Another week down and in the books! Our proposals and presentations were due this week so I spent a lot of time early this week fleshing those out. Writing my proposal definitely helped me clarify what my main goals are for this summer and the timeline I need in order to achieve them. Yikes, I realize how soon I’m going to have to leave OIMB; only four more weeks left!). I am focusing on how concentrations of Mg++ and Ca++ effect the formation of the mysterious crystals in my chiton larvae. In addition, I will be trying to observe how long these crystals last in chiton after they begin their transition into adulthood. As young chiton settle and metamorphose into adults, they grow their characteristic shells. This is a problem because the shell blocks the light needed to pass through the animal in order to see the mysterious crystals. So I will be trying a method (affectionately nicknamed “boneless chicken water”) to dissolve the animal’s shell while keeping them alive so I can observe the crystal. Its never been tried on chiton before so I will be adopting it for use with chiton! Outside of work I’ve been able to enjoy myself as well. Last weekend we had a bonfire and got to see some fireworks for the Fourth of July. There has also been a series of low tides so I’ve gone out and searched for chiton to spawn for my experiments and along the way I’ve seen some pretty neat animals and phenomena. A personal highlight was seeing sculpin (an intertidal fish) hanging out in algae –a foot above the water line. These fish are amphibious and can survive in the moist habitat left behind by the retreating waters during a low tide! I’ve also seen some nudibranchs (sea slugs) and giant sea stars.
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AuthorI'm a rising fourth year at Villanova University in Pennsylvania from San Diego, California. I enjoy going tidepooling and making music. I'm looking forward to a great summer at OIMB! Archives
August 2021
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