hello everyone! i have been super busy so here is an update
i have two projects going
1. How do fish herbivory pressure affect mesograzer herbivory, abundance, and richness?
so... what is a mesograzer? it is a herbivore that is less than 2.5 cm/ 1 inch in size
so for our project, we conducted fish surveys and mesograzer surveys and we are now placing algae in cages with differing sized openings that will allow us to control for who is eating our algae. we collect, dry and weigh the algae before we put is out and when we take it back in to check for herbivory
2. How does Porites rus morphology and abundance along a depth profile edges? Is there an effect of edge on Porites rus growth and abundance? Does this edge effect differ between boat channels and natural drop-offs?
so what is Porites rus? it is a species of coral that is a significant contributor to reef construction and is abundant in the fringing reef of Moorea
here it is:
so i spend my days diving and snorkeling and building cages and putting cages into the ocean, gathering, cleaning and weighing algae, and measuring coral and depth and playing some volleyball and stargazing and watching the sunset, eating tons of pineapple and enjoying the most incredible 5 weeks i have ever had
i am so grateful to be here. i am so happy.
