Week 4: Rise of the Hydroids Maria Bermudez

After three weeks of participating in this course, I thought I understood what research in marine science entailed, however, offshore marine research was a completely new experience. The 14 hours on the Weatherbird II were unexpected and yet deeply satisfying.

The day began with two dramamine and the unintended consequence of being extremely drowsy. Thankfully, we had four hours until we reached station 1 where the real work began. In the meantime we got to enjoy beautiful views of jumping dolphins and a surprisingly delicious lunch. When we finally got to the first station everything on the boat started to get hectic, it was all hands on deck. As the dredge came up and we rushed to collect the animals we got an unwelcome surprise, within minutes of touching the catch with gloved hands we all began to experience pain and itching. We had unknowingly come in contact with hydroids, tiny animals related to jellyfish that often cover sponges and other animals. Despite the pain, time is money on research cruises so we got to work on identifying, measuring and recording our catch. Having never taken an invertebrate class, I struggled to identify the shells, brittle stars, and sea stars we collected. 

Working through stinging hands to identify the station 1 dredge collection

Close up picture of Hydroids

Between station one and two, there was a short lull where we got to enjoy the sunset and eat ice cream.  But once at the station the whole process of collecting water, plankton, and animal samples began again, and we once again had to put on our hydroid filled gloves. My group was in charge of the plankton nets this round, and again my expectations were surpassed. We didn’t just catch plankton and crabs, we also caught a live sea horse. Next, it was time for the otter trawl. When Dr. Judkins asked who wanted to identify fish at this station I didn’t volunteer because I wasn’t confident in my knowledge. Unexpectedly, in the commotion of the net coming up I wound up in the fish identification group. It ended up being one of the most rewarding parts of the day. In the past, I had only had to identify fish while seining in a familiar area where I knew the type of fish I’d find and had help from my professor and peers. This time I had to identify novel fish I hadn’t caught before. Luckily, I was able to apply the knowledge I had gained in my Ichthyology class to know what features to use to differentiate between species. It’s hard to just recognize a fish from pictures in ID books so it’s important to know what characteristics to look for, like the location of dots on the dorsal fins for the Leopard Sea Robbin and shape of the lateral line on flat fish. By the time we finished I had identified around 6 species.

 Despite the challenges of the day, it was an opportunity to experience something remarkable and to see such diverse and interesting creatures. I hope I get the privilege to once again participate in a research cruise as I have found a greater appreciation for the open ocean.

Measuring a fish I had just identified