Student Takeover: Moné Explores Mallorca's Marine Ecosystems

This post was written by Moné Cary, a Mediterranean Marine Ecosystems & Sustainability session 2 student.

Today the stem group of CIEE Palma went to Playa de la Romana, and personally I feel it’s one of the best excursions we have had so far. After a 30-minute bus ride from Ele Usal, we arrived to pristine white sand and crystal clear water with a beautiful outline of mountains surrounding the coast. To the right was a charming city filled with classic European-style buildings, adding to the overall fresh ambiance of the beach. To the left was a little hill which we climbed over in order to find a sparkling cove of bright blue water and a pebble beach.

It is here where we did our field work with two of the most amazing biology teachers! This field work consisted of sea floor mapping, finding species in different zones of the shore, and recognizing underwater species while snorkeling. Being without sonar technology, biology teacher Mae showed us a technique to map out the sea floor by having us spread out 3 meters apart and observing our surroundings. We then recorded these findings and shared them with other groups in different areas. We then moved on to species discoveries with our other biology teacher, Bea. This consisted of moving around the rocks and shallow waters to find different species that may reside there. We found hermit crabs, snails, barnacles, and different plants. She explained to us why certain species are found in certain areas and helped us understand the dynamics of the ecosystem.

Finally, we moved on to snorkeling, which was my personal favorite. Immersing yourself in the underwater world puts your knowledge of individual species to the test. The goal of snorkeling was to recognize the different species of fish, invertebrates, and algae that we have been learning about in class. The crystal-clear conditions allowed us to observe a multitude of animals and plants in their natural habitat. From the legendary Posidonia Oceanica meadows to Chromis Chromis fish, the viewing opportunities were endless and fascinating. So far, this experience has been one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what’s next!