By: Bryce, Mary, and Sophie

The students woke up tired from attending karaoke the previous night! Glowing lights and joyful vibes had filled the atmosphere as they sang their hearts out. 

In the morning, the group made another trip to Friday Harbor Labs, where they participated in the conservation and research of eelgrass. Here, they met up with conservation research scientists Mitch and Sage to assist in their ongoing project.

First, the group mixed several differing substrates to help analyze which was best for eelgrass growth. These substrates were placed into jars and were ready to house the eelgrass.

Delicately, the group used tweezers to pick up the seedlings from their germination bin. They were careful to only pinch the eelgrass at the spot right above the seeds, noting how fragile the small plants were.

Following a pattern of three seedlings per jar, the group of students efficiently planted 144 jars of eelgrass over the course of the morning. With these seedlings, Mitch and Sandy are working on a project that aims to reintroduce eelgrass back into natural ecosystems with the hope of seeing eelgrass meadows thriving again.

In the afternoon after lunch, the group resumed their efforts and began finalizing their pilot project proposal presentations. These proposals aim to provide insights into the future development of environmental protection strategies, focusing on innovative solutions and public awareness of climate impacts in the world. 

After working on their tasks for the afternoon and enjoying the town, the students enjoyed a pesto pasta salad with watermelon, tofu, and chicken with the company of Dr. Mike Kuperberg. He was a biologist at Florida State University for 25 years, with 20 years of experience in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Now, Dr. Kuperberg is the executive director at the Whale Museum with the goal of educating his community through the power of storytelling. After the presentation, the students enjoyed their final night together as a whole group!

By: Montgomery, Bryce, Sophie, and Mary

After a long slog of kayaking, students got to enjoy a slow morning and an adventure at the farmers’ market! At approximately ten in the morning, the students went downtown to explore the market scene where many local creators set up booths to sell their goods. Amongst the many items that were displayed, fine jewelry, bakery goods, and even woodworking were offered. The group spent their morning meandering and buying from the market. Music was being played in a small corner of the festival to brighten the atmosphere! Some people went out to the thrift stores and other shops around town before we headed back to the dorms 

After lunch, the student body went to the docks at the Port of Friday Harbor to collect some water samples for the Plankton lab! Using a specialized net, the group siphoned samples of water into a bucket to take to the lab. In these samples, many different varieties of plankton were gathered; plankton are small marine organisms that are crucial to life beneath the sea.  

While some student collected samples, others explored the life underneath the docks. There was a great abundance of marine biology to be found. The marine organisms found include large swaths of Metridium and giant plumose anemone (a species of sea anemone). After the samples were collected, the group headed back to the labs at the dorms.  

Unusual microorganisms were found in water samples taken by the students at the docks and taken back to the lab; with the help of a microscope, the students were able to see unique types of zooplankton and phytoplankton. Pipets drew the water from the sea which was placed on stages that were then examined underneath the microscopes. Many different species of microorganisms were found using this process as the students took notes and sketched what they saw. 

The rest of the day was utilized for brainstorming for the big up-and-coming project. Students are aiming to find solutions to a problem within their own communities. From exploring watersheds to analyzing bacterium types, ideas were being bounced around left and right as the group worked diligently to prepare for this final project.

After working on their tasks, the group enjoyed the company of undergraduates Alexandria Kaplan who studies biology at UCSC and Ellie In who studies marine biology at UW for dinner, which was Mediterranean-style tofu and chicken. They winded down for the day before heading to sleep.