My group found this starfish in our first quadrant, at first we didn't notice it and then we finally saw it, because of its coloration it blended in very well. We saw this organism in the low tide zone, it wasn't doing anything that I could see, it was just hanging out. The starfishes ecological role in the environment is to be a predator, they eat a variety of different animals, and help keep populations in check. Starfish are also a keystone species so they can indicate the health of the surrounding area. The most interesting thing I saw was a little nudibrach, I have never seen one of those before so I thought that was pretty cool. This lab really showed me some of the diversity that the puget sound holds, you just have to take your time and look closely. We talked about how we need to put organisms back where we find them and try to preserve the environment, so I wonder how many things die from people not doing those things?
You guys found some starfish too?! I did not expect there to be so many! But we also found one but it was bright purple! Don't you just love their different colors?!
ReplyDeleteNice work! There are a lot of things living in the seagrass! 🦂
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