![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm3.staticflickr.com\/2894\/9345965089_be2479f320.jpg\" "\\"Pulling")
<\/a>Pulling otoliths from the trawl catch<\/p><\/div>\n
Pulling otoliths, in my opinion, is an art form. If you don\u2019t cut into the right place or know the right place to look you may never find them. However, Dean\u2019s technical lesson of otolith pulling had me removing them like a pro in no time. The majority of the fish that we pulled otoliths from were flatfish. In order to pull an otolith from a flatfish you must first cut along the operculum (gill flap). This is where the art comes into play; you just have to know exactly where on the operculum to cut by doing it yourself and seeing what works, verbal instructions will only get you so far. Eventually, with practice, you just know where to cut into.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve cut into the head you must find and remove the otoliths. Typically they sit on the right side of the cut (if you do it correctly). They are very small and in a fluid-filled pouch but once I had practiced on a few fish I could pull them blindly without even needing to see them. We put all the otoliths into individual slots in trays and assigned a number to them so we could age the fish later on.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7287\/9348646242_9f1f1bb99a.jpg\" "\\"Rockfish")
<\/a>Rockfish Otoliths (ear bones)<\/p><\/div>\n
As it being week five, it was time for all the Sea Grant Summer Scholars to attend our mid-summer check-in. Catherine, a fellow scholar, and I drove up to Corvallis on Thursday evening. It was awesome to ride with her as the scholars are pretty spread out through Oregon and we don\u2019t get to interact much with each other.<\/p>\n
Friday was the mid-summer check-in. We started off the morning with a presentation about outreach, which was definitely an eye-opener. Our speaker, Shawn, spoke with us on the public\u2019s perceptions of scientists and how the public uses those perceptions to draw conclusions and form ideas and opinions. We also did an activity that helped us to understand how to guide others to conclusions about scientific material so that the information is absorbed.<\/p>\n
It was great to finally spend time with my fellow summer scholars. Sunday, before we all parted ways, a few of us grabbed tubes and floated the Willamette. I had never floated a river before and it was such a relaxing experience (though the water was a little chilly!). The backdrop of the mountains as we floated down the Willamette was simply gorgeous; I couldn\u2019t have dreamed up more beautiful scenery myself!<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7438\/9348646602_d4635139ba.jpg\" "\\"DaVinci")
<\/a>Presenting my work in Coos Bay to the public during OSU’s DaVinci Days.<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7360\/9348646370_ff5729a704.jpg\" "\\"Oregon")
<\/a>Picture Perfect!<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Sea](\"http:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5542\/9345858959_edacf949f9.jpg\" "\\"Summer")
<\/a>Spending time with my fellow scholars!<\/p><\/div>\n
I was gone for a four day weekend and what do I come back to find on my desk waiting for me? Dead fish to be identified, a bag of shells, and a crab molt. Most people come back to desks piled with paperwork; I come back to dead animals. Life of a biologist, everyone! I wouldn\u2019t trade it for anything.<\/p>\n
This week I will be heading to Astoria with Steven Rumrill to do razor clam surveys and I am beyond thrilled! Until next time!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Where has the time gone? Week five is completed, which means I\u2019m halfway through my internship. This week was especially exceptional. Scott and I have continued our red rock crab surveys with much more success in capturing red rocks than … Continue reading