| This rare photograph of an American alligator in salt water was taken a mile offshore of a reef in Palm Beach, Florida. Regularly found in fresh water lakes and rivers, alligators can tolerate salt water, but only for short span of time. The salt glands on the American alligator are nonfunctional, unlike that of its close cousin, the American crocodile. |
| This video shows an Ameircan alligator in salt water near a reef system in Palm Beach, Florida. View video |
| This picture is of a highly endangered juvenile north atlantic right whale. When born they measure from 13-15 feet in length. An adult north atlantic right whale can measure up to 55 feet and weigh in at up to 70 tons. Calving occurs along the coastal waters of Georgia and Florida during December through March. Only 300 of these whales are believed to exist. Learn more |
| This photograph of a rare and endangered kemp's ridley sea turtle was taken off Palm Beach, Florida. Their nesting habit, called an arribada, is unique to only two sea turtles. Thousands of these kemp's ridley sea turtles will nest simultaneously along the beaches of Mexico during daylight hours from May to June. Smaller nesting sites occur throughout other areas. Learn more |
| The loggerhead sea turtle is the most common of all sea turtles in Florida. They can weigh in at 200 to 350 pounds. Their diet consists mainly of crabs and molluscs. |
| Large number of lemon sharks congregate near the wrecks of Palm Beach during the winter months. According to Samuel "Doc" Gruber, marine biologist with the Bimini Biological Field Station, it is believed the female sharks are releasing pheromones to attract male lemon sharks. |
| Atlantic spadefish are regularly found throughout the reefs of Palm Beach, Florida where they can school in large numbers. |
| Remains of a ship wreck off of Palm Beach, Florida. |
| Filter feeding tunicates have both an incurrent and excurrent siphon. They push water through their bodies trapping plankton in the mucus covered hairs covering the interior of their walls. Learn more |
| Tunicates contain potentially useful chemical compounds which have been found to be effective against cancer cells. Learn more |
| This roughhead blenny is an omnivore, feeding on both plant and animal life. |
| The tiny Pederson shrimp are an important part of the marine environment. These species of shrimp are cleaners and are partially responsible for ridding larger marine life of unwanted parasites. |
| A close up view of the front pincers of a Pederson shrimp. |
| Tunicates are closely related to vertebrates, which include humans. This is evidenced by the simple nerve cord on the larvae stage of the tunicates. |
| The spotted cleaner shrimp associate with anemones. A symbiotic relationship exist between the shrimp and its host anemone. The shrimp receives protection. Recent studies suggest that the shrimp supplies the anemone with the regenerated nitrogen necessary for the anemones zooxanthellae. |
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