Zostera marina is a seagrass species, commonly known as eelgrass, that is found on both coasts of the United States, as well as in Europe. Unfortunately, Zostera is disappearing all over the place, including right here in New York. This could have devastating impacts on animals that rely on eelgrass as foraging grounds, or, as is the case with scallops, use it as a refuge from predation. This is its story, as seen through the eyes of an aspiring graduate student...

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Some pictures from the other day...

Some of the sea life on the bottom in Hallock Bay, Long Island, NY.



A pipefish!


Small fish, probably a grubby sculpin.


A chiton!


Green brittle star - there are lots of these guys at our Hallock Bay planting site, although I am not sure exactly who they are.


Long claw hermit crab, Pagurus longicarpus


Can you pick out the sand shrimp, Crangon septemspinosa?


This is an angry mud crab, probably of the genus Dyspanopeus, upset that I am bothering him


An agitated spider crab of the Libinia genus in my quadrat!


Hard clam siphon


Juvenile spider crab crawling through the algae


Also, check out my recent manuscript.
Carroll, J., Peterson, B., Bonal, D., Weinstock, A., Smith, C., & Tettelbach, S. (2009). Comparative survival of bay scallops in eelgrass and the introduced alga, Codium fragile, in a New York estuary Marine Biology, 157 (2), 249-259 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-009-1312-0

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