the water. We used the salinometer to get temperature and salinity at different depths, and the secchi disk to see light penetration. After conducting another scallop drag our captain took us back to the wharf by way of St. Andrews Harbour and we saw some of the boats that were pushed on shore by post-tropical storm Arthur. Yikes!
This evening the group meet in the aquarium lab to check out their plankton. The samples were pretty cool with lots of diatoms and copepods. Amazing to see all the life in a drop of ocean water!
Ready to board the Fundy Spray.
Comparing the two plankton nets.
Pulling in the plankton tow.
Wow, lots of plankton!
Dumping the scallop drag.
Beautiful stars.
Sorting through the contents of the scallop drag.
Lots of urchins!
A male rock crab.
A female scallop.
One of the ships pushed to shore by the storm.
Preparing the afternoon snack...yummy scallop!
Copepod under the microscope.
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