My favorite day so far consisted of a data collection lab in which we measured the diversity of echinoderms in a coral reef. The specific echinoderms we were searching for included sea urchins, sea stars, and sea cucumbers. Using tape and flags, we marked off a section of the reef and counted each species of echinoderms that we saw with underwater paper. It was exciting to use new methods and equipment that I would normally not use while conducting labs in Charleston. I also thoroughly enjoyed this lab because we learned how to search for each animal. If I was snorkeling from above, it would have seemed that there were no interesting organisms. However, by simply flipping over a rock, I discovered that there could be a multitude of brittle stars, sea urchins, crabs, and more hidden in plain sight. In addition to participating in labs, a requirement for this class is to take a practical exam in which we are given pictures of common organisms in Panama and must identify them. Although I have been studying for this exam with pictures from the Internet, it has been much more helpful and rewarding to go into the actual habitat of these organisms and see them with my own eyes. By witnessing these organisms in real life, I have quickly become familiar with them. Being able to see where they live, hold them, and observe from up close while also witnessing their movements and actions has been a very cool experience and helped a lot with understanding the ecosystem that I have been immersed in. Rather than simply looking at these organisms through a screen and discussing their tendencies, I get to actually immerse myself the environment that they call home. This has definitely made the class experience more engaging and interesting.