Week nine is here. The culmination of eight weeks of trial, error, frustration, successes, and discoveries have been condensed onto a single poster. After at least five vocabulary and phrasing revisions, and countless minute adjustments, the posters were sent to the printer Monday morning. On Tuesday, Nancy Treneman offered to do a mock presentation with me to practice my delivery and to quiz me on any questions I may be asked. The day of the poster symposium arrived, and to be honest, I was a nervous wreck. I envisioned myself being grilled by everyone who walked by and not knowing the answers to their questions. How wrong I was! Yes, there were questions I could not answer, but that will always be the case, and I was not belittled or depreciated for admitting it. This was an opportunity broadcast my studies. In my poster I showed how I explored my question, which leads to more and more questions, which is the very essence of science: the concerted effort to better understand the world around us. The attendees were not there to test us, they were there to learn about what we had been researching this summer, and to support our work. The nerves quickly wore off and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of sharing my results, thoughts, and enthusiasm. I was fortunate to have friends from Washington drive all the way to Charleston to attend the symposium, making the day even more exceptional. So what were my results? There was no significant difference in numbers of larvae settled or numbers of burrowers on hard wood vs. soft wood, and wood density does not effect the number of burrowers. Initially, I was surprised by my results, but when I started to take variables other than wood density into consideration it started making sense. The less dense wood species (Hemlock, Pine, and Fir), that had the lowest responses, are from coniferous trees which contain more resins and saps than hard woods. It is possible, even with consistent water changes, that these substances a) contaminated the water enough to kill a many of my larvae and/or b) deterred them from burrowing into the wood. If I were to move forward with this research I would let the wood soak in running seawater for at least a week before exposing the larvae, and I would place all six wood blocks in one container and give the larvae a choice of which wood type to settle on. I am so fortunate to be among this great group of individuals, and to call them my friends. What am I taking away from the nine weeks here at OIMB? Looking back at my first blog post, I set three goals for myself: develop experimentation skills, make connections in the marine science community, and gain confidence in myself as a scientist and researcher. I have positively accomplished each of these, and additionally I have made a handful of lifelong friends. To my mentor, Richard Emlet, Nancy Treneman, program coordinator Maya, and graduate students Nicole and MacKenna I offer my sincerest gratitude. Signing off from OIMB!
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AuthorHello, my name is Tiffany Spendiff. I am a third-year marine biology student and unrelenting bivalviaphile. This blog is an account of the successes, lessons, trials, and tribulations of a burgeoning marine scientist. Archives
August 2018
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