Our sampling in East
Falkland Island started rather successfully regarding the algal surveys and
collections. Frithjof returned from the sea with more than 50 different species
in less than 2 h! As it seems North Arm site is a hot spot for the Falklands’
seaweed biodiversity. It is remarkable that in such a an apparently degraded
place the seaweeds still seem to have good habitat. North Arm is a small
village in southern Lafonia the beach of which is used as a dump site; really
an appalling sight: Domestic garbage from the settlement, car batteries, sheep
carcasses and other unimaginable things pile up and are scattered around. You
can find almost anything from old cars to plastic items and discarded cables on
the beach.
Snorkeling at North Arm
The tragicomic
aspect of the operation was that Frithjof’s dry suit wasn’t so dry apparently…
he came out completely soaked!!
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Later on a big night
was waiting for us again, due to the huge number of samples which needed to be
turned into herbarium specimens and keeping sub-samples in silicagel and CTAB
buffer for genetic analysis. Our usual schedule for us is field work / sampling
from 8am till 7pm and then working at the lab from 8pm till midnight or later. That’s
the hard part of an expedition. Don’t think that we’re on holidays here!!
Preparing Herbarium specimens
Hard working
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