Tag Archives: arachnids

Day 13: Searchin’ for Urchins

5/26/19: Have you ever held a ball of sticks that moves in your bare hand? Well if you have, stick around because I think you can bond with me. But if you haven’t, do not fret because I am sure I am descriptive enough for both of us. Today, we were searching for sea urchins for our next research project. When I say searching, I mean searching! I was doing handstands trying to see underneath rocks and used spaghetti tongs to fetch them out of tight crevices. (No urchins were harmed in this event; all returned safely to the water)

Slate Pencil Urchin found under a rock while searching for the urchins during research project

We were looking at the sea urchins to use as a proxy to help understand herbivory and overall reef health. I had never felt a sea urchin before this, but let me tell you, I would do it again if I could. It is so interesting to watch them move their seemingly stiff legs to walk around in your hand. I also saw quite a few brittle stars as I was lifting up coral rubble in search of urchins.

We had our night dive today, and it was really cool. We were able to see a couple stingrays, lobster, and even a pufferfish. The current was pretty strong, so it was short lived. However, it was really eerie and cool to be in the water at night.

Throughout the day, I saw various patches of Halimeda opuntia (Watercress algae) and Halimeda incrassata (Three finger leaf algae) in cracks between hard corals or in the sandy patches. Looking for urchins, I even saw some Flat Twig red algae or Amphiora tribulus that grew in sporadic clumps in the shady areas of rock crevices. Tomorrow is our last full day at Glover’s reef Middle Caye, so let’s finish with a bang!

I even saw some Flat Twig red algae or Amphiora tribulus that grew in sporadic clumps in the shady areas of rock crevices.

Wish me luck!

-Bella

 

Day 12: Finding Nemo…more like… Finding Bella!

5/25/19: The highlight of my day today was visiting the fore reef of Glover’s Reef atoll. It was literally like a scene from Finding Nemo. There was this expansive reef and a huge drop off just like where Nemo first sees the “butt” or boat. As I was exploring that edge, I, too, like Nemo was tempted to swim off the edge to see what was on the other side. But, I decided to side with my better judgment and swim toward the middle of the reef because I remembered how it turned out for Nemo. Now, I see why it was so tempting for Nemo to swim off; he was just trying to explore like me!

A picture looking down at the depth of the fore reef! Check out that blue water!

On the fore reef, we saw a bunch of cool things. We saw a few southern stingrays, a nurse shark, flounder, and personal my favorite was the Caribbean Reef Squid. I am starting to think I am I have a thing for Cephalopods? Future Ph.D in Cephalopods? Jury is still out.

The only downfall to this experience was the seasickness that came along with it. Since the fore reef experiences more wave action than the patch reefs, we were bobbing up and down on the boat and while surfacing the water. I did not like feeling very much at all, but the squid definitely made up for it.

On the fore reef, algae were scarce. Corals dominated those areas, but in the few patch reefs we visited before that, I saw a couple algae I had not seen before. I saw Green Bubble Weed Algae, Dictyospaeria cavernos, in between some sea fans, and I saw Y-Twig Algae, or Amphiroa rigdia between two mounding corals in shallower part of the patch reef. I, of course, also saw more Pink Segmented Algae (J. adherens) and Three Finger Leaf Algae (H. incrassata). Tomorrow, we are going to go for a night dive, so I am hoping I will see some nocturnal creatures like lobster.

The highlight of my day: I saw Green Bubble Weed Algae, Dictyospaeria cavernos, in between some sea fans!

Wish me luck!

-Bella

 

Day 11: Momma, we caught a crab… wait just kidding… an octopus!?

5/24/19: Today was a jammed packed day. Early this morning, we got on a boat and did our first survey of a reef in a marine protected area and non-protected area. All I can say is, the reefs are so interesting to look at. I feel like I am living in an interactive “I-Spy ”book as I just float around the reef. From fish to Christmas tree worms, I am really enjoying looking at all the interesting creatures living on the reef.

Speaking of interesting creatures, today’s second activity was by far my favorite part of the day. We waded out into a seagrass bed and we were tasked with finding organisms that live in the beds to create a touch tank—-we were asked not to pick up anything that stings/poisonous and almost everyone followed that. Let’s just say, some of us have some battle scars.

I saw sea anemones, sea urchins, fireworms, brittle stars, queen conchs, sea cucumbers, and a variety of hermit crabs. It was just crazy to me that such a small area could have such a diversity of organisms. The highlight sight of the day was an Atlantic Pygmy Octopus (Octopus jubini) hiding in an old conch shell. We thought it was a crab in there, but boy we were we surprised to see an octopus coming out.

The highlight sight of the day was an Atlantic Pygmy Octopus (Octopus jubini) hiding in an old conch shell

There is no shortage of green and red algae at Glover’s Reef. Today I saw more Pink Segmented Algae (J. adherens), Watercress algae (H. optunia) and Three Finger Leaf Algae (H. incrassata). I was more excited to see some new ones like Mermaid Fan algae from the genus Udotea and Burgundy Crustose Algae from the genus Dessonelia. I even saw a Sea Pearl algae, Ventricaria ventricosa. We plan to go to the fore reef soon, so I am really excited about that.

Watercress algae (H. optunia) growing on hard substrate
I am showing the class an example of Three-Finger Leaf Algae during our touch tank activity.

Wish me luck!

-Bella!

 

Day 10: Decorator Crabs Unite!

5/23/19: Today was our first full day at Glover’s reef. I must say waking up every morning to our view on our front deck is something I can’t get over. It just seems unreal! The crystal blue water and the palm trees swaying in the wind are worth the 12848923988 bug bites that come with staying on a remote island.

Today, we were tasked with our first research project.  We were looking at how the seagrass beds and algae interact on the reef flat.  We named our group the decorator crabs because her taxon group is crustaceans and mine is algae; decorator crabs decorate themselves with algae (similar to the “shiny” crab in Moana), so we thought it was a perfect fit.

The highlight of today getting a glimpse at a patch reef nearby and being able to see all of the amazing diversity for the first time. It was a larger patch reef, so it was teeming with life. A spotted eagle ray swam right next to me and I literally felt like I should have been Aquawoman in that moment: I was one with the fishes.

A quick picture of the Spotted Eagle Ray that swam near us on the patch reef near the dock on Middle Caye

With the abundance of life on the reef, I was overwhelmed just looking at it, so I did see many types of algae. I saw various patches of Halimeda opuntia and Halimeda incrassata today in cracks between hard corals or in the sandy patches. I also saw those algae and some Pink Segmented Algae or Jania adherens dried up in the coral graveyard (place of washed up carbonate skeletons). I also saw various types of coralline crustose algae (CCAs) on the hard substrates of the reef. On a final note, I am hoping at least one time on this trip to see a sea star.

I am holding Halimeda opuntia, Halimeda incrassata, and Jania adherens dried up on rocks in the coral graveyard.
An example of some CCA I found growing on a rock.

Wish me luck!

-Bella

Day 9: We made it to Glover’s Reef!

5/22/19: Today, we made it to Glover’s Reef! It was a three-hour boat ride to get here, and I must say I was not really a fan. It was overall just a long ride in the sun with a slew of bumps along the way that made me a little seasick. I have found out “Boats are not for Bella.” But, the site of Glover’s made it all worth it. The beautiful clear blue water is something I have never experienced before. It almost seemed unreal and too picturesque. Of course, I could do without the sand flies and mosquitos waiting to feast on my blood, but alas, even paradise is not perfect.

My view from a hammock underneath the main office at Glover’s Reef Research Station

We started the day at Glover’s by taking a tour of the island and testing out our water gear. At first, we struggled to get acquainted with our new environment, but we figured it out. The water was pretty choppy today due to high winds which made things a bit harder. However, we were able to start looking at our first reefs and I think now it is confirmed that the ocean has a special place in my heart. Growing up on the Texas coast, the beach atmosphere usually feels like second nature to me, but this took it to a whole new level. It was actually startling to see what I had seen on television for years (thank you David Attenborough) in real life.

My attempt to take a picture (The current was pretty strong wading) of the watercress algae in sandy areas between corals.

Today, I was able to see a few different species of algae. On the leeward side of the island, I saw Halimeda opuntia or Watercress algae in between the corals, and I saw Three Finger Leaf Algae or Halimeda incrassitoria that was inhabiting the shallow sandy area near the leeward coast. I am hoping as we spend more time in the water tomorrow that I am able to see more species of algae—my hope is for some green grape algae (Caulerpa racemosa).

Wish me luck!

-Bella

Day 8: We need to talk about: the ATM Cave and Belize Zoo

5/21/19: Today, we left Las Cuevas and said goodbye to Rafael, the station manager, and the other LCRS staff. If I am being honest here, waving goodbye to them was really sad because they were so nice and accommodating the whole trip. However, the feeling of sadness soon left when we arrived at the ATM cave. I have to say this was one of the best experiences of my life.

Not only was it amazing seeing a cave of its magnitude in person from the outside, but also being able to swim and explore the cave firsthand was incredible. I felt like I was basically Indiana Jones crawling through those cave walls. I have never done anything like that, and I recommend if you ever come to Belize, make sure to schedule a tour of the ATM cave. It is a once in a lifetime experience.

One of the zookeepers from the Belize Zoo feeding the Tapir

Next, we went to Belize Zoo and it was one of the coolest and, might I say, cutest experiences. The zoo prides itself on preserving Belizean native animals (how awesome is that!). They also have so many funny signs around the zoo describing the animals; you can tell they put a lot of time into it. We saw a boa constrictor, tapir, puma, jaguar, margay, barn owls, pygmy owls, Morelet’s crocodile, and a gibunt. I even petted the tapir and held a boa constrictor! We were not able to see most of these animals at LCRS, so I am so happy we were able to see them before we left. I am starting to feel like a piece of me belongs to Belize. Next time you hear from me, I’ll be at Glover’s Reef.

Holding a Boa constrictor at the Belize Zoo (one of the best moments of the trip)

Wish me luck!

-Bella

Day 7: I’m burnin’ up

5/20/19: We concluded our Cecropia and Aztec Ant project today and found that it might be true that uncolonized Cecropia trees have tougher leaves to prevent herbivory, but with our data, there might be many other possible explanations.

Today was our last day at Las Cuevas. We went to retrieve our camera traps; it was quite a long hike to pick up all seven cameras, and guess what we found? A TAPIR!!! We caught one on the camera that was furthest down the monkey tail trail. Honestly, I never thought I could be that excited for a photo, but trust me, I screamed a little when it came up. We also caught this mysterious photo of an animal that appeared to be cat-like. It was too close to the camera, so it is very overexposed and washed out. We hypothesize it is a Puma based on its outline, but we are not 100% sure. But, for the sake of tropical field biology, it will be a puma in my book.

The man, the myth, the legend: the Tapir caught on our camera trap!

On another note, I ran into quite a problem today at Las Cuevas. During a break today, Brendan and I used an “icy- hot” type ointment to help our sore muscles. For the first two hours of the break, it went great. But after that, let’s just say, things went a little less great. We went to gear up to investigate the leaf cutter ant mounds around Las Cuevas (super cool by the way!). So, as we were standing in the sun excavating a mound, our skin began to burn as if we were cooking in the sun. We began to remove our socks and ran up to the station to take a shower to remove the remaining ointment from our skin. In the end, we are doing much better, but note to self: do not wear icy-hot in direct sunlight.

Today was a slow day for arachnids. We were hiking swiftly this morning and did not often stop to check out anything on the path, so I saw a few wolf spiders scattered in the leaf litter and a what seemed to be a monster tick walking on a leaf. It had to be least 0.3 to 0.5 cm. It had white speckles on its back. To put it simply, we avoided it as much as possible. Tomorrow we make our way to the reef.  First stop ATM cave!

Wish me luck!

-Bella

Day 6: *Drum roll please* Tropical Field Biology Presents:

5/19/19: Today, we started our day with an early morning research project. We were looking at how hurricane impacts areas within the Chiquibull, specifically how they impact plant diversity.  We were able to create a poster and present it all before lunchtime. I am not going to lie it felt pretty productive to get that all done in one morning.

Next, we had a second research project for the afternoon where we looked at the relationship of Cecropia trees and Aztec ants. We wanted to know if trees that were not colonized by the ants (ants provide tree protection against attack from herbivores) had tougher leaves to prevent herbivory. We are still working on the project, but I will keep y’all updated on the results.

I think my favorite part of the day was overlooking the entire Chiquibul forest from the bird tower. The sun was just starting to set and the dimming sunlight made for a beautiful sight. To see nature undisturbed for miles upon miles, it was incredible. I also got to take some nice photos with a great view which is always a plus.

A view from the bottom looking up on the bird tower

As for my beloved arachnids, not much has changed. We saw a small Florida Bark scorpion (C. gracilis), orb weaver spider, and a few Red-Rumped (B. vagans) tarantulas today. However, something cool that I have noticed on night hikes is the sheer number of spiders on the forest floor. As we walk with our headlamps, their eyes are illuminated and reflect back towards us. In fact, we thought we saw a wolf spider with a glittery back, but we soon realized, it was not glitter at all. The spider was carrying hundreds of young spiders! With the way things are going, I am excited to start another project tomorrow.

On the back of this spider, there appears to be “green spots.” Those spots are not spots at all. They are eyes of small spiders on its back!

Wish me luck!

-Bella

Day 5: Urine not going to Belize it

5/18/19: We retrieved our pee. All 11 sets of pit-fall traps were successfully captured. Wooohoo! As crazy as it might sound, I was kind of sad when I didn’t find too many arthropods in my pee. I mean, I don’t know what I was anticipating, but I kind of wish a beetle would have fallen into my pee. Is my pee not good enough? All I accounted for was a few ants and ticks.

Us walking down the shortcut to bird tower trail to pick up our pitfall traps

Today, we worked on evaluating our results from these traps and preparing a poster presentation.  Prior to this trip, I would have thought it was nearly impossible to make a poster and present it in one day, but boy was I wrong. We worked very well together, and we were able to create a poster and present it in a single day. I worked on the data analysis which I really enjoyed. Getting to apply what you learn in class in the field has definitely been a highlight of this trip.

It was a slow day for arachnids. I saw a quite a few wolf spiders walking to retrieve the pee samples on the Mayan trail. They ranged in size from 0.1 cm to 4 cm across the body.  And of course, I had a few run-ins with some ticks. But aside from that, my day seemed to be consumed with amphibians and birds. URINE not going to BELIZE what I saw! We saw a Morelet’s tree frog and a toucan walking along the Maya trail. Ahhh! Seeing the Morelet’s tree frog in real life makes reading about it seem so insignificant. The real-life experience was incredible, and I won’t ever forget it. I am going to keep an eye out for a Golden Orb Weaver spider tomorrow because it is something I have really been wanting to see.

The Morelet’s Tree Frog we spotted sleeping on a leaf as we were picking up our pitfall traps.

 Wish me luck!

-Bella

Day 4: Las Cuevas name rings true

5/17/19: In class today, we peed. Yes, you heard me right, we peed. For the love of science, we peed in vials that will act as nitrogen sources for our new field experiment. Our 2 questions for the experiment were: Is there a greater species richness and abundance of arthropods on the forest floor or in the canopy? And, is nitrogen limitation more severe on the forest floor or in the canopy? Currently, my pee sits awaiting arthropods in the middle of the Chiquibul forest. I’ll keep you updated as to how it goes.

Aside from that, I think my favorite part of the day was visiting the cave near Las Cuevas Research Station. It is crazy to me how something so beautiful can even exist all on it is own. It is not man-made; it just exists by the natural world. I went on the cave field trip in the second grade and that was the end of my cave-going days, so it was nice to see it as an adult to appreciate it more fully. We even had lectures inside of the cave which was very cool.

The entrance to the cave near Las Cuevas Research Station

Today, I had a few interesting sightings of arachnids. Along the Mayan trail, I saw a wolf spider (genus: hogna) and a harvestman. The wolf spider was carrying an egg sack. The harvestman was red, black, and white. I saw quite a few red-rumped tarantulas today along the trail near their underground burrows. They are always a cool site.

The most intriguing find I had was on a night hike down the Mayan trial. Even with some research, I am unsure of the species of this spider. It was a beautiful orange color with black stripes; it had a thicker abdomen and legs than most spiders I have seen in the canopy.  I nicknamed it the tiger spider. Check out the picture and let me know what you think!

“Tiger spider” sitting above us in the forest canopy during our night hike on the Mayan trail

Check in tomorrow because guess what? We are going to extract our pee. Cheese Belize!

Wish me luck!

-Bella