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Student Activity: What Are These Things?

Identify These Chesapeake Bay Organisms
Using A Dichotomous Key

Where Are We? | What Are These?



Where Are We?

Which Maryland River flows through the Inner Harbor?


These organisms are from the Baltimore Inner Harbor water of the Chesapeake Bay.

They were grown on 4 inch diameter plexiglass discs that were suspended in the water at a depth of 1 meter during the summer of 1997 (for more information see the companion unit Biofilm & Biodiversity). The organisms grew on the discs after approximately 3 weeks. On one disc we were able to identify 25 different species of invertebrates.

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What Are These?



  • Select one of the following thumbnail images (i.e., click on it) for a better view of the organism. Use the dichotomous key to identify it. Try to identify all eight organisms.

    [Atlantic Ribbed Mussel]
    [Barnacle]
    [Bryozoan]
    [Entoprocts]
    [White Anemone]
    [Whip Mud Worm]
    [Isopod]
    [Limpet Nudibranch]

  • Learn more about these Chesapeake Bay organisms.

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