IB exam 2018 and a plankton swarm

Second year Marine Science students wrote the second of two papers this morning to complete their IB exam. It has been a wonderful two years – thank you!

At the same time the students were writing their exam, there was a swarm of plankton around the Pearson College dock:

I think that the zooplankton were here to wish the students well!

Many Dungeness crab megalopae have been hanging out around the dock for the past few days (helping the students revise?!).

To the Year 43 Marine Science students: I wish you all the best as you drift on out of Pedder Bay and I hope that the winds and currents are favourable so that you can drift back again some time!

Molting Dungeness crabs

The crabs are molting, the crabs are molting! Last week at Prison Rocks, divers noticed a plethora of Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) carapaces. Pictured above is one that Chris brought back to the College and below is a photo that Malou took underwater of a live crab.

Weir’s Beach 16 September 2014

Tuesday morning, 11 am, F block first year Marine Science students explored Weir’s Beach.  Not many photos to mark the occasion, but two great ones thanks to Adva.

Below is the moult of a first instar juvenile Dungeness crab, Metacarcinus magister.

The megalopae are here!

While the students deserted us on 24 May, the Pearson College dock has thousands (maybe hundreds of thousands?) of visitors right now. The final larval stage of the Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) is called a megalopa and there a many, many megalopae swarming around the dock.

On the dock, there are also thousands of juvenile crabs scrambling around.  The megalopae molt and metamorphose into the benthic juvenile stage seen below.

There are also many megalopae and juveniles on the succession substrates that students put in the water in September 2012.

 And Ivan thought nothing was using his wire!