Erin Weinreich, U.R. - Indian River Seagrass Excursion

Whats down there?

On Friday, January 31st, 2014, our oceanography class at Daytona State College went into the Indian River Lagoon helping the local discovery center monitor the sea grass growth that they have been tracking for many years.
The trip started off pretty well, although the weather wasn't what we expected we made the best of it. While putting the boat into the water, Kristen realized that there was water coming out of the bottom of it. Luckily she caught it just in time for Annie (the representative from the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach, Florida) to pull it out of the water to fix the issue. While Annie was fixing that issue, Dr. Woodall realized that we didn't have enough life jackets just in case we got pulled over  by the coast guard, so she ran to the closest bait shop that Bob (the volunteer that let our class use his boat) recommended to her. After about 30 minutes off schedule we made our way to the first spot. The area wasn't anything I expected it to be. I was expecting really tall and long sea grass, but when we got there I was quickly proven wrong. The water, like I expected, was freezing. Thankfully all of us had our wetsuits so the water wouldn't affect our ability to take the data down correctly.

Annie and I on the boat

We were all split up into groups of 2 and 3 placed 20 meters apart to cover the whole 100m that we needed to take the data down. We used specially made quadrats that were helpful in plotting the data correctly. There were a few falls, a few accidental sand shuffles, and a lot of cringing faces with shaking hands but we made it through the first transect. Ate a little lunch then proceeded on our way.

The next and last transect was a little easier because I got the hang of it because we took our time in the first one and really made sure my group did it right. The current was a lot stronger at the second transect, but thankfully my team was closer to the shore while the other teams had to fight the current a little more than we did (sorry guys). But one thing that I did notice was the water temperature felt like it dropped about 10 degrees from where we were before doing the first transect, which was not fun when the water seeped through the back of the wet suit which was supposed to keep me warm.
On the way back, I jotted down in my Rite in the Rain Field Notebook a sketch of the place we did our transects so I will be able to look back at it one day, and remember the amazing experience I had doing it.

The Group

The way algae affects the sea grass beds, and how they are slowly dying off really sparked my interest in a research project based around what we did that day. Whatever I decide to do, it was an interesting experience to say at the least, and I would not hesitate to ever do it again.

Skylar Kaminsky, U.R. - First experience in the field

My first experience in the field was at the Indian River Lagoon in Oak Hill. It was January 31st, 2014. Though it was raining even before I arrived at the boat, I knew Dr. Woodall would not cancel our survey of the seagrass over a little drizzle. Even before we left to arrive at where we would do our survey we ran into a few small delays. One such delay was when we didn't have enough life jackets and had to wait a few minutes while Dr. Woodall acquired more. When we finally left the dock to our designated location, I was a little anxious to see how everything would go. Would it go smoothly or a bit more on the rough side? Fortunately everything went very smoothly and relaxing. The water might have been cold, but with the wetsuit I warmed quickly. Fortunately I purchased scuba booties the day before and was able to break them in, keeping my feet warm also. Taking the data down was much easier than I thought it would be. After we finished our first location, ate lunch, and started to travel to our second location, we saw many dolphins. It was interesting to see so many of them everywhere, just swimming around minding their own business. Even though it was overcast, raining, windy, and the water was cold, I would go back tomorrow.

This is what the seagrass we were surveying looks like.
It is known as Halodule Wrightii.

Kristen Ghaffarian, U.R. Adventures in Counting Seagrass

Wow, what an adventure I had on January 31, 2014 at 9am.  We went to survey seagrass in The Indian River Lagoon in Oak Hill.  It started off with me checking my email to find, despite the rain and weather we were scientists and we would be out in the field.  I packed up warm clothes and off to The Riverbreeze Park I went and somehow suctioned into my wetsuit.  There were a few delays to start with, but nothing we couldn't handle.  It rained the entire time we were out there, and I tell you the work that these scientists do for The Marine Science Center is amazing, the conditions that they could possibly be put in are not always ideal.  The work is tedious going under the water measuring seagrass with your fingers and making sure you have recorded accurately; this is data for a government organization.  Once we got into the water and were becoming acclimated we were all ready for some work.  We split into groups and began our quadrat measurements.  We worked in 3's so that one person was able to record the data and the other two were able to dive under the water to count the seagrass, or check algae for our quadrat half.  The currents were pretty strong that day and not only was it somewhat difficult holding onto our position to record the data under the water, but when measuring the floating algae it was difficult when huge clumps came floating in.  Needless to say it was exciting, invigorating, challenging, and inspiring.  During our research we noticed that the seagrass was pretty bare and not thriving.  It is very disheartening, knowing that this is food for manatees and hiding places for baby shrimp and squirts; which we found during our time out.    We did seagrass counts for 2 locations and by the end of the trip we were definitely exhausted.  Being out in the field was an experience that I am happy I can say I've done, and would be happy to do again; maybe just a little warmer though.

The Many Dolphins We Came Across :)

Valerie, U.R. My week in Review

      I am happy to announce the direction I am going for my project. I am thinking about focusing on the effects of dredging on the coastal and inter-coastal waters. I'm am also looking over the laws that are in place for environmental protection if any. So far I see more laws in place to regulate the vast "need" for dredging. The need is there because of big business and human consumption.
      Last week I was able to go out on the waters of Rose Bay in Port Orange. I purchased a Groupon for the Hydro bikes. It was a blast! My boyfriend, Anthony and I rode around the mangroves for about an hour. The weather was clear with some winds ranging from10-15 mph. The water was chilly, so I remained seated on the bike. 
     Below is a picture of the mangroves we passed by. This little adventure was a preview of what was to come the following week counting sea grass on Jan 31. The preparation I thought I did was not enough for the weather we endured counting sea grass. The weather was cold and rainy, but we were going to get wet anyway. So we trudged on. There were a few delays but before long we were heading to our sea-grass site. It saddens me to say that the amount of sea-grass is diminishing all too fast. This may be a direct result from dredging along the waterways,  so that the big luxury boats can maneuver through the small canals. The grass is vital to our marine life. I will get to the bottom of this dredging business...literally!
     I am happy to say that the sea grass experience has fueled my desire to stand up for the environment. We have a home to protect. The evidence of destruction is clear and I am learning from theses classes that the world really isn't as big as I thought. I may be able to make a difference, we may be able to make a difference. Therefore, by helping with this data collection we have already started to make a difference.


                               

Shelby Thomas U.R. - Seagrass Transects

This past week was quite of an interesting experience for our first field work. We all went to record data and measurements for the seagrass beds in the Indian Lagoon located in Oak Hill.  We recorded data from two sites in the lagoon. All of the data goes collectively to a government runned marine program, where they have recorded theses same sites over several years to observe the change and population of seagrass overtime.

Things didn't start off to optimistically, the plug for the boat was not placed in so once the boat was released into the water, water started to pour through the whole and filling the boat. We had to rush the boat back on the trailer and let the water drain, meanwhile it was raining and had a constant rain from start to end. The water was very cold so it was a good thing we were prepared with wet suits.

In the End we collected good data and it was a successful first day and was a good learning experience.  We learned a lot of different measuring techniques, we used the quadrats to section off the seagrass and use the measured off squares to help collect data.

Angela, CUR- Containers

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It seems the entire month of January I've had a cold, so I've been doing my research from the comfort of my couch. To my delight, I came across "Moby-Duck" written by Donovan Hohn. As part of my project presentation regarding Ocean Plastic on Florida's Beaches, I explained how plastic ends up in the ocean, which includes loss of containers from cargo ships, and the example I used was that of almost 29,000 plastic bath tub toys that fell off a ship back in 1992. In "Moby-Duck", Mr. Hohn, a teacher turned explorer, recounts his adventure tracking the route these plastic toys may have taken. 

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Something addressed in the book is the regular loss of cargo ships; about one a week if I recollect correctly, but I was a bit feverish so did some online research. Here I thought maybe one or two ships a year lose a couple of containers, however, while a lot of publicized estimates without sources state around 10,000 containers lost per year, according to the World Shipping Council's report (which received its data voluntarily from its members) on average about 350 containers are lost each year and when including catastrophic events about 675 containers. At least 350 containers containing what? What products that we use do not contain plastic? Are the black bits and pieces of plastic I find on our beaches part of Playstations, TVs, and DVRs? What is still waiting to be released from container imprisonment on the bottom of the ocean?

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Kristen, U.R. My Week In Review

Where to start??.. Well those graphs really threw me for a loop.  Working with Mac excel 2011 is rough, but  I was able to push through and get things done.  As far as my research I have been looking up inorganic elements that could be found in retention ponds.  Checking nutrients for abundance, to see if it causes algae blooms.  Also many of those retention ponds, including the one in my backyard are sprayed annually for mosquitos.  My question is what kind of chemicals are in there and what effect could it have or start to have on the ecosystem.  Aside from researching for my project I have been preparing for this field experience on Friday.  I looked over the worksheet we were given and tried to get a vision in my mind of what to except and I'm pretty darn excited as I love anything in the field.  Can't wait for Friday see everyone at the dock!!

Hey guys it's us!! :)

Cathy UR, the past week in review

The past week I have been working very hard on learning how to master graphing in excel.  It has been a challenge but I feel confident stating that I have come a far way in terms of graphing and using excel.  I now have a much clearer understanding of which type of graph works well with different types of data. For example if all of the data recipients parts of a whole then you should use a pie chart, but if it shows a change over time then line graph would be a much better choice.  I understand that by me knowing not only how to make a graph in excel but also what type of graph to use will help me present my findings once I start my research.
Another thing that happened this week was that Annie from the marine discovery center came to our class to explain to us what we are going to be doing this week when we go out into the lagoon and count sea grass. She showed us the equipment we will be using, the main piece we will be using is a one meter quadrants that is roped off into one hundred little squares.  This will help us determine what percentage of the square is covered in sea grass and how tall it is.  I am very excited to be getting out into the water on Friday. I picked up my wetsuit between classes today, and slightly looking forward to putting it on, on Friday morning.  What I am hoping most for besides sunshine and clear skies on Friday,  is that it is in the high 70's and not like today in the 40's. Can not wait to tell you all about our trip!

Shelby Thomas, UR - Graphing, Weekly Updates, and New Ideas

This past week in our class we went over our past weeks graphing 101 assignment and got to work on mastering some more graphing problems. Anne visited our lab class on Friday and shared with us what our very first field experience will consist of. Where we will be going to collect data on sea grass in off of river view park, I am excited to go out on my first field work. It may be a little cold in the water so we are using wet suites, which as mrs. Woodall has listed where the rental suites will be rented from Spruce Creek Scuba off of Dunlaughton in the publix store shopping complex off of Williamson. If anyone is interested Spruce Creek Scuba also offers classes for scuba diving to acquire your diving license. They also go on International trips to places such as Palau, Mexico, Roatan, Bonaire, Truk, Red Sea, and Alaska. These are the trips scheduled so far in 2014. You can go to http://www.sprucecreekscuba.com and check out what they have in store and in stock, also other information on their site. I have been thinking about my research topic and I have a strong interest and idea, of possibly testing the growth of algae under different temperatures to measure what temperature would produce the most algae growth. This test is significant to help determine the rate of growth of algae in different temperatures and which will help produce the most algae to convert to usable fuel. The goal is to see if a certain temperature will help speed up the growth of algae therefore saving time and producing more algae to convert for the useable fuel. I am excited to begin this research and go out on my first field experience this Friday.

Seagrass, very important to the marine ecosystem 

Erin, U.R - Sea Grass Monitoring

Turtle swimming in sea grass

This week we will be monitoring fixed sea grass transects in the Indian river lagoon. I have already written down all what I need to in my rite in the rain field notebook, so when we are out in the field it will be easy to jot down the information quickly when the boat moves from spot to spot. I am not to excited about the cold water, but I feel like this experience could open up a lot of potential research opportunities for me in what I decide to do for my research project. One thing that I am very curious about is what type of results the marine discovery center is getting from doing these sea grass transects over time. When Annie came and spoke to our class she discussed with us that this has been an on going project. She talked about the different types of sea grass and algae that we might encounter. Also, about what animals we might come in contact with too. She explained to our lab as well what instruments we will be using to take measurements of the sea grass as well. What I am most interested in is what is the marine center trying to see from doing all of these transects over time? Are they watching the algae take over the sea grass which could potentially lead to the destruction of the sea grass? Does it mean that less sea grass could potentially means less animals living within the area? Whatever the questions are, I am very interested in what this experience could lead to. 

Shelby Thomas- U.R. Oceanography Lab (Oce 1001L)

Hello, my name is Shelby Thomas. I am a senior at Spruce Creek High school and am dual enrolled at DSC. I am planing to double major in Marine Biology and Bio-engineering. I am particularly interested in helping research and develop cures for cancer and alternative fuel. Another unique interest I have relating to this field of study, I wish to research the cures for cancer and alternative fuel through using the ocean. For example converting algae into a usable source for fuel or doing research on various corals to help find cures for cancer. I have always had a interest in the ocean, I grew up with a family of divers and adventures, who nurtured me into loving the ocean. Learning as I matured all the wonders and discoveries the ocean has yet to reveal. I could only imagine what is waiting out there to be discovered. I believe the ocean has been over looked when it comes to researches, studies, and experiments; that will lead to bettering human life and is healthier for the planet. I love exploration and helping others, this very love is what drove me into this path of studies. Some other things I enjoy apart from exploring the ocean is sports. I am a very active person I enjoy surfing, running, horseback riding, and well just about any sport. The two sports that have the biggest impact on my life is Track and Horseback riding. I own an Arabian Horse and have been riding since age 3, I actively travel for various riding performances with (Ron Mcgloclin) a world wide clinician for equestrians. I have traveled to Sweden and Italy, along with various states in the U.S. with him and his riding instructors and riders. I plan to be a collegiate runner for track and field, I first started track freshman year of high school and qualified for Nationals; placing 8th in the 400m that year and also qualified for Nationals the following three years and plan on going this year. I am an extremely active dedicated person and I am thrilled to begin my education that will help me accomplish my goals and aspirations.

Young and playing with Dolphins

Outdoor Nationals Track and Field 2012 (running the 4x800m relay) 

Merlin(my Arabian horse) and I

Bryton Wolfe, U.R.- Introduction OCE1001 Lab

Hello! My name is Bryton Wolfe. My major is Applied Meteorology, which is apart of the physical science and environmental science field. I've always had a fascination with the weather and how it interacts with the ocean. As a surfer I need to know when the ideal conditions for surfing are including wind speed and direction, swell height, period, and direction, along with the geologic features that make up the coastline. All of which affect every aspect of the "surfability" of a wave and a specific area. In joining this lab and class I hope to expand my horizons to more aspects of Oceanography and the Physical aspects of it. I believe that being able to get out into the field and doing the research is the best way to really get hands on experience,and this is my foot in the door. I look forward to an excellent semester with everyone!

A picture of me

A hazy yet absolutely gorgeous day of surf at Sunglow Pier

Valerie Valentine, U.R. - Introduction: OCE 1001L

Hello, My name is Valerie Valentine. I am an Environmental Science Major. For the last 10 years I have been finding myself. That includes becoming a mother to my little boy. I decided to return for my education at age 33. This decision was made as a reaction to what I am seeing around me. The Earth is the most valuable thing we have and humans are unaware of their destruction. I will strive to inform many people of the changes that need to be made. I am here to learn what changes are necessary for us to become positive contributors to a healthy world. My goals are obtainable and this new challenge is also a new passion.

Skylar, U.R. - OCE1001L Introduction

Hello! My name is Skylar Kaminsky and I am an Environmental Science major. Environment Science has interested me since I started to notice the many issues surrounding me. When I lived in Forsyth County, Georgia; near Lake Lanier, I noticed the water levels dropping. After reading about the water situation in the news, I realized there was a major problem happening that not only effected the people living on the lake but every town and state down stream. I found this to be interesting and have been keeping track of the legal and environmental issue concerning this ever since.

Kristen, U.R. - Introduction of a new Undergraduate Researcher

My name is Kristen Ghaffarian, I am turing 30 years old in April and am excited to start a new chapter in my 30's.  I am married and have a 4 year old daughter who loves the beach as much as I do; I have 2 dogs as well.  As far as I can remember I have always loved the ocean and everything in it.  I would go with my Oma (grandma) every year to the beach for the entire summer and would paddle out looking for creatures in the seaweed or anything I could observe.  I have always been very intrigued by the researchers that go out on missions following sharks and whales and recognizing them and learning about their ways.  I have been lucky enough to see whales on an excursion in Hawaii 2 years ago.  I also have a bucket list of being in a shark cage with great whites circling around, I would love to learn more about marine mammals to advocate for their safety.  I signed up for this lab because I took oceanography the fall semester and loved every class meeting, I was pretty bummed it was only one day a week, so I hope to soak up as much as I can in this lab as well.  I hope to learn anything I have not, especially more about the waterways and extreme diversity of the ecosystem here in Volusia County; which I was told is the most diverse in the world.

Cathy, U.R. -OCE1001L Introduction

Hello! My name is Cathy Black. I am an Environmental Science major, who in the future wants to help preserve the everglades so younger generations can enjoy its beauty.  My husband and I just moved to the Daytona area in the past month and are looking forward to making great memories here! I love being outside exploring our great world,  from going to everglades to looking at the planets in the night sky. I am extremely excited for this semester and to start my undergraduate research on how water drainage flows from inland canals and streams out to the ocean.

Erin, U.R. - Marine Biology OCE1001L Introduction

Marine Biology OCE1001L Introduction

Hello everybody. My name is Erin Weinreich. I am a 20 year old aspiring Marine Biologist who wants to make a difference for now and the years to come. I have lived in Daytona Beach, Florida for my entire life, and plan to move to California to pursue my dreams of becoming a successful biologist running my own research operation in the San Diego area. The ocean is one of my favorite places to be despite my pale skin color. If anybody ever forgets sunscreen, don't worry I have you covered. I am eager to see what this class has in store for the rest of the semester and plan to further my undergraduate research project beyond the class time period. I hope everybody has a great semester!

Angela, CUR-Cigarettes

The only cigarette I've ever touched is the chocolate candy type, but from the looks and what I've heard I figured real cigarettes are tobacco leaves wrapped in paper held together by tar, glue, or human spit...something like that. Totally biodegradable, right?

Image Source: Clean Virginia Waterways

Based on the incorrect biodegradability notion and the fact that I'm a bit of a germaphobe, I did not pick up any cigarette butts while combing Florida's beaches for plastic debris during the fall 2012 semester. However, to my dismay, it turns out that the majority - 95% according to Clean Virginia Waterways - of cigarette filters are made of plastic fibers known as acetate cellulose. 

Image Source: Beachapedia

Image Source: Beachapedia

I know that planet Earth, especially its beaches, may look like a readily available ashtray, but rain and wind can blow cigarette butts into storm drains and rivers or directly from the beach into the ocean. In hindsight, I'm a little ashamed of not picking up any cigarette butts during my beach sampling, but will make an effort to do so in the future.

Angela, CUR-Lighters & Fireworks

Even though my project regarding plastic on Florida's beaches has been completed, I plan to continue my research and self-education on the substance. Over the holidays I picked up a phenomenal book called Plastic, written by Susan Freinkel.  Did you know not all plastic is recyclable? Lighters, for example, are made of a type of plastic that doesn't melt into a reusable substance and, as the author of Plastic points out, alternatives such as refillable metal Zippos come with a lifetime warranty.

In addition to reading up on plastic I found another source of the variety that may end up in the ocean. I've never purchased fireworks, I guess I don't like the idea of blowing up money, but during a grocery trip I noticed the pointy plastic caps on some of the fireworks on display. Per the website Plastics in Fireworks, the caps aren't the only plastic parts in these dog bark inducing devices. 

With that in mind I planned on visiting Daytona Beach at 8a.m. on January 1st, 2014, to collect fireworks debris on the beach between Sunsplash Park and the pier, but since certain Deltonians decided to shoot fireworks until 4a.m. we didn't get to the beach until 10:30a.m. I was quite panicked that the city or other well-intended folk had collected all the debris and I'd come up empty handed, but, as you can see in the picture, I retrieved a bag full of firework related stuff, including parts that I can identify as plastic pictured towards the bottom of the photo. Additionally, because I can't just ignore it, I collected around 3 bags full of plastic garbage, including three lighters.