UWF

Day 4 (Monday, May 19):
Objectives: Management issues, Plant communities and water management issues
Site 1: Blackwater State Forest
One of our main goals for today was to form a working knowledge of how watersheds work and how it ultimately affects the ocean as a whole. Blackwater State Forest is a 210,000 acre block of protected land that forms an important part of the watershed. We received a great informal lecture from Ian Stone who is a park ranger at the forest. We learned how critically important prescribed burns are to the plant communities. Many plants and trees even require fire to germinate. We had the pleasure of observing one of the two endemic bird species in Florida, the Red Cockaded Woodpecker. They are small communal bird that build their home in the pine trees. They are listed at the state level as an endangered species. They had problems with genetic diversity so the park brought in birds from another area and remarkably had a 100% success rate! Some of the species observed included Aristida stricta (Wiregrass), Ilex glabra (Holly), Rubus (Blackberry), Bracken Fern, Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine), Yucca, Myrica cerifera (Wax Myrtle), Scrub Oak, Sand Post Oak, Poison Oak, Vomitorious (Yaupon Holly).

Beautiful Longleaf pine forest

Dr. Snyder and his amazing plant and tree identification!

Hiking in the gorgeous Pitcher Plant bog!

My awesome classmates among the carnivores Pitcher Plants!

Layna and Danielle climbing a gorgeous oak

Site 2: Krul Lake (Boardwalk)
Here, we meandered along the boardwalk and over Blackwater River. We spent a lot of time discussing the different plants and trees along the way. We enjoyed snacking on wild blueberries along the trail!

Lecture time from Ian Stone

Trees need love too

The beautiful Blackwater River

Site 3: Garcon Point Water Management Area

Site 4: Garcon Point near East Bay

The growth two months after a controlled burn

Beautiful field of wild orchids

Enjoying the gorgeous sunset!

Couldn't ask for a better group!

Day 5 (Tuesday, May 20):
Objectives: GUIS Species Management and Barrier Island habitats
Site 1: Gulf Island National Seashore
We started out with a talk about sea turtles and the efforts being made for their success. We discussed problems turtles encounter due to human impacts such as artificial light sources confusing not only the hatchlings but adult turtles too. We also discussed the process of relocating nests if the nest is laid too close to the water or simply in an unfavorable location.

Sea birds also run into issues due to human impacts. These birds nest in the sand dunes along the coast right next to beach access road. Often these birds are struck by cars in the middle of nesting season killing the parent bird and leaving the offspring to die as well. Coyotes are also driven into these dune areas because of decreasing available habitat; the coyotes also eat the eggs of the ground nesting sea birds.

Birds nest among these dunes near the road!

Site 2: Opal Beach
We had the pleasure of observing a mother Snowy Plover tend to her nest.

Aaron snapping pictures of the Snowy Plover

Site 3: Santa Rosa Island (Gulf side, UWF Property)
We all really enjoyed this site! Here we learned about sand dunes and their importance in the events of storm surge and large waves; they break up the energy and protects the actual coast. The plants that grow here are specially adapted to the desert-like conditions. One concept that was really drilled in our heads is that as the plants grow, the dunes grow. When the sand is blown up the beach, it literally hits the plants and is deposited there, over time, growing a dune.

We pulled seine nets and didn't have much success because of the waves! We netted a juvenile Pompano and a couple sand fleas.

Heading out with the net!

Had to get a tow in

Site 4: Santa Rosa Island (Sound side)
We spent a good part of the day here. We did different tests and samples of the water, pulled seine nets and plankton nets. We compared the diversity pulled from seine nets in a nearby salt marsh pond to the Sound.

Huge dune!!!

Back side of the dunes and the salt marsh

Measuring photosynthesis and respiration in the light and dark domes

Layna and I pulling the seine net in the Sound. 

Picking through our catch

Day 6 (Wednesday, May 21)
Objectives: Estuarine gradients
Today consisted of Perdido Bay sampling via pontoon boats! We used a wide variety of sampling methods in 6 different locations for later sample processing. Some of the data collection methods included CTD, fluorometer, Secchi disk, PUV, YSI, Vandorn bottle, Ponar and more. I really enjoyed taking these samples in 6 different locations to be able to actually make real comparisons of the changes in the water from up in the river to down closer to the Gulf.

About to lower the CTD

Cara and I retrieving the Vandorn bottle

Filtering water for testing!

Tiffany, Breeze and Destiny checking out the sediment from the Ponar grab.

Look, Ma no hands!

Day 7 (Thursday, May 22)
Objectives: Sample Processing
Today we spent the day inside processing the samples. We viewed and identified plankton, tested phytoplankton biomass in a fluorometer,  used radioactive isotopes to count bacterial growth and used a high power microscope to count bacterial biomass. I found all of the processing very interesting but I enjoyed the collection more! :)

Fluorometer 

UWF treated us to a Wahoo's baseball game! Thanks UWF! 

Day 8 (Friday, May 23)
Objectives: Data processing in Excel and wrap-up discussion
Today was mostly a wrap-up day. We learned how to effectively put our processed data into graphs: this is a huge part of interpreting data. The instructors were extremely helpful and patient while we learned the new techniques.

I loved loved loved UWF and the instructors were amazingly knowledgable and helpful. I want to give a special thanks to Dr. Alexis for taking the extra time to ask us our plans after we graduate and give us her honest opinions; her advice was very much appreciated! I will certainly consider UWF for grad school! We are so lucky to have such an amazing group, we are having the time of our lives! I've learned so much in such a short amount of time, this opportunity is priceless. I'm sad to leave UWF but excited to see whats next!