A Hot and Muddy (Well, Sandy) Day!

Today I got to take out some amazing people into the field to collect potentially my final samples from the marine lab coast. Although it was a "feels-like 100" day, the waves were rather calm and there was a gentle breeze out on the water. Today was also the first time that I got to captain my own research vessel while leading my research team. 

Speaking of my amazing research team, I am always so lucky to bring people into the field with me. Today was no exception, as I recruited two graduate students who are not marine track students; one focuses on venom and the other on cellular biology. At FSU, however, any chance to get in the field with friends and to participate in the unique research that colleagues do is quite an exciting opportunity. I am also well-aware that while the research in our lab is exceptionally valuable--specifically the environmental health assessment research we do--it is not aesthetically pleasing nor does it make for great social conversation. However, graduate students in the department are often willing to get out into the field to help, especially if those graduate students do not conduct field work or are incentivized with a day of tanning on a boat (which, I think is the new sell point that I will be using).

So what did we see? Blips of life here and there, but nothing fantastical. There were two times when something large breached the water's surface but we were not facing the right direction to catch a glimpse. There were a few crabs that ended up on the boat and relaxed until we got back to shore and plenty of marine worms living in the sediment that we pulled up from the different sites. I also got to show Kylie and Natalia characteristics of the sediment that inform marine sedimentologists' understanding of environmental health, such as sediment coloration, banding, visible burrows, and even odor.

While I don't have a great picture from today (was very challenging to get one since my phone was overheating), I do know that it was a fun day out on the water introducing more people to marine sediments and how we can use them to inform conservation decisions.

As mentioned last week, I will be changing my weekly posting schedule due to the semester starting and my days at the lab changing. I will be updating the blog every week on Thursdays, starting in two weeks, and there will not be a post next week, as I will be in the field helping out with other research.