Week 1: UWF

Our first week was spent at the University of West Florida. We learned so much about so many different ecosystems. It was great being able to travel around Pensacola and learn about different things in the ecosystem that need our help to be fixed.

            The first day was spent learning about stream ecology. We went to four different streams around Pensacola. They were all so different and had many different characteristics to them. The first stream that we visited, called Ferrypass Bayou Creek, was a 6 on the biological condition gradient. This scale is rated from 1-6, with 1 being pristine and 6 being in bad shape. As we moved to different streams, they all continually increased on the scale, with the Perdido River being the healthiest. We learned about the effects of development and sedimentation on streams. We also learned that everything that happens in streams has an effect on the larger bodies of water that they flow into like rivers and oceans.

            The second day was learning about water quality and seagrasses. Water quality samples were taken using a YSI, a plankton net, a CTD, a light penetration meter, and a seki. Each of these tools is used to measure a different aspect of the water being sampled. All of the data collected was taken into the lab and analyzed for future studies. After taking water samples, we learned about seagrasses. Seagrasses are essential habitats for countless aquatic species. Seagrass abundance was measured using square pvc pipes. They were placed on the sea floor and the abundance of seagrasses present was measured and recorded.

            The third day was spent learning about dunes, fish sampling, and sea turtles. We went to Pensacola beach and took sein samples. Seining is a way to get samples of the aquatic life present in the sampling area. It is a large net with two poles on each side that’s dragged along the bottom of the water body being sampled. Five sein samples were taken at every location we visited. The data collected is a good representation of whether the quality of the water at the site is good or not. After collecting the fish data, we went to Fort Pickens to learn about sea turtles. They study light pollution’s effect on sea turtle nests. Light data is collected at night on each nest to see how much light is surrounding the nests and how much it affects where the turtles go when they hatch. The data collected is analyzed and is taken again once the eggs hatch to see how much the light affected them getting back into the ocean.

            The fourth day was spent in the lab analyzing all the data that was collected during the week. It was also a day to work on presentations. There were seven groups who each had a different topic to make a presentation on.

            The last day was spent finishing up presentations and presenting to the group. The presentations were great and it was great being able to learn more about what we had been working with the whole week. Overall, it was a great week and we learned so much. I am looking forward to what the rest of this class has in store.