Jennifer Alicia: Field Trip - Marine - Topsail Island and Aquariums

Learning Objectives - Marine – Topsail Island Beaches, Onslow Beach, and Pine Knoll Aquarium

• Deﬁne and identify the characteristics and main species of an estuary and barrier island environment.
• Describe the role and importance of mangroves in the ecosystem. (Not applicable to my location.)
• Identify the main species found in the habitats found in this environment.
• Deﬁne, describes, compare and contrast changing land use over time and identify associated challenges

This is a field trip that I spread over multiple visits for a few reasons. First, I felt like simply going to a beach was not enough of a field trip, and secondly, I really love the aquarium and any excuse to go there and take pictures is a great one in my opinion.

Topsail Island is a 26 mile long barrier island south of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Some of the biggest challenges facing Onslow County Parks and Recreation are protecting the turtles’ nesting sites, keeping the sand dunes intact, and keeping the beaches clean to protect our wildlife. Topsail Island is home to a larger percent of the Eastern Coast’s turtle nesting sites. Every summer March – October people take shifts patrolling the island to find and mark off new turtle nesting sites. Once a new turtle nest is found it is marked off with tape around a 10’x10’ square, plus a fenced in box over the actual nest. Other than protecting the turtles’ nests by barriers the sand dunes are also fenced off areas on the beaches. These fences are on both sides of the dunes to protect them from people walking on them, driving on them, or littering on them. The reasons sand dunes are so important is that they protect the inland and keep the water in its place per say. We must be concerned about the sand dunes because without them the landscape of our beaches would change. During hurricanes one of the biggest challenges is the protection of the shores, and with that, the sand dunes.

The varieties of species that inhabit Topsail Island in my opinion include species on shore, and in the water. The most important species that grows on Topsail Island is an asset because it protects the sand dunes and is called sea oats. There are many species that live on the shore and thrive from the waters including many types of crabs and birds. There are some crabs the burry themselves and live on the shores and others that strictly live in the water. The birds like sandpipers run up and down the beach, whereas others fly and search for fish, like pelicans. There are many creatures within the waters of Topsail Island; these include sharks, dolphins, whales, game fish, shelled creatures, and more. The most common sharks in our area are sand sharks, tiger sharks, bull sharks, scalloped hammerhead sharks, thresher, black tip, white tip, and dogfish. Out of all of these sharks the sand shark and the most commonly seen whereas bull sharks are the most dangerous.

There are a series of aquariums within the local area all within a few hours apart. Each of these aquariums has something different to offer, and many things they share in common. Something I love about the Fort Fisher Aquarium over the Pine Knoll aquarium is the natural setting area. This area is an amazing ecosystem including alligators, turtles, birds, and plants. It is amazing.

Mr. Hermit Crab