Thursday, July 10th, 2025; by Asher, Mira, Noam, and Vidita 

Today we were thankfully back to waking up at our regular time. We had breakfast at 8:00 and headed out a bit after 9:00, returning to 4th of July Beach to do an eelgrass survey! We were helping the San Juan Conservation District, as their eelgrass conservation crew is only two  people (Mitch McCloskey and Sage, who we had over for dinner last week), making it difficult for them to get work done quickly. While there, we made note of the population of flowering heads and did several treatments to determine the effect of harvesting. We also saw many megafauna, including a giant dungeness crab, many shore crabs, and several species of bird.

We returned to the dorms for lunch after a brief detour to look for orcas that we tragically did not see, then headed out again to pull in plankton down at the marina and examine it under our microscopes. We found many types of zooplankton and phytoplankton, including baby jellyfish and some krill. Although the lab was rather hot, it was worth it to observe these fascinating organisms.

After free time and dinner prep, we had dinner with Jess Farrar, the research director at the Friday Harbor Whale Museum. She gave us an interesting lecture about her journey into the marine science world and pinniped facts. Some highlights include smiling at cute baby seals, learning about opportunities to contribute to The Whale Museum exhibits, and the entire room gasping at the story of “Hoover the harbor seal” who imitated his owner’s thick New England accent. We ended the presentation with a round of applause and several more questions.

Wednesday, July 9th, 2025. By: Lars, Miles, and Leah

Our day started out at an ungodly hour .. 7 am! We had to get up and out the door by 8 am to catch the low tides to for our surveys. We were also charmed by the piercing winds on the coast, a kind drizzle from the sky by mother nature, and the overall dewy weather. Despite all odds against us, many of our spirits remained lifted!

We started our surveying with a warm up led by Dr. Katie Dobkowski and her undergraduate research assistant Gabby. They asked us to walk arms length apart, in an even line down the beach for 1 minute. Searching intensely for crab molts. The goal was to understand weather any of the crabs living in this area were part of the invasive green crab species. We did a total of 3 of these walks, finding many crab molts varying in size along the way – none were green crabs! Currently, European Green Crabs are considered one of the most invasive species in the marine environment. Efforts from university researchers, and state researchers are coming together to prevent the spread of this species into the beautiful marine ecosystem surrounding the San Juan Islands. “Green crab could potentially damage Alaska’s multi-billion dollar fisheries industries, especially for salmon, crab, and mariculture operations.” (NOAA Alaska Regional Office, 2023)

Continuing on with our deep dive scientific studying, we moved onto instruction and participation in a continuous survey Dr. Dobkowski keeps up on seaweed species on Cattle Point. We scaled down the dangerous-ly slippery rocks COVERED in seaweeds of red, green, and brown. Our quadrads were used to identify the various species within them. Our groups identified lots of rock weed, rusty rock, and Turkish towel. We layed out our measuring tape from the sector identifier at the top of the rock, and laid a quadrad down at each even meter on the line. Based on speed, some groups did many quadrads while some only completed one. On our survey sheets, we would make note of many things, most notably how much of the identified species of seaweed was identified within each section of the quadrad. Some sections were identified with having a 5 level, or 50 to 100% seaweed within the section. Others were identified with 1 or 0, 5% to 0%. Feeling pretty accomplished, we spent some time reflecting on our work with Dr. Dobkowski spotted many foxes and retreated to our warmer vans.

We stopped at the lovely Jackson Beach to get a quick bite and rest our bodies and minds before returning out to the field. While at Jackson Beach, we met more scientists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife attempting to trap our enemies, the European Green Crab. Next, we slid on over to Mt. Grant, and met up with the wonderful Shauna Barrows from the San Juan County Land Bank. She shared some thought provoking insights on the local water sheds on the island and the role they play in marine organism health, specifically salmonids. The County Land Bank is putting in a lot of effort into conserving the watershed, but the large amount of local agriculture causes degradation on the streams and creeks. They have began problem solving ways to keep the water quality up, without the full support of the land owners. I had no idea that there was a time when salmon spawned in the San Juan Islands watersheds every fall, and its sad to know that they no longer do that due to our impacts.

We concluded our journey at Zystera Lake, and discussed the history and cultural significance of that specific man-made lake. The lake is currently having a lot of problems with toxic algea blooms due to an abundance of nutrients in the water. As a solution, the County Land Bank is attempting to built these “beaver damns” in order to better slow down and filter the water coming from the creek to the lake. They are currently only working on this at a small scale, but hope to expand in the near future. Finally, Shauna drove home the point that conservationist like herself have to continuously think of ways to conserve the depleting nature around them without attempting to control the locals, because at the end of the day us, and her have no control over how the publics actions influence the environment if we don’t make an attempt to repair it, and educate.

We returned to the dorms briefly for a quick bite, and maybe an outfit change and heading out one final time! This time we were catching one of the weekly seminars hosted by UW at the Friday Harbor Labs. This talk by Shirel Kahane-Rapport on filter feeding in mobuilds (manta rays). She dove right into the fascinating topic of how she used models in person and on a computer to simulate the lobes in a mobulids filter and how changes may impact a mobulids ability to feed. The talk was super physics, data, and graphs heavy but the majority of our students seemed to stick onto her train of thought super well. In fact, I would say our body of students asked her more questions at the end than the other researchers at the lab! My favorite feature of her talk was her opening of background information on mobulids, how they feed. She made it possible for those outside of her area of study to understand her work without any background experience. Although that seems like it should be obvious, it is not always a given in the scientific community! If your interested in learning more about ricochet separation and the science behind how manta rays feed, we recommend skimming through this paper! https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6157963/#:~:text=Our%20results%20indicate%20that%20manta,flow%20rates%2C%20and%20resists%20clogging.

Finally, we relaxed after a long, eventful day! Food on our plates, minds full of new knowledge, we begin to reset for another adventurous day ahead!

By: Hitomi, Eden, Trevor and Harper

We woke up to a new day back at the dorms ready to restart our research explorations. After breakfast, we ventured out to False Bay. The bay is an open area with small pools of water surrounded by large breaks of muddy land. False Bay is a perfect place for annelids (segmented worms) to hide, as well as a fun spot for shrimp, clams, and crabs to live.

Our group went to this muddy haven to learn how to take lugworm surveys. We split up into groups of three or four and we each recorded different data sets around the beach. Five of the six groups recorded the number of fecal castings left by lugworms while the sixth group dug up the castings to see if any burrows were inhabited.

The groups found many different types of worms, as well as some ghost shrimp, crabs, natural clay, and clams.

After about two hours of data collection, we were exhausted and ready for our lunch break.

To regroup after exploring the wonders of False Bay, we enjoyed our sandwiches which we prepared earlier that morning. Eagle Cove was the most crowded beach we have yet to discover. The beautiful weather called for many picnics at the beach and paddle boarding dogs! During time spent at the beach, some enjoyed sightseeing & people watching, while others helped themselves to exploring the rocky coastal environment.

After our exciting lunch at Eagle Cove, we drove down the road to the American Camp Visitor Center at the San Juan Island National Historical Park where we met our tour guide, Emilio Santiago. Emilio works as a Cultural Resources Program Specialist for the National Park Service & he has been operating as the park’s resident archaeologist since 2018. In addition to being an engaging presenter of the park’s history, Emilio is currently campaigning for the position of Friday Harbor’s town mayor (We wish him luck!). During our tour, Emilio regaled us with a brief history of the 1859 “Pig War” which saw the American and British militaries nearly coming to blows over which of the two powers “owned” the San Juan Islands. We were shown around the foundations of the camp as well as the few remaining buildings that had been restored over the years. After this, we returned to the visitor center where we got to examine several artifacts from the various Coast Salish indigenous tribes who lived near the park prior to colonialist occupation (these being the Samish, S’Klallam, Lummi, and Lushootseed nations, among others). After saying goodbye to Emilio, we drove back to the dorms to start our next activity: brainstorming for our independent research projects.

We returned earlier than normal to the dorms today to start brainstorming our projects! These first steps are very exciting as we began to develop our current interests & ideas into project questions. Maya, Riley and Adam helped some develop their interests into possible projects. Within the next week we will be given more support and resources to solidify our topics as we move further into the first steps of our projects!

To end the day, we were joined for dinner by Dr. Billie Swalla, a professor of biology at the University of Washington. She was the first female director of the Friday Harbor Laboratories, among many other accolades, and we were thrilled to have her visit. Whilst we were eating spanakopita and yellow rice, we talked about cellular division and ctenophores. Similarly, after dinner, she gave a talk about genealogy and her journey as a marine biologist, which I found very in-depth and invigorating. Right before bed, we had a few hours of downtime, allowing us to take a break and prepare for another busy day tomorrow!

Salish Sea Sciences returns to Friday Harbor.

By: Lars, Eden, and Hitomi

Starting early in the morning we packed up our kayaks and left Stuart Island and voyaged back to Friday Harbor! We had a pretty smooth trek with 4 knots of wind behind us.

Tyler and Zoe were super helpful! They made us amazing pulled pork sandwiches for lunch! They cleverly included apples in the coleslaw – super yummy!

While waiting for our sandwiches to be prepared by our guides, we explored the whole island. “Posey Island, at 1.1 acres, was never transferred out of the federal public domain into private ownership.” (Washington State Parks, n.d) If your interested in reading more on the history of this island, look into this great source! https://parks.wa.gov/about/news-center/field-guide-blog/posey-island-marine-state-park-history

Post arrival to the dorms, we swiftly gathered our belongings and fought for shower and laundry spots. Caroline called everyone down to regroup, to catch up on chores, reflect on our kitchen habits, and catch up on blog posts! We are looking forward to a restful evening full of yummy dinner, ice cream, and hangouts. See y’all tomorrow for an exciting visit from an impressive guest!!

The Salish Sea Sciences’ hike to Turn Point Light House on Stuart Island, Sunday, July 6th, 2025. By: Asher, and Miles

On our second day on Stuart Island, we woke bright and early, (mostly) ready to go on a three mile hike to Turn Point Lighthouse! After breakfast, we prepared for the hike, and headed out.

We stopped, shortly after setting out, to look around the old Stuart Island Schoolhouse and the historical museum there. We learned all about the former residents of Stuart Island and facts about the current living conditions on the islands. After that, we continued on the trail where we found a great view of Mount Baker, an impressive sight.

Once at Turn Point, we had a delicious lunch of pita sandwiches and looked at the view for a while—some of us were lucky enough to see a harbor seal playing in the bull kelp. After lunch, we took a small guided tour of the lighthouse keeper’s quarters. We hung around for a while longer, looking at tide pools, birds, plants, kelp, and the like. 

We then hiked back to the campsite and got several hours to relax before one of our science directors, Maya, gave an interesting talk about kelp. The talk, though, was interrupted by a river otter swimming by, which we took delight in watching. We then got some more time to rest and socialize, before a delicious dinner (pasta, both pesto and red sauce).

After dinner, many of us stayed up late to stargaze, despite having to get up at 7 am the next morning. The stars were beautiful and a lovely way to close out a trip.

By Anisa Singh, Isabelle van Thiel, Orrin Spiess, Violet Marshall.

The day began like any other, but everyone knew it was going to be different. Our dry bags were filled with clothes, toiletries and anything else we would need to keep ourselves occupied for the next three days. Instead of our usual trips to the Friday Harbor Labs or one of the island’s assorted beaches, we piled our stuff into the van and headed to Roche Harbor. Located on the north side of the island, Roche Harbor was the starting place for our biggest adventure yet. 

After a rushed morning, we were all ready to get on the water and out of the heat on the dock. Getting into the kayaks and learning how to paddle properly from our wonderful guides, we then took off; it would be a 10 miles trip in total, lasting about 3 hours. The first stop would be on Gossip Island, a small rocky outcropping about 8 miles away from our starting point. We were tired, wet, and salty, however the rest after about 2 hours of work as well as the boost of energy from Thai chicken wraps led us on to finish the second leg of the journey after about 45 more minutes of paddling.

At last, we arrived at our home for the next two days: Staurt Island. We were pulled onto the beach, some of us began unpacking all the kayaks while others chatted, snacked, or went to test out the pit toilet (which smelled as you would expect it to). Soon, we had figured out our rooming pairs and began the arduous process of unpacking and setting up our tents. Some were experts and got them up in 2 seconds flat while others might have taken a bit longer…

After exploring the island a bit, we sat down to dinner and made some amazing snores for dessert. We then prepared for tomorrow, both physically and mentally.

Friday, July 4th, 2025. By: Tori, Wyatt, Annika, and Ella.

Today our cohort woke up at 8am awaiting the Friday Harbor fourth of July parade. Our breakfast consisted of the regular cereal, sandwiches, fruit, and boiled eggs, which were quickly eaten! Before our cohort went out to find our seats for the parade, Caroline held a Map Talk, where our group got the opportunity to understand our surroundings and their history. After the “Map Talk”, our cohort took our seats on the side of Spring Street where we waited for the parade to begin (which took almost an hour). The parade was full of joy, with the vibrant culture of Friday Harbor on full display. From being pelted by candy to cheering on the UW marching band, the parade was a great way to start off our fourth of July.

– Picture of 4th of July parade (taken by Annika)

Following the parade, we put the chairs back to their original spot and then returned to the dorms for a meeting with Caroline. After she addressed the chores for later, she kindly gave us each a 20 dollar bill to buy lunch and released us for 2 hours of free time. The majority of the group went to the pig war picnic where there were many fun activities, and food options. Most people first looked at the various food options which included pulled pork sandwiches, mac n cheese, sushi, pizza, and tacos. After getting food there were several activities such as a cake walk where some people actually won a cake! At 2:30 everyone returned back to the dorm room to pack for the kayaking trip. 

– Picture of the Pig War Picnic at the fairgrounds (taken by Annika)

After lunch, fairgrounds, and exploring town, we took a group vote to go to the beach with Riley. Everyone reapplied sunscreen, some brought games or volleyballs, and a few brave souls grabbed swimwear. We were off. One 20-minute walk past ongoing festivities later, we were greeted with ocean air and stunning views across the archipelago at Jackson’s Beach. Despite the chilled wind, beach volleyball was played, forts were reinforced, swimming was swam, beachcombing combed; it is safe to say much relaxing was done, and fun was had. We, windswept, cold, and many damp, walked back to Spring Street and enjoyed a classic Fourth of July dinner of hamburgers, corn on the cob, and watermelon.

– Picture of Jackson Beach (taken by Annika)

After dinner, everyone walked down to the end of the docks to hang out and enjoy the fireworks. We spread out along a section of the docks and waited listening to music for the fireworks to begin. Once the fireworks started, it was hard to look away from them, and fireworks from other islands could be seen in the distance. When the fireworks were over a couple hours later, our cohort returned to Spring Street for some well needed shut-eye before the next day’s trip. However, some people decided to stay up later than everyone else and have ice cream and chat.

– Picture of fireworks (taken by Annika)

Salish Sea Sciences trip to The Whale Museum and Lime Kiln Point State Park. Thursday, July 3rd, 2025. By: Asher, Mira, Noam, and Vidita

The Salish Sea cohort woke up to a clear-skied, warm morning in the dorms. After eating breakfast together–cereal, fruits, and other such things–we head out into town to find The Whale Museum, which, surprisingly, is a museum about whales.

Once arriving, we were kindly greeted by Tracie Merrill, who had thoughtfully allowed our group to enter the museum before opening hours. Tracie led us through the exhibits, which covered different topics such as morphological variations between species, Coast Salish cultural stories, and the demise of conjoined twin seals. The group was quizzed on various topics about whales, such as the difference between baleen and toothed whales–which we aced. She also opened a touch-table, where the cohort was allowed to feel the skulls and furs of various marine animals. 

Upon being freed to explore the museum alone, the majority of the group trailed towards a movie that explained sound pollution and its effect on whales. It explored equitable ways to reduce noise in our precious waters–including slower cargo ships and efficient propellers. Others wandered into a red, vintage booth that allowed one to ‘call’ different species such as humpback whales and otters and listen to their noises. Certain whales were so quiet one had to strain to hear their screeches, but others were so loud one could hear it from a few feet away.  Some students colored shrimp, seals, and whales in whimsical colors in the children’s section.

All in all, it’s not difficult to conclude that our cohort thoroughly enjoyed learning about different species of whales and sustainability. We left the museum feeling fulfilled in our experience and excited to spend the rest of the day outdoors.

After our time at the museum, we returned to our dorm to pack lunch, which was sandwiches, fruit, and various trail snacks, to take to Lime Kiln State Park. We spent an hour there, eating, and going down to the water to stand on the pillow basalt, which, as we learned later, is cooled at a different rate, allowing it to take on a more ‘pillowy’ shape. We enjoyed our time at a new inter-tidal zone, with acorn and gooseneck  barnacles, egg yolk, and moon jellies, one of whom had six gonads(the four clover rings) instead of the regular four. The jellies seemed to enjoy a mass of fallen leaves, sticks, and kelp that was floating by the shore. We certainly had fun peering at anemones after eating a fulfilling meal, and were ready to head into our next adventure.

Next, we were lucky enough to get a tour of part of Lime Kiln State Park by Erin Corra, who is the founder and program director of Friends of Lime Kiln Society (Folks). We saw many types of beautiful trees including Douglas firs and Mandronas. One tree that stood out in particular was “Old Man Doug:” a 250 year old Douglas Fir! Additionally, we passed several divers from the Friday Harbor Laboratories (where we visited yesterday) wearing gear that they said weighed over 100 pounds. We then watched as they embarked on their journey of measuring sea urchins. Our final destination was the lighthouse, where we made our way to the top and gazed out over the gorgeous Salish Sea. Some of us even spotted the beloved harbor seal, Snowball! Visible from the lighthouse was Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula, providing a breathtaking view that we were all too engrossed in, ending up arriving back at the dorms late.

After our tour of the park, we returned(belatedly) to the dorm, where Adam, our instructor, was to tell us about our kayaking trip that we leave for on Saturday.

To end out our day, we had a delicious dinner of Indian chickpea and spinach curry, naan, salad, and fruit. Joining us were Mitch McCloskey, the Project Manager of Eelgrass Restoration for San Juan, who is in the process of completing his Masters degree at Alaska Pacific University, and Sage, an undergraduate with Western Washington University, who earned her Bachelors degree, also from Western, in geology. After dinner, they informed us of their attempts to repopulate the San Juan coasts with eelgrass by various methods. In a few days, we’ll be helping them with their research.

Overall, it was a very fun day, lots of interesting insights into the ecology of the whales and other marine mammals!

Salish Sea Sciences trip to The University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs (FHL). Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025. By: Lars, Miles, and Leah

We were graced with a half half hour later start for breakfast – but! We also had to pack our lunches whilst making our breakfast to prepare for a full day on the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Lab (FHL) campus. The drive over to the labs was breathtaking, each window we looked out of had the shore right in front of us. Everyone was definitely antsy to get out and meet the scientists awaiting our arrival.

First, we met Michelle Herko, the program director of the FHL Science Outreach Program. She was very excited to tell us all about the history of the campus, and the work done at the lab on green florescent proteins. While showing us around the physyology labs, she explained how the bioluminescent reaction became widely used marker for studying gene expression and protein localization in living cells. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31342754/#:~:text=Abstract,transgenic%20animals%20in%20biomedical%20research One aspect of the labs I found the most fascinating was its flow through water system. The system rapidly circulates water in and out, allowing scientists to observe the creatures in a natural aquatic environment. This is one of the many great features of these labs that attract world renowned scientists!

Our tour continued, as Michelle offered us the opportunity to look at some awesome high powered microscopes. We could only have about 6 students at a time through those labs, so we split up. Those who were first to see the microscopes also discovered another cool project happening in the room next store. A scientist excitedly popped in, interrupting Michelle with the opportunity to see her spawning sea cucumbers! Of course we took her up on the rare opportunity, especially sense the sea cucumber spawning is not a simple process. Their study included injecting peptides to stimulate spawning, very neat! While the others waited, the stumbled upon a tank of dog fish! A sneak peak for a future tour! They were very friendly, and our young scientists quickly chose names corresponding with their spot patterns. As the groups switched off, some groups began opening their lunch boxes and digging in!

After a decently satisfying lunch, our tours prevailed. We met Cassandra Donatelli, an assistant professor at UW’s School of Engineering and Technology. Donatellii got her doctorate in 2019 in biology from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Again, our group split up. Half of us continued with Dr. Donatelli, who, along with several other undergraduate researchers, guided us through the lab and introduced their individual projects. A highlight for many students was listening to an undergrad from The University of Massachusetts Amherst explain his project. He used CT scans to study the animals physical structures through their skeleton. Another researcher was 3D printing different crushing structures to study when fish bones may buckle and how to avoid that. Each of these researchers were surrounded by a supportive team from the University getting personalized feedback on each decision. The majority of these researchers were also from universities outside of the Seattle or Friday Harbor areas. Continuing the trend, a group of mostly undergraduate researchers studying aerodynamics showed us around their lab to better understand how to incorporate the swimming habits of Dog Fish into engineering. This tour also included a portion of the tour returning to our beloved dog fish in the pool, where we learned the researchers had also given them name based on their spot patterns! Clearly scientists think alike!

At this point in the day, attention spans were getting smaller, legs were beginning to hurt, and eyes were getting heavy. Yet we prevailed into our final set of tours! Our last introduction of the day was to the lovely Becca Guenther (who wrote this amazing newsletter on her ocean acidification lab, which we also toured!) She is currently the lab manager for FHL’s Sea Star center. (but may also be or have previously held the role as the lab manager for the ocean acidification lab?) The Sea Star lab was very visually satisfying! Many little oysters, clams, sea urchin and sea stars sat in tanks of varying size and length! Their biggest Sea Star was 7 years old, and a whopping 60 pounds! Becca detailed the danger she puts her and the organism in when she attempts to move him during routine tank cleanings. When he began to understood that he was being moved from his comfy spot, he would latch his suction feet on even stronger to the sides. This lab was established during the rise of Sea Star Wasting Disease, which has nearly wiped out any wild population of the Pacific Sunflower Stars. The researchers’ dedication to supporting these species—through feeding, tank maintenance, and ongoing study—is truly inspiring and deserves to be shared with a wider audience. If your interested in learning more, we recommended reading this fascinating article by Jason Hodin. https://depts.washington.edu/fhl/tidebites/Vol93/index.html

The final rotation of the day trip involved searching for a variety of marine phyla by pulling up the tires hanging off the side of the boat dock. The first group’s favorite find was a nudibranch, while the second group discovered a crab. It was fascinating to see the wide range of life—sponges, kelp, algae, and more—thriving on these tires, originally placed as buffers for the boats. I also noticed how much clearer the water was around this dock compared to the murkier water downtown, likely due to less boat traffic and runoff. This difference in water quality may very well explain the greater diversity of marine life we observed. Overall, it was a memorable way to end the day—full of discovery and a deeper appreciation for the subtle factors that shape marine ecosystems.

We left the labs ten times more tired than when we arrived. After a well-earned and satisfying dinner, we decided to skip the evening lecture in favor of some much-needed rest and preparation for the day ahead. Most of us spent the evening unwinding—watching TV, playing games with friends, or relaxing at the beach. The downtime was just what we needed to recharge and return even more excited for another science-filled day tomorrow!

By: Hitomi, Eden, Trevor, and Harper

The dorm woke up to beautiful sunny weather and the breakfast crew’s spread of scrumptious cereals, yogurt, granola, bread, and fresh berries. Some eager folks went out for a quick morning workout, while others helped themselves to coffee in the area. First, we were introduced to the structure of our Pilot Project and shown examples from past years projects. Maya and Riley led a tour of our on-campus lab, which will act as a workspace for some over the next 4 weeks, and shortly after, we were delighted by Adam’s “Phyla of the Salish Sea” presentation. We gained base-level knowledge of local marine organisms, which was later used to explore the tide pools at Deadman’s Cove.

After Adam’s phylum presentation, we strolled into town to put our knowledge to use at the marina. Our main focus there was the fouling communities, which are congregations of animals found on man-made objects. We spent about an hour exploring over, under, and around the docks, searching for any organism we could find. While we were there, we had to apply our newly acquired knowledge of species and phyla to identify patterns in organism density, dispersion, and relationship to other organisms. In our full-group meetup afterwards, we all agreed that there was more seaweed on the upper section of the pilings (due to photosynthesis) and that there was a higher concentration of organisms, specifically plumose anemone, in the gaps between the dock (because of current and nutrient flow). Notably, we also saw plumose anemones, a red rock crab, and a few massive egg yolk jellyfish. Afterwards, we enjoyed a short hike back up through town and settled in for lunch.

Following a lunch of sandwiches and fruit, we packed up our supplies and piled into the van as we set out for our last event of the day: studying tidepools at the ominously-named “Deadman’s Bay”. After a winding drive which took us west along the slopes of a cliffside forest, we parked beside the road and made our way down a steep trail to the shoreline. From the pebble-laden beachfront, the distant figure of Canada’s Vancouver Island sat in the shadow of the Olympic Mountains, which stood as a row of massive dark teeth against the blue sky. Once settled, our directors asked us to reflect on the potential biotic and abiotic factors around us. After this, we were handed “Tidepool Bingo” sheets and instructed to find the organisms on the sheet among the tidepools off to our right. Among the tidepools, we found rock crabs, barnacles, snails, algae, anemones, the occasional tidepool sculpin, and even a few sea stars. Unfortunately, we had to leave after a few hours due to the rising tide, though one of our directors was lucky enough to find the carcass of a sea urchin on her way back to the group. After our adventure at Deadman’s Bay, we drove back to the dorms and settled down for a snack while our dinner crew prepared for the arrival of our evening’s guest: Dr. Olivia Graham.

After a short break following tide pooling, a special guest Dr. Olivia Graham joined our dinner table! She is a marine disease ecologist and research associate at Cornell University. At dinner, Dr. Graham will present and discuss her research on the effect of seagrass wasting disease on eelgrass beds throughout the Northeast Pacific. We will be able to dine with her and ask her questions about her research and scientific goals, creating a comfortable space to talk scientist-to-scientist. Following dinner, we will have some free time to chill before heading to bed, ready for our next long day.