I wasn't expecting the island to be so near to the "mainland," and didn't know what to expect in terms of a "beachless" beach. What an odd little place--iguana infested, too.
I don't see what the big deal was about the iguanas though, they seem like if you assert your dominance they'll cringe and run away. All the girls screaming about them getting near the dorms is pretty annoying.
The part about the mosquitoes was definitely no joke though. I went with Diana and Vilma to the supermarket today and we got back when it was dark already. I LITERALLY felt swarms of mosquitoes on my body while waiting for the ferry. Aaaaaaah! I really wonder why they come in droves here though. Are the stagnant waters in the mangroves breeding grounds for them?
Apparently, they are for juvenile fishes though, since they serve as nurseries for the baby fish that will later inhabit the coral reefs as adults. The red mangrove seems especially cool since it drops its long, green bean like seeds into the water. These slowly turn vertically (perpendicular to water) to bury themselves near more mangroves along the water. It's such an awesome mechanism for reproduction and survival, based on a need to adapt to a specific environment.
The section in NTC on similarities between the rainforest and the mangrove/reef ecosystems is particularly interesting. They are so different yet they both support comparable levels of diversity, both have high productivity, and both are susceptible to disturbances. I was glad to see Connell's hypothesis regarding intermediate levels of disturbance cited in the book, since Ashley is working with that hypothesis for her individual project. Yet, what is an "intermediate disturbance"? Do we gauge it once it's already happening? Is anything a disturbance if it changes biodiversity?
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