Monday, September 4, 17
08:30 - 10:30; 120 min. -
Environmental Science:
Field Trip: Sea nursery ecosystem by kayak -
Chase met me at the Jupiter Outdoor Center, where we joined the guided tour of the baby green turtle nursery and the surrounding mangrove marshes along the Indian /Loxahatchee Rivers. During the tour we examined the process by which red mangroves remove toxins from the water, create new coastline for the islands, and provide sanctuary for baby sea creatures of all sorts. We examined the leaves, propagules, and root systems of red and white mangrove plants. We observed baby green sea turtles that swim over the sea grass beds. We also examined how the mangroves and sea grass work together to populate the nearby coral reefs and also protect the coastline from erosion, and how Casuarina trees have decimated the coastline around the Jupiter Lighthouse. We used the time after the kayak tour, to discuss how this ecosystem is enhanced by the river system and ocean, and how it is hindered.