On the way to class in the warm Florida sunshine. It was a great day aboard USF St Petersburg campus with Dr. Teresa Greely and the students of FIO Field Studies re-convening in the Marine Science building to talk about the scientific process via fish ecology and adaptations from the sea surface to the deep sea floor.

Our attention was captivated by colorful power point presentations and hearty discussion about Diversity at Sea regarding plankton, fishes and their adaptations. Followed by more interaction of primary producers activity in the ocean water column. Dr. Greely sure has a way of folding in the various bits and pieces of information we have received form all of our classes and years of study toward our undergraduate degrees. She leads us on the journey unfolding the story of science in the ocean as we begin to speak confidently of our academic knowledge.

In the afternoon we were privileged to a fascinating presentation by PhD candidate Maria Vega-Rodriguez and Abdiel Laureano-Rosario of the Remote Sensing Lab followed by some hands modeling NASA Giovanni satellites data archived observations of the ocean from many miles above the surface of the planet.

Later we were treated to an opportunity to see the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM)

 as well as a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) that can magnify objects to 80,000X revealing the inner secrets of things like the cell nucleus, Golgi, and mitochondria and viruses, diatoms, and radiolarians respectively,

 some in 3D!

Wanting yet more science in a single day we returned to our laboratory/classroom for some deep sea fishes recognition to view first hand their shapes,

special adaptations,

 funny faces,

 protection mechanisms, and mouths that allow them to survive in their seawater habitat.

 So thrive my friends knowing we all have an important part in sustaining our ocean planet.