Written by Jacob and Madelyn

Today we got to sleep in, which was amazing! Then we all got up and had breakfast. After breakfast we headed over to the couch and the surrounding chairs where we recapped the week and thought back to what we had done in the first couple of days. After this reminisce we packed our bags and headed down to the dock to embark on a journey towards Yellow Island. On the boat ride we kept changing positions from sitting on the back, then going up to the front of the boat, and finally finding a comfortable spot on the roof. It seemed to pass very quickly.

Once we (From left to right) Jacob, Joey, Gray, and Madelyn on the boat to Yellow Island  arrived near the island we had to anchor and row boats to shore as there was no dock. Photo by Kika.

It took a bit of rowing back and forth but eventually we all made it ashore. We were introduced to the islands’ steward, Matt Axling. Then, we continued on through a trail onto a rocky outcropping on the other side of Yellow Island. There, we searched for Pisaster (sea stars). We found eleven of them. 

Instead of walking through the lovely terrain and extremely friendly thorns we had before, we trekked back the long way. On the trails, we wandered through the twelve acre island, seeing the bright orange and green madronas stand out amongst the rather unvarying land, pale yellow prairie flowing in the breeze, and Joey even saw a bald eagle swoop down from a tall tree where the land met the sea. Once we made it to the small cabin where we had originally left all of our things, we carried our cooler to a picnic table that looked out over the channel. Some of us sat in the grass, leaning on the old rickety fence that directed trail walkers, while others talked at the picnic table, admiring the view. 

Yellow Island cabin and view, Photo by Madelyn Crist.

Slowly, but surely we loaded all of our things and ourselves into the two dinghies. It took several trips back and forth to get everyone to the boat and some of them may or may not have struggled getting in and out of the boats and rowing them across the blue, green waters from the shore. We rocked back and forth as the waves battered the boat’s sides; the sun warmed the seats and the roof, making for a really nice place to take a break and watch the various islands pass by from the top of the boat, where we all were sitting and talking.
When we got back to San Juan Island, we docked the boat and grabbed our things to stroll up to Spring Street. Derek met us in the living room and we all gathered on the couch to learn about website building and owning domains. We were all helping Miranda own a sea star domain and were figuring out the undertaking ourselves in the process. After a while we ended up with the perfect domain: www.pisaster.org. Gray and Kika then started making our delicious pasta, broccoli, “chicken,” and vegan sausage dinner, while the rest of us took a break.

By Kika Dunayevich, and Gray Rager

We had a leisurely morning today, waking up to a breakfast of cereal, oatmeal, and locally picked wild Himalayan blackberries that were the product of much pain and sacrificial flesh donated to the brambles. We listened to a tragic but riveting lecture by Miranda, who detailed the havoc seastar wasting disease (SWD) is wreaking on the Salish Sea’s localized ecosystem. Subsequently, we were motivated to take action to protect the lovely echinoderms and proceeded to work on our new website, pisaster.org! We analyzed several potential templates for the website and tentatively began to assign titles to our organization’s members. Miranda talked about a localized outbreak of seastar wasting disease she observed on Rosario beach, located on Orcas Island. The intertidal was littered with sea stars dappled with white, oozing lesions – there were piles of goo littered about the beach where their unfortunate cousins had dissolved into white mush.

After finishing our discussion and project work for Pisaster.org we had a rag-tag lunch made up of grilled cheese, quesadilla, nutella sandwiches, and many salads. After lunch, we prepared for our trip to False Bay Creek; our objective was to try and get photographic evidence of salmon and trout populations that had yet to be documented. We departed for False Bay Creek targeting low tide, only to realize that the lack of water had unearthed sulfuric fumes and black muck that reeked of raw sewage. We noted some interesting wildlife (Kika discovered a Lionsmane jellyfish), and continued up the creek. After several attempts that inevitably coated us in fermenting mulch, we gave up our endeavor and departed for Zylstra lake. We walked leisurely around the preserve, debating the merits of a logic-puzzling riddle proposed by Joey. Madelyn discovered a dead juvenile fish, which Kika gleefully seized, delighting in poking and prodding its bloated dead body.

Kika takes her new pet on a walk (photo by Miranda).

Meanwhile, Madelyn was having her own adventure in the murky waters of the algae-riddled lake. Attempting to film local salmon populations and assisted by Joey, who was equipped with a waterproof Gopro camera, Madelyn waded up to her waist into the muck and sacrificed a three-day-old shirt to the escapade. Alas, it was all for naught, as we failed to catch any footage of larval fish. Miranda, who was suffering from a terrible bout of carsickness, didn’t participate in our shenanigans.

Joey prepares to do ritual combat with a fish (photo by Miranda).

Our return to Spring Street was met with the announcement of our first guest: Timothy Dwyer, a marine biologist, avid SCUBA diver, and professor at Friday Harbor High School. We sat down to a meal consisting of flavorful minestrone soup and pasta salad. Tim proceeded to give a fascinating presentation detailing his expedition to Antarctica, punctuated with stunning photos of pristine arctic waters.

Maddy encourages Tom and Joey to maintain focus (photo by Sara).

By Kika Dunayevich, and Gray Rager

 This morning, we woke up bright and early in preparation to leave for Orcas island. Everyone was thrilled at the opportunity to explore more of the Salish Sea archipelago, but our departure was hectic as we scrambled to eat breakfast and pack for the day. Last night’s volleyball game had left some among our group a little weary and worn-out, resulting in our sluggish start to the day. We meandered into town and boarded the ferry, arriving in the bohemian port town perched upon Orcas Island. We needed to wait for the low tide so to bide time we toured the surrounding area. Exploring a grocery co-op, a quaint bookstore populated with gentle village seniors, a local print shop, and an Italian-style bakery serving freshly baked loaves of bread and an assortment of pastries.

From the Darvill’s bookstore we headed to Crescent Beach to start our sea star survey. We moved along the beach together looking for sea stars, measuring all Pisasters we could find. After about an hour of measuring sea stars we started our walk back and met a man working an oyster farm. We had a lengthy conversation about oyster farming, and the heat wave and its effects on the oyster crop. We headed back to the van knowing a little more about oysters (try Judd Cove oysters).

A Pisaster sea star at Crescent beach (photo by Maddy Glaser).

Before departing for Mount Constitution, we had a lovely discussion with Dr. Joe Gaydos, the author of The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest and a Senior Wildlife Veterinarian and the Science Director of the Seadoc society. He explained the importance of outreach, activism, and communication in the field of ecology and conservation, and prompted us to think critically about our strategies for influencing politicians and corporate leaders to protect this critical ecosystem. He proceeded to sign our copies of his book, and we thanked him for his contribution to the Salish Sea ecosystem and its diverse and magnificent flora and fauna.

Kika and Jacob explore a squid egg sack on the beach (photo by Sara Sarmiento Ruiz).

We proceeded to hike up Mount Constitution, trekking around the aquamarine mountain lake glimmering with sunbeams and teeming with toddlers. We marched up the dust-strewn trail, wandering into the dense woods populated with young Douglas fir and nitrogen-fixing blankets of moss. Brimming with energy and naïve self-confidence, we hiked for a total of two hours and ascended over 2,000 feet of craggy mountain trails, gradually wearing out our strained muscles. We rapidly became separated, panting heavily and coated with sweat – Gray, Joey, and Jacob had the GALL to race up the mountaintop, leaving the stragglers in the dust. Thankfully, after the many winding detours of the trail, we crested the mountain and were rewarded with a staggering view of the San Juan Islands. Crystal clear waters stretched out for kilometers in all directions, emerald forested islands perched on the plane of azure like the toes of an immense giant. 

Jacob and Joey in the old wood box at the top of mount Constitution (photo by Gray Rager).

We returned, exhausted and sweaty, to the dorm room after a brief respite from activity following lunch. We relaxed in our dorms and concluded the day with a meal of tex-mex tacos, guacamole (salad?), salsa, and assorted toppings.

That concludes our fifth day in the Salish Sea Sciences program!

Today’s blog by Joey and Maddy 🙂

Today’s search for Sea stars at Lonesome Cove was a huge and exciting success! Today tide times were much more agreeable with our sleep schedules, and we were able to start the day a bit later than usual. Some of us used the extra time to go get breakfast and coffee in town at the Bean, a local coffee shop. Those that went agreed that the poppyseed muffin was average, but said that the ham and cheese breakfast sandwich was very good. 

Once everyone had eaten and packed lunch, we headed straight to Lonesome Cove. In the intertidal zone, we were greeted with the salty smell of the sea and many seaweed covered rocks. After quickly changing into our water shoes, Miranda, who studies Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD) as a science co-instructor at SSS, showed us how to conduct a sea star survey. For the next two hours, we scoured the rocks for hidden creatures, carefully traversing the slippery seaweed patches and trying to avoid cutting ourselves on the sharp barnacles.

We were amazed by the many bright red sea cucumbers and slimy anemones, but the most stunning animals were the bright purple Ochre sea stars. Unfortunately, due to SSWD, the population of sea stars of all species are greatly reduced; according to Miranda there used to be hundreds of orange and purple stars lining the rocks. But even despite the large declines, we were able to find 56 total stars, 22 of which were Ochre stars! Hopefully this data will help scientists around the world further understand SSWD and save the sea stars!

When we were done, we had lunch on the beach; all of us enjoyed the perfect view of the ocean, with Canada in the distance. After a little down time at the dorms, (during which Joey beat Gray in a game of Xiangqi) Morgan gave a presentation about eelgrass wasting disease (EGWD) and explained how it related to our survey excursion. In her presentation, she honed in on different experiments that people have conducted to understand how EGWD spreads. Specifically, she told us about an experiment she ran to test whether EGWD transfers through the water column. Her team placed healthy eelgrass samples around different distances from a natural bed of eelgrass. Two weeks later they retrieved the eelgrass and tested it for EGWD. Her results showed that EGWD can spread through the water column, and that a concentration of only 6 cells/mL of the pathogen is needed to infect eelgrass. This presentation was extremely interesting and helped us gain an insight into how a real scientific experiment is run.

After that, Derek gave us an excellent and engaging presentation, full of colorful photos of various marine organisms. For his Ph.D, Derek studied marine ecology in various parts of the world, and the goal of his presentation was to help us understand what it’s like to work in his field. After pulling us in with beautiful data displays and interesting facts, he gave us an activity that would allow us to truly understand what it feels like to be a marine biologist.

For dinner we had vegan patties or chicken with delicious turmeric rice with a side of Israeli salad, prepared by Tom (Caroline’s Husband and excellent chef), Jacob, and Madelyn. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner as we joked and conversed about the events of the day, happy with our sea star searching success.

We challenge you to figure out how to solve his puzzle – it’s not that hard and we put the puzzle and the answer below.

Derek’s Puzzle

Derek has analyzed tens of thousands of photos of different parts of the Salish Sea seafloor. With his accumulated wisdom, he has come up with three simple rules to determine the characteristics of where a certain photo was taken.

1. Pink is shallow
2. Orange is deep.
3. Horizontal areas have less organisms than vertical areas. 

Using the rules, determine which characteristics each of the following 6 photos have. One has each combination (i.e. only one photo is deep and vertical). (Making a table is a useful thought organizer). Good luck! The answers are below the photos.

Image 1:

Image 2:

Image 3:Image 4:Image 5:

Image 6:

(Photos by Dr. Derek Smith)

ANSWER BELOW. SCROLL AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Answer: Soooo…. We don’t know the answers either. Now you know what it feels like to be a marine ecologist!! (This is what Derek did to us, unfortunately)

Written by Madelyn, Gray, and Jacob

We awoke today at 6am to clean dishes, eat breakfast, and prepare for the day’s adventure. We arrived at the Anacortes ferry around 7:45am. On the drive to Padilla Bay, we stopped at a local hotspot, the Donut House that had an astounding range of donuts in different sizes and shapes. They also had some doll statues that were more than a little creepy. After we all ordered drinks and donuts we headed out to the van and continued to Padilla Bay.

Once there, we descended a wobbling, spiral staircase. In the bay we walked out to the deeper mud, where each of our steps squelched in the muck. When we entered the sampling area we each had to sample 15 pieces of both types of eelgrass. The native eelgrass grew further out and was taller, growing in harmony with the native grass because it thrived closer to shore and was shorter, forming a symbiotic relationship.  We all had some fun in the mud: Kika fell in, Jacob and Gray raced through it, and both Derek and Joey ended up chasing bags caught by the wind, across the bay. We then headed back to land to wash off our boots and hear more about the place we were sampling and the research that routinely goes on there. 

Gray and Maddy descend the spiral staircase (photo by Derek).

Next, we grabbed our lunches and chilled our eelgrass samples in a cooler. Because the grass around the benches was spiky, those of us without shoes had to be exceedingly careful when we sat down to munch. While eating, we shared stories about interesting family histories.

The van’s next stop was Fidalgo Bay.  The tide was high enough to where we didn’t really see any eelgrass, but the view and the walk were gorgeous. The sun reflected off the waters as they rippled and flowed with the wind, causing the waters to glisten in the light. The crisp air was warm, a refreshing change in the mood of today which was mostly cold, damp, and cloudy. We walked and talked, swapping various stories including Derek’s close calls with bombs when he went diving through shipwrecks in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Albania. After our short walk, we reminisced about the views and took in the moments as we stole our final glances of the textured waters, up the vast, green trees, and to the bright, blue sky. We loaded back into the van; on the ride over to the ferry, we stopped to pick up dinner at a Safeway.

Pictured left to right: Jacob, Joey, Gray, Madelyn, and Maddy (photo by Derek).

We arrived early enough for a short walk on the beach before boarding the ferry. Once we began moving, we exited the van and made our way to the upper deck to eat our makeshift dinner. Orange chicken, pita chips, fried rice, assorted salads, and sushi made for a variety of meals and even some drinks (we recommend Dad’s old fashioned Root Beer). The ferry ride home was fun and exciting and as soon as we returned to Spring Street we wrote this wonderful blog for you. 

The gang take samples to assist Morgan Eisenlord with her research into Eelgrass Wasting Disease (photo by Derek). 

Today’s blog by Maddy, Jacob, and Kika.

This morning, we woke up bright and early in preparation for a ferry trip scheduled for 7:50 AM, destined for Anacortes. Derek drove his van down at 5:30, right after the earliest ferry left, in an attempt to guarantee us a space – we thanked him profusely for his generosity. However, despite all of our careful planning and early rising, we were outcompeted by a tow truck! So, instead of collecting eelgrass samples at Padilla Bay, we adapted our plans and took a detour. False bay provided an opportunity to observe the local flora and fauna and collect algae samples, for pressing later. We saw numerous species of crabs, infinitesimal strands of seaweed, and several shorebirds and gulls that fled at the sight of our troop. The tide was marvelously low, which permitted our scientific outing – however, even our high-grade water equipment (our boots) failed to shield us from the wrath of the incoming tide (aka getting water in our boots). 

After wringing out our sopping wet socks, we proceeded to the Fourth of July beach. We decided to ditch our sopping socks, and Madelyn, Jacob, and Joey elected to walk to the beach barefoot. Unfortunately, the tide beat us to the beach, and our second eelgrass samples were completely submerged by the time we arrived. We explored along the coastline, but Madelyn’s foot was sliced by a wayward barnacle, prompting us to break out our med kit and plenty of bandaids. Once the calamity was quelled, we settled down to eat our packed lunch. 

After returning to the dorm and washing our boots, Derek gathered us on the couch and gave us a challenge; to find the oldest article possible that mentions eelgrass. Instantly we set off on our computers, testing a myriad of search options and websites. We found news articles, books, scientific charts, and graphs, all dating back to the early 1800s. Finally, Jacob found a source from 1753 – the original naming of Zostera marina by Carl Linneaus! 

Then, Jess Newly arrived to talk to us about eelgrass and forage fish! At first glance, these organisms seem boring and unimportant, but if you take a deeper look, you’ll realize that they’re integral to the Salish Sea ecosystem.  Jess talked extensively about how organisms interact with each other, and how even the smallest creatures have a big impact on their environments. She passed around incredibly interesting samples of forage fish larvae and eggs for us to look at. Lastly, she brought out VR headsets! We excitedly adjusted the straps and put them over our heads, plunging ourselves into a 360 world of eelgrass beds and salmon. It was fascinating to see giant schools of herring from their very own underwater habitat, as if we were one of them!

After that, we were all starving, so Madelyn, Gray, and Joey whipped up a fragrant stir fry, with tofu and lots of veggies. It was beautiful to look at, and also so tasty! Miranda remarked that it was one of the best meals she’s ever eaten. Afterwards, we headed off to bed.

By Gray, Madelyn, and Joey

You can see everything on the island from the top of Mount Grant. After a short hike up the mountain, we were amazed by the lakes, farm land, and even the snowy peak of Mount Baker. The rest of our day consisted of data collection, discussion, and adventure.

After our first breakfast on the island and some “icebreakers,” we climbed into the van and made our way to Mount Grant. At the bottom, we met up with Shauna who is a conservationist working for the San Juan County Land Bank as a field researcher. Responsible for the protection and management of the wildlife on the steep slopes of the mountain and surrounding area, she gave us a “guided tour” and explained to us the significance of each plant and animal and how they all worked together in this biome. 

As we hiked, we periodically stopped to observe flora and fauna like the Madrona, Gary Oak, deer, other animals, and views. She provided us with many interesting facts and thoroughly answered our questions. One of the most interesting things we stopped for was a dead deer on the side of the trail. She explained to us how she had been called to move it off of the trail just a month or two before. Apparently, there has been an outbreak of a deer virus on the island. Another big stop we made was at a clearing, near the top, where we could see Trout Lake along with beautiful landscape and seascape scenery.

Finally, we arrived at the top of the mountain. After taking in the amazing view (below) of the island’s rolling hills and Mount Baker on the mainland, we sat and had an intriguing and wandering discussion. We talked about the future for the islands and how they would be affected by climate change, what an isolated system is and how it affects research and data collection, and how to “do what you can” in helping the ecosystem, however small. On our way down the mountain we continued our philosophical discussions and upon reaching the bottom we said our goodbyes and parted ways.  

The view from the top of Mt. Grant. (Photo by Madelyn Crist)

We headed to Lake Zylstra to eat our lunch and conduct an ecology survey. We ate in the cool shade under the Madronas. Subsequently, we split into three groups to conduct our survey: birds, trees, and insects. The bird group was able to spot nine species of birds; totaling one hundred and ten birds, one of them being a majestic Bald Eagle who had just recently nested in the area. The tree group found eight species of trees with an estimated total of 2,781 trees inside the property line. Our insect group was unable to directly quantify the number of insects as they were limitless; however, they were able to find seventeen different species. The area around Lake Zylstra is teaming with life of all varieties and a great place to take a walk with your dog or friends. 

The tree tunnel at Zylstra lake. (photo by Madeyln Crist)

Lastly we headed for False Bay, the final stop on our tour of the watershed. Because we had spent so long on our other activities we only had fifteen minutes to complete our tour. We threw on our boots and tramped along False Bay’s muddy beach. Because of all of the decomposing seaweed, it had a sulfur smell. After reaching a small creek inlet where the water was flowing upstream because the tide was coming in, we turned around. Exhausted, we boarded the van and  drove home, excited for dinner and some relaxation.

Lake Zylstra. (photo by Madeyln Crist)

While we wrote this blog, Jacob and Kika recreated MasterChef Junior, making a delicious tri-bean chili. Joey was so ecstatic about the meal, tears began to pour down his cheeks. After a splendiferous dinner, we planned logistics and decided that the 5:45 am ferry ride would not be blessed with our presence.

Pictured left to right: Kika and Jacob (photo by Madeyln Crist).

Hello everyone,

If you have kept up to date with the blogs this summer, I’m sure the effort has shown through! Our students have worked collaboratively nearly every day and graciously revised their writing to communicate their experiences with you all. In this moment, they are busy preparing for the pilot project presentations tomorrow. Instead of a conventional blog, below you will find a brief recap of today’s activities.

Students faced one of the earliest wake up calls this summer at 6:30am to embark on a Discovery Sea Kayak tour on the West side of the island. Between experienced kayakers and sea-sick troopers, the group arrived safely back at the shore.

Following this labor intense journey, students ate lunch at the dorms and headed off towards the Swalla Lab at Friday Harbor Labs. Despite some difficulty in understanding, students later commented on their fascination with the lab, especially after their conversations with Dr. Billie Swalla earlier this week.

While finishing up their posters, students have also been taking necessary breaks to have dinner, enjoy music, and have a Q&A session with Megan Cook and DJ Yousavich live aboard the Exploration Vehicle Nautilus.

We hope you are able to join us tomorrow at the Student Posters & BBQ event from 5-8pm!

Today’s blog entry is brought to you by Meg, Naomi, and Ana. Enjoy!

Project Time

The familiar sound of a beeping alarm clock symbolized the start of the day for us here at Salish Sea Sciences this morning. Although it takes most of us a while to qualify as fully functioning after waking up, we were excited to get some project work time following breakfast. Some of us worked on our univariate and multivariate graphs with the help of Derek and Tim, and others worked on more research and additional project concerns. Anxiety has set upon all of us as the deadline for projects – and the final day of the program – creeps closer. 

Photo on the left: Derek Smith helping analyze data with Sonja and Dustin. Photo on the right: Islay and Maddy discussing their poster projects. Pictures: Ana.

Spineless

After some much needed project time, we had a special treat. Susan Middleton, amazing photographer and storyteller, came to speak with us about her work! While she passed around copies of her remarkable marine invertebrate book, “Spineless”, we had the pleasure of hearing about all of her adventures; she told us of her photo-shoots alongside Richard Avedon (an American fashion and portrait photographer for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar), her NOAA voyages, and her University of Washington courses with Gustav Paulay (Professor of Biology at UW) right here at Friday Harbor Labs. From the moment she set eyes on the NOAA scientist’s invertebrates, she never went back to terrestrial organisms.

Spineless by Susan Middleton Picture: Susan Middleton’s Website

Susan Middleton’s discussion on her path to marine invertebrates portraiture Photo: Miranda

If you have not seen her work, Susan Middleton is best known for the isolation of her photography subjects. Her portraiture pieces encapsulate the unique essence of individual animals, not just the on-the-surface beauty. Though often she is the one learning from her research colleagues, sometimes her photographs are able to reveal brand new behaviors that researchers and students have never seen before. By shooting each animal – and not just the charismatic ones – on a simple black or white background, she is able to convey the story of often forgotten animals. She uses her powerful pieces to advocate for the protection of animals and land across the world.

The stories she told us led to discussions and questions; before we knew it our time was up. We thanked her for sharing all of her fascinating experiences and prepared for today’s trip to FHL.

Diver for a Day

After lunch, we set out to the Friday Harbor Labs to observe Tim and Jason Wood diving! We sat down in front of a T.V. that was hooked to a camera that Tim and Jason took down when they dove. It was awesome to see all that is going on below the docks: we saw large crabs, lots of seaweed, henricia sea stars, sponges, hydroids, white plumose anemones, nereocystis, and sea squirts! Additionally, we learned all about the proper scuba diving equipment and attire, and how to communicate underwater when you can’t speak aloud.

Tim during the Diver for a Day demonstration! Pictures: Naomi

Thanks to the Buddy phone, we were able to speak to Tim underwater, ask him questions, and ask him to focus the camera on especially cool marine organisms. Unfortunately for Tim, he was not able to respond. Anyways, we hope he enjoyed our group rendition of Let it Go!

Tim Dwyer and Jason Wood exiting the water and coiling hydrophone wire. Picture: Naomi

Surprise Guests

After heading back from the labs and having exploration time to work on projects or relax, we had dinner with two special guests: Abby and Ana’s sisters, Gabrielle and Zoe. Both Gabrielle and Zoe attended the Salish Sea Science program in 2018 and continued work in sciences. 

Gabrielle attended the Robinson center, which is a program through the University of Washington, where the kids have one transition year after middle school and then go straight into college at UW. She is majoring in Neuroscience and studying neurocircuitry and how it affects mice behavior. Zoe, after the Salish program, completed a capstone-like project through the Marine Chemistry program at Bellarmine Prep high school on the CO₂ intake of Eelgrass. Next year she will be attending UC Davis majoring in agriculture and environmental science. We are so glad to have two amazing guests who can share their experiences since attending Salish Sea Sciences.

Gabrielle on the left and Zoe on the right. Picture: Ana.

As project crunch-time continues, the ice cream tubs keep getting lower and our excitement keeps growing. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

Today’s blog by Maddy and Estevan!

This morning, Caroline came to talk to us about colleges! Caroline is the director of the Salish Sea program, and coordinates all of our activities. She also buys us lots of ice cream, which we appreciate greatly. Although it can seem pretty daunting, Caroline helped demystify the admissions process and answer many of the questions we had. She outlined how to choose your college, what they look for in an applicant, scholarships, essays, and much more. She gave us tips and tricks on how to write essays, even giving us some practice prompts to complete. This exercise really allowed us to be more introspective, and see what aspects of ourselves we want to show in essays.

Although there are so many things to consider when looking for colleges, she emphasized that the most important part is keeping your interests and loves in mind.

Following Caroline’s talk, we went straight to the lab, where we processed the eelgrass samples we collected yesterday. Morgan showed us how to rinse the eelgrass in freshwater, place it onto the clear sheets and label it with the necessary information. Meanwhile, Maddy began to scan the transparencies and turn them into images that can be used later for a variety of purposes, such as disease prevalence surveys. Although it was tedious, these data are contributing to a yearly monitoring of eelgrass health at Fourth of July Bay (and it’s really helpful to Maddy’s project)! 

After lunch, we returned to the lab yet again. This time, Derek talked to us about statistics, and the various ways for us to present the data we have. It was really informative and a little mind boggling to see all of the programs and possibilities! We then brought all of this newfound information into project development time. We’re all working really hard in order to finish our projects before the week ends!

Finally, as the day came to a close, we met with our lovely guest Dr. Billie Swalla. She studies evolutionary biology, genomes, embryos, and a lot of other really cool stuff, particularly with marine invertebrates. She is also passionate about diversifying science and making it more accessible to everyone! Her enthusiasm was infectious, and we learned so much about little creatures most of us have never heard of.

A highlight of her presentation was a video of an Ascidian embryo developing; it was fascinating to watch and hear her explain each stage of development! Lastly, we tied up the night by unveiling our tie dye t-shirts. The colors and patterns are each so unique and beautiful, almost like a reflection of ourselves.