Some Soggy Scenarios

One of my only classes this term is Marine Biology. So far it has been awesome! The first two days of class we spent walking around, looking in tide pools, and collecting little marine creatures. I thought that I was going to be timid about grabbing slimy things we came across, especially since the first day our professor told us all of these things that could hurt, and/or kill us. But now I know what not to touch, and I surprisingly got over my worries of getting hurt very quickly... I figure out that if I don't know what something is, just poke it! If it doesn't move, it's a plant, if it does, put it in a bucket to bring back to the lab! Being out in the sun is great, and after we get back we just identify the organisms we found, and write a little report up. This is going to be a great term!

Here are some things I found, on a reef in Kahuku, the second day of searching tide pools. I thought the slug was especially cool looking, and not nearly as slimy as I thought a sea slug would be. Actually, it was kind of soft. (I found out later that they ink...I guess it could have squirted me. That second picture is a slug, and the stringy, purple stuff is its ink. You can click on the picture to make it bigger.)

Pretty plants (above). Crazy crab (below)!

I did not find this guy...some girls in my class did. He was pretty cool though, and he inked all over the kid who picked him up...it really is jet-black stuff!