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1. Experiencing Marine Biodiversity

Question 1 (5 pts): Where did you go to experience marine diversity? Include a picture of you there!

First pick a place to experience marine diversity! I leave this open ended for you, but some options and locations are:

Tidepooling: There are lots of tide pooling opportunities in the Puget Sound region
- A list of tide pooling locations can be found here (Links to an external site.) or via other searches on the web (you may want to do a search tailored to closer to where you live, especially if you are north or south of Seattle)
- One key thing for tide pooling is to go at a low(-ish) tide - and one that happens in the daylight hours! You will want to check the tides, and I really like this tide chart (Links to an external site.) because it gives you a visual for how low or high the tide chart is. You can change the date to any day if you scroll down a bit; you want tides that are below zero or very close to zero. We don't have great tide cycles this fall, but the lowest tides this month are occurring during the day from approximately:
  - Oct 10-15 in the morning (~8:30 am - 10:30 am)
Beaches: You don't need to wait for a low tide to see marine diversity. The beaches in our area have all kinds of cool things, from birds to marine algae to invertebrates. Many of the tide pooling locations are also great beaches too! Here is a list of some great beaches (Links to an external site.) in the area to try, though any beach will be great - note you want to go to one that is on Puget Sound or the ocean, NOT Lake Washington (we want salty water, not fresh water!).
Ferries: Take a ferry ride (ideally one that is ~ 1 hr): You can spot lots of birds, algae and sometimes things like fish and jelly fish. At the docks you'll see algae and invertebrates - lots of things to see!
Aquariums: You can also visit an aquarium (especially appealing if the weather is bad). If you choose to visit an aquarium be sure to check to restrictions around Covid, and be careful. Of course wear a mask inside, and use your best judgement if visiting an indoor facility is best for your health. Some ones in our area:
- Seattle Aquarium (Links to an external site.) (Downtown Seattle, Pier 59)
  - Note it is cheaper if you are a WA state resident ($30 vs $35 out of state)
  - Also $2 off if you are active, retired and veteran U.S. military
- Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium (Links to an external site.) (Tacoma WA)
  - Cheaper if you purchase tickets online in advance ($19 vs $21)
- Marine Life Center (Links to an external site.) (Bellingham WA) - FREE!
- SEA Discovery Center (Links to an external site.) (Poulsbo WA) - FREE!
  - Note hours are limited so be sure to check before you go!
- MaST Center (Links to an external site.) (Des Moines WA) - appears to be FREE!
  - Again, note hours are limited so be sure to check before you go!
- Westport Aquarium (Links to an external site.) (Westport WA) - $6
  - Only open weekends - check hours before you go
Other options:
- Ballard Locks (Links to an external site.): This is a great place to see salmon this time of year, and also sea lions and harbor seals, plus other fish, algae and invertebrates.
- Whale Watching. There were orcas spotted in Puget Sound in early October!:
  - Puget Sound Express (Links to an external site.) (Edmonds WA) $135, be sure to book in advance
  - Seattle Orca Whale Watching (Links to an external site.): This is a bit confusing but may leave from Seattle... definitely worth a phone call if you want to try this one.
- SCUBA diving or snorkeling: If you happen to be certified and keen to jump in the frigid water, go for it! If you also happen to be traveling in the coming weeks and will be somewhere you can do this assignment, feel free!

Post a picture of YOU at the place where you are experiencing marine diversity! Selfies are 100% okay - we just want to see you in action and outside (or in the aquarium...).

2. Identify three marine species

Question 2 (30 pts): Identify and take pictures (if possible) of THREE marine species, and identify them to the species level as best you can.

Once you have chosen your location, your task is to identify three (3) marine organisms to the species level. You may use a combination of websites, field ID books, smartphone apps, other people, signs, etc. You may want to take pictures of your organisms and do the identification later using website etc, but I suggest choosing more than 3 if you do that, as you may run into more challenges identifying than you anticipate.
Post the pictures with the species name here on the discussion board, ideally with the common name AND the scientific name (genus and species, italicized). Example: if you see an orca whale, you would post a picture, along with this text: "Killer whale (Orcinus orca)".
Some resources to identifying your species:
- Websites:
  - Marine Species ID Portal: http://species-identification.org/index.php?groep=Animals&selectie=1&hoofdgroepen_pad=%2C1 (Links to an external site.)
  - Species of the Puget Sound: https://www.eopugetsound.org/species (Links to an external site.)
  - Tidepooling species: https://soundwaterstewards.org/ezidweb/animals/ (Links to an external site.)
  - Marine mammals: http://www.orcanetwork.org/marinemammals/webpage3marmams.pdf (Links to an external site.)
- Smartphone apps:
  - Merlin Bird ID - FREE, and has an option to answer questions to try to narrow down the species
  - Seaweed Sorter - $3.99 and only works with Apple
- Feel free to share resources within your group - crowdsourcing!

3. Reflect on your experience

Question 3 (15 pts): Write a short (at least 150 word) reflection on how your experience of being in contact with marine diversity / the ocean.

Tell us how this experience made you feel, what insights you had or what kind of connections it made for you personally, culturally, etc. It might be particularly interesting to note how you felt before doing this assignment, versus afterwards. Did time outside and near the water improve or degrade your mood? Did you feel more or less energized afterwards? Note you do not need to reflect on the actual species identification portion (unless you so choose), just the experience of being in contact with marine systems and diversity.

4. Connect one of your species to its importance to local indigenous peoples.

Question 4 (25 pts): In approximately 150 words, tell us some ways in which one of the species you identified are or have been important to local indigenous peoples?

Research ways in which one of the species you identified has been important to local indigenous people. You may use resources on the internet, in the UW library, or beyond. The importance of your species could be nutritional, cultural, spiritual or beyond. It may be difficult to find a use of your exact species, so feel free to go a bit broader. In other words, if one of your species is a type of seaweed or kelp, but you can't find a use of that exact species, feel free to talk about the importance of seaweed or kelp to local indigenous people more broadly. Be sure to include where you found your information as part of your post. Also, include a picture if possible.