I am in a bit of disbelief that my time here at OIMB has come to an end. This week, we scrambled to finish our posters and pack up all our stuff. I had been dreading the poster symposium all week, but we had a great turnout and it was so much fun to share my hard work. Before coming to OIMB, I did not feel confident about my ability to conduct research. I was anxious about the idea of designing my own project. Thanks to the mentorship of Kelly, Joanna, Richard, Maya, and Nicole I was able to grow so much over the course of the nine weeks. I am much more confident about abilities going forward and can't wait to see what challenges Udub will present. There are so many things I am going to miss about OIMB. Most of all, I will miss the friends I made in my short time here. I'm going to miss our late-night DQ and Taco Bell trips. I'll miss going to the library and pretending to work just so I could hang out with them. After feeling so lonely over the past year due to COVID, this experience is exactly what my heart needed, and I am so thankful to have met you guys. "How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." - A.A. Milne
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My past week has been quite busy! On Saturday we went over to the Charleston Marine Life Center and got to present our research to high school students over a zoom call. Even though we weren’t able to do our outreach in person, we all still had a lot of fun sharing our projects. Later that day we also got to attend the annual Invertebrate Ball in the OIMB dining facility. Everyone was able to dress up as their favorite invertebrate and some people got extremely creative. There were even invertebrate theme cupcakes! I spent the rest of my weekend with a few OIMB students. We are usually in the library or going on late night Dairy Queen runs to get Choco Brownie Extremes. One night we decided to grab our waders and go on an adventure to catch and release frogs in the creek behind OIMB campus. My research is complete for the most part, so most of my time has been devoted to poster creation. I am really happy with my progress so far. I learned so many cool tricks to save me literally hours of work. However, I have hit a road bump with my data analysis. I have not taken a statistics class since high school so my skills are a bit rusty. The issue that I am having is that I have multiple data sets, some of which do not follow a normal distribution pattern. This it makes it difficult to run certain statistical analyses because the data fail tests of normality and equal variance. Normally a log or square root transformation would solve this issue but I can’t find one transformation that works for every data set. My next idea is to run a non-parametric test, which I have been told works better for non-normally distributed data, but I still have a lot of reading to do. Wish me Luck!
I can't believe we've only got a few weeks left! There's been so much going on each week time has been flying by. Except for a few more trips to the docks, most of my research is now complete. I am sampling abundance throughout the water column at different times of the day. Unfortunately, this means I have to take trips to the docks at night as well. My adventures have been fruitful, but waking up in the middle of the night sure has been difficult. The interns and I have also begun to work on our posters as well. I've never made a physical poster to present my research, so I am very excited to have something to share after this is all over. Outside of my research, I've spent most of my time with other OIMB students. Last weekend we had a movie night in the library and watched the movie Robots. It's been years since I last watched that movie, and I forgot just how funny it was. We also had live music at OIMB on Sunday! A group called Three for Silver has been here at OIMB for a one-week residency working in George von Dassow's lab. They put on a concert for us students in the dining hall, and it was so much fun. Their music genre is a mashup of polychronic jazz or folk futurism, which was a new experience. I was told they construct all of their instruments, which is pretty awesome. Some of the students and I liked them so much we went out to 7 Devils brewery on Monday and watched them play again. Honestly, this whole experience has been much better than I hoped, and it's going to be hard to say goodbye to all the friends I've made here.
Welcome back, everyone! I have great news to share. The flow meter came in the mail this week. The only issue is I have to wait until next week for a more favorable tidal cycle. I mentioned before that I am sampling Halimedusa and Polyorchis abundance at different depths in the water column. To remain consistent, I will be sampling during a flowing tide following a low tide, once during the day and once at night. The brunt of my data collection is over except for a few recordings of the jellyfish over extended periods. I am now focusing on data analysis and making sense of the data. Because I am a new scientist, I lack perspective and have trouble connecting bits of information, so I will need to read more literature to draw solid conclusions. The other interns and I have also begun to work on our posters. Due to covid, each of the scientific presentations I had done before was digital, so I am very excited to present something physical for my efforts. Going away bonfire for Rachel My week as a whole was honestly so wonderful. I've grown close to not just the other interns but many of the OIMB students as well. Over the weekend, we had a going-away bonfire for one of the students who finished their classes and left for a job in Alaska. My department at the University of Washington also notified me that I had received a scholarship for the school year. I have never received a scholarship before, so I am filled with joy right now. I also found a place to live for the school year, so it relieved some of my stress. Everything I mentioned was great, but the icing on the cake was my favorite band, Surfaces, came out with their new album this weekend. When I separated from the Air Force, I never expected to be in this situation. I'm grateful that my hard work is beginning to pay off and that I've met so many amazing people.
It's hard to believe we are already at our halfway point of the program. It feels like time has been flying by lately. I don't think I'll be ready to leave this place when the time comes, and I'll probably ugly cry when it does. So far, I've developed a solid routine here and have grown so fond of the beautiful campus. Whether it's a daily walk to OIMB beach or spotting a deer family drinking out of the creek, there are so many little things that make my day enjoyable. My research has been going smoothly as well. I have been trying to complete my photoresponse (light) experiments with Polyorchis. Afterward, I’ll be able to quantify the data I’ve obtained, so I can construct graphs and compare my Polyorchis results to Halimedusa. Since the Polyorchis are so abundant around the docks, I've had no issue finding individuals suitable for my experiments which is a relief. One of the other areas of my project that I'm beginning to explore is the abundance of the two species. To examine this, I'll be utilizing a plankton net tied off along the end of the dock during a flowing tide, following both lows. I chose this period so that there was sufficient flow through the net. With this method, I can quantify species abundance at the surface and bottom of the water column. Ideally, one sampling will be during the day while the other occurs at night to examine the distribution of Polyorchis and Halimedusa under different light conditions. To gather information on other parameters, I'll also be utilizing a CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) device to document environmental conditions throughout the water column at the same time. Now, I'm just awaiting the arrival of a functional flow meter so I’ll be able to quantify how much seawater passes through the net. It's hard to believe we are already at our halfway point of the program. It feels like time has been flying by lately. I don't think I'll be ready to leave this place when the time comes, and I'll probably ugly cry when it does. So far, I've developed a solid routine here and have grown so fond of the beautiful campus. Whether it's a daily walk to OIMB beach or spotting a deer family drinking out of the creek, there are so many little things that make my day enjoyable. My research has been going smoothly as well. I have been trying to complete my photoresponse (light) experiments with Polyorchis. Afterward, I’ll be able to quantify the data I’ve obtained, so I can construct graphs and compare my Polyorchis results to Halimedusa. Since the Polyorchis are so abundant around the docks, I've had no issue finding individuals suitable for my experiments which is a relief. One of the other areas of my project that I'm beginning to explore is the abundance of the two species. To examine this, I'll be utilizing a plankton net tied off along the end of the dock during a flowing tide, following both lows. I chose this period so that there was sufficient flow through the net. With this method, I can quantify species abundance at the surface and bottom of the water column. Ideally, one sampling will be during the day while the other occurs at night to examine the distribution of Polyorchis and Halimedusa under different light conditions. To gather information on other parameters, I'll also be utilizing a CTD (conductivity, temperature, and depth) device to document environmental conditions throughout the water column at the same time. Now, I'm just awaiting the arrival of a functional flow meter so I’ll be able to quantify how much seawater passes through the net. Other than research, Jacob, who works in Maslakova's lab, and I went and watched Black Widow in the movie theaters over the weekend. It was the first movie I have seen in the movie theaters in over two years! Honestly, it was also an enjoyable movie which made the experience great. Another funny thing to mention is that I've had to refrain from bringing a bucket to the docks when I collect individual jellies. I've developed a bad habit of just gathering anything and everything that looks interesting, leaving the sea table packed with so many different creatures. I did, however, find a Dendronotus iris floating along with a patch of seaweed. It's was probably the largest and one of the most fascinating nudibranchs I've ever seen. I have finally completed my videography and light exposure experiments with the H. typus. The data processing and graph making in excel took an excruciating amount of time, but results are coming together nicely. Because my project focuses on the differences in light response between P. penicillatus and H. typus, I have also begun videography on P. penicillatus to compare the two. I hope to pair the data I gather with another piece of information, so Professor Sutherland and I have probed other ideas to explore. We have considered monitoring their behavior in a larger tank over an extended period to make qualitative observations. Another idea was to examine the vertical distribution of P. penicillatus and H. typus at different times of the day. In my first attempt, I tried to rig a stereo system with multiple cameras and lights to observe the water column. The main issue is that the visibility is so poor you can hardly spot jellies that are already difficult to see. Another option is utilizing a plankton net at different depths when the tide is ebbing or flowing. This method would help me calculate species abundance by counting the number of jellyfish captured. Overall, I've had so much fun trying things through trial and error. This program has done a great job of helping me explore the methodology of research. My fellow interns and other colleagues on campus have also provided helpful advice and criticism. It's helped me realize how much of a collaborative effort science is and how it's challenging to do everything yourself. In other news, I was finally able to catch a good sunset at OIMB beach! The past few weeks have been overcast, so the sun coming out has been a pleasant surprise. Fourth of July weekend was also a nice break from research. There were plenty of fireworks and great food all weekend. Other interns and I were able to explore the local area a bit more as well. We were lucky enough to observe a fleet of pelicans diving for fish, some very gracefully while others not so much. If you happen to be a birder, this is a lovely place to be. Three weeks have passed since I arrived at OIMB. In such a short time, it feels like our group has done so much together. Although the days are long and exhausting, I find myself excited to start the day each morning. Our time is not just devoted to research; we participate in weekly lunches and seminars with other researchers and professors. I used to have my reservations and feelings of inadequacies because a career in science is something I had only envisioned for myself relatively recently. Hearing various stories from a diverse group of people about how they progressed through their own career has been encouraging. This past week, I have been mapping out my research project to examine the photoresponse of Halimedusa typus in comparison to Polyorchis penicillatus. I had initially wanted to observe their behaviors over 24 hours to see how they responded to extended periods of light and darkness. The most frustrating part was setting up infrared lighting because I could not get a good enough angle so that the camcorder could pick up the smaller jellyfish in the dark. I began to have other issues with data storage and replicating environmental conditions, so I decided to scrap this research design for the time being and move on to another idea. This hiccup was frustrating, but it would be foolish to expect my first research experience to go smoothly. On the bright side, I finally struck gold and was able to collect plenty of Halimedusa during a hide tide. I'll finish my light response experiment by the end of the weekend and visualize my data sometime next week. I am contemplating examining their prey capture location or fluid motion next. I have so many ideas and areas I want to explore, but my time at OIMB is only so long. Be sure to tune in next week for more exciting updates!😊 small Polyorchis stuck in a monster Polyorchis
Hello, thank you for showing interest in my blog! My name is Dominic Eastburn, and I am an oceanography major at the University of Washington. I grew up along the Northern California coast and only a few hours away from OIMB. Throughout most of my summers, I spent my time in Shelter Cove, CA, where I collected fond memories of the ocean. Unfortunately, as I completed high school, I did not have a solid heading on where I wanted to go with my life, so I joined the Air Force. For five years, I spent my time in the Air Force working as a weather forecaster. My experience of gaining knowledge relative to atmospheric science led me to obtain my AAS in Meteorology and reignited my interest in academia. Returning to college has been more difficult than I expected. Classes in calculus and physics were initially daunting, but with lots of preparation, I eventually overcame them. I was lucky enough to hear about this research undergrad program from my geology professor, Professor Hoppe. The concept of an REU was initially foreign to me, and I wasn't sure I was even qualified. After some encouragement, I eventually applied. Now I am here at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology writing my first blog post. (: Over the next eight weeks, I’ll be interning in Dr. Kelly Sutherland’s lab. My research will focus on two hydromedusae species, Halimedusa typus, and Polyorchis penicillatus. Polyorchis functions primarily as a benthic feeder during the day. Halimedusa spends most of its time near the surface, and not much is known about its photoresponse and vertical distribution within the water column. I hope to compare the photoresponse of Halimedusa typus and Polyorchis penicillatus. Before this opportunity, I had never conducted my own research outside of a classroom setting before. Considering that classes were mostly online over the course of the last year, I am very excited to apply the practical application of laboratory and research methods I had only read about in class. Halimedusa munching on copepods Plankton tow so I can feed my jellies The first two weeks of my experience have been packed with adventures and learning so far. Other REUs and I have plenty of opportunities to explore after dinner and on our weekends. There is a fairly large elephant seal population at the Cape Arago research reserve, but you may need a good set of binoculars to observe them. My time in the lab has mostly been devoted to developing skills so that I’m comfortable doing research. I did not know much about videography and video editing, so Professor Sutherland’s graduate student Joanna Lyle has been immensely helpful over these first few weeks. I also need to practice using ImageJ, which is an image analysis software that allows me to quantify data. Gathering an ample amount of Halimedusa has proved quite challenging. I have been going to the dock multiple times a day in search of them, but they are smaller than Polyorchis and have a much shorter manubrium so spotting them has been difficult. Despite my struggles early on, I don’t think there is any other place I want to be. Everyone is thrilled to dive into their project, and being around others who nerd out about marine science makes it hard not to smile.
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AuthorHello everyone! My name is Dominic Eastburn. I grew up in Fortuna, California. For the past two years, I have attended Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington. This fall, I am transferring to the University of Washington to pursue a BS in Oceanography. I am excited and grateful to be participating in Professor Kelly R. Sutherland's lab that focuses on the form, function, and flow of gelatinous zooplankton. Over the next nine weeks, I hope to develop valuable skills to prepare me for university and graduate school. Archives
August 2021
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