Something Old

Jurassic Park. What a great film right? Dinosaurs are so cool, but they're not the only awesome prehistoric creatures. Today I want to introduce/re-introduce you guys to five ancient non-dinosaur marine creatures that I think are pretty cool.

1. 

Machimosaurus rex

This enormous reptile belongs to the superorder Crocodylomorpha, part of the Linnaean classification system scientists use to determine the relatedness of species, which contains all species of crocodilians both living and extinct. Federico Fanti and his colleagues, who discovered the huge fossil in the Tunisian desert, have estimated the total length of the 130 million year old creature at approximately 9.6 meters, or 31 feet long. For reference the largest modern crocodile can be found at the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Orissa State, India, and measures in just over 7m (23ft). Assuming this figure holds true (scientists are currently awaiting the discovery of a more complete fossil specimen) it would crown this newly discovered species as the largest saltwater crocodile of all time. However, while gigantic in its own right M. rex didn't even come close to the largest crocodile of all time, Sarcosuchus imperator (also known as Supercroc), which is estimated to have reached lengths of 12m (>39ft).

Sarcosuchus imperator skull next to modern crocodile skull

  

Fanti described M. rex as having "...stocky, relatively short and rounded teeth." and "...a massive skull capable of a remarkable bite force." This leads paleontologists to believe that the crocodile consumed a wide variety of prey items including prehistoric sea turtles.

2.

Archelon ischyros

Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Archelon is an extinct genus of gigantic marine turtles that lived during the Cretaceous period, approximately 70 mya. These turtles are the largest to have ever lived with the biggest fossil measuring in at 4.87m (16ft) from beak to tail, and 3.96m (13ft) from flipper to flipper. In comparison the largest living sea turtle, the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) comes in at 2m (6.5ft) from beak to tail and weigh 900kg (2000lbs). Estimates based upon the body composition of leatherbacks, as the most physically similar living species, suggest that A. ischyros would top the scales at over 2721.55kg (3 tons). While modern turtles are omnivorous, with a varied diet from algae to invertebrates and small fish, A. ischyros's large size meant it would most likely not have been able to chase down actively swimming prey. Paleontologists believe that it probably used its broad crushing beak and powerful bite to break through the shells of the large crustaceans and molluscs of its time.

3.

Dunkleosteus terrelli

D. terrelli skull

D. terrelli was essentially what you would get if you mated a tuna with a tank. The largest of the Dunkleosteus genus, these armoured fish lived during the late Devonian period approximately 380-360 mya. Measuring up to 10m (33ft) long, weighing in at 3628.74kg (4 tons) and with a head covered in bony plates up to 5cm (2in) thick D. terrelli was a figurative swimming tank. D. terrelli didn't have teeth, but instead possessed a beak composed of two bony plates which they used to crush their prey. They did this thanks to an ability to open their mouths in 1/15th of a second creating a vacuum to suck prey into their open beak which they could close with an estimate bite force of 8000 psi (pounds per square inch). In comparison the greatest current measured bite force belongs to the saltwater crocodile at 7700 psi, however incidents involving captive killer whales suggest that they may possess a bite force in excess of 19000 psi. 

4.

Kronosaurus queenslandicus

Named for Kronos, the leader of the Titans in Greek mythology, K. queenslandicus is a member of the Kronosaurus genus of pliosaurs, an extinct group of marine reptiles that lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (~200-66 mya). Reaching lengths of 10m (33ft) with teeth that grew up to 30cm (11.8in) K. queenslandicus was a powerful predator which fed upon ancient marine turtles and plesiosaurs. Utilizing the Pilosaurids unique swimming style, similar to that of modern turtles and sea lions but using both fore and hind limbs for locomotion, K. queenslandicus would have been capable of maintaining high speeds for long periods making it difficult for prey to avoid. 

5.

Livyatan melvillei

L. melvillei skull w/teeth cast

The final entry on this short list is the aptly named Livyatan melvillei a prehistoric leviathan which fed on smaller whales between 12-13 mya. As the only fossil remnants of L. melvillei to be discovered are a skull and some teeth, total size estimates range from 13.5m (44ft) to 17.5m (57ft) long. In comparison the largest modern sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) can reach 20.5m (67ft) although on average the males grow to 16m (52ft). If these estimates are accurate then L. melvillei would be equivalent in size to another ancient sea monster, Carcharodon megalodon. In fact these massive predators shared the oceans for a (relatively) short time with C. megalodon living from 15.9-2.6 mya. Little is known about the hunting strategies of L. melvillei but scientists theorize that it fed on baleen whales which it may have attacked from below similar to C. megalodon and modern Great Whites (Carcharodon carcharias). Alternatively it may have simply used its powerful jaws to catch and crush the smaller whales ribs. The skull shape with its similarities to sperm whales suggests that L. melvillei may have utilized echolocation to hunt.


So those are five non-dinosaur ancient marine creatures that I think are seriously cool. If you enjoyed this post maybe name some prehistoric creatures you think are awesome in the comments (yeah dinosaurs are allowed). Thanks for stopping by!

Sources:
Machimosaurus rex:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160111-ancient-crocodile-marine-largest-paleontology/
http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/s/sarcosuchus.html
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667115301178
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcosuchus
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-crocodilian

Archelon ischyros:
http://www.britannica.com/animal/Archelon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archelon
http://peabody.yale.edu/exhibits/archelon
https://www.uhaul.com/supergraphics/states/south_dakota/turtle/archelon.html
http://www.arkive.org/leatherback-turtle/dermochelys-coriacea/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherback_sea_turtle
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.htm

Dunkleosteus terrelli:
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-terrifying-prehistoric-sea-monsters.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkleosteus
http://www.dkfindout.com/uk/dinosaurs-and-prehistoric-life/prehistoric-fish/ancient-armoured-fish/
http://www.enkivillage.com/what-animal-has-the-strongest-bite.html
http://list25.com/25-most-powerful-bites-in-the-animal-kingdom/

Kronosaurus queenslandicus:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kronosaurus
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/11552174/Farmer-in-Australia-finds-perfect-fossil-of-ancient-sea-predator.html

http://australianmuseum.net.au/kronosaurus-queenslandicus 

Livyatan melvillei:
http://www.livescience.com/6649-gigantic-prehistoric-whale-hunted-whales.html
http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/l/livyatan.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livyatan_melvillei
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sperm_whale
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon

First we were like Whoa! Then you were like Oh! Then we were like Yo.

Sea Turtles. Who doesn't love them? Nobody. Sea turtles are awesome, and not just because of their super chill, laid back, surfer attitudes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpV7NIJTxD0

Sea turtles are just as awesome in real life. They've existed since the time of the dinosaurs (oldest sea turtle fossils date back ~150 million years), they can travel thousands of miles across oceans (Leatherback sea turtles travel 10,000 miles each year crossing the Pacific Ocean) and yet return each year to the same beach where they were hatched, they are some of the deepest diving animals on earth (Leatherback sea turtles: max. dive depth 1186m). On top of all that they are absolutely adorable:

http://giphy.com/gifs/funny-animated-vzOhKYvn96uhG

Unfortunately sea turtles are facing a lot of issues today. There are seven species of sea turtle in the world's oceans today. Of those seven, 3 are listed as Vulnerable, 1 as Endangered, and 2 are Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. They face threats from by-catch, poaching, nest site disruptions, reduction of nesting sites by human expansion, entanglement in ghost fishing gear, and pollution. However, today I want to touch on an aspect of sea turtle conservation that is simple, easy and could actually save you money, and that is light pollution. 

The two most vulnerable periods in a sea turtle's life history occur on land, hatching and nesting. Female turtles exert massive amounts of energy hauling themselves up onto the beach and then digging a nest in which to lay their eggs. During this haul out period if the female turtle is "spooked" or "put-off" by some characteristic of the beach (perhaps it is too steep, or the sand is too wet which could endanger a nest laid there) she will often return to the ocean without nesting, and look for a new site further along the beach. This results in the creation of a false crawl; these are tracks left by the female hauling herself onto the beach but returning to the water without nesting. Due to the strenuous nature of the nesting process it is preferable for the females to nest in as few attempts as possible. Studies and observational evidence have shown that artificial lighting on nesting beaches deters nesting. Satellite imaging has also shown that sea turtles tend to avoid artificially lighted beaches, and are therefore being shunted into smaller nesting areas with the expansion of human settlements. Repeated false crawls can have major consequences for both nesting turtles and their offspring. As the females become more exhausted with each haul-out attempt they may become more compromising in their choice of an appropriate nest site. This can lead to nests being placed either too close to the surf or the vegetation which can result in the nest being destroyed by flooding, or strangulation by roots. In addition performing more haul-outs reduces the female's energy reserves so nesting will take longer; combined with the added time of performing multiple false crawls the female turtle may still be on the beach when the sun comes up. This can result in increased risk from daytime predators or in some locations human disturbance or poaching.

In addition to the interference in nesting, artificial lights are even more dangerous to hatchling turtles. Female turtles abandon their nests once the eggs are covered leaving hatchlings to dig themselves out and navigate to open water on their own. This is a dangerous and difficult process in and of itself, requiring the hatchlings to work together to climb out of the nest and rely on the protection of numbers to survive the gauntlet of natural predators en route to the sea. It is estimated that only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood, and a large percentage of that mortality occurs during the initial run to the ocean. Complicating this ordeal is the increase in artificial lighting on and around nesting beaches. Most sea turtles hatch at night and use the reflection of the moon and stars off the ocean's surface to navigate, along with the general slope of the beach. Artificial lighting disorientates and distracts hatchling turtles causing them to head inland resulting in death by dehydration, and predation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHzp6NFnp3c

So artificial lights are incredibly harmful to sea turtles, but why should we care? We use artificial lights to see at night. Why should we turn them off just for some stupid turtles? Well firstly because we have a moral obligation to our fellow species not to endanger and harm them whenever it is avoidable. Secondly sea turtles are incredibly important both ecologically, and economically. They fill a crucial ecological niche in the habitats they are found in, and are especially important during periods of eutrophication (an over abundance of nutrients in the water resulting in a boom in primary productivity) as they are chief consumers of algae. Economically they are doubly beneficial. Firstly they attract snorkellers and divers with their elegance and secondly they are a major predator for jellyfish which can deter swimmers. Given the increase in jellyfish population, maintaining and protecting sea turtle populations should be a priority.

http://theuglyorange.com/tag/pacific-sea-turtle/

So how can we fix this issue of artificial lighting. Well there are actually a few very simple methods to reduce light pollution:

• Turn off lights visible on nesting beaches or use special fixtures to shield the lights from the beach;
• Use low-pressure sodium-vapor lighting (LPS) instead of normal lights;
• Use Turtle Safe Lighting - these red lights emit a very narrow portion of the visible light spectrum, which is less intrusive to nesting sea turtles and hatchlings;
• If disoriented hatchlings are found away from the sea, call local law enforcement;
• Tint windows that face the beach;
• Close opaque curtains or blinds after dark to cover windows visible from the beach.

     *http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=lighting

On top of being beneficial for turtles these solutions are actually financially beneficial in the long term. Its a win-win!

For more information on threats to sea turtles, the impact of artificial lights, and questions about what we can do to reduce light pollution please check out the following sources. Thanks for reading and remember if you're in a turtle nesting area, turn out your lights. 

https://faborplumbsfuntasticfinds.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/

Turtle Information:

http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/threats/artificial-lighting/

http://www.conserveturtles.org/

http://www.defenders.org/sea-turtles/basic-facts

Sources:

http://myfwc.com/media/263029/technical_report_english.pdf

http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/threats/artificial-lighting/

http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=lighting

http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/light-pollution-could-prevent-sea-turtles-nesting-properly.html

IUCN Redlist 2016

http://www.seeturtles.org/baby-turtles/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_turtle#Life_cycle

http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=overview

http://www.seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-migration

http://www.seaturtle.org/PDF/Lopez-MendilaharsuM_2009_JMBA2.pdfhttp://www.defenders.org/sea-turtles/basic-facts

End of Duncan's Story

First off I just want to apologize for the lack of posting over the last couple weeks. Things got a little hectic around the holidays, but things are back to semi-normal now.

Second I have decided to wrap up the story about my experience becoming a marine biologist. Mainly because I don't feel it is as interesting as I thought it would be when I started, and also because there are other, more interesting/current events that I wan't to talk about instead. So to conclude our story as briefly as possible:

I attended the University of Plymouth in the UK after I was accepted into the Marine Science MSc program. I learned when I arrived that they had a MRes program dealing specifically with Marine Biology so I switched into that (at the last second). I met a lot of great people in that program, and I enjoyed it for the most part. After a semester of courses we chose our dissertations projects. My research looked at the development of diving behaviour in grey seal pups under the supervision of Dr. Kimberley Bennett and Dr. Mark Briffa. The project required sitting at a desk and watching and classifying hundreds of hours of video footage of seals held in captivity at the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St. Andrews. Two bright spots during this trial of grainy video were the postgraduate conference in Belfast and my trip to St. Andrews. I was lucky enough to be accepted to present my project at the 12th Annual Marine Biological Association postgraduate conference at Queens University Belfast. I was invited to give a talk on my subject (because it was relating to seals which people thought would be interesting, I hope they weren't too disappointed) which was fun (although I didn't think so at the time). The conference was a great experience and I enjoyed meeting and listening to all the attendees and invited speakers. Earlier in the year I had visited the Sea Mammal Research Unit in St. Andrews to talk to them about the methods they used to collect the data I was working with. While there I was also able to assist on one of their research projects, which meant working with the seals, which was a lot of fun. Following these excursions I returned to Plymouth and locked myself away in my computer lab until the end of September when I handed in my thesis. After that I was forced (for monetary reasons) to return the the United States, and I completed my viva successfully on November 5th. I was informed later that I had earned my Master's by Research with Merit in Marine Biology. Currently I am living in New York looking for jobs in marine biology. My interests are in marine mammals and reptiles and focus mainly on conservation, fisheries interaction/by-catch, sound and light pollution, habitat monitoring, and behavioural research.

Thank you for sticking with me through that long winded, sometimes rambling explanation of how I ended up here. Please check back again as we will now move on to more interesting topics. Also please check out my friend's podcast premièring tomorrow January 7th. Its called The Imposter check out the link below for a sneak preview:

https://soundcloud.com/amir-fogel/the-imposter-episode-i-promo

It is said to contain interesting sciency type stuff so give it a look. I may be appearing in an episode or two (still working out the details) so look out for that as well. Thanks again bye everybody.

Duncan's Marine Biology Adventures (part 2)

(Sorry this post was supposed to go out last week, but I got sidetracked with Thanksgiving planning and job applications. I am going to try to get out at least one post/week in the future. Thanks for reading!)

Hey interwebers. Today we revisit the continuing adventures of Duncan, Marine Biologist extraordinaire. We left our somewhat lazy hero after I had graduated from Monroe Community College with my Associates degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a focus in biology. I had decided to pursue a career in marine biology because who doesn't love animals and water? Coastal Carolina University caught my eye, even though it is virtually unknown to anybody who isn't interested in marine science on the east coast, because it was at the time the third best marine science school in the United States. I moved down to SC in August, 2011 to start school. While I enjoyed my time at Coastal for the most part there were some annoyances; in particular was the fact that my major was in marine SCIENCE not BIOLOGY. This meant that while I was really only interested in ecology and zoology of marine creatures I was forced to learn about marine chemistry, geology and physics. These weren't that bad in and of themselves, but I would definitely have preferred to focus more on certain aspects of marine biology. However I did still get the opportunity to take some fun and interesting courses. My favorite class, and one of the best experiences of my life was when I got to visit Costa Rica to work with sea turtles. In order to complete my Bachelor's degree I needed to earn credits interning somewhere. In May 2012 I spent two weeks at the Pacuare Nature Reserve just north of Limon in Costa Rica. While interning there my classmates and I assisted the research team in nightly beach patrols in order to find and document nesting sea turtles. The patrols consisted of a group of us walking up and down the 7 km stretch of beach on the Caribbean coast, looking for signs of nesting turtles. When we found a turtle we would hunker down and approach from behind so as not to startle the animal. Once the turtle began to lay her eggs we would collect physiological data and record/tag the animal for future reference. When the turtle was finished and was heading back to the water, or if we found a nest that had already been laid we would determine whether it was necessary to relocate the nest. This was done if the nest was laid to close to either the surf or the vegetation, both of which are very dangerous for the eggs and hatchling turtles. If the nest location was fine then we camouflaged the nest and haul out track in order to hide the eggs from poachers. While not on patrol I worked as part of a small research team of fellow students. We performed a small project to examine nest site selection in terms of beach profiles, sand gradient, beach width, etc. I also assisted another research group that was investigating hatchling orientation by observing how they reacted to different light wavelengths.

I graduated from Coastal Carolina in May, 2013 with a GPA of 3.85/4.00 which qualified me as Magna Cum Laude. The summer after graduation I flew to New Quay in Wales to intern with the Sea Watch Foundation. The Sea Watch Foundation is a NGO in the UK focused on the conservation of cetaceans and other marine mammals around the UK and Ireland. As part of my internship there I participated in numerous land and vessel based marine mammal surveys throughout Cardigan Bay, Wales. These surveys were amazing as it was the first time I got to actually see dolphins and seals and porpoises up close. It was also great to gain experience in practical conservation work over a longer time period. I had a taste of it in Costa Rica, but the summer I spent in Wales really helped to stoke my passion for marine conservation work.On top of the experience gained I also met a ton of fantastic people who're also interested in and passionate about marine biology and conservation. Finally, my time in Wales helped to confirm in my mind my decision to pursue my masters degree in the UK. Following my internship and subsequent travels around Great Britain (I had thus-far managed to visit three of the four nations that make up the UK, all but Northern Ireland) I returned home to upstate NY for a year to save money and apply to masters programs. I applied to five universities in the UK (after considering several in the US and Australia/NZ), St. Andrews, Durham, Portsmouth, Exeter, and Plymouth. I was lucky enough to be accepted to all of them and so my final decision was based mainly upon funding. In the end I accepted a position in the Marine Science MSc program at the University of Plymouth to start in September of 2014.

Join us next time for the exciting final entry in Duncan's adventures in marine biology! Also at some point in the future I may be appearing in a podcast created by my friend Amir Fogel. Not sure what the name of this podcast is yet, or when it will start airing, but I will let you know when I get them. Thanks to anyone reading this :p

Let my Orcas go!

Hey people of the interwebs. Today instead of continuing my adventures in marine biology I thought I would take a minute to talk about some current events, specifically the much applauded changes to Seaworld's orca policies. As you may or may not be aware Seaworld recently announced that it would be ending theatrical orca shows at its parks. This move, in the wake of the public outcry following the release of the Blackfish film which documented the inhumane practices and unhealthy conditions used to capture and hold these animals, was seen as a belated but happy step in the right direction. However, while it is true that Seaworld does plan to end its theatrical orca shows in the "near" future this is not the entire story. The planed changes will only affect the San Diego park, which has seen the greatest reduction in attendance following the release of the documentary, additionally the change is not permanent. The theatrical orca shows are set to be phased out at San Diego sometime in the next year following which Seaworld plans to renovate and enlarge the whales' enclosure in time for the introduction of a new set of orca shows in 2017. These new shows will focus on the orcas' natural environment with the new tanks apparently designed to more accurately simulate the whale's natural environment. Seaworld has stated that the new shows will present a message of conservation. According to Joel Manby, Seaworld's chief executive, the changes are a direct response to customers who want to see the whales in a more natural setting.

Don't get me wrong this is definitely a step in the right direction; the use of whales and dolphins for entertainment purposes should be stopped, it is both cruel and inhumane. The idea of using these intelligent, and majestic creatures like they were your personal toys is disgusting. Zoos and aquariums are much better places for captive animals, assuming they are well regulated and conform to proper health and wellness standards for the animals. If they cannot be reintroduced into the wild then they should be allowed to live in peace in a setting as close to their natural habitat as possible. However, for creatures like killer whales this is still not sufficient. Studies on wild and captive orcas have suggested that the problem with Seaworld is not that it exploits these magnificent creatures for profit, but that they are held captive at all. Killer whales are highly social creatures with deep familial bonds who are cruelly targeted and captured while young, or if born in captivity often separated from their mother and placed in tanks with unknown whales. This leads to aggression and psychological issues as discussed in Blackfish. Orcas in captivity also display increased rates of scarring and physiological issues such as dorsal fin collapse, both of which have been suggested to result from increased stress, compared with wild animals. This suggests that whales in captivity are under greater stress or more constant stress than those in the wild, undoubtedly as a result of their confinement and the destruction of their social groups. This may help to explain why captive whales also display truncated lifespans, with 92% of Seaworld's killer whales dying by the age of 25 while the average lifespan for a wild male orca is 30 yrs, and for a female 50 yrs (the maximum lifespans are close to 100 yrs). If Seaworld values these animals' health and well-being over profits, and is focused on conservation as they say then they should release the orcas into coastal sanctuaries, or attempt to return those captured to their pods. That way these whales could finally experience a natural setting.

Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/usews/2015/nov/09/seaworld-end-orca-whale-shows-san-diego
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12225/abstract
http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/captivity
http://www.freemorgan.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/visser_1999_bodyscars_on_nz_orca.pdf

Sorry for the long post/rant, but this issue really irritates me. Anyway here is a video of some orcas in the wild (where they belong) enjoy :)

link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slhmzzqv21A

Hey to anybody who is reading this. My name is Duncan Morton and I recently completed my master's course in marine biology at the University of Plymouth. I'm starting this blog to talk about what that process was like and to chronicle my search for a marine biology job. Although because that sounds kind of boring even to me what I'm mainly planning to write about are things that I see or hear about that interest me. I will try to keep it marine science related as there are a lot of interesting and key issues involving our oceans that are going on presently. However, there will probably be the occasional post about something I find cool.

To start off I thought I would talk about how I got to this point (i.e what lead me to do a master's program, why I choose marine biology, what I did my dissertation on, etc.). My family has always been big on pets. We've had 5 cats, 3 dogs, 5 hamsters, 3 rats, 4 ferrets, 3 rabbits, and a ridiculous number of fish. Recently my grandmother, my mom's mom, moved in with my parents bringing an additional 4 cats and 1 dog so that at present there are 7 cats, 1 dog, 2 ferrets and 2 rats in the house. Coming from this perhaps it is not surprising that I have always loved animals. Growing up my second passion after animals was the water. I learned to swim early on and even helped to teach swim lessons from the time I was 10. I swam competitively for my school from ages 12-18, and worked as a lifeguard from the age of 15. When I was in high school and I began to think about what I wanted to do with my life after school I was stumped. I considered being a football coach, a doctor, trainer, even an astronaut. The only thing I knew for sure was that whatever I chose to do I wanted it to be something I enjoyed. I knew a lot of people who chose careers which payed well even if they hated the job. I decided early on that I was going to do something that made me happy and worry about money after that. With this in mind I thought about what I was passionate about, and decided that since I loved animals and being around the water then marine biology made a lot of sense. It helped that science was one of my favorite subjects and that I was good at it.

Knowing what I wanted to be now I graduated high school, earned my associate's degree from Monroe Community College and transferred to Coastal Carolina University for my last two years to earn my bachelor's degree in marine science.
.......
.......
So I wrote a lot more than I was expecting to and I'm not even to Plymouth yet so I've decided to make this Part 1 of Duncan's Adventures. I will continue the story sometime later this week when I have time, and hopefully post something interesting with pictures of sea turtles or something. :)