Week 3: Tillamook 101

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Week 3: Tillamook 101

The Lead Up

Following the holiday this week (which we enjoyed with firework-viewing and snacks on the beach) I traveled 4 hours north to accompany Tony at the Tillamook Estuary Partnership’s (referred to hereafter as TEP) meeting to discuss their Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP).
TEP is a non-profit organization consisting of many partner groups from federal and more local levels- from Oregon Department of Forestry to Bureau of Land Management to Oregon Department of Agriculture- that exists to conserve and restore Tillamook County’s estuaries and watersheds. This is no small feat, as there are 5 different bays and estuaries that fall under their protection, the largest of them being Tillamook Bay which holds a designation as a “Bay of National Significance” for its role as an economic and ecological resource. For more background on the watersheds themselves and TEP see here: http://www.tbnep.org/about-us.php.
The premise of this meeting was to revise the existing nearly 20-year-old document that serves as the current CCMP. So, my first step to prepare for attendance was to read over and take notes on the ten-odd chapters of the old plan, as well as several pdf documents Tony had sent me that encompassed the planning thus far. When they call this plan “comprehensive” they aren’t kidding. It was a lot of reading about many different aspects of resource management, with focus on four main issues: water quality, habitat loss/simplification, erosion/sedimentation, and flooding. Beyond that, it included a section on the implementation and financing of the plan (money makes the world go ‘round), as well as future research needs. Since my internship surrounds the assessment of shellfish and their habitat, I paid extra close attention to sections regarding those animals. I gathered that Tillamook has a long history of commercial oyster fishing and clamming as well as recreational use.

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Armed with my notes, I packed my bag and started my journey to Newport, where I’d be meeting Tony and we’d carpool the rest of the way to Tillamook. I took advantage of my early start and use of the state vehicle and made a pit stop at the Coos Bay farmer’s market (which for some odd reason is held on Wednesday mornings). After picking up some blackberries and the most beautiful breakfast taco I’ve ever seen (pictured below), I was on my way. The drive was very scenic and went well despite the on and off radio availability and bridge construction. On the second leg of the trip Tony drove and talked to me about the history of each town we went through on U.S. Route 101, which basically forms the main road in all of those towns (makes for slow driving). The 101, or Oregon Coast highway here, is teeming with tourists in the summer months, which is no surprise considering it accesses more than 80 state parks along its length. The amount of hotels and resorts was a little perplexing to me, as the climate here does not really meet my expectations for a beach side vacation, but nonetheless most signs read no vacancy. And don’t even get me started on the R.V.s / R.V. parks. R.V.s far as the eye can see. We didn’t have a set time for arrival to Tillamook since the meeting was not till the next morning, so we made a few stops to stretch/check out the scenery. We pulled onto the beach in Pacific City (you can drive on the beaches here!) to take a look at Chief Kiawanda Rock- basically a huge rock standing by its lonesome just off the beach. Pretty neat. Once in Tillamook, we ate dinner and checked into the hotel. I was spoiled with my own king bed and hot tub privileges for a night. All in the name of science. :)

The Meeting

The meeting was held at the local community college in a nice big conference room which could comfortably seat the 20 or so members that showed up. Tony and I were first to arrive, and I was introduced to Lisa Phipps, director of the TEP. She had tacked large sheets of paper all over the front of the room, some with writing and some to be written on later. I took a look at the proposed agenda and could understand why it was predicted to be a 3-hour meeting. There was a lot to cover.
The meeting began with introductions, and I got an idea for how many representatives of each partner group were present. Some had more than others but there was definitely a lot of diversity. They proceeded to reiterate some of the decisions discussed in the previous meeting to give everyone a refresher and then got to work on the agenda items. An example of one such item was the proposal to reorganize the management units. Before the plan had been sectioned by issue, but the proposed change was to break it down by land use; dividing the estuaries into upper, lower, and head of tide, and then address problems specific to those areas. This was the first exchange of ideas I saw, as there was a discussion on what distinction to use to make the land divisions- By salinity or by bacterial line? Several people stated their opinions and gave advice on specific terminology to use in the document. That was how the entire proceedings went on: a question or issue was presented, then they would brainstorm, Lisa would write, and so on. It was step by step decision making, and as we went down the board I began to see who weighed in on what issues, who was knowledgeable about each category. For example, the “forest people” may not give any input regarding burrowing shrimp on the mud flats. The atmosphere was friendly and professional; people gave honest feedback, freely voiced their concerns, and addressed misconceptions if they arose.

Takeaways

I learned a lot from this experience, not only on issues specific to Tillamook but about how these sorts of meetings operate in general. I learned how much the waterways there are influenced by agriculture, and that managing land owners is a very dynamic process. I learned that the TEP’s future goals focus on being more proactive than reactive, which will require more outreach and public education. They also want to identify data gaps where more research may be needed. I learned that making a plan like this has to be so all-encompassing because they are planning for the next decade, and this document will be referred to for grant funding throughout that timeframe. I even got to speak up during the meeting, when Oregon Department of Agriculture reps were discussing the role of “hobby farmers” and the expectation that they follow responsible land use practices even though they’re not held as accountable as large industry farmers. One woman brought up the difficulty in knowing just how many people own animals and making sure they are informed. I asked if there was an online resource available to those people, and suggested that they incorporate a place where hobby farmers could register themselves, submit a plan of action, and get their questions answered all on one site. My comments were very well-received and I was glad I had raised my hand (even if my bright red face begged to differ). There are still a few meetings left till the CCMP document can be written up, but it will eventually be submitted to the EPA for approval. I am thankful I got to participate in the meeting and get my first taste of resource management on a large scale (getting out of field work and driving a car again weren’t bad perks either).

Here are some photos of me enjoying the scenic 101.

On to week 4!

-Katie Gregory

No signs, no problem: Maybe Ron Swanson wasn’t so far off

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Week 3, the dorms really felt like a summer camp this week. Seagrant interns and REU scholars have officially merged into one large group of amazing people. With the extended holiday weekend we left camp and explored the southern coast. We hiked along the Cape Perpetua Coastline to get a peek at the marine reserve, explored tidal pools and their large starfish and got completely drenched by a rogue wave slamming against the rocks. It was a lovely day. We spent the rest of our long holiday weekend seeing what else the town of Newport had to offer (that Fred Meyer place is pretty neat-o, we don’t get that place on the east coast). On the 4th we celebrated in classic American style: beach, food, fireworks, mediocre country music and extensive temporary patriotism. We all pitched in to throw a big BBQ full of burgers, vege sausages, baked goods and corn on the cob (the key ingredient for a successful cookout).

 

Who would have guessed that a bunch of 20 somethings hiking, exploring and living together in one of the most beautiful states in the US would be an enjoyable experience? Well… most people would probably say that, 10/10 weekend for sure. The only thing that would have made it better is if we had gotten paid… Curse y’all Seagrants that got paid on the first day! We need that sweet sweet summer internship money. With that lets transition to the main point of the blog, learning the ropes of working for a government agency.

 

Coming back from the festivities we were stoked to get back into the work we were here to do. I dove right into the Marine Reserves human dimensions reports, looking to get a better understanding of our audiences and the kind of questions and misconceptions we would be tackling (also s/o to Haley for making them straight and to the point, you’re a great writer). These reports were conducted during the implementation and design of the marine reserves. They were loaded with public perceptions of the reserves, perceived and actual economic impacts of the reserves, and comments from both fishers and recreational users of the coastal waters.

 

These reports are free to look through on www.oregonmarinereserves.com! The entire website has loads of content ranging from reports, to blog posts, underwater videos, and even pictures of the amazing ODFW Seagrant interns.

 

Anyway, combined with discussions that I had with locals during the outreach events I was really starting to brainstorm story ideas on how to better communicate topics they wanted to hear more about. There seemed to be confusion on the boundaries and rules with the reserves and misconceptions of what research we were doing and why we were doing it the way that we are.

 

As I ran my story and communications ideas by my supervisor I met my first challenge of working for a government agency with such a large audience. Due to the fact that we have so many target audiences we have to be very careful not to polarize any of those groups. If we come out too positive and sound too supportive of the reserves we risk polarizing the fishers who argued against the reserves. If we were too negative or not supportive enough we risked polarizing the conservationists. Both groups are extremely important to the success of our reserves, so we are walking a fine line.

 

We had practiced this already during the outreach events, but it seemed natural during the human to human interaction. We were listening to the public to hear their perceptions and answer their questions. When we did speak it was factual, we told them what and how our research worked. Now it was no longer a two way conversation, it was us communicating towards a much larger audience. We could no longer change how our message was to be communicated for each specific person we were talking to. We had to create a single message that got the point across while making it as specific as possible for our target audience. Not only did it limit the variety of stories we could publish and how we wrote those stories. It limited how effective they were at changing attitudes. With a smaller target audience our specific tailored message could really resonate with their interests and answer their questions. With a one size fits all message it rarely resonates as effectively with anyone, but at least it raises awareness of the message subject.

 

This brings me to the second challenge, funding and work force. The entire ODFW Marine Reserves program communications team is essentially my boss Kelsey. For the limited resources that she has and the amount of constant things she is requested to do, I’m thoroughly impressed. She has done loads of graphic design, science communications, organizing events and manages our content creation for social media and website. It’s a massive job and I don’t know how she does it. Unfortunately because she is stretched so thin, she is almost forced to try and reach as many people with each post as possible. She rarely has time or resources to organize or make it to outreach events. I’m hoping that I can take some of that pressure off her shoulders so that more of these events can happen.

 

The example that really gets me the most is of the signs. Many of the people I talked to at the events were not entirely sure on where the boundaries of the reserves were or where they could access them for recreation. When I asked about this I was shocked to find there were no signs at the reserves. Surely there would be signs talking about the reserve, the rules, the boundaries, maybe a map?? But no, there ain’t. Surely that would be the first step to making the reserves more attractive to visitors and to help spread knowledge to those who were visiting. However, when I asked if creating signs would be possible I learned the process that it takes to make them. Finding a contractor, talking to multiple agencies to get permission to put in a sign, talk with the communities to get their opinion on what should be on the sign. Lots of work and lots of time. Unfortunately because this would not hit a large audience, this was not high on the priority list or even on it. It boggled my mind that this had not been addressed earlier. Surely there is a solution to this? I sure hope there is because it seems like a necessary thing to have at a reserve. Also I had this sweet idea to have lookout points over the reserves where the signs would go. These signs would not only have maps with boundaries and pictures of the land where the boundaries start, but also have QR codes that could be scanned to take you right to underwater footage of the reserve you were currently standing at. It would totally go along with the “take a deeper look” and “see what’s beneath the surface” thing we’ve got going. Maybe I can settle for some sick stickers with that slogan and code on them.

 

Anyway… going camping this weekend, that’ll be neat.

A Green Perspective on Rights and Wrongs

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Kohlberg

In the early 1950s, graduate student Lawrence Kohlberg became inspired by the works of a clinical psychologist named Jean Piaget. With the help of Piaget’s foundational theory, Kohlberg proposed a series of six stages that would one day be taught in every introductory psychology course. If you have taken one of these courses, you know that this theory was a key component to what we now know as moral development.

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development

According to Kohlberg, children progress through stages that indicate growth in their moral development. At a young age, thought processes reflect the question, “How can I avoid punishment?” As children develop, the desire to avoid negative consequences morphs into recognition of universal ethical principles. Hitting others is no longer bad because it results in a “time-out”, but because a human being has the right not to be harmed unjustly.

Leopold

Aldo Leopold

Though we are traditionally taught that Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning is specific to psychology and child development, similar discussions of moral reasoning have already occurred surrounding the conservation of natural resources. In his 1949 nonfiction A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold argued that, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.”

By bringing ethics into human involvement with nature, the conversation begins to change. Instead of seeing nature as a human resource, it becomes an entity worthy of respect. In this mindset, trees are no longer meant to make paper. Water is no longer meant to spring from our sinks. It is simply right to preserve nature out of connection and respect. In the words of Aldo Leopold, “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”

Realistically, it is unavoidable to use natural resources for human benefit. However, the mentality in which we approach that utilization is key in influencing behavior. If we allow for input from an ethical perspective, our treatment of the world around us can then stem from one of deeper respect.

This week, I challenge you to assume a perspective of Leopold and Kohlberg when you look outside. Make note to yourself; do you feel a shift in respect? Respond to this blog post at the end of the week and let me know!

 

Coos Bay, OR IN, Pawnee

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Last week I talked plenty about my first impressions of Coos Ba(e) so I think I’m going to use the time this week to discuss my job, the workplace, and my project for the summer. So the main focus of my project is to acquire and compile professional images of the South Coast of Oregon to be used for marketing purposes. Currently, I’m assisting in a Travel Oregon grant with the city of Gold Beach to hire some local photographers to complete a photo project that seeks to highlight the “dopeness” of the South Coast (not actual quotes from contract). The grant has specific images that they want to capture but the main subject matter focuses on outdoor recreation, natural features, and wildlife characteristic of Oregon’s South Coast. Steps to getting the ball rolling have involved looking through a good amount of professional photographer websites, writing up contracts, and making calls to as well as meeting the photographers. It’s awesome to look at the different styles of all these photographers and kind of determine based on that whether they could really capture what we’re looking for with the project. If they’re within our budget is also kind of an important deciding factor. But yeah, this aspect of the job has been pretty sweet for sure.

Miles about to send that dimpled ball to school

 

Another pretty sweet part of the position is being able to meet and connect with people I never would have met in a thousand years. For instance, last Friday, my boss Miles and I visited the La Kris Inn in Bandon to meet with the owners who also happen to be photographers, Susan and Steve Dimmock. What was supposed to be a short business meeting turned into a three hour meet and greet with a side of business. They were disgustingly kind, their inn is really cute, and their photography is dope! They will be taking pictures for us for the Photo Project and I will possibly be able to join them for a few nights to watch them do their thing, so I’m super stoked for that. If you got time you should definitely check them out at http://www.susandimock.com/ and  http://www.stevedimock.com/. On Wednesday, I was lucky enough to play my first ever game of golf at the Bandon Dunes Golf Reserve. Tim Scahill, the Digital Marketing Specialist of the reserve, took Catie, Miles, and I out of the office for a few hours to slap a few dimpled balls. I sucked immensely but it was still great fun getting to know Tim and the view was spectacular. But yeah, there’s a good amount of socializing amidst all this work which is something that I really enjoy.

 

Since starting the job two weeks ago we have had a wild amount of meetings (11 to be exact). And I’m not just talking about meetings with like two or three people, I’m talking full conference room, Parks and Rec-esque meetings that usually have a wide variety of individuals ranging from Oregon Fish & Wildlife to mountain-biking clubs. Literally, the first day after meeting Miles, Catie and I sat in on a meeting for the South Coast Tourism Steering Committee. This committee is comprised of individuals from a number of different organizations, all with the intent on promoting tourism for the South Coast. An hour into that meeting and I realized that I was in the show Parks and Rec and that Miles was a less-stached Ron Swanson. I guess that makes me Tom Haverford? But yeah, while these meetings can sometimes be lengthy and I might not be as informed about the topic of debate as the other characters, they are extremely enriching because it makes me realize just how many people from different walks of life/areas of expertise/job positions it takes to help solve relevant issues. Everyone’s voice and perspective is unique and needed. Don’t you forget that!

Parks & Rec doesn’t have conference rooms like this

On a separate note, yesterday was Independence Day. The Fourth of July has never really been a favorite holiday, mostly because I would spend the majority of my summers in Germany where they surprisingly weren’t too into the whole fireworks/”I love America” scene. Last year’s 4th was the first one I had spent in the US in many years and it made for a pretty awful day so needless to say I was skeptical about how this 4th would fare. Well, I’m happy to tell you that the day was dope. Now that I’m a working stiff I don’t really have the luxury of sleeping in so I made sure to make the most of my day off by lying in bed till a hefty 10:30am. I bought a grill here recently so I figured Independence Day was as good a day as any to test it out. I invited over the other SeaGrant scholars in the area. They cruised over with some of their friends and we just listened to The Growler’s City Club and ate some lowkey bloody burgers (it was my first time grilling give me a break). But it was still tasty! One of my personal goals this summer was to become a Grill Master and while I’m a long shot away from even being called a Grill Padawan it’s nice to have finally started this flavorful journey. Later in the evening our little group made its way to Bastendorff Beach where we set up a bonfire and just enjoyed the rogue fireworks show put on by all the loose, lit locals. I had never experienced fireworks like that in my life. Literally every minute from 8-11pm, I was twisting and turning my neck so as not to miss even one of the countless fireworks that were being sent off up and down the coast. At one point I walked down the beach just to take it all in. People were drunk and happy, their unintelligible voices drown out from the constant scream of fireworks. Colorful lights sporadically spattered across the sand, giving details to the dark for just a few short seconds. If there was ever a time where I felt like I was no longer in California, I would say it was at that moment.

Sunset on Monday night at SWOCC

Bing, Bang, Booms @ Bastendorff

THANKS CATIE FOR THE DOPE PIC

The Value of Human Interaction

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Port Orford

Neal and Zach perfecting the ODFW sign at the Port Orford barbecue on June 25, 2017.

This week was a testament to the value of human interaction. We began our escapades at the dock of Port Orford in southern Oregon. Three coolers of burger patties, rockfish, and Coca-Colas later, we had ourselves a barbecue! After a mad dash for pastries and slaw, the Marine Reserves team from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) gathered together to talk with local fishermen. Over burgers, I heard the story of one couple that I found especially exceptional.

Michelle

Michelle and her husband were new to Port Orford and happened to be out on the sea for the day. When they returned to the dock, they saw our gathering and stopped by. Having recently retired, Michelle found herself reaching out to the community to begin to engage and meet others around her. She shared that it was odd to go to the grocery store and not hear a single hello or partake in a conversation with a neighbor, as she once had experienced in her hometown in California. As we chatted, I found hope in her story. Through her love for nature and concern for ocean preservation, Michelle found friendships within our tent. I watched as a group of people breached social barriers and connected in their mutual interest in science, food, and marine conservation.

Sarah and Jaqui at the Port Orford barbecue on June 25, 2017.

Later that night as we gathered for science at the pub, I saw Michelle once again. After a few rounds of scientific bingo and facts about rockfish, Michelle introduced me to her husband. They informed me that they had signed up as volunteers and would now be involved with the Redfish Rocks Community team, working towards ocean preservation. I left Port Orford the following day with a pleasant reminder that social science and human interaction plays an important role in the natural sciences and conservation.

Garibaldi 

Flag from the Port of Garibaldi on June 27, 2017.

What was that count again? Over 100 people showed up at our Garibaldi barbecue! There wasn’t a moment to spare between wrapping fish boats and restocking patties as our grill master cooked up a storm. Once again the significance of communication was the spotlight of our event, as fisherman and community members shared with us their thoughts on the marine reserves. As you may recall from my last post, the focus of this summer is to study the socioeconomic effects that the implementation of marine reserves may have had on surrounding fishing communities. This event was the ideal example of varieties of feedback, valued equally in an open space. By encouraging communication of all kinds, we are able to better balance preservation efforts with human need for resources. As I am learning repeatedly this summer, resources continue to be limited as populations grow. Whether addressing economic or marine preservation topics, finding an equilibrium is key in creating effective change.

Humbug Mountain State Park

Humbug Mountain State Park.

Did you know that people who frequently experience a sense of awe report higher life satisfaction? Though this fact may seem obvious, it can easily be overlooked. Humbug Mountain State Park boosted my life satisfaction by miles.

Sparse pink flowers in the sunlight.

The variety of ferns, mosses, and trees kept me constantly amazed. Perhaps I was a botanist in another life. I’d like to close this week by sharing photos from our hike. Seeing this kind of beauty makes it difficult to keep experiences all to yourself.

Photo by Neal Tyson.

Until next time, Sarah Ann Coffin

 

The Queen of King Tides

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As much as I would love to be referencing myself with this title, I’d have to say my mentor is the Queen and I am but a princess of the tides.

What are King Tides?

Week two was a whirlwind for me that picked up right at the end, but let’s start with the knowledge bombs first.

Many people are still new to the term King Tides so I wanted to discuss a little bit of the science behind the grand daddy of tides. Although Oregon experiences their highest high tides in the winter, some places around the world (like Hawaii) also have theirs in the spring/summer. The height of the tides has to do with the Moon’s proximity to the Earth and the Earth’s proximity to the Sun. When all three are aligned at there closest proximity to each other (the Moon at perigee and the Earth at perihelion) the tides reach their highest heights.

It’s always been fascinating to me how much the Moon influences our life on Earth and this project has helped me explore that even more. I also love listening to the TED radio hour and they JUST brought up one from the archives called “Peering Into Space,” so if you’re interested in hearing more about the universe take a listen! http://www.npr.org/2013/02/15/172136499/peering-into-space

Oregon experiences its King Tides with the New Moon in winter.

Back to Hawaii: A week a two ago the islands were experiencing their King Tides and I noticed through researching their project that the news was alllll over it. University of Hawaii Sea Grant made many appearances on news stations and their photo initiative got a lot of press. For us the publicity is harder because the tides have yet to be catastrophic for the Oregon coast. This is a GREAT thing, but it makes drawing in the public to participate difficult. The Oregon King Tides aren’t urgently impacting us yet, but tracking them can still be so beneficial for predicting issues the coast may have with sea level rise in the future.

Beyond the Tides

Outside of my exploration of other King Tides projects I got to sit in on a few meetings within the department regarding another sea level rise project and the content of the website. Meetings are often regarded as boring but I enjoy getting to see the inner workings of the department. I see this a great opportunity to gain insight as to what I want to do with my future and also witness how state government functions behind the scenes. I really appreciated my chance to discuss this in my expectations meeting as well!!

I’m just so dramatic, really.

Another great opportunity I have with this internship is the time I have to explore GIS and Photoshop. I’ll be spending much more time trying to learn GIS but have yet to create anything impressive (or at least pretty,) so here’s something I was able to do in 5 minutes on photoshop! The techniques are interesting and hard to master, but I hope to do some cool things towards the end of the internship with any new skills I’ve learned.

 

Portland Round 2

As for the end of the week I discovered I was yet again off to Portland for the weekend. One of life best friends had a break from her naval duties and I got to see her for the first time in about 2 years. We enjoyed the sunny Portland weather and sipped wine on the balcony of a friend’s condo in the Pearl District. It was very bougie and quite a dream. We also went about 40 minutes East of Portland to have fun in nature and get some mountain air. A very refreshing week (:

Some place somewhere in the PNW

That was until I came home Sunday and the cough I’ve had for over a month got even worse. Last week the doctors said I had asthma and told me to come on back if nothing improved with my new, fancy inhaler. Well I’m heading back because I sound like I’ve smoked a pack a day for 30 years (I’m 21 so I hope that puts this all into perspective.) I’m hoping the holiday tomorrow is fun and that I have meds coursing through my veins by then.

Cheers to week 2 and getting healthy!

Week 2: On the Road

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I have begun my experiment. To tell the truth, it is not a glamorous affair. It wasn’t even my idea, though I wish it was. It consists of nothing more than 5 gallon plastic jugs, black plastic, duct tape, and several HOBO U26 dissolved oxygen data loggers. The idea came out of a planning meeting where the desire to get more precise measurements of microbial production in the rivers flowing into Tillamook Bay was one of many topics discussed. The method proposed was to incubate samples of water in the dark for a period of time, and measure the change in dissolved oxygen from start to finish. Any decrease in the oxygen level should be the result of organisms in the water respiring, eating or decomposing organic material in the water.

It is important to know how bacteria change the conditions of the water, changing the amount of nutrients that flow into the bay and the concentrations of both oxygen and carbon dioxide. The ocean is warming and becoming more acidic, bringing increasingly acidic water into the bay with every incoming tide. The nutrients that flow into the bay from the surrounding watersheds lead to increased bacterial growth that close the oyster beds in the bay to harvesting, as well as further acidifying the waters, as dissolved carbon dioxide increases in the water as bacteria release it as a waste product of their metabolic processes and it reacts with water to form carbonate, bicarbonate or carbonic acid. The relationship between higher nutrient inputs into marine waters from terrestrial systems and increased acidification is not just a bay or estuary problem, but a coastal problem as well. The EPA, along with the Navy and many other players, hope to assemble the big picture of how Tillamook Bay works with respect to all of these issues so that the people of the region can better plan for climate change and mitigate potential problems, as well as improve the health of the ecosystem and the lives that depend on it.

There was a considerable debate about how best to go about incubating the water and how to measure oxygen changes in a scientifically valid manner. The issue with the incubation lies in the transporting of the water to the lab. Changes to the temperature of the water will effect the solubility of oxygen in the water, as well as the rate of production of bacteria, affecting the results. Maintaining water samples at a constant temperature remains impractical and a concern, but a greater concern is with the Winkler method. The Winkler method is a method of analysis that allows for measuring the dissolved oxygen at a single point in time, but not continuously, but the measurement can be more precise than that of a datalogger. It was proposed that only initial and final oxygen measurements would be used to determine the total change in a sample, and the incubation period would be short, a few hours at most. As the experiment was discussed, it became apparent that such a short period of incubation may not adequately capture microbial growth, and that a time series of measurements would be the only valid method of determining a rate of microbial production. Thus, the 5 gallon jug trials, to gather a time series, determine a proper incubation period, and as a basic proof of concept.

Friday we drove to Tillamook and collected samples, though not as many as we had planned to. We are also evaluating an alternate incubation method using 2 gallon ziplock freezer bags kept dark in a cooler. The samples have been incubating all weekend. On Monday I will download the data from the loggers and see what there is to see. I may even have a graph or two to share next time!

Golf Gorse

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Boy oh boy has it been a busy week!

I thought I’d take some time this week to talk about my workplace at the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance (referred to hereafter as the WRCA). The WRCA is the philanthropic arm of the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, and it funds various projects that focus on the conservation, economy, and community of the South Coast of Oregon. The WRCA itself is funded by the net proceeds from the Bandon Preserve, one of the five courses on the resort (more about golf later).

Not only is the WRCA located on a world renowned golf resort, I am convinced that the office I am working in is actually out of a fairy tale.

  • Almost every morning, Dustin (my fellow scholar), Miles (our mentor), and I are graced with the painfully adorable presence of a black-tailed doe and her ~three week old fawn.
  • The stately conference room sports your choice of free tea or coffee (I don’t need much more than that in life) and walls made entirely of glass overlooking a forest of Douglas fir.
  • The window next to Dustin and I’s desks overlooks a pond sprinkled with water lilies and a pleasant walkway lined with a handful of foxglove flowers. (According to Miles, foxglove [pictured below] is called such because the blooms are juuuust big enough for a fox to snick their snouts in).
  • Sometimes we see another doe with TWINS. Seeing two baby deer is way more fawn than one. (Thought we were finished with the puns? Think again…).
  • There is a labyrinth in the forest next to the office. Feel like taking a calming, meditative break to clear the mind after a long day of contributing to the common good of the wonder that is the Oregon South Coast? Do not fret, the WRCA has got you.

Momma doe and baby. Stay tuned for the twins, referred to hereafter as Intern 1 and Intern 2.

The conference room – I feel important when I sit in there.

Digitalis purpurea; foxglove.

Don’t tell the folks at the golf resort this (it might put a wedge between them and I), but be-fore working here, golf seemed boring to me. This week though, Dustin and I were fortunate enough to play a whole round on the Preserve, and it was a blast. I’m very lousy at golf, but the jaw-dropping views and my entirely-founded-in-luck Par 3 let me putt my overall embarrassing score behind me.

Not pictured: the ruthless, highly flammable, invasive bush that is Gorse. Before the resort existed, stands of this plant stretched as far as the eye can see and encroached on native wildlife habitat. Seeds of this plant can lie dormant for over 50 years…I sure hope this view won’t transform from a golf course into a golf gorse…

My “I got a Par 3 but I don’t know how and it’ll likely never happen again” face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news, I have been continuing my exploration of this region and have found my go-to sunset spot. My roommates and I have started a tradition of getting DQ blizzards (hello, childhood) and posting up on a beach so aptly named: Sunset Bay.

Sunset bae

I am both settling into this place and becoming more excited about it as the days go on. It has become a daily routine for me to stop, think, and take a moment to acknowledge how grateful I am to be here with this program. Thanks for reading!

 

Thrown into the Lion’s Den: Hot topics and even hotter dogs

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Week 2

Neal Tyson

Pictures to be added soon

Following the success of the Port Orford Red Fish Rock Marine Reserve BBQ with a side of SCIENCE (that’s a mouthful), we were in high spirits going into the next outreach event. The next BBQ with a side of science was to be held at the Garibaldi port. We were there to again talk about and answer questions surrounding the local reserve, in this case the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve. However, before heading out we were warned that we might not have the same warm reception as the previous event.

 

Some background info:

The implementation of the marine reserve started in 2011 with the initial talks of where they might be established. As with any talk about closing off areas for economic use, there was some tension right off the back. Many of the coastal communities rely on fishing as a primary source of income and very few were happy to hear talk about a marine reserve. Port Orford was different as they believed this change may be for the best and after community discussions established their reserve in their second best fishing grounds. Garibaldi was different. The Cape Falcon marine reserve was the hottest contested marine reserve (that was established, others did not make it). In order for the reserves to be accepted and established a majority of the population had to vote for it, many of the commercial and recreational fishermen believed that the voting had been rigged against them by environmentalists and those “from the valley” (people from inland where the majority of the political power and population are from). That being said, not all fishermen were against the reserve. Most fishermen are environmentalists at heart and care very much for the sea, however being told what to do and limiting their options for income when money is already tight is always hard. After long discussions the reserve was established off of Cape Falcon in 2016. It was the last marine reserve established and done 4 years after Red Fish Rocks.

Oddly enough the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve was not a traditional fishing ground and very rarely did anyone fish there. The fight became more a symbol of people not in the industry telling fishermen what to do rather than an effort to establish a functional reserve.

 

Knowing this, we figured that the BBQ would probably not bring in many people and if we did, we would probably get some heated questions. With out enthusiasm still high we were ready to forward those heated questions onto our superiors! In all seriousness we wanted those heated questions, we wanted fishermen to bring their questions so that we may explain any misconceptions that they may have about the reserve. We were also welcoming the general public and encouraging everyone to come and get involved with the reserves research program. We had just finished our hook and line, scuba and long line surveys in the Spring but we were letting everyone know we were coming back in the Fall.

We set up at the cross roads before the docks and began grilling up. We expected to start seeing people at around 1, an hour after we started at 12. But by 11 we already had 15 people asking about our programs, we hadn’t even started serving food yet! We expected less than 15 and in total we had over 100 people show up with just under half being commercial, recreational and charter fishermen! Conversation about the reserve was flowing faster than the food. We had to make 2 trips to the local store to pick up more hamburgers. We had more sign ups for the reserve e newsletter than any out reach events. The word kept spreading as fast as their interest. They were curious to see how they could get involved and if we had seen any differences yet. I’ve never handed out more Marine Reserve Stickers and swag in my entire life, highlight reel moment for sure. The hardest part was trying to stay neutral and not spread how positively we felt about the reserve (as a government agency we cannot formally promote how we feel about the reserve). But, hey its good practice!

 

It was a huge success and the biggest turn out we had ever had (granted we’ve been here for 2 weeks and only been to 2 events, BUT STILL). In all it was an amazing experience and I’m super stoked to have been a part of it.

Another post about mud and seagrass

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As many of my fellow interns and Hatfield summer inhabitants have heard, I dedicated a majority of this past week to the task of scraping mud off of grass. The scientific version of this activity is “processing seagrass for morphological data and epiphyte biomass.” However, I was essentially scraping mud off of grass.

Seagrasses are a diverse group of vascular flowering marine plants that are more related to terrestrial grass than any of the photosynthetic organisms in the sea. For a quick history of earth’s plants: in the Precambrian time period, the first plant life began in the ocean, by the Silurian period some these organisms had migrated onto land and were evolving as land plants. Fast forward to the Cretaceous period (about 100 million years ago), and some land plants were re-invading the ocean. Today, the ancestors of these invaders are mangroves and seagrasses. Fundamentally, seagrass is a terrestrial grass that no longer lives on land.

Seagrasses are distributed around the world in tropical, temperate, and even sub-polar environments. As primary producers that grow in high density, similar to terrestrial grasses, seagrasses are the foundation species of seagrass habitats. They add oxygen to the water, attenuate wave energy, trap sediment, and act as a nursery for many marine species. Although often outcompeted by other stable environmental states such as coral reefs and kelp forests, seagrasses are present in nearly every coastal region around the world, answering the primary question to the work I have been doing “Why study seagrass?”

Now for the next question “Why scrape mud off of seagrass?” What I was actually doing was scraping the epiphytes (organisms that grow on top of another organism in a non-parasitic manner) off of the seagrass. The epiphytes provide surface area for the mud to stick to, making the blades (and my fingers) very muddy. For clarification, I did also gently rinse the blades to remove any outstanding mud and sediment clumps. Epiphytes are viewed as an indicator of nutrient levels (more epiphytes= more nutrients) as well as provide insight into the state of the ecosystem. Epiphytes are beneficial as they are a food source for primary and secondary consumers, but also pose the disadvantage of competition for nutrients and light to the seagrass.

After scraping off the epiphytes, I would dry the mud/epiphyte concoction to remove the water and obtain mass, and measure the length of width of the seagrass samples. The seagrass that I was processing was from multiple bays in the Pacific Northwest, each with three different treatment environments of: seagrass bed, oyster aquaculture bed, and edge between aquaculture and seagrass beds. The variation (or lack thereof) of epiphyte mass and seagrass size will give us insight into the type and level of impact that oyster aquaculture has on seagrass and the local ecosystem.

This project is one that I am truly excited to be a part of. I am using research to better understand how humans are impacting the environment, am learning first-hand from other ecologists about the local ecology and aquaculture methods, and am realizing my dream of improving the environment through research. Although I joke about doing the stereotypical “intern grunt-work” with grass and mud, this internship has only confirmed my career choice. I would much rather be spending my internship and summer handling grass and mud than sitting in front of a computer all day.

An example of how the seagrass beds look here in Oregon estuaries

 

 

Special thank you to my professors Dr. Fong and Dr. Willette for teaching me about the world of seagrass. All information in this blog post was provided from their lecture material.