If you have been keeping up with my blog, then you might know that this past weekend was Fourth of July weekend. Even though I did not partake in the typical holiday activity of watching fireworks, I did spend some time with some of the other REU students (specifically Sherlyn, Victoria, and Annika), and we just hung out and got to know each other better. Sherlyn had an awesome idea to do a movie night, so we came up with a list of potential movies to watch. Then, on Saturday, we watched A Cinderella Story in the group room in the library, which was super fun, and I sincerely hope that we can plan some more movie nights for the weeks ahead. On the day of the Fourth, the dining hall hosted a picnic where both the faculty and cafeteria staff worked laboriously to cook an abundance of delicious food for us, and the weather was perfect for a picnic. I also found out that day that OIMB has a tradition where an egg toss is hosted every year on the Fourth. I had never heard of an egg toss before, so in case you have not either, the goal of the activity is to toss a raw egg to your partner for him/her to catch it. If your partner fails to catch the egg and the egg busts, you lose the game. Overall, it was a very enjoyable and amusing experience to watch as eggs busted on OIMB students and other REUs. Finally, I got the chance to check out the Charleston Marine Life Center (CMLC) with Sherlyn and Victoria this weekend, and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount and diversity of organisms housed there.
In terms of project work, since the spring low tides occur next week, this week has been somewhat relaxed, especially in comparison to the intensity of fieldwork last week. Nevertheless, I am also eager to get back in the field next week to complete more eelgrass data collection for my project. Anyways, that means that this week has primarily consisted of me finalizing the research proposal for my project, which is due next week. I do not have any experience writing research proposals, so the process of writing one for the first time was certainly stressful. Luckily, Ali was kind enough to take the time to read through my rough draft and make some edits and suggestions, which was really helpful. Also, Ali has been great about inviting me to other fieldwork opportunities at South Slough, so on Wednesday, I went out with Jenni and a few other interns to participate in marsh biomonitoring at Valino Island. The biomonitoring involved recording an array of data measurements for various marsh species, including the presence and abundance of species such as sea lavender (Limonium californicum) and pickleweed (Sarcocornia perennis). Being able to go out to the marsh and examine the biodiversity there was definitely a nice, fun change of pace. Also, I am excited to survey an endangered angiosperm known as the Western lily (Lilium occidentale) near the end of this week.
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AuthorHi everyone! My name is Chloe Cummins, and I am from Loretto, Tennessee. I am a rising senior at the University of Tennessee Southern where I am pursuing a B.S. degree in Biology (with a concentration in Wildlife Biology and Ecology) and a minor in Sustainability. I’m super excited to be researching the reproductive ecology of eelgrass with my mentor Ali Helms at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve during my time here at OIMB! Archives
August 2022
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