LAB ASSIGNMENT: Marine Science Institute Reflection

1.
On this field trip, I was able to learn a lot from marine organisms and the environment that they
live. During the trip, I learned about the SF Bay and its importance on the environment and the
animals that live on it. I learned that the Bay is an estuary because it has both salt water (from
the ocean) and freshwater (from rivers and rain), which has great ecological services because
the mix of freshwater and saltwater provides a variety of different environments for marine
animals. Moreover, the estuary is an excellent nursey habitat for the marine animals because it
provides a nesting and feeding habitat for most of the plants and animals.
I also learned about the importance of the pH level on the water and how the pH differs from
the bottom of water to the top. The pH of the water is very important for the habitat of the
organisms because different levels (too high or too low) can affect an entire ecosystem and
result in their deaths.
Another idea that I learned was about planktons, their diversity, and importance to the
environment and world. I learned that there are a variety of more than 200 plankton species,
which is overwhelming because I always thought that it was only one species. They also have
huge importance to the environment because most of the animals base their diet on plankton
and the importance of the world because planktons are the organisms that most contribute to
the production of oxygen to the world, even more than plants.

2.
During the field trip, we could see a variety of organisms, such as seaweed, sponges, crab, and
fishes, which we have been seeing in class during this month. When analyzing the organisms,
we could compare the similarities and inequalities characteristics of each phylum. We also saw
the different characteristics that animals use to survive in their habitat and the devices for
better hunt, camouflage, and see in a habitat of difficulty locomotion and lack of light. In
addition, we could compare the differences of how mammals and fishes swim (fish swim by
moving their tail side to side and mammals swim by moving their tail up and down).

3.
This field trip was very useful because we could put in practice all the material that we have
learned and covered in class, which leads to better learning and long memorization of the
material. Moreover, I also learned about the geography of the bay and about the effects that
the increment of temperature can cause marine biodiversity. I always thought very interestingly
the marine biology, but this field trip provided me how broad this field is because before I used
to think that it would only focus on organisms, but it goes beyond organisms and also focuses
on the environment, impacts, changes/ evolution, … The only thing I would change on this trip
is that we should have a delicious meal with the class after the field trip =) food is everything!
hahaha