That’s right! We’ve hit the halfway point, and I can’t yet decide whether I feel like I just got here, or if I’ve been here forever. It honestly might just be a little bit of both. Existential dread aside though, this past week has given me some much needed time to reflect, slowing down the pace a little and giving me a chance to take it all in. Work wise, I kind of dabbled in a little bit of everything. Monday was quite a fun day, as I spent most of my time out on the water accompanying Adam on the monthly water quality survey. Going out twice, once at low tide and then later in the day at high tide, it was amazing to see how the slough completely transforms with the tides. Having spent most of my life in the tropics, I’ve never been in a system that’s as tidally dominated as this, and it’s really quite astonishing to see what was a mudflat or eelgrass bed in the morning disappear under feet of water by the afternoon. The experience also provided me with a great opportunity not only to develop my environmental survey skills, but also allowed me to see a lot more of the estuary than I previously had. I got to see the marshes, the mudflats and even parts of the creeks, really driving home the interconnected nature of the systems that form the slough. On a more comical note though, I did end up getting completely stuck in the mud at Winchester and had to leave my boots in the mud and walk back to the truck in my socks. Hopefully we can recover those boots someday. On Tuesday we ran some calorimetry, and I’m excited to report that it went way better than last week. We only had one run go wrong and were able to knock out 3 whole successful runs, the most we’ve ever had in a day! Until Wednesday that is, when we ran 4 successful runs with 0 failures! I think we’ve gotten the hang of it, I guess you could say I'm turning into something of a calorimetry pro, right? Wrong. Thursday: 4 consecutive failures, 0 successful runs. I guess our luck might have run dry, but hey, that’s science sometimes. At least I got to spend some time measuring seeds too, so some meaningful data was collected. Friday was a bit better, with the one and only run we conducted being successful, and I got to spend the rest of the day sifting through shoots collected in June to look for seeds, some much needed relaxation. As for the non-work aspect, we had quite the exciting week. We started the weekend with a boat trip on the Megalopa, OIMB’s newest vessel which can go out further and trawl deeper than any other in OIMB history. And trawl we did. Basket stars, decorator crabs, sea cucumbers, hermits and snails, all from 300 ft below the surface of the sea. It was quite an exciting glimpse into a seemingly alien world that I know I’ll never see, and that I frankly find a bit hard to even comprehend. We got back to shore a few hours after noon, and Tara, Madison and I decided to head into town for some coffee and thrifting, and to try the local Indian food spot, all 3 of which were a great success. The next day the whole cohort made our way down to Bandon, where we spent a few hours exploring the town, and then a few more hours exploring the local candy stores (they had free samples which made it very hard to leave). The town was quaint and beautiful, and I loved the sculptures and artwork that dotted the coastline. On Monday and Tuesday I spend most of my free time working on my project presentation, which we then presented to the rest of the cohort on Wednesday. It was super fun hearing about everyone’s projects in detail, as though we often talk about them in passing, the background and overview of the methods that were presented really helped me put together the bits and pieces I had heard to that point. Once the presentations were all done and dusted, we all mutually decided that we needed some time to relax, and so we made our way down to the trails at the South Slough visitor center. After a quick pit stop at the berry bushes, we made our way down the middle creek and big cedar trails, and into the hidden creek marsh just in time for golden hour. The beauty of the estuary was on full display that day, and it was nice to be able to show my deep-sea focused friends that the coasts can be exciting too! Thursday was also really fun, as it was the South Slough intern potluck! It was such a cool event and it really meant so much to me that everyone came together to appreciate the interns the way they did, I really am lucky to be a part of South Slough! Ali, my amazing mentor, also presented me with the ‘Dynamite Seagrass Seed Sower and Slough Quick-mud Survivor Award’, an achievement that will adorn my CV for decades to come. As I write this it’s now Friday, and the rest of the cohort and I are preparing to head to Eugene for the weekend. I’m really looking forward to exploring more of Oregon, and taking a much needed break from calorimetry.
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Week 4: The carpets of green, the glimmering white, and the Parr 6725 semimicro bomb calorimeter.7/24/2023 No matter how many times I step out onto the seagrass beds, they will never cease to amaze me. The beautiful blades of grass overlapping, matting the ground emerald green with streaks of white –flowering shoots– looking almost painted on, it’s quite the sight to behold. Lucky for me, this week was the spring tide series, and even luckier for me, that means going out to the beds. Unlucky for me, however, that also means waking up at 5 AM and racing against the tide to get shoots counted and collected. Monday was the first day out in the field, and after some minor boat problems, I accompanied Ali to Valino Island where we did density surveys and collected shoots for the OSU Crew™ (Lara and her two REU students at Oregon State, Zahra and Amber), while they did the same at Collver point. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the start of what would be a very long day. The next day all 5 of us went out to Clam Island, where we ran the whole operation again on another beautiful and sunny morning. Wednesday was the last field day, and my first time visiting one of 2 other sites I hadn’t yet been to, Fossil Point. While the weather may not have been as beautiful and the tides not as forgiving, it was one of my favorite field outings yet simply because of all the critters we saw. Every time I looked down, a shimmering sea hare or a scuttering juvenile Dungeness crab caught my eye. Even once we got back to the lab the fun didn’t stop, as upon going through my samples I found a little gift that Zahra and Amber had left for me; a large five-spined crab at the bottom of my bag of shoot samples! Anyone who knows me knows there's nothing I love more than looking at little sea critters, and this week had me overjoyed. Sadly, however, it can’t all be fun and games, as this week also saw me contest with my newfound nemesis: the Parr 6725 semimicro bomb calorimeter. The energetics part of my project is something I’m really excited about, but it’s taught me that science can often be trial and error, and more error. Though PhD candidate Caitlyn Plowman from the Young lab had given us an amazing training session on running the machine, at the end of the day it’s a complicated machine and one where mistakes are easy to make. The first run on Monday took us a while to figure out, and ended up giving us an invalid result. Though a little disheartening, it was a learning experience and by the end of the day we had kind of got the hang of it with 2 back to back successful runs bookending a 13 hour day of work. Naturally I came in on Tuesday with an air of confidence. Spoiler alert: the confidence was unfounded. After one unsuccessful run to start the day, we ran into a problem as the bomb (the part where the sample is combusted) refused to pressurize. After trying nearly everything I ended up having to leave for lunch, and thankfully Ali was able to figure the problem out while I was gone. Though I was quite frustrated, and at one point even willing to completely give up on this part of the project, Ali was extremely encouraging. It was an important lesson, things don’t always go your way, but even if the process continues to give us trouble I’m willing to give it my all. Outside of research, this week wasn’t too crazy. We had a fun Sunday as all the Interns from Oregon State came down to OIMB and we got to give them a tour of our facilities and the CMLC. It was fun meeting so many new people, explaining my research to a fresh set of minds and answering their questions – hopefully good practice for our presentations next week! Other than that, on Tuesday I spent a majority of the day doing a kayak training session at the marina with Eric from SSNERR’s education program. It was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had here, kayaking alongside harbor seals and laughing as we all horrendously attempted newly learned maneuvers. It was a great bonding experience for my fellow interns and I, especially the rescue portion of the training where we had to capsize our kayak by flipping over to our side and plopping (for lack of a better word) ourselves into the water. Watching and laughing at each other flip over was the most fun part of my week, and shout out to Lara, the “rescuer” for the day, for safely getting me to shore.
That’s right! This week started off strong as Sunday was my 20th birthday, and waking up in the middle of nature was the best birthday gift I could ask for. It was the last day of our weekend-long camping trip at Sunset bay- one filled with amazing views, super cool critters and long hikes. But that was just the beginning of a week of productivity, learning and a lot of fun. On Monday and Tuesday I worked tirelessly (or actually maybe a little tiredly) throughout the day, counting, weighing and measuring seed after seed till there were all but none. Contrary to how that may sound, it was actually really fun. Spending two whole days working on one task really helped me get into the groove, and taking the data down and noticing patterns as I took measurements made me really excited for the data analysis that lay ahead. After entering the data into a spreadsheet on Wednesday, and a little bit of cleaning and organizing on Thursday morning, we were finally able to look at some relationships and trends. This part of the research cycle is the one I love the most, and seeing the data we collected line up with our expectations in some areas and completely defy them in others was extremely exciting, answering some questions and giving rise to tons more. While this data was a big part of my project, there is a lot more to come, and as Friday saw us set up the beginning of the germination experiment, the energetics portion of the project is still ahead of us. At the end of all this, I somehow find myself even more excited than I was before. As for the learning, this week I had the opportunity to attend talks from a variety of people and learn about myriad topics, both marine related and not. The first of these was on Tuesday, a talk given by a representative of the Elakha Alliance on the history of Sea Otter reintroduction on the southern Oregon coast. As he ran through the successes and failures of projects of the past, it opened my eyes to a whole new perspective on how, where and even why reintroductions are undertaken. The second talk I attended was the very next day, a career talk by the director of the South Slough Reserve Dr. Bree Yednock. This was quite a contrast from the previous talk, and a lot more targeted. Learning about Dr. Yednock’s own career path and her advice for finding a career was extremely valuable, and something tells me that I’ll be referencing the notes I took that Wednesday afternoon for years to come. Later that evening, we also had the opportunity to attend a talk by UO professor Dr. Lillian Aoki, a researcher who studies – wait for it – eelgrass! Needless to say I was extremely excited for this talk, as it was my first time hearing about current research being conducted in the field outside the context of my project. Hearing about Dr. Aoki’s research was valuable not only to my project, but also to learn about how large scale restoration projects and monitoring studies are conducted, as well as exposing me to the variety of different avenues a career in marine plant ecology can take you down. On Thursday our whole REU cohort had a lunch conversation with Dr. Josh Lord, a professor at Moravian University, an undergraduate-focused institution in Pennsylvania. As a student at the University of Michigan and now an intern at UO, my experience speaking with professors has been solely with those that work at R1 research focused institutions. Talking with Dr. Lord expanded my understanding of what professorship could look like, and how someone with a passion for teaching can still pursue research at a non-research focused institution. This conversation really changed my perspective on my potential career, and was extremely valuable to me at a stage where I’m still exploring what opportunities exist in the field. Last, but certainly not least, later that day I attended another talk/conversation session led by SSNERR research coordination and mentor of my fellow South Slough REUs Dr. Shon Schooler. Dr. Schooler’s career path was completely different to that of Dr. Lord, and talking to them on the same day really put into perspective how broad the opportunities in the marine sciences can be. Hearing about his globetrotting career and academic exploits filled me with excitement and a useful understanding of what a non-academic career might look like. Lastly, the fun! Though this week was a bit of a downer as a mystery illness worked its way across OIMB, our REU cohort was undeterred in our pursuit of fun. On Sunday to celebrate my birthday, we went out thrifting down at the local goodwill, followed by the best crab tacos I have ever eaten in my whole life from Miller’s at the Cove down the street from campus. After I took Monday and Tuesday to rest and recover from my illness, and the OIMBreathing problems and OIMBodyache that came with it, we hit up the local 7/11 on Wednesday (i.e. 7/11 day) for a free slurpee. I didn't know that ‘hibiscus lemonade’ and ‘piña colada fanta’ were slurpee flavors you could get, but they now rank high in my top 10. On Thursday my fellow South Slough REUs and I took a short hike down at the visitor center, almost instantly getting sidetracked by the bushes of now ripening blackberries and thimbleberries. I’m sure you can guess what happened next (I ate a lot of berries). This weekend we have nothing planned for us, and the cohort has decided to head down to town on Saturday. I’m really excited to actually explore Coos Bay and see what the town has to offer, and it seems a great way to end what has been an exciting week. This week was a big first for me, as after months of independent research into the systems and a whole week of planning, I was finally able to visit the seagrass beds in person! My first trip out was on Monday on a very, very cold and windy morning. After a short boat ride through the foggy bay we arrived at Clam Island, the source for most previousl eelgrass transplants used for restoration, and for good reason. As the island came into view, I saw one of the most jaw-dropping sights I've ever seen, a mat of almost continuous grass carpeting the floor as far as the eye can see into the fog. My cold grogginess was quickly supplanted by excitement and awe, and while I was pretty off on my density surveys and percent coverage counts at first, Ali’s patient guidance meant I got the hang of it fairly quickly. Monday also marked the first time I met Oregon State University Graduate student and South Slough Fellow Lara Breitkreutz and her two REU students also working on Zostera marina. Upon getting back to the lab, they taught me a lot more about the flowering and seed development cycle plant, as well as providing me with the seeds I’ll be working with for the coming weeks. My second field excursion was on Wednesday, this time to Valino Island, a mid estuary site and the recipient of the Clam Island transplants. Having already spent a day in the field and aided by some quite beautiful weather, this day went a lot smoother. Upon returning to the lab, we had a few more discussions regarding the methods of my project, and with some help from Lara (and James - who very graciously let me borrow a clear tube) were able to come up with a way to measure seed velocities, a method for determining viability. Thursday was finally the long awaited beginning to my data collection process, and after a few initial bumps things started to go pretty smooth! The data looks really cool and I can’t wait to have it all ready and visualize some of it. However, I can't say it was easy. One thing you should know about eelgrass seeds is that they are small, very small. And being that small they have a propensity to launch themselves out of the tweezers holding them, landing halfway across the room and initiating a coast-guard level search and rescue operation. Hopefully the few seeds I lost to the lab floor yesterday won’t have too much bearing on the final results. On Thursday Ali and I also practiced running calorimetry thanks to training provided from Caitlin (a graduate student in the Young lab) and the instrument we’re borrowing from the Galloway lab, something we’ll be doing to quantify seed energy. The process was super complicated but got me really excited to run our samples. Friday would see a short return to Valino Island to replace temperature sensors collected on Wednesday and collect sediment for germination experiments, but that was mostly it for my work related excursions. As for non-work related excursions, Monday saw my fellow REU’s and I take yet another hike through the tunnel (pictured in my profile header) to the beach. We occupied ourselves for what felt like multiple hours digging a channel from a small cliffside stream all the way to the ocean. It was nice to be working together with everyone else on something fun, and the cheers that erupted when the first drop of stream water met an incoming wave were a sight to behold. As for Tuesday, it was the 4th of July and we spent most of the day outside enjoying the OIMB 4th of July picnic as well as some football and spikeball. In the evening, after some tide pooling at the OIMBeach, all of the REUs and a few SSNERR interns decided to head down to downtown Coos Bay to grab a bite and watch the firework show. After arriving at around 9 and realizing everything was closed, we ended up at McDonalds (which I can’t say I didn’t enjoy). What followed however was one of the most amazing fireworks displays I have seen in my life. The colors were absolutely stunning and each individual boom was so loud that we could feel it in our chests. After a short break on Wednesday, on Thursday at the recommendation of Dr. George von Dassow all of us headed back to town for a bluegrass concert at the 7 devils Brewing Co. I’d never really been a bluegrass fan, but after yesterday I think I’m starting to warm up to it.
Overall, this week was super fun, and even though we did so much it seems to have flown by. It’s really cool to see my project start to take shape and turn from just an idea into reality, and I can't wait to see what the coming weeks will hold. Hey guys! I’m Shreyaan Seth, and as I mentioned in my bio I’m a junior at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor double majoring in EEB (Ecology & Evolutionary Biology) and Economics. Though I was originally born in Davenport, Iowa, my childhood was bookmarked by multiple moves, and I’ve spent the last 9 years based out of Gurgaon, India which I consider home. A little more about me: I love animals, especially dogs, love traveling and am super into college sports! At UofM I’m involved in multiple organizations including Epsilon Eta, the professional environmental fraternity, the Michigan Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Society (MEEBS) and the Undergraduate research symposium committee. As for my academic interests, I’m super passionate about marine ecology, particularly coastal systems and their restoration and conservation from both an ecological and economic standpoint. For the duration of this summer, I will be working at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (SSNERR) under the supervision of my mentor Ali Helms. Though we are still working out the kinks and methodology, my project will be centered around the seeds of the native eelgrass species Zostera marina. We will be looking at various characteristics of seeds from different sites along the estuary to determine which seeds are best suited for restoration efforts. My first week here has been extremely fun so far. I’ve always wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest, and the Oregon coast is everything I imagined and more. The rolling dunes, jagged cliffs and crashing waves have made for an extremely scenic week. I’ve taken multiple hikes with my fellow REU’s which has helped us get quite close as a group! As for research, it has mainly consisted of ideation and literature review alongside learning some basic lab techniques. Overall this week has been absolutely amazing and I’m filled with eager anticipation for what's to come. |
AuthorHey guys! My name is Shreyaan Seth and I'm a rising junior majoring in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (EEB) and Econ at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I was originally born in Davenport, Iowa, but have spent most of my childhood growing up in Gurgaon, India. This summer I'll be working with Ali Helms from the SSNERR on eelgrass seed functional diversity with implications for restoration of the seagrass here in Coos Bay! ArchivesCategories |
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