Places Around the World: In a Submarine near Hawaii

Quinn and Aerin recently visited Maui and sent the following information and photos to share with the class.                        Thank you, girls.

We went on a submarine.  We went to the bottom of the ocean, 130 feet below the surface.  I took this picture of calcareous algae.  It grows in marine waters around the world.  They can be pink but only ultraviolet light penetrates to the bottom of the ocean which is why they look grey.   The cells of the algae develop hard, calcium-like "calcareous" deposits which break free and form sand. (Quinn)

I took this picture of a Moorish Idol. It is my favourite kind of fish!  The stripes on a Moorish Idol's body make it hard for a predator to tell where the fish begins and ends.  The long, white dorsal fin makes the fish appear bigger than it is, so that it looks larger to predators.  It gets its name from the Moors of Africa, who believed the fish was a bringer of happiness. (Quinn)

The boat in the background was sunk on purpose.  It is called the Carthaginian Sailing Ship.  It is home to many types of coral and fish.  I saw an octopus near the sunken ship. (Aerin)