Friday, August 9, 2013

New Faculty Tour: The gift of life...stingray life, that is.

Written by Chandler Christoffel, science instruction and reference librarian at the UGA science library. 

Yesterday we went out on some trawlers near the Savannah coast. As we spotted dolphins and enjoyed the charitable breeze, our Marine Extension Service hosts guided us along the river, all the while trawling the river floor for varieties of marine life. Our catch included gar with its intimidating needle-nose and handsome spots, shrimp, several dozen potato sponges, a perturbed-looking puffer fish, whitefish, sea bass, several flat fish, a sponge that smelled of garlic, another sponge reminiscent of a pirate's red beard, and, last but not least, A PREGNANT STINGRAY!

Combing through our bounty, we spied little sting ray tails protruding from the mother's womb. And shortly after our guides moved her from the trawl net to a makeshift aquarium in a plastic bin, mama delivered two baby sting rays of sunshine into the world - one boy and one girl. We, naturally, named them Steve and Jennifer, after our NFT leaders. Proud godparents all, we celebrated with a delicious, buttery low country broil.


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