Biodiversity by snorkel

Every year I issue a challenge to marine scientists to compare the biodiversity of two habitats. I suggest high & low in the intertidal, horizontal & vertical in the rocky intertidal, plankton tows in two locations or two areas on the dock. I always offer the option of snorkelling and a few students, like 3 or 4, usually take me up on it.

This year there were more takers for the snorkelling option than ever – 7 students in the first class and 6 in the second class.

Ivonne and Yorlenis

Becca and Matilda

Annie and Abigail

Becca and Matilda

Abigail

Emilio

A few students even snorkelled across Pedder Bay to compare the two different sides of the bay (see photo above).

D block snorkellers

Gaia emerging

And not all students snorkelled, below are Tomma in the intertidal and Karel sampling plankton at the green buoy. While Karel and I were in Hyaku, we watched a submarine make its way to the navy dock.

Tomma sampling intertidal biodiversity

Karel sampling plankton diversity

Submarine!

For more photos see Flickr album Biodiversity 2017.

And for a reminder of last year’s sampling see Biodiversity in Pedder Bay.

Biodiversity in Pedder Bay

The challenge presented to first years for their last class of the year was to compare the biodiversity of two different habitats. Some students, like Kate and Jill above and Jacqueline and Aurora below, chose to snorkel to do the sampling.

Jacqueline in a ‘whole new world’!

Aurora with her sampling gear

Others sampled in the intertidal zone – see Ilana and Sho below.

Intertidal Ilana and snorkeling Jill

Sho recording diversity data

Ochuko and Axel compared the diversity of the two seawater tables that we have – one inside the floating lab and the other on the dock. (That’s Ochuko in the paw print onesie in the photo below.)

Lauren chose to investigate the substrates hanging off the dock.

Above is a photo of the same substrate when Syver suspended it off the dock in September 2012, when the biodiversity was zero!

I’m not sure what kind of biodiversity Sho found under the ramp!? And that is Kate in the water in the photo above.

For more photos see Flickr album Biodiversity 2016.