Be sure to look at these photos of "People and Other Organisms." Although these photos appear to focus on individuals, there is much ecology and a sense of place in each photo! Here is a "Quicktime Slide Show"of some of the interesting places and people that I've had the privilege of knowing over the years.

TME Class Pictures 2002

TME Class Pictures 1999

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• Here are all of us heading to the San Salvador airport on the last day of the course.(TME 99)
  • Some folks seem pretty happy!! I hope they enjoyed the experience. (TME 99)
• We did an intertidal zone study of the # of gastropods that inhabit the Yellow Zone. Check this cool team out! Hey Rick, what is your hand doing? (TME 99)
• Check out the Three Amigos! (TME 99)
• James was the official "Head Counter." Virginia hid from James under the truck to see if he could get the count right. (TME 99)
• Cockburntown from the back of the truck. (TME 99)
  • Scott looks like he's been out all night. (TME 99)
  • Lunch is always wonderful under the Almond tree. It's cool and shady. People get a little crazy! And it's time for a few pictures! (TME 99)
  • Ying thought about buying a hat! (TME 99)
• A 375 mb QUICKTIME Movie of the 1999 TME course. Only for the fastest T1 connections!
• A glimpse of the back of our favorite truck (with people) on San Salvador. (TME 99)
• Hays "makes a point" in the No-No room. (TME 99)
• A few of our graduate students graze at Mirandas on San Salvador (TME 99)
• The seagrass team celebrating another successful sampling day in Rice Bay.(TME 99)
• Virginia and Melody and Michele hang out at the airport waiting for the Bahamas Air Flight to San Salvador. (TME 99)
• James caught a beautiful sunset in Grahams Harbor. (TME 99)
• Club Med and a sudden storm chased us from the Grotto. (TME 99)
• Do get out of the sun, some of us ate lunch under the truck (including Hays) (TME 99)
  • After all, it was pretty hot! (TME 99)
  • Another Under-the-Truck Shot (TME 99)
• Hays said he "Had to Kick It!" The Rice Bay Geologic Time Metaphor (TME 99)
  • Here's what Hays looked like after spotting the shark. (TME 99)
• Disembarking from the truck was always fun! (TME 99)
• A "White Ass Crew" after leaning against the Lighthouse. (TME 99)
• Hello Becky!!(TME 99)
• A few of the class works, talks and relaxes in the NO-NO Room. (TME 99)
• Larry's Smile. (TME 99)
• The Class on Manhead Key. (TME 99)
  • Another shot (closer than the one above) (TME 99)
• Sharon and Virginia get ready for their first snorkel in the Florida Mangroves. (TME 99)
• Scott and Maria on Manhead Key. (TME 99)
• A few of the class on the Telephone Pole Reef snorkel in Fernandez Bay. (TME 99)
• A Happy View of folks in the back of the truck near Cockburntown. (TME 99)
• American Divers provided us with a wonderful dinner in Key Largo, Florida. And yes, Scott really does look like this all the time. (TME 99)
• Melody poses along North Point (TME 99)
• A fine class picture at the Lighthouse. (TME 99)
• An Alligator (Alligator mississipiensis)"Splits the Class in Two!" in the Everglades. Here is another perspective! (TME 99)

Grotto Beach

• Whitney, Just what are you looking at? Full Moons Rising! (TME 99)
  • Scott gets carried away! (TME 99)
  • Full Moons "Do Rise During Midday!"(TME 99)
  • The "Far-Side" of the Full Moon. (TME 99)
• The Grotto Beach lends itself to horseplay(TME 99)
  • Who will fall first? (TME 99)
  • Things got nasty after this photo (TME 99)
  • It looked like fun! (TME 99)
• The beautiful sand ripples at Grotto Beach. (TME 99)

The Shortstop!

• Jen and Stacy seem to be having a good time. (TME 99)
• Larry, Jyl, Margot, Lynn and others dancing up a storm. (TME 99)
• Melody, Jyl and Karen. (TME 99)
• Rick and Hays (TME 99)
• Virginia and Hays relaxing (TME 99)
• Rick and Ying danced up a storm--both were soaked in sweat. (TME 99)
• Ying at the shortstop with a "beer label" tatoo! (TME 99)

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TME Class Picture-1998

• Another quote from Melissa's journal.(TME 98)
  • The class waits for our Bahamian Air Flight from Miami, Fl. (TME 98)
• The Institute of Environmental Science Crew (Alex, Scott, Jyl, Tara and Melissa) at Watlings Castle, San Salvador. (TME 98)
• A beach entry on the way to Snapshot Reef, Fernandez Bay, San Salvador (TME 98)
• Our class loads up the truck as we leave Telephone Pole reef in Fernandez Bay, San Salvador. (TME 98)
  • Another happy truck view. (TME 98)
  • The two Amys and Claire in the truck, (TME 98)
  • Loading up and going home! (TME 98)
  • Departures are the order of the day! (TME 98)
• During the Drought of '98, many palms were in bloom! San Salvador (TME 98)
• Everyone took a turn cleaning the truck! on San Salvador (TME 98)
  • The trip from the airport to the field station.
  • Some last minute instructions from your professor in the truck!
  • Another truck shot! (TME 98)
• The boat trip to Gaulin reef and Catto Key. Grahams Harbor, San Salvador (TME 98)
• After 1000 "No-See-Um" Bites, the class showed off their newly designed Tattoos! (TME 98)
• A special treat coming back from the hot and steamy Everglades. We stopped at the "Robert is Here" fruit stand for refreshments. (TME 98)
• Our class tempts fate at the "blow hole" along the southern shore of San Salvador. (TME 98)
• One of our favorite spots for lunch was under the almond tree in Cockburntown, San Salvador. (TME 98)
• The Reef Rock in Key Largo was our home base in the beginning of the course. Here, students wait for lecture.
• Laboratory 2 was our research home! The students had fun and worked hard. I was quite impressed (seriously!) with their work ethic! (TME 98)
  • Melissa, Diana, Joe and Brian work on coral identification in our field station lab.(TME 98)
    • Amy and Shondricka learning their corals! (TME 98)
    • Alex strains to remember! (TME 98)
• In the dining hall, one can meet all sorts of good people! (TME 98)
  • Many of our class (mostly Environmental Science Students!) try to beat the breakfast rush in the dining hall. (TME 98)
• A class picture at the lighthouse.(TME 98)
• A weird picture of Allison and Scott.(TME 98)
• Tara looks like a "'greased up wrestler" along an old Pleistocene shoreline near Grotto Beach. (TME 98)
• A class picture in the No-No room after a scintillating lecture by yours truly! (TME 98)
• The waters on the northern end of Key West at Boca Chica were quite shallow, but beautiful. (TME 98)
• Melissa enters the opening of the lighthouse cave. (TME 98)
  • Melissa finds a starfish in Grahams Harbor, San Salvador. (TME 98)
• A fine picture of some of our classmates on the American Dream. (TME 98)
• Melissa and Joe on the deck of the American Dream. (TME 98)
• These folks seem pretty happy about their trip to the Florida reefs. (TME 98)
• Jeremy becomes "lighthouse keeper" of the day. (TME 98)
• The old, ancient kitchen at Watlings Castle, San Salvador. (TME 98)
  • Our group climbs like monkeys on the castle. (TME 98)
  • Melissa poses for a picture under a door frame while Allison and Claire explore. (TME 98)
  • The instructor and Shondrika pose next to an old cooking fireplace. (TME 98)
• Iguanas were the main attraction at Green Key, San Salvador. (TME 98)
  • Here is another iguana (Cyclura rileyi releyi) close up, Green Key. (TME 98)
• Allison shows off the fish she caught trolling in Grahams Harbor, San Salvador.(TME 98)
• The students are really engaged in their intertidal work. Melissa and Ken are on the left, a "bio-challenge group" on the right. (TME 98)
  • Organisms truly shape the intertidal limestone topography! (TME 98)

The Shortstop!

Captain Edbert Plays in Bernies Band at the Shortstop! Another band member plays using a saw! (TME 98)

• People go crazy at the shortstop! . Even Allie and Claire were dancing! (TME 98)
  • Melissa and Amy are dancing to Bernie's rythyms at the shortstop. (TME 98)
  • Yes! The Shortstop Celebration on the last night. (TME 98)
  • For those that didn't want to take the long walk to the Shortstop, the "Snack Bar" at the field station (Melissa and Crew!) did just fine! (TME 98)

TME Class Picture-1997 (SE shore of San Sal near Snow Bay)

• Dave Smith Performing a Jedi Mind Trick on a weak minded hermit Crab!! Sumeda is "In Training"! Other young Jedis struggle to learn the latest techniques.
• Matt Rupturing Blood Vessels in his eye at the crushing snorkle depth of 3 meters!
  • Matt and Dave Show Off their Cnidarian stings and Mask Squeeze !
  • Dave and Diana Expose Their Cnidarian Aggravations!
• Barb Dean is an elementary teacher who does the artwork for our beautiful T-shirts.
• A Happy Crew in Route to a Snorkling Sight in French Bay (TME 97)
• Our Trustworthy Truck. It only had to be pushed once to start it.
• TME Class 1997 SE coast of San Sal. This blow hole was enlarged about 50X due to Hurricane Lilli. Another Class Photo. They are laughing because the instructor, well,...I won't say! (TME 97)
• Your Instructor Getting Ready to Enter Lighthouse Cave. He was using a Canon A2 with a 28-105 mm Canon lense. (TME 97)
• I jumped out of the truck many times--students never knew when this might happen. I felt like a Tour Guide Stopping at Every Interesting Spot on San Salvador.
  • Pictures of the class in the Truck were Quite Popular.
• In-route to Another Snorkeling Site. Our TME '97 class in the back of the Truck.
• We Returned from a Beautiful Snorkel of Pigeon Creek onto the Ebb Tidal Delta and into Snow Bay!
• We escape an approaching Thunderstorm (TME 97)
• Of course, the Shortstop is a Favorite Watering Hole. Kira was drinking heavily (Note the water bottle!) But Kira Was Not Alone!
  • Dave did a dance called "The Dendrogyra."Only he could do it well, but we all tried.
• Students work diligently on Modeling the Phases of the Moon with Flashlights and Floats. The lab challenges students to test their preconceptions about something they think they know lots about! (TME 97)
• Laura and Barb having a Discussion at the Airport. Will the plane be on time? (TME 97)
• Marcy Snorkeling with a Beautiful Acropora in the Background.
• Niki Descending into the Bowels of San Salvador! (Lighthouse Cave, of course)
• Some of the TMErs Hamming It up at the Cockburntown Fossil Reef.
• Sharks were the "Fish of the Trip." Ken Hooked a Few Sharks, But Marcy was the Champ Shark Fisherperson!
  • Michael Removes this 1.2 Meter Shark from the Fishing Line, 12:30 am, Key Largo.
  • A Closeup of the Shark and Mike (TME 97)
• Michael Lands a Huge Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)at French Bay, San Salvador.
• Marcy at the Lighthouse Walkway.
• Loading up the Truck on the Last Day at the Field Station!
• Never Put a "No Swearing" Sign in Public! (TME 97)

TME Class Picture1996 French Bay. TME Class Picture 1996 taken at the lighthouse

• Relaxing at the Shortstop: The last night of the course, TME '96, San Salvador.
• Playing Dominoes
• Open Air Views: We spend a lot of time in the trucks going from site to site
• Crossing the Airport Runway on the way to Fernandez Bay
• Instructor in a Relaxed Pose

The Trop Marine Ecology Class of '91:The Lightning Class

• The Class Begins Our Trek across the Red Bay Tidal Flats. This area is dry except during the highest storm surge and after heavy rains. J.D. leads the way.
• A Wonderful Day on the Tidal Flats (Andros Island)
• The TME Lightning Class of '91: Heather Ward is first to cross the creek on Andros Island. Scott leads the way on another Creek Crossing.
• A Tidal Creek Crossing: These folks are glad to be alive after being struck by lightning!
• Another Crossing of a tidal creek along the western shore of Andros. Robin Bolser, now a Ph.D student at the Univ of California, is leading the way.
• Mudflat Walk (Slight changes in elevation are extremely important in determining vegetation density and type, Andros Island, Red Bay. )
• Sometimes the change in elevation is so slight, the Tidal Flats are High and Dry except during the highest of tides.

Other Shots!

• Airplane View of Inland Lakes, San Salvador, Bahamas
• Tidal Flat Drilling
• Fossil Dunes, North Point, San Salvador (Eolian dunes about 6000 years old)
• A Papaya tree in bloom, Bahamian Field Station. (TME 98)
• Sargassum comes in many varieties. Some is pelagic--it floats near the ocean surface.Other Sargassum is attached to the bottom, but Uses its Floats to Stay Erect.
• Huge Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)Nest, High Key, San Salvador (They say Columbus first spotted the white carbonate sands of the 30 m tall cliffs of High Cay)
• Snorkeler, French Bay, San Sal
• The Landscape of the SE Coast near Snow Bay, San Salvador, is very hot and dry. (TME 97)
• Each student did a Short Presentation of their Work at the Dig.The island has a real, tangible history.
• Amy returns to the truck after the Pigeon Creek snorkel, San Salvador. (TME 98)

The Sunsets on San Salvador, Bahamas are some of the most spectacular I have ever seen.

• Incredible Sunset over San Salvador Bahamas (Taken from the Field Station)
• A beautiful sunset following a hot day on San Salvador! (TME 98)
• Another Beautiful Sunset ('97)This Next One is Slightly Different!
• This is Laura's idea of a Beautiful Sunset! A bit wierd, but iinteresting! TME 97)
• One Sunset was on a Cloudy Day (TME 97)
• A beautiful sunset over Green Key in Grahams Harbor, San Salvador. (TME 99)

Dive Boats-Florida Keys

Grahams Harbor-Bahamas--Quicktime Slideshows (large (~8mb) & Small (2.1mb)

Our boat leaves the shoreline on the way to the keys in Grahams Harbor, San Salvador.(TME 97)

• Boat trips to the islands in Grahams Harbor are always interesting and a learning experience. Each year is a little different-but it's always a blast!
  • Bryan and Stephanie seem eager to make landfall. Scott and company on the starboard side. We saw a Titanic Rerun! (TME 00)
  • Susan and Elizabeth. Susan didn't know she would be shit upon by terns on Catto Key-neither did Scott or Bryan! (TME 00)
  • Birds, Birds, everywhere.....! Then Diving! A Great Day! (TME 00)
• A view of Gaulin and Catto Keys from the Field Station Boat. Captain Edbert showed us the way! (TME 00)
  • This shot gets all three keys-White, Gaulin and Catto in the field of view. (TME 00)
  • Who's steering the boat to Catto Key?
  • A close-up view of Catto Key. (TME 00)
  • A view of the Field Station from Gaulin Reef. (TME 00)
  • A view of Gaulin Key with the Lighthouse and the Field Station in the distance. (TME 00)
  • Gaulin and Catto Keys as seen from the bow of our boat. We had a blast! (TME 00)
  • A view of the Cut on North Point from Grahams Harbor. Here is a wider perspective. (TME 00)
  • Gaulin Key is in the background as we get ready to dive on Gaulin Reef! (TME 00)
  • The Barrier Reef extends from Catto Key to White Key. Looks like the reef is built on submerged sand dunes to me. (TME 00)
  • A few of our Group on the way to Catto Key (TME 97)
  • Boat Trip to Gaulin Key, Grahams Harbor (TME '97)
• Here is a view from the boat of White Key. As we get closer, you can see Magnificent Frigates on the weathered Sand Dunes Some of my fine students pose on the high energy side of White Key--the N Atlantic is behind them. (TME 00)
• White Key has an extensive High Energy Intertidal Zone as well as a "Bioerosive" Notch. A picture of your fearless leader. (TME 00)
• A Spectacular View of White Key from Catto Key. (TME 00)
• A few folks are sat on the bow of the field station boat as we made our way to the first stop. (TME 98)
  • Gaulin Key lies straight ahead. Ken, Melissa, Joe and Jyl wonder what we will see! (TME 98)
  • The class loads up the boat after visiting White Key in Grahams Harbor. We're on our way to Gaulin Reef for a snorkel. Captain Edbert is at the helm. (TME 98)
  • A close-up of Ken, Melissa and Joe on the bow. (TME 98)
  • Allie and Claire eagerly await the trip to Green Key to see the iguanas. (TME 98)
• Boat Trip to Gaulin Key, Grahams Harbor (Joyce, a 7th grade teacher in Ohio, is the Captain, TME '96)
• A view of Grahams Harbor (Colors and all) from North Point. (TME 00)
• Jen, Stacy, and Tom on their way to Catto Key and Gaulin Reef in Grahams Harbor. (TME 99)
• A view of our boat on the Gaulin Key SCUBA and snorkel. (TME 99)
• A snorkel in Grahams Harbor yielded much ecological bounty! The seagrass was loaded with starfish and molluscs. (TME 99)
• Quicktime Movie! Damage from Hurricane Floyd ('99) appeared to be minimal near the Bahamian Field Station even though the eye of this category 4 storm passed just 20 nm north of the island! (TME 00)

Intertidal Zone Studies

Manhead Key & Rice Bay

Manhead Key is a very special island just east of the Bahamian Field Station in Rice Bay. Pleistocene in age, it makes for some very interesting comparisons with the North Point Fossil Dune system. Rhizomorphs are abundant, indigenous pottery is common (we always leave it there!), and a healthy population of iguanas thrives. We reach it by snorkling. The high energy side is fantastic! In this Picture, the Fossil Dunes Lie on what was once Seafloor! (At least that is my interpretation. The picture was taken with a Nikonos V. On the left of the dune field, the flat area has distinct ripple marks upon which the dunes lie. Other interpretations are welcome! E-Mail: Hays C )

Cockburntown Fossil Reef

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Caves!

Lighthouse Cave

This cave system is connected to the ocean. Water level in the cavern responds, with a significant lag time, to oceanic high & low tides. It can be unnerving to see watermarks on the cave walls above your head. Everyone seems to really enjoy exploring this cave!

• On the Way Down through the Cave Entrance. Lynn was right behind me. (TME 97)
• The TME Class just within the cave. Flashlights are on. Bats are flying and screeching. We're not yet wet but are heading down! People are really nervous. They're thinking: Can I catch a disease from all of the bat shit in the air? What if the teacher got the high tide time screwed up? What if we get lost?
• Here we are a Little Further In. The "Cave Wade & Swim" Continues.
• Laura getting into the Lighthouse Cave Walk & Swim!
• The students didn't really know just how wet we were going to get! Joe , Joyce, and Marcy and Dan soon found out. Joe Ison and Dave Smith are having a blast! Thank God it's not high tide!

TME, Summer '97,'98, '99, '00 & '01 Lighthouse and Altar Caves

While the dialogue below focuses on people in TME, be sure to take a look at the pictures within these caves. The photos are excellent and provide much detail of the Lighthouse and Altar Cave environments.

• We had several Teachers go with us this summer. Michael and Emily celebrated their one year wedding anniversary in lighthouse cave. What are you doing there Rossen?
• Rossen was always going off on his own so I worried about his safety. Patricia was always up to something interesting. I could always count on her to add fun to the Group.
• Megan gave us a talk on sharks for her student presentation. She confided that she wouldn't pee in the ocean for days because she was afraid sharks would smell the urine and come bite her.
• Steve was a philosopher who always had something interesting to say.
• Charles is an IES student whose second SCUBA dive was the best of his life!
• Matt and Kira were very good friends.
• Sean in the beginning of the course (on the left) always wanted to know the utility of everything we did. Sean loosened up and had fun as the course progressed. I appreciated his many contributions.
• On the day we went to the cave, the temperature was near 95 degrees. Amy descends into the cave! Jeremy follows close behind! (TME 98)
  • Melissa enters the opening of lighthouse cave. (TME 98)
  • Ken and Jeremy make a "tentative plunge" into the clear cave waters. (TME 98)
• Beth and Shondricka, who seems to be having a blast, make their way in this fabulous cave system. (TME 98)
• A bat tries to hide from the camera lights! (TME 98)
• What a happy bunch of people! Note the high water marks above their heads! (TME 98)
  • Jackie seems startled while the young girls swim through the deeper sections! (TME 98)
  • Ken, Alex, Amy, Tara and Melissa seem pretty into the cave walk! (TME 98)
  • Melissa and company move right along! (TME 98)
  • Jermey, Ken and Scott escort Allie and Claire. (TME 98)
  • Joe, Lynn, Joe and Susan....(TME 98)
  • Amy and Richelle, what are you doing? (TME 98)
• Our group leaves lighthouse cave after our adventure! (TME 98)
• Mark, Margot and Michele enter the cave on the ladder. Rick, Mark and Michele slowly edge their way to the water's edge. (TME 99)
• Mark, Jen, and Michele seem to be having a blast!(TME 99)
• Rick and Mark are having a blast! Scott and Marija went all the way to the deep recesses of the cave.(TME 99)
• Jen and Michele taking their first steps into the water. What a great place!!(TME 99)
• Matt's eyes show his enthusiasm for the cave (TME 99)
• Everyone was plenty excited about the cave exploration. Here we wait near the cave entrance. (TME 00)
  • Bromeliads were common near the entrance of the cave along the Trail. Storrs Lake (a hypersaline lake) can be seen in the distant south. (TME 00)
  • Craig descends into the cave. Students took turns descending--here's Mike. Mike was follwed by Stacee, then Allison and finally jacob.(TME 00)
  • George, Jodi, Leana and Mike pose beneath Stalagtites in Lighthouse Cave. Jodi, Susan and Dawn do the same thing. Here's Andrea and Allison. And, here's Elizabeth and Dan. (TME 00)
  • Lisa and Rachel make their way through the cave.. (TME 01)
  • Lorena and Tracy wonder which way to proceed--left or right?. (TME 01)
  • Scott watches over my daughter Allison and her friend Claire.. (TME 01)
  • What a bunch of troopers! Matt is an experienced cave explorer.. (TME 01)
  • Travis leaves the cave on the metal ladder but only after Stephanie left first. (TME 00)
  • These folks were the last to leave the cave. But before they left, they did a fun pose! (TME 00)
• Quicktime Movie! A potpourri of images and the many mosquitoes on the walk to the Lighthouse Cave! (TME 99)

Lighthouse Views

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Altar Cave

Altar Cave Entrance on San Salvador (An exit point for freshwater discharge along a former interior Pleistocene shoreline > 125,000 years ago located near Grotto Beach. It is possibly contemporaneous with the Cockburntown fossil reef and may be analogous, in geologic structure and mode of formation, (TME 98) to a portion of today's modern shoreline at Grotto Beach where freshwater discharge is occuring today. Here, we walk along the ancient Pleistocene shoreline to get to Altar Cave (TME 98). [Note the irregular blocks cemented into the old shoreline!] Once inside the cave, you can "stretch your bones" in the open cavity in front of a Carbonate Altar!

• Mike finds a land crab along the ancient fossil dune "shoreline." (TME 01)
• Rachel gets ready to enter the narrow entrance to Altar cave, formed along the former Pleistocene shoreline 125,000 years ago! (TME 01)
• Sarah is all "legs" as she maneuvers through the narrow entrance (TME 01)
• Sarah and Matt and Hays and Mike pose near the large carbonate mound (altar) in the large atrium of Altar Cave. And, here are Scott, Hays and Mike. (TME 01)
• Rachel models typical "cave regalia" of light and scarf!(TME 01)
• Buffy Flower Bats (Erophylla sezekorni) were quite populous in the cave. This female has a baby under her left wing! (TME 01)
• Some student "butts" put the Altar Cave tunnel crawl into "perspective." (TME 01)
• A few wonderful shots of the Altar Cave Chute (from inside to outside)-- Cindy cramped for space, Matt (the old cave pro!) and Scott, and Hays (laughing his ass off) and Ken. (TME 01)
• Finally, a perspective of the large atrium after the tunnel crawl. (TME 01)
• Tara crawls in, then out through the wide, but low, cave entrance! (TME 98)
• Melissa and Tara stand in awe in front of the sparkling pile! (TME 98)
• Once inside, everyone got an impressive view of the interior. (TME 98)
• Another vertical perspective of the interior of Altar Cave. (TME 98)
• Bryan illustrates just how shallow the entrance is to Altar Cave. (TME 98)

In June, 1991, my entire Tropical Marine Ecology class was struck by lightning on San Salvador. We all survived the experience. For more info concerning this event, see the article Struck by lightning in the Bahamas in the Journal of Geological Education.1992.Vol 40 (3):225-226.

• Here is the thunderstorm that generated the lightning bolt (The soft, smooth "hood" at the top of the thunderstorm is known as a pileus cloud. Pileus clouds are indicative of rapid uplift.)
• Just prior to the lightning strike we were gathered on the lighthouse keeper's front porch for safety purposes. We knew we were in trouble.
• Post-lightning strike discussion one hour later after the lightning strike. We wouldn't leave the lighthouse keeper's home till the rain had stopped and there was no lightning within 20 Bazillion miles! We were very Happy to be Alive!

Lightning Strike Burns

Manatees--A Close Encounter!

This year we had the pleasure of viewing a solitary West Indian manatee (Trichechus inunguis latirostris) for about 20 minutes as he fed along the Key Largo western shoreline of Florida Bay at mileage marker 98. It was amazing!

• A close-up view of its head and nostrils as he takes a breath! (TME 01)
• Another close-up perspective of the manatee,algae and seagrass buffet! (TME 01)
• Many manatees have boat propeller scars on their backs. (TME 01) This small male looked relatively untouched. (TME 01)
• Here, the manatee stirs up sediment while getting a bite to eat! (TME 01)
• Finally, this beautiful creature swam southward along the shoreline. Wow! (TME 01)
• A Manatee Seagrass Buffet (TME 01)
• QUICKTIME Movies of this beautiful Manatee. The files are very large, but, the movies are terrific.
• Florida manatees are endangered---habitat loss and competition for habitat with humans. This manatee was "cut-up" by powerboats in a Florida marina, Florida 2003 Trip, Quicktime Streaming MPEG-4 Movie. Music by Deep Forest Earthquake Transition
  • This video shows the manatee cruising along the shoreline. We were excited! (TME 01)
  • This beautiful video focuses upon the manatee's head region (TME 01)
  • This movie zeroes in on the manatee's whiskers, nostrils, and chewing of seagrass! (TME 01)
  • The last video shows the manatee actually "rooting" along the bottom for food! AMAZING! (TME 01)
• And, check out: Selected References on the Sirenia

Quicktime Movies- Birds & Gopher Tortises

Birds

Here are two pictures of more than 40 Everglades bird species (A and B)--from "Birds of the Everglades," Florida Flair Books

• Magnificent Birds including pelicans, ospreys and a bald eagle, Florida Spring Break Trip, Quicktime Streaming MPEG-4 Movie. Music by Deep Forest Sweet Lullaby, Spring 2003
• My first visit during the winter (12/16/00)!! I was astounded by the concentrations of wildlife along the Anhinga Trail! Many, many alligators and birds were concentrated in and around the ponds. (Winter, 2000)
  • Here is an Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea). A few meters away, there was a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) hunting for fish. Here is another perspective of the Great Blue!
  • In the neighborhood, a Great Egret (Ardea alba) )was in breeding plummage!
  • Wow! A Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) and a Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) showing off it's "Golden Slippers."
  • An American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)watches my progress from a perch in a Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) tree. Interestingly enough, these cypress trees were in bloom! The "Ball Mosses" (Tillandsia usneoides), in the bromeliad family (which includes pineapples), were also in flower. A fine sight against a crisp, blue sky!
  • The views from the elevated walkways were fantastic! Off in distance were numerous cypress trees.
  • A Quicktime Slideshow of a rare wintertime visit to the glades. Lots of birds and fine weather! (Dec 2000)
• Here is a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) panting in the hot summer sun along the Anhinga trail. Another perspective! What a beautiful bird! (TME 01)
• Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) seem to be making a come-back in southern Florida. Here are a few interesting photos from Key Largo and Everglades National Park. (TME 01)
  • An osprey sits on a channel maker at Flamingo as it eats a recent catch! Flamingoes and herons feed in the distant background. Here is a close-up! (TME 01)
  • An osprey pair decided to build their nest on the Flamingo weather station! (TME 01)
  • I love this picture--an osprey nest on an isolated red mangrove in Florida Bay! (TME 01)
  • On Key Largo, an osprey landed just above us on the Florida Bay shore. (TME 01)
• This commorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)had just finished catching a fish! It was amazing! (Anhinga Trail, TME 98)
• Limpkins (Aramus guarauna) are very interesting "swamp wading" birds that specialize in eating Freshwater Gastropods known as Pond Apple Snails. Here is an "Egg Cluster" of the Pond Apple snail along the Anhinga Trail. (TME 03)
• Another Spectacular Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) Photo along with an Egg Cluster of the elusive Pond Apple Snail! Here is the Pond Apple Tree. (TME 98)
• A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)in a SW Florida coastal swamp. Another Great Blue along a SW Florida shoreline. An extraordinary Great Blue Closeup.
• Brown Pelicans (Pelicanus occidentalis)are incredibly graceful fliers and successful fishermen. You wouldn't know it from their Takeoff! When diving for fish, they strike the water at excessive speeds without somehow suffering brain damage.
• Pelicans and Herons resting and hunting in SW Florida. Note the Australian pines (Casuarina equisetifolia) along the shoreline.
• This Sandpiper (perhaps a type of sandpiper known as a Willet (Catoptrophorus semiplammatus?)) is foraging for food along the muddy shoreline of a tropical lagoon in SW Florida.
• I was able to get close to a group of Seabirds resting on a sandy beach. The group was facing into a stiff southerly breeze before I disturbed them. Suddenly, they all jumped up into the air in Frantic Flight. More pictures: The same flock of Royal Terns-Sterna maxima (with the yellow beaks) and Black Skimmers (with red beaks) in flight.
• Green Heron (Butorides striatus),Everglades National Park The bird stayed very still as I approached to take its picture. Another perspective of the same Green Heron .
• An absolutely stunning photo of a Green Heron (Butorides striatus) in the Everglades National Park, 2003. Here is a slightly different perspective. (TME 03)
  • Here is the same Green Heron (Butorides striatus) as above, but, with some subtle changes in perspective! Absolutely wonderful! And, one more time! WOW! (TME 03)
• Here is a wonderful photo of a Green Heron (Butorides striatus) Hunting at the base of a Cypress Tree stand in the Everglades. Wow! (TME 03)
• Blue Heron Sunset (SW Florida)
• In the identification of egrets and herons, it is important to note the color of the feathers, the beak, and the legs and feet. This Beautiful Bird kept me in suspense. Based upon the color of the legs, is it a Reddish Egret or a Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)?The next frame shows the Bird Walking and exposing its black legs and golden slippers. You make the call!
• Anhingas (Anhinga anhinga)are amazing birds. When paddling on the water surface, they look like they are about to Sink and Drown at any moment! Below the surface, Anhingas are amazing swimmers where they feed primarily on fish.Their feathers are not water proof. When not fishing, they are Commonly Seen Perching on buoys or tree branches. If they are really wet, to dry off, they often Perch with the wings spread in the sun. Here is a Young Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)and a Pair of Birds in the Everglades.
• A Spectacular close-up of a healthy Anhinga. Here is another perspective. (TME 00)
  • This year we even found Anhinga Chicks in their nests! (TME 00)
• Recent studies have shown that Anhingas (Anhinga anhinga)spread their wings to warm up their bodies, not to dry their wings! (TME 98)

Quicktime Movies of Birds in Southwest Florida and the Everglades

You'll need Apple's Quicktime to view these movies.

Magnificent Birds including pelicans, ospreys and a bald eagle, Florida Spring Break Trip, Quicktime Streaming MPEG-4 Movie. Music by Deep Forest Sweet Lullaby, Spring 2003 Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus)are remarkable birds of prey who have taken to catching fish for a living. Here is a nesting pair on North Captiva Island. There nests are often greater than a meter in diameter. They were unhappy with my presence! A close-up view of a nesting osprey. Check out that bill! The same squeaking, beautiful osprey as it gets ready for flight! A beautiful and tall Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)(about 1.5 meters tall) poses then makes a mad dash for a fisherman's bait bucket! This Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)is Hunting in the woods. Willets (Catoptrophorus semiplammatus?)groom peacefully on the shoreline of a Florida pond in the early March morning hours. This Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)struts across the beach towards the Gulf of Mexico. The next day, the Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)was feeding on crabs? along the shoreline of the coastal pond. These birds are skilled and impressive predators. Many Great Egrets fed on lizards far away from the shoreline. This Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)in breeding plumage, may have been doing the same thing! A Double Crested Commorant (Phalacrocorax auritus),while looking ungainly in the water, is an amazingly effective predator when swimming underwater! Anhingas (Anhinga anhinga) fascinate me. They seem a bit awkward on land but they are graceful and amazingly effective aquatic predators in the water. Wow! (TME 00)

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Plants

• Hurricane Andrew devastated southern Florida and the Everglades in Aug, 1992. Here, a stand of native pines has not recovered. (TME 98)
  • Rick and Blake examine a twisted broken Pine Tree along the Long Pine Key Trail, 8 years after hurricane Andrew.(TME 00)
• Students examine and discuss the invasive species (Casuarina equisetifolia) at the Everglades visitor center. (TME 98)
  • Exotic, invasive species of plants (examples include the Australian Pine (Casuarina equisetifolia), the Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius)and another Australian exotic (Melaleuca quinquenervia)are common in southern Florida. The Australian Pine (Casuarina)is very common along coastal areas in southern Florida. The Australian Pine is not a pine at all. Note the segmented needles (leaves) on the photograph and the knobby fruit. The second photo shows the Australian Pine leaves and most likely male Flowers. The plant grows rapidly, up to 1.5 meters per year, and is displacing many native coastal plant species. The tree also has been known to disrupt turtle nesting sites. Stands of these invasive species are often over 8 meters tall and can be very thick and broad in their extent (For scale, a gull is flying in the foreground). Go HERE for more on the impacts of introduced species on native flora and fauna in the United States.
• Melaleuca quinquinervia (note the characteristic peeling bark) has become an extremely serious problem in southern Florida. Thousands of acres of land have become overgrown with this agressive, invasive species. We found an example of one huge individual tree that was being slowly killed by a Strangler Fig (on the outside of the Melaleuca)! (TME 00)
• A wide angle view of the Everglades Prairie. This shot doesn't come close to capturing the beauty of the "River of Grass." Here is a beautiful photo of the "sea of grass" on a late December day. (Winter, 2000)
• There were numerous unidentified" Flowers in Bloom" along the Long Pine Key Trail. Here is another beauty! (TME 00)
• Big Cypress Swamp (An important freshwater ecosystem just NW of the Everglades)
• A beautiful Orchid is in bloom at the base of a Pond Apple tree along the Anhinga Trail. (TME 00)
• A Strangler Fig in the Everglades. The parasitic fig will eventually completely encompass and kill its host. Charles stands next to a Strangler Fig on the Anhinga Trail (TME 97). Here is the same tree, but three years later. (TME 00)
  • Susan stands next to another Strangler Fig near the Royal Palm Visitor Center. (TME 00)
• The Everglades is known as a "River of Grass." Much of the grass is the triangular shaped, sharp Sawgrass. Ever try walking through it? Here it is in flower! Note the male anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis)strutting its stuff! (TME 98)
  • In some respects, the everglades resembles a "Midwest Prairie." (TME 98)
• A beautiful water lilly flower.
• Sawgrass is the dominant vegetation in the Water Conservation districts North of the Everglades. The Sawgrass seems to "go on forever."(TME 00)
• Usually the Mahagony Trail is infested with mosquitos. Not this time! The walkway was free and clear. The largest West Indian Mahagony tree (Swietenia mahagoni)in the continental US can be found in the Mahagony hammock in the Everglades. (TME 98)
• Sawgrass was in Flower near Taylor's Slough. (TME 99)
• The biological landscape in the Everglades is controlled by slight changes in elevation. Higher elevations are dominated by Pine trees (Long Pine Key for example) while the Lower Elevations give way to freshwater grasses. (TME 00)
  • Long Pine Key in the Everglades is a fantastic spot to view the effects slight changes in elevation have on plant distribution.(TME 00)
• The Taylor Slough is an important conduit of water along the eastern side of the park. Elevated walkways along the Anhinga Trail give students a chance to walk above the flowing water. (TME 00)
• Quicktime Movies!! Long Pine Key (Everglades) is an amazing place. Slight changes in elevation can have a huge impact on plant species composition--pines dominate the higher elevations giving way to grasses in the lower elevations. The plant diversity was very high! (TME 00)

• Our Guide this year was Ranger Kevin. He was extremely knowlegable and helpful. Here, he shows us the fruit of a Strangler Fig, a first for me. We have found all of the rangers to be very helpful, knowledgeable and friendly.
  • A beautiful Softshell turtle (Trionyx ferox)glides on past along the Anhinga Trail. (TME 98)
  • These huge Softshell turtles came out of the water to lay eggs in the heat of an Everglades day along the Anhinga Trail. It was amazing!(TME 00)
  • An amazing softshell turtle close-up along the Anhinga trail. This guy was as big as a garbage can lid! Here is a view of its webbed feet. Another turtle comes to the surface in this photo. Wow! (TME 01)
  • Check out this extreme closeup of an Everglades Softshell Turtle adjacent to the main road on the way to Mahagony Trail. She has a face that only a mother could love! (TME 03)
  • Quicktime Movie!! Several large Softshell Females came to nest along the banks of the Anhinga Trail--impressive animals. They showed no fear. (TME 00)
    • The turtle carefully digs her nest. She was in the "Zone." Then, the eggs are laid and the turtle sheds a tear which are followed by Susan's Tears! (TME 00)
• We came across a "Slider" turtle (Trachemys scripta) crossing the road on this December Day (12/16/00). We couldn't resist picking it up. What a beautiful specimen! (Winter, 2000)
• On June 10, 1997, southern Florida and the Everglades received as much as 16 inches of rainfall in one day. The Everglades were flooded, so much so that water was up to the main roadway. We spotted numerous Alligators (Alligator mississipiensis)and thousands of birds (Mostly Great Egrets) feeding at the interface between the Glades and the main road. The sight was fantastic! One gator was spotted actually eating a turtle. Hawks were feeding on rats pushed up to the side of the road.
  • Small Gator along the Anhinga Trail. A Larger Gator sunning itself.
  • This alligator was the largest and fattest specimen I have ever seen in the Everglades (Royal Palm Trail).It was over 3 meters long! (TME 00)
  • Even Rock Reef Pass (elevation .9 meter!) was threatened with flooding.
• We were Eaten Alive by Voracious Mosquitoes on Mahagony Trail (Everglades National Park, TME 97)
• Jon and others listen to the ranger talk about Everglades ecology on the Anhinga Trail. Our ranger was a gracious host! (TME 99)
• Tom shows off a "few" of the mosquito bites he obtained while gingerly walking one loop of the Mahagony Trail Loop, famous for having the largest Mahagony tree in the continental United States! I would hate to be a mammal that lived here on a continual basis! (TME 03)
• The trail included a boardwalk as the ranger led the way. (TME 99)
  • Our ranger, Frankie, led the way on the elevated walkway. (TME 99)
  • Frankie lectures to us. (TME 99)
  • An Alligator "Splits the Class in Two!" in the Everglades.(TME 99)
• Key Largo was once a thriving reef over 100,000 years ago. It was not thought to be a barrier reef because Acropora palmatais absent. Here, we Explore a Canal Cut (TME 97). Studying the Fossil Reef makes for wonderful and interesting comparisons with the modern day barrier reefs offshore. Here is a classic photo of a modern day Bahamian Barrrier Reef as seen from the air. Bet it's loaded with Acropora! (TME 03)
• Neartic River Otters (Lutra canadensis)are common in the mangrove estuaries of SW Florida. They seem to be very Curious and often investigate your presence. She finally took a Slinky Dive and swam away.
• An alligator (Alligator mississipiensis)is swimming in Tannin Rich, Chocolate Colored Waters leached from the surrounding mangrove swamp.
• We stopped at the Everglades visitor center and looked at movies about issues concerning the park. We also checked the maps to make sure we were going where we thought we were! (TME 99)

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Gopher Tortises (Gopherus polyphemus)

Before coming to SW Florida, I had only seen two Gopher Tortises in the wild (another Tortise Closeup). They belong to the Family Testudinidae which includes the famous Galapogos tortises as well as Tortises from the Islands off the East Coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. All turtles in this family are completely terrestrial. Gopher tortises belong to the genus (Gopherus)of which there are three species in the United States. In the southeast US, the species is (polyphemus).They are primarily vegetarians and live in elaborate burrow systems. Their burrows are often shared with commensals such as the harmless indigo snake, gopher frog, and the poisonous diamondback rattler. Somtimes foxes have been known to take refuge from hunters in their burrows.

There was a time I would have given up all of my meager bank account just to spot a gopher tortise in the wild! They require sandy soil for burrowing and their numbers are declining primarily due to habitat destruction. In Florida, these rugged looking turtles can be locally abundant and their burrows can be a significant landscape feature. I spotted three in one day alone! This Tortise is on his way to his underground burrow and as adults, they can be Very Large! An adult's shell is often worn smooth from continual burrowing activity in sandy soil.

A close-up of a young Gopher Tortise Carapace (Upper Shell). The carapace has a series of laminae (scales) that can be divided into central, lateral and marginal laminae based upon their location on the shell. Each "horny scale" or lamina has a series of additions (aaptivanalogous to growth rings in trees) that represent each year of growth. How many years of growth can you make out on this spendid specimen? Other Pictures (Beautiful thunderstorms, sunrises, insects & orchids)

Gopher Tortise Quicktime Movies in Southwest Florida

You'll need Apple's Quicktime to view these movies.

The islands off the southwest Florida coast near Ft. Myers frequently have very large populations of tortises. I recently started a study (we surveyed 66 tortise burrows in March '99) of these fascinating creatures on North Captiva Island. The movies are quite large, but should be worth the wait! A view and description of tortise burrow #42. Here is a Panorama of the local habitat near burrow #42. Gopher Tortise "Turds" consist of partially digested vegetable material. They are common particularly in the burrow "Clusters." A "Classic Tortise Habitat" movie centering on one gopher tortise burrow. A very large gopher tortise on his way to feast on some flowers on a late afternoon in early March. This Amazing Close-Up movie illustrates the Muscularity of their legs. This guy also looks wise beyond his years and he looks very thirsty! Blake examines the first gopher tortise of the trip. Blake stands over the "Gemini Gopher Tortise Burrows." It was the only time we saw twin burrows. The author shows off another large tortise he and his son found the next day. This is a magnificent specimen! The state of Florida owns the land on the southern tip of North Captiva. Here is a 360° view of this wonderful gopher tortise habitat. After a long, hot day learning about gopher tortises, we view a stunning sunset! Gopher tortises were abundant on the islands off SW Florida, 2003 Florida Spring Break Trip, Quicktime Streaming MPEG-4 Movie. Music by Randy Newman You Can Leave Your Hat On

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• A thunderstorm erupts just north of the Everglades. (TME 98)
• Water Drainage Canals effectively "Strangle" the Everglades by diverting water away from the Everglades to the Atlantic ocean. (TME 00)
• Thunderstorm, Key Largo
• Another Fantastic Thunderstorm over Key Largo, '97
  • A Few Minutes Further into the Sunset! (Absolutely Fantastic Storm)
  • Mammatostratus Flowed Out from an adjacent storm. These clouds are indicative of extreme turbulence in the upper levels.
• An Unusual Shot of a Thunderstorm at the Miami Airport
  • I know this Doesn't Look Real, But I Assure You It Was Spectacular!
• Sunrises & Sunsets !
  • A SW Florida Spectacular Sunrise Another Photo Taken just Moments Before! Of course, the Sunset followed 10 hours later! ('97)
  • An amazing Quicktime movie of a Florida coastal sunset.
• One Hell of a Spider!
• An insect is eating this leaf as well as Making its Home from the leaf ribs!
• Orchids are quite common in the Everglades. We happened to come across some Flowering Orchids!

• A Swamp View at the transition between a Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)swamp and a freshwater marsh.
• A beautiful QUICKTIME SLIDE show of Jean Lafitte National Park, May 2000! Gators, Swamps, & Root Beer! (TREC 00)
• Quicktime Movies!! While on the way to Costa Rica, we stopped and visited Jean Lafitte National Park. Here, we came across the tree that was loaded with Ichneumonid Wasps that were laying eggs in the tree. My, what long ovipositors you have. Absolutely Amazing!! Here is another Perspective! I had to add one more movie--these insects are amazing. Here is a modem Quicktime STREAMING Example! and a Fast ethernet STREAMING Example(TREC 99)
• Spanish moss, alligators (Alligator mississipiensis)and a Great White Heron! ('98)
• Cyprees trees are common trees in swamps. These trees usually have Bald Cypress Knees (Taxodium distichum)adjacent to the main tree. Are these knees primarily for support? Or, like black mangroves, do they perform some respiratory function?
• Alligators are common in the park. Here is a Closeup of its Head Region. It later swam away.
• Swamp Iris In the spring, irises are very abundant in the transition zone between cypress swamps and the lower lying freshwater marshes. A beautiful unidentified flower on higher, dry ground in the swamp.
• Quicktime Movie!! A wonderful potpourri of animal life from Jean Lafitte National Park, 9/99. See the Dragonfly Slayer and the frog eating spider Nephilia! Here is a Quicktime STREAMING Video for slower connections!
• Quicktime Movie!! A potpourri of orb weaver spiders, flowers and Stone Rolling Wasps in Jean Lafitte National Park ('99)
• A Banded Water Snake(Nerodia sipedon) in the branches of a tree. These snakes are not poisonous but get very agitated when picked up. They readily bite and defecate when handled.
• A blue runner, (Coluber constrictor)makes its get-a-way! ('98)
• A Banded Water Snake(Nerodia sipedon) up close and personal.
  • When I took this photo of another Nerodia sp.snake, I didn't realize that the snake was just beginning to Shed its Skin! Look at the beginnings of the shed peeling up from his head.
  • This snake is Resting Its Head on a Log!
  • A Spectacular Close-up of a Green Water Snake(Nerodia erythrogaster?).
• Water Mocassins (Agkistrodon piscivorus) can be very common in swamps and other wetlands in southern Louisiana. On one spring day, we spotted four of these pit vipers in less than an hour! This is a juvenile.
  • A Larger Water Mocassin in the swamp. Adults tend to lose their "copperhead like" markings.
  • A juvenile resting on a log. These snakes seem fearless and are prone to hold their ground when threatened.
  • An Extreme Closeup of a juvenile on a log.
  • Extreme Closeup of a Larger Adult. ('98)
• A Dragonfly Closeup!
  • Another Spectacular Dragonfly Closeup! Now, Even Closer for a Blue Dragonfly!
• Quicktime Movies!! Prior to arriving in Costa Rica, I spent time in southern Louisiana at Jean Lafitte National Park. Here are two movies of a blue runner (Coluber constrictor)(1) first stalking and (2) then capturing a green anole (Anolis carolinensis)lizard. (TREC 99)
• Quicktime Movies!! In '99, we didn't see any snakes in Costa Rica. But in Jean Lafitte National Park, we saw several snakes including a small water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus) These pit vipers are known for their willingness to hold their ground. (TREC 99)

Pictures from Other Areas (The Flower Gardens Marine Sanctuary)

• Crab & Coral (Night dive-Flower Gardens Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico)
• A Spectacular Atlantic Manta Ray (Manta birostris)with Remoras

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