Sunday April 18, 2010
5:00. Ran late this morning due to my new phone, a DROID. Still trying to figure it out. The alarm is obnoxious. Likely the only thing I hate about it.
No technician on this trip. She was staying back to help with SEDAR data, but found out last night that her grandfather passed. Our thoughts are with her.
Good news regarding the project. Last week at the STS Implementation Team meeting, we were funded to expand our sampling efforts. This means we will go down every month for the next two years to sample and also to aid with the telemetry project. I try not to have an anxiety attack every time I think, type, or talk about it.
We stopped to pick up the graduate student in Tally and everyone grabbed a flat bread breakfast sandwich from Subway. They are so good. Consequently, no one was hungry for lunch when we got to Ocala so we pushed on through, deciding to stop in Naples for dinner before checking in.
We made good time down. Traffic was light and the weather was mild. We were in Naples before dark. Used my new phone to get us to Sushi Thai Too. Turn-by-turn navigation. Yeah, the DROID is pretty sweet.
Checked into the apartment and got everything moved in. Room 106. My second home.
The graduate student took out the acoustic tag we are to attach to a STS should we catch one this trip. It was a bit like APOLLO 13 when ground control put several people in a room, gave them a limited supply of tools, and told them to figure out how to get the crew home. We brainstormed and brainstormed and brainstormed. In the end, the intern figured it out. I drew up what we planned to do and made a list of supplies to get from the hardware store in the morning.
If we catch one this trip and get a tag on it, we will not active track. We simply don’t have the (wo)man-power right now.
Monday April 19, 2010
Spent the morning at the hardware store, purchasing supplies for tag attachment. Got 80 lb saltwater leader and size 4B leader sleeves. The graduate student had a friend from school make her small scalpels and she already had very small plastic tubing to reduce chaffing. We are essentially going to make a loop through the cartilage around the first dorsal fin to reduce drag. If we catch one and get the tag on, there will be plenty of photos.
Overcast, but no rain on the radar. Applied sunscreen anyway. And DEET. The mosquitoes are here, especially bad at dawn and dusk.
On the water in ENP by 9:30. Took the Lopez River – Cross Bays route to Mud Bay in order to check on the acoustic telemetry stations. All look great. The engine sounds much better after the tune-up (probably something we should do at least once a year!). In Mud Bay by 10:00 with low high tide. Walked both sides of the mangrove island in Mud Bay and saw no STS. Lots of blue crabs. Both nets were in the water by 10:30.
Outgoing. Nothing in the nets. Incoming. Nothing in the nets. Lots of jumping mullet though. Water temperature is higher than last month (24-25 C), but salinity is low (14-19).
As decided last week at the STS Implementation Team meeting, we took benthic samples. We plan to take benthic samples at every location (close to shore/mangrove, middle of sand/mud flat, and at the edge of the low tide mark). Each sample will be analyzed for sediment grain size and benthic infauna. This will further delineate habitat and understand STS “hot spots.” It will be a lot of work, but will have very cool results.
Headed home. As we turned the corner from Turner River into Chokoloskee Bay, we could smell the ocean. Chokoloskee Bay was like glass. It turned out to be a beautiful day. I love my job. We saw two cownose rays swimming at the surface near the dock. Off the water by 18:30. Called dispatch to let them know and headed back to the apartment.
Laid the 4”, 100’ net out in the yard. It was full of algae. Quick dip in the pool to cool off and exercise (3 minutes treading water, 2 minutes rest). Had Chicken Masala Crock-pot for dinner. Put the benthic samples in the fridge.
After dinner, we initialized and taped-up the remaining 3 receivers. This trip we will also be installing HOBOs (small devices that measure water temperature and light attenuation in real time) to 6 of the acoustic stations. We tried to initialized the HOBOs, but found they all needed batteries. We will purchase those tomorrow morning at the hardware store.
Life does go on at home while I am away. I spoke with my sister and she has decided to move to Houston after graduation in May in order to *finally be with her long-time boyfriend and take time off to study for her boards. I could not be happier for them and cannot wait to see her in a couple weeks. I also spoke with my boyfriend. We figured out the annoying alarm on my phone. He was able to find my old alarm-tone online, once again saving my ass. I love you, babe.
Tuesday April 20, 2010
Sunscreen and DEET. Butterflies and dragonflies. Gorgeous day, but no STS.
Purchased the batteries and worked like dogs all morning in ENP, installing 2 of the remaining 3 stations, attaching HOBOs to 6 and cleaning 12. Whew.
Set the nets at Turner River around 13:00. Took benthic samples of Turner River. Off the water by 18:00.
There is now more mud in our fridge than food.
A cold Yuengling in my hand and checked my email on the front porch while the rest of the crew cleaned up. Crawfish etouffee for dinner. Watched some crappy TV (all but one of the contestants this season on American Idol are tone deaf!). Uploaded some photos to FB.
Wednesday April 21, 2010
Launched at Port of the Islands today. Same cranky, old man behind the counter. He threw my credit card back at me when I tried to pay the launch fee. I just smiled. Oh-blah-dee.
Ran out to Panther Key first thing on several tips from local fisherman. Fished in the same location as other encounters per the data from NSED. Took benthic samples at Panther Key, using the oldest, rustiest ponar grab on the planet. That took some figuring out. Tony the Pony, we call it. Took lots of photos of habitat. Very sandy, more traditional beachy type area.
Fished the west-side of the spoil island in Faka Union Bay then moved the nets to the east-side. No STS, but several A. felis (“A. felis. I just met a fish named A. felis!). Saw manatee and dolphin.
Took benthic samples on both sides of the spoil island. Huge differences between the west- and east-side. HUGE.
Turned out to be a beautiful day despite the clouds and chill this morning.
Home by 18:30. Had a total The Graduate moment at the door of the grocery, wanting to buy beer but being denied access. The grocery closes at 19:00. Noted. Hit up the gas station instead, but had to settle for MU (riding the Mich-ul-train).
Leftover etouffee for dinner. Stayed up pretty late, chatting with the crew, drinking beer, hypothesizing why we’re not seeing any critters. Our best guess is that the mother’s avoided this area during the cold snap in January/February and either pupped offshore or further south. It will be interesting if the UF field crew sees more YOY in Florida Bay this year.
Thursday April 22, 2010
In ENP again today. Cleaned the stations we missed on Tuesday.
Got back into Cross Bays 3 and set the 100’s. Next time we need to get back here with the 200’s. Note to self – can only fish in this bay an hour before and after high tide (Chokoloskee tide table). Very shallow! Local guys say they see animals back in these mud holes all the time. Not yet this year, but every other year.
No benthic samples. We ran out of whirl packs. Will have to take them next time.
Moved the nets to Mud Bay, fishing the remainder of the outgoing tide and hoping to catch a glimpse of a STS. No luck. Could have had a crab boil with all the C. sapidus running around. Hauled the gear and hauled ass back to the dock to beat the low tide, making a pass by Turner River. No STS, but there was a small gator (3-4 ft) swimming close to the acoustic telemetry station.
Off the water early. Went for a swim. Spoke with The Mullet Wrapper editor. She gave me her personal email where I could send the article about our tracking project. I will do that when I get back to the office.
Tomorrow we will try the Goodland area. Getting discouraged. Four days in the field and nothing to show for it but a good base tan. We are all quite tired.
Friday April 23, 2010
7:00 – Up.
7:45 – In the truck.
8:30 – On the water. Launched at Caloosa Key.
9:00 – First sets in Goodland Bay. Waiting on the tide to come in a bit more before trying to make it across Palm Bay. SE wind is in our favor. No STS.
10:15 – Made it across Palm Bay with no problem. Noted that we need 1 hour before high tide (Coon Key tide table) to get back to Grocery Creek. Ran all the way to Goodland-Mud Bay, scaring the be-jesus out of every shorebird.
10:20-14:00 – Fished remaining incoming and 2 hours into outgoing. Wind and outgoing tide are in opposite direction, allowing us to fish longer. No STS. Will take benthic samples at this location on May trip. Hauled ass across Palm Bay.
14:30-16:00 – Fished in Goodland Bay again, picking two sandy spots around a couple mangrove islands. No STS.
16:45 – Off the water.
19:00 – Dinner in Naples. Hit up Sushi Thai Too again. Met up with an old friend from undergrad who now lives in Cape Coral. It had been about 10 years since I’d seen him, but it was just like old times. Got to *finally meet his partner, too. Couldn’t be nicer people.
21:00 – Drove back to the apartment down Hwy 41 with the biggest, goofiest grin on my face. Happy. So happy. Listened to some good tunes and watched the night sky.
Saturday April 24, 2010
Up at 5:30. Spoke with a man and his family in the parking lot. They were getting ready for the weekend tournament. He said he sees STS all the time at Camp Lulu Key. I gave him my card and asked him to call should he see one this weekend.
On the road by 6:00. Same old breakfast at the same old Cracker Barrel. Lunch, however, was in Ocala at Chick-fil-A. Mmmm.
The graduate student took over driving after lunch and I grabbed a quick nap. She drove us all the way to Tally. We dropped her off and got back on the road, quickly. Weather looked rough ahead. Huge front moving across the panhadle. Back at the lab by 19:00 ahead of the weather, thankfully.
Seacrest out.
A Slow Cooker Thanksgiving
6 months ago
