Finding the correct path~: Semakau transect survey on 2 May 10

For transect surveys, we need to do the 1st, 5th and 10th transects 1st as the biomass ppl will need to dig up the substrate to get the seagrasses. This is my 1st transect~

While doing my 4th transect, some purple dye was observed at the bottom of the tape. I thought that I stepped on something! Then the biomass ppl told us that the ink is the defence mechanism of the sea hare (to be exact it was the extraordinary sea hare Aplysia extraordinaria). It seems like it's their mating season. I see a total of 3 of them but there are more!
Some facts about the sea hare:-
1. They are under the phylum of Mollusc and are gastropods like snails.
2. They lack external shells during the adults stage but they are not nudibranchs.
3. They are called sea hare because of the pair of rhinophores that looks like the "ears" of a hare. Their simple eyes are found at the base of the rhinophores.
4. Sea hares have a pair of 'wings' or flaps (called parapodia) that cover the centre part of the body. Some sea hares can swim by flapping their parapodia.
More information can be found at http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/slugs/anaspidae/anaspidea.htm

When helping out others to finish the survey, we saw the Dragonfish Sea Cucumber Stichopus horrens. It was very well-camouflaged! It was said to be able to shred its skin when under stressed conditions!

A marine spider climbed into my partner's shirt!

We managed to finish the survey relatively early and did some exploration~ There were quite a number of knobbly sea stars Protoreaster nodosus. They need water to pump up the bodies so they cannot be away from water for too long. They are considered endangered due to extensive poaching in the past. But luckily there is a healthy population in the undisturbed shores. They can grow up to 30cm in diameters and comes in many different colours. They can move via tube feet. They extend their stomach out of their mouth over the food and excrete digestive fluid to break down the food before absorbing the nutrients.

Sea star also have the ability to re-generate their limbs when broken. Hence, at times, 6-legged/4-legged seastars can be seen. This is the example of of a 4-legged sea star re-generating its 5th limb.

Colourful sponges can be seen throughout the inter-tidal area. The photo shows the yellow-coloured sponge and the pretty red maiden's fan sponge (Oceanapia sagittaria). Sponges are actually animal not plant! They are filter-feeders.

Fluted Giant Clam (Tridacna squamosa) can also been found on the island. They have a symbiotic relationship with the photosynthetic algae. Unfortunately, we only manage to find a empty giant clam embedded in the ground. Look at the size in comparison with a 30cm ruler! When the giant clam was alive, it will secrete acid to dissolve the substrate so that it will be fully embeddded as it grow larger.