Going into this course, I knew that it would be an amazing
learning experience but at the end of week 1, I can honestly say that my
knowledge has expanded more than I ever expected. This first week was full of
so many adventures that has allowed us all to experience biological research
and specific methods first hand.
Our first lecture took place on Sunday afternoon with
Carissa King, presenting information, and her own research on the soundscape of
the St. Johns River and its effects on the dolphin populations that live there.
We learned that sounds move faster and are intensified in water compared to air,
so anthropogenic sounds like from motorboats and the loud clanking from
loading/ unloading at ports are very loud and can disturb the normal behaviors
of dolphins who use echolocation for communication.
On Monday, we took two boats out on the St. Johns River to
identify the natural and anthropogenic sounds. We identified sounds of boat
engines, clanking at a nearby port, snapping shrimp and the oyster toadfish. We
learned how to use a variety of instruments like the Van Dorn water sampler,
YSI, turbidity tube, and fluorimeter. We also saw dolphins and a manatee out on
the river!
Out on the St Johns River! |
Tuesday, we viewed coquina rock formations which provided a
habitat for many organisms that we saw including a juvenile puffer fish, sea
anemone, barnacles, and many crabs. We learned and viewed the differences
between a natural inlet (Matanzas Inlet) and an Inlet formed by a jetty (St.
Augustine Inlet). At GTMNERR we saw the coastal scrub habitat located on the
dunes and viewed the high-energy wave action from the North Beach Access platform.
Our group at GTMNERR North Beach Access viewing the coastal scrub habitat |
Fine tooth shark that was caught, measured, tagged and released |
Juvenile greater blue crab caught with the seine |
On Thursday, we assisted the biologists at GTMNERR in
collecting data for measuring mangroves. Getting muddy was inevitable! Once we
arrive at the plot, percent coverage was estimated of the different species of
vegetation in the entire plot. Then we measured each mangrove shoot and tree in
one of the subplots and recorded this data. Pore water was also taken in the
plot as well as measurements of sentinel trees. Sentinel tree measurements
included taking canopy height, base of the diameter, and canopy width at the
widest and narrowest parts. It was very cool learning the field methods at
GTMNERR and seeing what these biologists do for a living.
Friday was our overall review of the week followed up with
our skills exam. Dr. Ross gave a presentation on corals to prepare us for our
next week in the Keys. Thank you to Dr. Smith and everyone else who made this
week so fun and informational! The first week exceeded my expectations
entirely!
No comments:
Post a Comment