Although the picture below isn’t great quality, it’s great news for my experiment! In the center of the container are the remains of a Dungeness crab, killed and eaten by the red rock in the bottom of the picture. This represents a successful trial! This week I am hoping to set up a camera to catch the act of predation. Because in previous literature, experiments with crabs of the same size class have not yielded predation, I am currently using the assumption that the red rock is initiating and successfully carrying out the predation. From personal observation I think this is reasonable. I have watched the containers for a fair amount over the past two weeks and have only seen red rocks initiating fights with either the green crab or the Dungeness crab. I would like to get it on video though to confirm, and I am also curious if there is any possibility in the small crab that is not under attack joining the red rock in the battle or at least sharing in the food source. Most of the crab behavior appears to be nocturnal, as there is not much activity during the day, and I usually visit the containers in the morning and find evidence of predation. As we finish up week 5 and are more than halfway through the program, I am starting to realize more and more that I don’t want this internship to come to an end. In terms of research experience, I have learned so much about field work and experimental design. But in terms of friendship, I have gained so much more than I ever thought. Evenings and weekends have been well spent with the other interns and UO students exploring around the charleston and Coos Bay area. Below are some pictures from various adventures!
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AuthorHi! My name is Renee and I am a rising junior at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. I am a double major, studying Biology and Dance. I am so excited to be a part of the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology’s summer REU program and to work with Shon Schooler and the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. Archives
August 2019
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