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River Science: Wildlife

Although the river ecology is not part of a specific student presentation on this Voyage of Discovery, the Half Moon still provides us with an excellent vantage point to examine the flora and fauna of Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River.

During research layovers, we take groups of students out on Zodiac expeditions to explore the nearby wetlands and search for specimens of native plant and animal life to study.

On this voyage, we will also be specifically seeking to collect foraminifera specimens for the Bowser laboratory; see below.

The first of several stowaways, this clam came up on a muck-covered anchor in Graves End Bay during our shakedown voyage to New London. These clams are also common throughout Long Island Sound, so it will not be an invasive species when we return it to the water at the voyage's conclusion.

These crabs were collected during a Zodiac expedition in Niantic Bay. Jamie and Nora were first to identify them as two different species; the green crabs are, shockingly, called green crabs, and the larger, brick-red crab is an Atlantic rock crab.

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A tiny crab.

Another stowaway, this tiny crab was discovered on the orlop deck after being carried in on the anchor rode in Niantic Bay. We placed it in the aquarium where, unfortunately, we think it was immediately eaten by its larger cousins. A number of snails suffered the same fate; the clam should be thankful for its thick shell.

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A tiny insect.

This little insect also gathered quite a bit of attention. We're still working on identifying its species, but for now Carolann has dubbed it "Fredalicious."

Ms. Cosgrove has a special mission on this voyage: she is to collect samples of benthic foraminifera, microscopic organisms that live in marine and freshwater enviroments. Because they often live on the bottom's surface, they can be studied to determine the age of the sediments they live in and identify changes in environment.

These kinds of foraminifera have not been extensively studied in East Coast estuaries such as the Hudson or Connecticut Rivers. Ms. Cosgrove's samples will be studied by the Bowser laboratory at Wadsworth Institute for Health Sciences in Albany, NY, and will add to the body of information we collected during our Three Rivers Voyage of Discovery two years ago.

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