I arrived in Tassie yesterday, and was lucky enough to spend the night with Dr. Craig Sanderson and his wonderful family.  Dr. Sanderson researches the longspined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) and its effect on giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in Tasmania, along with Dr. Scott Ling, who did his dissertation on the topic.  They both work out of the University of Tasmania, which I’m grateful to for allowing me to dive with their Zoology Department.  The Macrocystis above is from Catalina island, and the urchin picture is from the internet (picasaweb.google.com/…/ 638BgF5qsk7pXhyin-fHiA), but it gives you an idea of why I’m here.  I’m not really here long enough to actually study them, but I am studying HOW to study them…