So we’ve been here on Stradbroke Island for about two days now. It’s gorgeous! Seriously, like a scene right out of a movie! The water isn’t as clear as it usually is for this time of year because of all the rain they’ve been getting, but today was absolutely beautiful. Yesterday we began a little bit of fieldwork, heading out to the mudflats during low tide & exploring the area’s biology. I saw some things I’ve never seen before, including a blue-ringed octopus! These octopi are only inches big, however a single bite will kill you. I was only inches away…Scary! We spent most of our time just becoming familiar with the Moreton Bay Research Station, which is supposedly one of the nicest facilities we’ll use on this trip. The rooms are kind of cramped, but other than that, the food is great and the researchers are all really nice.
Today we went out into the mudflats for more fieldwork. We pulled a huge net into the ocean and did some fish sampling. Found a few cool ones, including some puffers and some with poisonous fins (one of them spiked my friend! ouch!). We decided that tonight we’re going to go out and try to catch some stingrays in our nets—btw, stingrays are what stabbed Steve Irwin through the heart, killing him. Yes, it’s semi-dangerous work we’re doing out here, but as my hilarious instructor Glenn said, “Biologists must put themselves @ risk sometimes for their work.” Guess I really am a true biologist, eh?! I’m not too worried, though. Stingrays get scared if anyone comes near them and they run away as long as they haven’t been threatened. Trust me, I don’t plan on irritating a stingray anytime soon!
Tomorrow I begin research with my group on our own project: studying the response of soldier crabs to different types & levels of stress. The soldier crabs are the coolest things I’ve seen here on Straddie (that’s what the locals call the Island!). They are small, light-blue crabs that burry in a corkscrew-like fashion into the mud upon approach. Sometimes they burry clockwise, sometimes counter-clockwise. I’m interested in discovering how & why they decide to burry the way they do. They’re so cool! And you can just pick them up right into your hand. They try to pinch you, but instead it only tickles! Oh, and the reason they’re called soldier crabs is because they form huge “armies” of crabs and all walk along the mudflats together. Today, the mudflats were literally covered with soldier crabs in some parts! Crazy!
Ok enough biology. I’m sure I’m the only one who is truly crazy about this crap anyways, lol. Welp, I’m gonna go squeeze into my wetsuit and see what kind of stingrays we can catch in that net! Wish me luck!
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