Week 9 - The final stretch

Week 9 marked the official start of the final research projects. People are well on their way with data collection and preparing to give their final presentations next week! We have a diverse set of  interesting projects this year! Here's what everyone's doing:

• Alex, Ariana, and Kristin are looking at the growth rates of lettuce kelp (Saccharina sessilis) in response to various levels of light.

  

  But did it remember to wear sunscreen?

• Sarah and Erin are studying the habitat preferences of juvenile Dungeness crabs (Metacarcinus magister) between mud and two types of seagrass.

Yes, that's a baby Dungeness.

• Meghan, Megan, and Taylor are checking out the effects of predator presence on the grazing of littorine snails (Littorina spp.).
• Tori and Virinda are testing the ability of the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) to recognize different patterns as food signals.

"BEST THING EVER!" - Tori and Virinda

• Paul and Jake are looking at the dietary preferences of kelp crabs (Pugettia producta) in response to kelp availability.
• Ellen is recording the mitotic index (rate of cell division) in the tentacles of the painted anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima).

This is what science looks like.

• Emily H. and Sheila are looking at the ability of purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) to escape predation from sunflower star (Pycnopodia helianthoides).
• Emily A., Eli, and Josh are looking at the preferred shells of hermit crabs (Pagurus hirsutiosculus) based on the shell's species of origin.

Unfortunately, some of their test subjects are a bit... crabby.

• Cassidy is looking at the distance between the mussel bed and the water level in relation to the abundance of ochre sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus).
• Katie, Aubree, and Anna are looking at diets of baby sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus and Leptasterias hexactis in the presence of competitors.

Everyone hard at work!

Good luck with your projects, everyone! We'll see you for your presentations on Week 10!