Currently listening to: Backstreet Boys-Unbreakable
Mood: Tired, but satisfied
Hello all!
I figured that a blog would be much easier for me to update than trying to get to everyone through email, so feel free to follow! I plan to update it at the beginning of every month *sweat* so that you all can see what I've been up to!
Every Wednesday, from 10:00am-12:00am, my mentor Dr. Keith takes students on one of our research boats to go look for manatees. We record the water and air temperatures, locations, and other data. So far, we've only seen a few surface to breathe, because either it's too cold to come up out of the water, or if the water's warm, the manatees leave to go forage. (Or they're super smart and hid from us). We also look for ospreys, as a fellow student Joyce is observing them for her project. They also like to give us the cold shoulder, as trying to identify them is difficult. They are so uncooperative! This week, we saw ospreys and one manatee carcass, which we had to report. That was rare, so everyone was excited. I was a little turned off by the smell. Some bio major I am.
However, not only the wildlife is interesting, but where we go on our little expeditions. We travel around Port Everglades, which is where the Oceanographic Center is near, at the top of a strip of land, which is John Lloyd State Park. We go through the canals on the side near the vegetation to hunt our prey. Near there, there are shipdocks where huge cargo vessels, usually from the Scandanavian countries, park to get loaded. You can't really understand the sheer massive size of these things until you're right up alongside the hull. There are also quite a few yachts, the coast guard chasing us down (you'd think they'd remember we have a permit after questioning us every week), and occasionally a cruise ship harbored for the weekend (I think Ft. Lauderdale is the biggest cruise port in the world-I could be giving false information though). There's also a nuclear power plant in the distance, where the manatees like to be because it fuels warm water. That's right. Radioactive manatees. Oh boy. *not really, but I wouldn't doubt it*
So, we basically get a free 2-hour boat ride every week. It's really nice, and fun-and no work! I like that, because I just finished two midterms and a presentation, and am exhausted! I also got accepted as a volunteer for the Sea Turtle program here at school, and I also am taking classes at the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo to be a rehabilitation volunteer for cetaceans. So if you feel like I've been ignoring you, I haven't! I just haven't had time to talk to anyone! But I haven't forgotten all the support and well wishes, so thank you everyone! I miss you all (though not your weather! MWAHAHAHAHA)
Much love!
Laura
Below, I have some pictures from the survey:
Mood: Tired, but satisfied
Hello all!
I figured that a blog would be much easier for me to update than trying to get to everyone through email, so feel free to follow! I plan to update it at the beginning of every month *sweat* so that you all can see what I've been up to!
Every Wednesday, from 10:00am-12:00am, my mentor Dr. Keith takes students on one of our research boats to go look for manatees. We record the water and air temperatures, locations, and other data. So far, we've only seen a few surface to breathe, because either it's too cold to come up out of the water, or if the water's warm, the manatees leave to go forage. (Or they're super smart and hid from us). We also look for ospreys, as a fellow student Joyce is observing them for her project. They also like to give us the cold shoulder, as trying to identify them is difficult. They are so uncooperative! This week, we saw ospreys and one manatee carcass, which we had to report. That was rare, so everyone was excited. I was a little turned off by the smell. Some bio major I am.
However, not only the wildlife is interesting, but where we go on our little expeditions. We travel around Port Everglades, which is where the Oceanographic Center is near, at the top of a strip of land, which is John Lloyd State Park. We go through the canals on the side near the vegetation to hunt our prey. Near there, there are shipdocks where huge cargo vessels, usually from the Scandanavian countries, park to get loaded. You can't really understand the sheer massive size of these things until you're right up alongside the hull. There are also quite a few yachts, the coast guard chasing us down (you'd think they'd remember we have a permit after questioning us every week), and occasionally a cruise ship harbored for the weekend (I think Ft. Lauderdale is the biggest cruise port in the world-I could be giving false information though). There's also a nuclear power plant in the distance, where the manatees like to be because it fuels warm water. That's right. Radioactive manatees. Oh boy. *not really, but I wouldn't doubt it*
So, we basically get a free 2-hour boat ride every week. It's really nice, and fun-and no work! I like that, because I just finished two midterms and a presentation, and am exhausted! I also got accepted as a volunteer for the Sea Turtle program here at school, and I also am taking classes at the Marine Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo to be a rehabilitation volunteer for cetaceans. So if you feel like I've been ignoring you, I haven't! I just haven't had time to talk to anyone! But I haven't forgotten all the support and well wishes, so thank you everyone! I miss you all (though not your weather! MWAHAHAHAHA)
Much love!
Laura
Below, I have some pictures from the survey:
Ready to explore! If I look tired, it's cause I am! I was studying for two exams beforehand!
The little white buildings are the OC.
Passing the coast guard and entering the marina.
This is someone's ship that's been sitting there for weeks. Someone must have a lot of extra pocket money because on one side it has a motorboat, on the other a sailboat, and a helicopter pad on back. It's called Tatoosh.
One of the European ships heading out to the open ocean, back to Europe.
We had no idea what this was. It was the weirdest-looking ship we've ever seen.
Coming up on the shipdocks.
That's one big boat.
The nucelar power plant. YAY!
The crew working.
Loading cargo is like the game Tetris with blocks!
Some of those boxes had bananas in them. Mmm. Bananas.
Someone's fancy yacht. Psht.
One of the shipdock-loading-thingys.
Look! It's an osprey!
Heading back from a canal to the marina.
