Even though we were all pretty exhausted this last week, it was still a great time and we learned a lot about the Northeast Florida coastal environment. We took a trip down the St. John's River, where we tested water quality at varying points on the river and collecting phytoplankton samples we got to look at back in the lab. It gave me, a Jacksonville native, a different perspective of my home that I never had the chance to see before.
Dame's Point Bridge
Mysterious moving phytoplankton
We also explored the Northeast coastline, and had the chance to visually compare the eastern coast to the western coast of Florida, seeing how physical processes shaped the beaches here.
Beautiful coquina outcropping
One of the most interesting (and sleep-depriving) activities we conducted on this trip was the diel study at GTMNERR this week. We monitored water quality and species richness and abundance present throughout a 24-hour period. It was pretty incredible to be able to observe all the changes a marsh and lake go through in a single day!
A tiny squid! One of a couple we caught while seining during our diel study.
One of many comb jellies, resting on a data sheet
It got a little muddy sampling during low tide...
All in all it was a great last week exploring Northeast Florida! It made me appreciate all my coast has to offer, and realize, though strenuous at times, field work really pays off in what you gain in experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment