3 July 2013 Of Sea Tomatoes and Sticklebacks (Reported by Samantha Montoya and the Tuttu group)

This morning, Zach and Jess (whom we had met for a hike to the glacier and to sample the biodiversity along the hillside the other day) each gave us a presentation so that we would better understand the lakes we would visit later today.

Zach taught us about the three major types of lakes common in our area: kettle lakes (formed by ice chunks stuck in the land as the glacier forms a valley), cirque lakes (surrounded by mountains on all sides except the drainage point), and cryogenic lakes (formed as the ground continually freezes and unfreezes, cracking it and building mounds that eventually encompass a lake). I never knew there was so much specificity to the formation of lakes! On the bumpy ride to the lakes, we tested our new knowledge, debating which of the many bright blue lakes set in rolling green hills were kettle lakes and which were cirque lakes.

Jess then took over to teach us about what we can find in such lakes. One of the things I thought was most interesting was learning that many of the little fish (sticklebacks) we had been able to catch in Lake Ferguson with our bare hands were infected with large parasites. The parasite goes through a life cycle, moving from host to host as the fish are eaten by larger fish, then those in turn eaten by birds until they eventually return to the water. At the first lake we visited, we again scooped up the small wriggling sticklebacks, this time bringing them to Jess and Zach. They showed us how to slice open their bellies releasing the parasite inside. I was astounded! The parasites were like white worms, expanding as soon as they exited the fish. I couldn’t believe they could fit in the first place! Most of the fish’s bellies were taken up by the parasites, which continued to squirm six and a half hours after leaving their host. After seeing that, I was really glad I hadn’t dropped the fish I caught at Lake Ferguson in my mouth on accident while posing for a picture!

Our next stop was a cirque lake containing sea tomatoes, which we had learned about from Jess this morning. The sea tomatoes are colonies of cyanobacteria that clump together and excrete gel that forms a protective ball, encasing them. As we approached the lake, a strange, rotten tomato smell pervaded the air. Dried and flaking skins of deceased sea tomatoes lined the mossy shore and globs of perfectly round spheres bobbed with the waves, some floating, others tracing the bottom. They ranged from orangey-red to milky white and from 1 milimeter in diameter to 11cm in diameter! Our group, Tuttu, was challenged with finding the largest sea tomato and after trudging through the muck along the shore of the lake, we managed to find a sample twice as large as Jess’s previous sample.

We then sliced them open, revealing the many rings of slimy color radiating from the rough, yellow bacteria cells. The rings are much like tree rings, indicating the seasons they have survived. We were careful to wipe our hands before eating lunch because the bacteria produce both liver- and neuro-toxins! (We were informed that we would be safe as long as we didn’t bite into one, but I wasn’t taking any chances.)

Some of us got the chance to put on rubber waders and ride in the kayak, using the sonar device to measure the depth of the lake (mostly two meters, except one hole measuring about ten and a half meters, indicating that this cirque lake contains a smaller kettle lake within it.

A few of us then volunteered to help Britta take data for the GLOBE website, surveying the land and environment around the world. We surveyed a square of land containing homogenous plant life (mostly willow, birch, rhododendron, moss and grass) and took pictures facing the cardinal directions, accounting for the alteration in the magnetic field that occurs at our northern latitude.

After taking tests on the samples of water and soil we collected today as well as identifying our plants for the day, we drove to the airport for dinner. I had been anticipating our meal all day: reindeer. When I first saw it, I was skeptical of the red-brown stew with sausage, peppers and chunks of meat. But as soon as I tasted it, I was in complete awe. It was decidedly the best meal we have had the whole trip! The reindeer (tuttu) was not gamey like I had expected, but a lot like beef and the sauce was very flavorful. Grace and I then bought a desert to sample called brunsviger. It was a dense but crunchy cake, spread with baked apple and cinnamon sauce and topped off with whipped cream and crunchy toffee bits. Delicious!