Saturday, May 18, 2013

Day 13 - BYU-Idaho Marine Biology Field Experience Research

Today started with a short field trip to the Charleston, OR, Boat Basin (marina) where we could see how floating docks work.  The topic for the day?  Marine communities of floating docks, piers, and pilings.  We had class at 9am, followed by time for research for the rest of the day.

We have only one more class "field trip" to do while we are here, and that is to go out on the lab's research vessel and do plankton tows and bottom trawls, but that will probably not happen until next week.

In the meantime student research is shaping up nicely.  Here's a quick introduction to the projects that are currently underway:

1) Elysa, Mackenzie, Daniel, and Tony - What is the timing and developmental pattern for 3-4 species of nudibranchs (sea slugs). 

2) Tony and Daniel - Do newly metamorphosed juvenile crabs demonstrate a preference for a particular bottom color or pattern?

3) Ty and Patrick - Do hermit crabs show site fidelity to tide pools where they are found, and do hermit crabs return to their original pool if they are displaced?

4) Jessica and Bailey - Is there a difference in phytoplankton concentrations between the mouth and upstream end of the South Slough National Estuary Research Reserve? 

5) Blake and Dallas - Do swimming megalops stage crab larvae demonstrate phototaxis in response to different wavelengths (colors) of light?

6) Kristin and Lindsey - Can juvenile crabs survive water temperatures projected for 50 years and 100 years from now by current models of global climate change?

At least these are the research projects currently underway...and more are sure to emerge in the two weeks we have remaining in the MBFE.

Sorry, no new misadventures today...heh heh.

Stay tuned.

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