Seaweed

I was lucky enough to go to Oceanography Camp right before I went to high school. I love science; especially biology. Living in a state surrounded by water you realize just how much life exists all around you. The things I learned at Oceanography camp have stuck with me over the years and it turns every day spent at the beach into an adventure.

On a trip home to St. Petersburg I found myself at the beach again. Periodically seaweed washes in from the Gulf of Mexico. Most tourist and beach goers try to avoid the unusual objects in the water but I see them differently. They float like exotic clouds in the gentle currents. I often pick them up to examine them. Some have shells stuck in their many fingers or small fish - still alive - seeking a little shelter in the vast ocean. I held this piece up to the sun to get a better look. I love the translucency and the beautiful range from soft rose to deep crimson. All the little beads of salt water sliding to the edges and falling back into the ocean. Something as simple as seaweed can serve as a visual haiku to remind us of all the amazing things hiding just beneath the surface.