I recently returned to the Center to visit and was asked to write a short essay
about the research that I conducted this past fall. While studying at the Center I
did my directed research project on methods used to survey benthic
macroinvertebrates, or big insects and worms that live on the bottom of stream
beds. To take the samples we put a metal frame with a net behind it into the
stream then disturbed the stream bed in front of the net and let the water carry
the critters into the net. My research partner Julian Wong and I conducted
surveys with two different mesh sizes. The aim of the project was to find out
which method worked best. We collected samples over four days taking eight
samples using each method. The field work was by far the most enjoyable part
of the project even with the things that went wrong. The plan was to take ten
samples with each method, but due to the lack of time and an unfriendly snake,
we were unable to reach this goal.
We preserved the macroinvertebrates in the field and then brought them back
to the center for identification. Identifying took the longest amount of time. We
had not identified bugs before, which made the work frustrating. It took a while
to learn to identify some of the specimens, but it became easier as we went
along.
After the specimens were identified and the numbers recorded, we did
statistical tests on them. We found that the best surveying method to use
depends on what you are testing for. Each method has its good points and its
bad points. For the most part the DR project was enjoyable and I really
learned a lot!
Last Sunday, on our day off, a group of us took a trip to the Great Barrier
Reef. We drove to Cairns, and then went on a two-hour boat ride to the inner
reef. I had never snorkeled before, so the day was quite an adventure for me.
First, we were introduced to the boat crew. One of the staff gave us a brief
overview on the equipment used for snorkeling. We each picked out a pair of
fins and a mask to use for the day. The boat ride was long and bumpy, and I
was anxious to reach our destination. When we finally arrived at Michelmas
Cay, the first stop of our trip, the driver shut off the engine and anchored the
boat. We had a couple of hours to snorkel and relax on the beach nearby, so
everybody jumped into the ocean and went on their way. There was a group of
people on the boat who were learning how to dive also.
When I first looked through my mask at the surface of the water, my eyes lit up
like light bulbs as I peered into the beautiful underwater world. I didn’t lift my
head out of the water until about fifteen minutes later, when one of my friends
nudged me and pointed to a sea turtle swimming behind me. We saw many
different fish, corals, and huge clams. Some people saw eels, and one person
even saw a baby shark. The corals had many different colors: blue, yellow,
green, red, and brown.
I decided to swim to shore, because I could see some of my friends lounging
on the beach. I sat down on the beach for only five minutes until I had the urge
to snorkel some more. Soon after the boat crew signaled for us to get back on
the boat to proceed to our second destination. The next stop, Hastings Reef,
was only about a half an hour away. The boat crew fed us lunch on the way
there.
Hastings Reef was even better than Michelmas Cay. There were more corals,
larger fish, and a huge fish they called Wally that lives in that portion of the reef.
I had an underwater camera with me and snapped photographs left and right.
We spent two hours at Hastings Reef. First, I took a twenty minute ride on a
small, glass-bottomed boat. I actually preferred snorkeling over riding in the
boat, because I could see better and get closer to the fish and corals. After the
twenty minute boat ride, I got back into the water and didn’t come out until I
heard the driver honk the horn on the boat, telling us we had to leave. We
hopped on the boat and slept for two and a half hours during the ride back to
Cairns. The trip was well worth it. It was one of the best days I’ve had in
Australia!
