Page 16 - 2003 - Atlantic Islands

technique of using a “lens” (square window in a sheet of paper) to focus on

something in order to begin to draw it. Some of the class were definitely more

talented than others, but all in all, it was interesting enough to make me want to

continue her classes just to see if I could perhaps be the “most improved” in the

class--­­that would be my only other hope than “worst in class.”

At 3 PM Roger presented his lecture with slides on “tropical shores”, sort of a preview

of what we can expect to see on the islands we will be visiting. We learned that

Ascension Island is the second most important breeding ground for the green sea

turtle (after #1 Costa Rica) and that the folks there are working to improve

reproduction rates by protecting the turtles and their nests. Another interesting

factoid concerned coconut trees - we learned that they are the most ubiquitous trees

in the world - partly because their “seed,” the coconut, is so easily dispersed by the

oceans of the world. The tropic zone he described as being the area between the

Tropics of Cancer & Capricorn. He said we would see few if any gulls since they are

not usually pelagic birds, but we would see Red-Footed Boobies, Masked Albatross,

and Brown Noddies, as well as a fairy or white terns. Luckily, Kay had conquered her

intestinal troubles (or the stabilizers were actually doing a better job now) and she

slipped into the lecture hall as well.

So she had the opportunity of learning that the tropical seas are the least productive

of the seas of the world because they are relatively “sterile”, unlike the temperate

and polar seas which are highly fertile and therefore support enormous quantities of

sea life, bird life, and mammals.

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