Day Nine: Alex is gone, diving, and a night snorkel
Alex left during the night and we awoke to another beautiful day in the Caribbean. After breakfast we headed out to do the last of the fish project dives. In addition to gathering the last bits of data, the students were able to video tape their fish in action. Then it was on to a fish survey for project REEF. We did a roving fish survey and everyone recorded the relative density of the various reef fish. When everyone completes their second survey they will become certified level two fish observers. Later in the afternoon we all headed to Bailey’s Key to examine the rocky shore habitat and to set up for the night snorkel. After finding numerous gastropods on the iron shore it was off to the water where each buddy pair located a patch reef area and did a day-time survey of the inhabitants and then marked their location with a glow stick. After dinner (shrimp or roast beef) we all headed back over to Bailey’s Key and did a night snorkel to see how things had changed since mid-afternoon. During the snorkel we found numerous lobsters, sea cucumbers, and a couple of octopi.