Species Identification Activity 7/2/2015

After our hike today we were introduced to underwater photography and were given cameras to take out into the field. Our assignment was to find three species of coral, sponges, and echinoderms and photograph them. Upon returning to land we were to analyze the pictures and identify the species we photographed.

Grooved Brain Coral
(Diploria labyrinthiformis)
~Coral~

Common Sea Fan
(Gorgonia ventalina)
~Coral~

Porous Sea Rods
(Pseudoplexaura porosa)
~Coral~

Giant Barrel Sponge
(Xestospongia muta)
~Sponge~

Sponge Brittle Star on tube extending to the far right
~Echinoderm on Sponge~

Yellow Tube Sponge
(Aplysina fistularis)
~Sponge~

Rock-Boring Urchin
(Echinometra lucunter lucunter)
~Echinoderm~

West Indian Sea Egg
(Tripneustes ventricosus)
~Echinoderm~

Cushion Sea Star
(Oreaster reticulatus)
~Echinoderm~