by Angela Szesciorka, Vertebrate Ecology Lab
In March the MS211 class (Ecology of Marine Turtles, Birds and Mammals) climbed onto a small inflatable boat, pointed offshore, and ran a half mile obstacle course through rocks, waves, and seals to Año Nuevo Island.
This tiny boat (named Dragon Rojo!) carried us to the island. About an eight-minute boat ride though, so not bad. Photo from Oikonos.org.
By Catherine Drake, Invertebrate Zoology Lab
Part One
Sedimentation is the process by which particles sink and accumulate on the seafloor. Layers upon layers of these settled materials tell the story of the oceans and climate from which they originated. Alterations to these sediments from compaction, bioturbation, and microbial respiration form sedimentary rocks through an action termed diagenesis. A better comprehension of diagenesis is needed to translate the sedimentary record into clues that help explain past events. To better understand these processes, students at MLML take the MS 274 “Advanced Topics in Oceanography” course. This class, taught by Dr. Ivano Aiello and Dr. Kenneth Coale, examines the factors that affect sedimentation and subsequent diagenesis in Monterey Bay.
A major driver of sedimentation is the ocean “biological pump.” This is the fixation of carbon by phytoplankton and the subsequent transport of plankton debris to depth. Over time, these sediments undergo diagenesis as more sediments are deposited and compacted or consumed and disturbed by organisms. The process of diagenesis mimics many of the same processes as we observe in a compost pile, but occurs much slower.
The ocean biological pump. (Source: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v407/n6805/full/407685a0.html)
To study which organisms drive the biological pump in Monterey Bay, the MS 274 class constructed sediment traps. To build the array, we first mastered the technique of splicing rope together, which held our sediment traps to a mooring approximately 30 feet from the seafloor. Then, we attached a subsurface float that held eight replicate sediment traps just above the sediments. On top of the array, we fastened a surface float to aid in recovery. The purpose of the array was to catch fresh material that we could compare to materials in the sediments.
Emily Donham and Catherine Drake learning to splice rope to use for our sediment trap array. Photo by: Diane Wyse
Dr. Kenneth Coale drew a schematic for our sediment array. Photo by: Diane Wyse
On September 24, 2012, we boarded the R/V John H. Martin and set a course for a location in Monterey Bay that was approximately 60 feet deep and deployed our sediment trap array. The traps were left for two weeks before they were retrieved on October 8, 2012. In addition, we collected sediment cores from the trap location from the R/V Point Sur in order to retrieve older material from comparison.
Once in the lab, we conducted scanning electron microscopy (SEM), elemental analysis and petrographic microscopy to characterize both fresh and deposited materials. Stay tuned for part two, where we present and interpret our findings!
The MS 274 class waits aboard the R/V John H. Martin to reach the sediment trap deployment site. Photo by: Catherine Drake
What do you see on the rock?
What’s that on the rock?
By Michelle Marraffini
Invertebrate Zoology Lab
The invertebrate zoology class took a field trip to Asilomar State Beach last week to look for cool creatures. Professor Jon Geller encouraged us to turn over rocks looking for flatworms, the topic of this week’s lecture. As I overturned one rock I noticed something quickly hunker down. It was this tiny octopus that tried to camouflage itself with the rock. An octopus’s boneless body is well suited for changing its shape and its ability to mimic other animals, algae, and rocks or sand can be quite impressive. Check out this video of an octopus camouflaging itself (‘Where’s the Octopus?‘). These extraordinary animals are different from other camouflaging animals because they not only change their color and shadow but they also change the texture of their skin to match their background and they do all of this by sight!
Their very kein eyes detect the object they wish to look like and control over 30 million chromatograms (color producing cells) and papilla (cause the three dimensional shape of the skin). Octopus’s do this while color blind which mystifies scientists.
Small octopus found at Asilomar State Beach hiding under a rock at low tide.
This octopus I found is likely a Pacific red octopus (Octopus reubescens), though it swam away before I could get a good look (no animals were harmed in the making of this blog post). This is so far the coolest creature I have seen in the intertidal. Get outside and see what you can find!
My little buddy swimming away.
by Diane Wyse, Physical Oceanography Lab
Last week the biological oceanography class took a field trip to the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo. The purpose of the trip was to learn about the MLML Biological Oceanography Lab’s work with ballast water treatment aboard the Training Ship Golden Bear.
View of the Carquinez Strait Bridge from the TS Golden Bear. Photo: D. Wyse
We started the day with background about the importance of ballast water treatment for aquatic invasive species management, led by Biological Oceanography Lab students Brian Maurer, Heather Fulton-Bennet, and Julie Kuo.
Biological oceanography student Brian Maurer concentrates a water sample to test for zooplankton viability. Photo: D. Wyse
After that we took a tour of the ship’s engine room, bridge, and saw some of the living quarters. The ship can house up to 350 people and each year takes a 2-month cruise in different parts of the world to train Cal Maritime students about merchant marine operations and engineering.
Members of the biological oceanography class take a tour of the TS Golden Bear. Photo: D. Wyse
In the afternoon we took a tour of the marine biology lab, where Biological Oceanography lab students, under the direction of Dr Nick Welshmeyer, analyze the effectiveness of different ballast water treatment methods.
Biological oceanography student Heather Fulton-Bennet counts live zooplankton under a microscope on the TS Golden Bear
You dive into the cool blue-green seawater. You inflate your buoyancy compensator as you near the bottom. You check your air on your Submersible Pressure Gauge (SPG) and sign an “Ok” to your buddy. After tying off the transect tape you place your slate out in front of you, align the lubber line of your compass, and begin swimming at 300 degrees. You are identifying fish to species, placing them into one of three size bins, and recording that onto your data sheet. If this sounds like a lot to do you are right! The fall marine science diving course at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories recently celebrated the hard work they have done during the semester with a boat trip to a unique dive location. We were able to utilize MLML’s R/V John H. Martin to transport us to the Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve off Pescadero and anchor on a GPS point where the granite pinnacles come close to the surface.
MLML’s R/V John H. Martin.
MLML Science Diving students Catarina Pien (left) and Melinda Wheelock (right) pose for a picture at Carmel Pinnacles.
Impressive granite walls create swim-throughs for divers.
We experienced large granitic walls and a ballet of sea lions. It was a great way to finish up the semester of diving and now mentally prepare for the final exam filled with gas laws and dive table problems. I always find myself thinking where will these divers go and what exciting dives await them after the completion of the class.
John Douglas and Liza Schmidt operate the R/V John Martin and help us aboard using the swim step ladder.
Marine Ecology students on the Point Sur cruise sort and record organisms from the Monterey Bay.
The Marine Ecology class embarked on a seafaring adventure last Monday on the Moss Landing research vessel the Point Sur to observe the biota of the Monterey Bay. The class was joined by members from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, MBARI and even Professor Emeritus Greg Cailliet who arrived bright and early for a 7am departure time.
After braving choppy water and a bit of rain we began our day with a beam trawl, designed to sample creatures from the ocean floor at 600 meters depth. Unfortunately we were left empty handed when the net returned to the surface with a hole caused from large rocks lodged in the net.
Despite our first strikeout, our second mid-water trawl yielded a wide array of fish, crustaceans, jellyfish, and a plethora of other gelatinous creatures. Once on board the Point Sur, each animal was classified into separate glass dishes and recorded, giving the students a chance to practice their species identification and exercise their Latin nomenclature.
The highlight of the trawl (quite literally) was a group of fish called the Myctophids, or Lanternfish. These fish have light emitting cells called photophores that help camouflage them in the deep ocean waters in which they live. Lanternfish regulate the photophores on their flanks and underside to match the ambient light levels from the surface, rendering them nearly invisible from predators below.
Lanternfish emit light from cells called photophores that help camouflage them from predators.
The last tow of the day was called an otter trawl; but don’t worry, we didn’t catch any sea otters. This net is name for the ‘otter’ boards positioned at the mouth of the net designed to keep it open as it travels thought the water. The animals are funneled to the back or ‘cod’ end of the net and are brought to the surface for the class to observe. We saw several species of flatfish including the Sand Dab, Dover and English Sole, several dozen octopuses (or octopodes depending on your dictionary) and even a pacific electric ray.
After a long day of sunshine, high seas and amazing sea creatures the Marine Ecology students were excited with their discoveries, but also ready to be back on solid ground.
By Diane Wyse, Physical Oceanography Lab
Among the coolest aspects of interning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) are all of the opportunities for new and exciting experiences in marine science and engineering. On a beautiful Moss Landing summer day, fellow intern Samantha Peterson and I enjoyed one of those opportunities on a day cruise aboard MBARI’s R/V Zephyr. We steamed out of Moss Landing Harbor early in the morning, and after two hours of getting our sea legs and munching on snacks (to avoid sea sickness, for sure), we arrived at our first of two stops for the day. The cruise plan included a visit to the M2 mooring, a buoy deployed and maintained by MBARI scientists and engineers in partnership with the National Data Buoy Center (ID 46044), to download acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data and perform routine maintenance.
R/V Zephry from the M2 moored buoy. Photo: D. Wyse
The whole process of visiting and maintaining a mooring was really exciting to experience, especially as a student of physical oceanography. I got a kick out of the adventure inherent in maintaining oceanographic and meteorological instruments bobbing at the surface, moored 1000+ meters below on the seafloor. As I stood at the back of the Zephyr taking in the experience- the albatrosses gracefully landing to investigate our activities, the sea lion curiously poking it’s head up around the buoy, the scientists and technicians climbing onto the buoy from the side of the ship- I wondered what sort of training or security clearance one has the endure to work on the buoy. After pondering this aloud to my fellow intern, I inquired with the ship operator. His job was to carefully back the boat up to the buoy to transfer people and equipment, then to maintain a safe distance from the buoy while the technicians were working on it. As it turns out, it was surprisingly simple; I had to confirm with just about everyone on that day cruise that I am not sensitive to seasickness before getting the go-ahead to disembark the trusty Zephry and climb (well, pounce, really) aboard M2. I could see immediately what everyone was driving at once I was aboard the mooring. Because the platform is only about 10 ft in diameter, it is much easier to get tossed about with the swell. You feel much more in touch with the ocean on a smaller vessel. While ocean observers Mike Kelley and Jared Figurski downloaded the ADCP data, I climbed to the upper level to investigate the meteorological instruments. With my finely tuned CSI skills, I observed the evidence of seabird visitors on the solar panels and offered to clean off the droppings, you know, in the name of science. Surprisingly, they were more than happy to oblige that request, and I grabbed a cloth with seawater and scrubbed those panels squeaky clean.
By Diane Wyse, Physical Oceanography Lab
In a day that some might describe as “the ideal lab experience,” four Moss Landing students set out to perform water sampling techniques for their chemical oceanography class, and enjoyed a day filled with surprises and adventure on the Monterey Bay. Those students, from the phycology, physical, and biological oceanography labs, took MLML’s “Hurricane” Zodiac boat out to nine sites around the bay to collect seawater. Along with two other groups that explored sections of Elkhorn Slough, the sampling effort was a snapshot of the concentration of silica in the surface waters of the bay and slough.
The day began with a lesson on instrumentation for determining temperature and salinity at each collection site.
Biological oceanography lab student Nicole Bobco checks the temperature and salinity measurements on the YSI field sampling sensor. (photo: D. Wyse)
Chemical oceanography professor Dr Kenneth Coale waves to the bay crew as he and students head off the explore and sample from the upper Elkhorn Slough. (photo: D. Wyse)
A handful of pinnipeds seen enjoying the beautiful weather on the bay crew's ride to the first sampling site. (photo: D. Wyse)
Biological oceeanography lab student April Woods reaches over the side of the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to collect a sample of seawater. (photo: D. Wyse)
En route to one of the sampling sites, phycology lab student, experienced boat driver, and keen marine mammal spotter Mike Fox caught sight of a pod of over 50 dolphins! As the boat slowly approached, a handful of the common dolphins gracefully whizzed along by the boat and gave the delighted marine science students quite a show. (more…)
Penguin colony on Isla Magdalena with over 60,000 breeding pairs
By:Michelle Marraffini
Invertebrate Zoology Lab
Isla Magdalena is a small island in the Strait of Magellan off the coast of Punta Arenas, Chile. In 1982 it was declared a national monument, Los Pinguinos Natural Monument as the breeding location for several seabird species including gulls, cormorants, and the Magellanic Penguin which has been estimated at over 60,000 breeding pairs. Magellanic penguins were named after the explorer Ferdinand Magellan who spotted the birds in 1520 as he sailed around the tip of South America. Magellanic penguins are found on coastlines on both the Atlantic and Pacific shores and are the only penguins to breed on the Patagonian mainland.
National Monument Sign at Isla Magdalena, students Michelle and Sara
The breeding season lasts from September through February during which penguin couples dig burrows for their nests or hide their nests under shrubs. A pair may use the same burrow for years where the females usually lay two eggs that hatch after five or six weeks. Juveniles have waterproof feathers after two months and are ready to head out into the ocean, but it can take up to two years for chicks to get the full black and white plumage of the adults.
Family of penguins showing the differences of plumage from new chick to adult
Students from Global Kelps Systems course in Chile took a slight detour (before class began) out on the ferry to the Isla Magdalena. Sara and I took off on ferry Melinka across the thankfully calm, Strait of Magellan. As the boat approached the Island we could see the lighthouse in the distance, the kelp forest surrounding the island, and a small number of penguins swimming and jumping alongside the boat. Once on shore, we got the chance to walk among thousands of Pinguinos!!! We watched as they crossed the pathway from their nests to the ocean to feed or looked after their chicks playing in the surf. It was an amazing experience to get to be so close to the penguins but at the same time it made us think about the protection laws we have here in Monterey Bay like the Marine Mammal Protection Act. A few of the visitors to the Island did not respect the privacy of the penguins, it is important to remember that as visitors we need to keep our distance and not chase after the animals.
Magellanic Penguins in kelp wrack
The populations of these penguins are being threatened by the commercial fishing and the oil industry, which depletes schools of fish and the birds become entangled in the nets. It has also been estimated that more than 40,000 penguins die in Argentina and in the Falkland Islands each year due to oil pollution. The Wildlife Conservation Society has been working with local partners in Patagonia since the 1960’s helping to conserve these flightless birds, and in 2008 helped achieve two victories for the Magellanic penguin in Argentina: a ban on commercial fishing at Burdwood Bank and creation of a marine park at Golfo San Jorge. These victories are key to protecting habitats for the birds and their prey.
By Catherine Drake, Invertebrate Zoology Lab
The last field trip of the fall semester for the Geological Oceanography class was to the Monterey Formation on Toro Road in the Salinas Basin. As we drove up through the hills on the winding road, we came across a grayish cliff that must have spanned about a mile down the road. The students got out of the car, and as we walked along the road, we noted the striations and laminations within the sedimentary layers. What’s especially interesting about these layers is that they are biogenic sediments: they consist of organic particles, usually in the form of skeletal fragments of marine organisms.
The Monterey Formation consists of an incalculable amount of diatoms, which are a type of phytoplankton and are primary producers, meaning they take up carbon dioxide while. Diatoms have siliceous tests, meaning that their cell walls are silica based; so, when diatoms die, they become part of a siliceous ooze and get deposited on the seafloor. Considering that diatoms usually range from 2 to 200 μm and the Monterey Formation spanned almost a mile, which means that there were hundreds of millions of diatoms at the time! Primary production must have been incredibly high during that time period, which was approximately between 11 and 3 million years ago.
Diatoms are phytoplankton that produce oxygen through primary production.
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