Natural History Journal Observations

Troy Hottle


The coastal mountain on the Lynn Canal, Juneau

Written in Alaska during the first week of the trip. 
The mountains are the dominant feature of the landscape. Large boulders are scattered throughout the forests and make up the beach around our lodge. Tall evergreens are well adapted to the cold and shed the heavy snow falls efficiently.  The birds are feeding on the fish that live in the ocean, so are the sea lions, seals and humpback whales.



Water from clouds high above Haleakela crater 
Photo:  Troy Hottle

Written in response visiting our first geomorphic desert due to the rainshadow effect of Haleakela crater after  just traveling from wet coastal Alaska

The buffering effect of the rain and wind can be seen from the dry lifeless sand and rock to a cool wet environment at the same altitude.  The height of the volcano and the outer rim was such that little moisture pushed into the upper part of the crater, but the large flow field was constantly shrouded in clouds.  The clouds provided moisture which was pushed in from the southeast.  The dry crater is composed of beautifully colored sands and rock, small cones and ancient lava flows.



Our first Biomes Coral Reef Experience

Skin Diving, January 30, 2008 Twin Peaks and White Rock  in Maui, Hawaii

-We saw many soft corals which require warm calm waters.  We witnessed relationships between different animals such as finger corals and black damsels, anemones and clown fish, blennies and shrimp. The substrate for the reef was the same rock found on the islands. There seemed to be changes in the types of corals throughout the water column. Anemones tended to be further from the surface, sheltered from the chop on the surface.  There were some animals that were seen only on the sandy bottoms like blennies, gobies, goat fish and rays.


Troy Hottle
ta.hottle at gmail.com
last updated 27 October 2008