Surveys and worm poop

So the last couple of days have been out of control busy. I left off with talking about Tonya's experiment. The next day we started by learning how to do surveys with Peggy.  Basically a survey includes laying a transect line on the bottom/benthos and randomly picking numbers along the transect (most common is to pick numbers out of a hat beforehand) and putting a quadrat on the selected meter. Our quadrats have subsections made by stringing fishing line through the PVC frame (1m by 1m).  There are a total of 81 cross sections and below each cross section we are to record the type of benthic material in a chart i.e. sediment, macroalgae, cyanobacteria, coral, etc.  It basically is a long tedious process. Especially when you have to do it ten times! Casey was my dive buddy; we took surveys at 3m in Gump reef.  At like 11:30am we had two more to complete. Peggy came up to us and asked if we wanted to "quit" and I bet you can guess what went through my mind...heck no!  So we finished our last two quadrats and ran to lunch pretty much. After lunch, my group was handed over to Dr. Jacobs who was unanimoulsy renamed as DJ Invert (he is the one giving us our invert test).  So DJ Invert took us out of Cook's Bay to this slope thing to take pictures of acorn worm poop. Basically by looking at the disappearance rate of acorn worm poop piles, we can determine the carbonate flux based on water flow....I think.  Once we got on location, it was time for scuba. I went with DJ Invert and Casey to measure the water flow on the slope.  Put a meter stick on the benthos and timed how long it took for a yellow dye to move from one end to the other.  We did this too many times to count.  Then we went with the other divers and took pictures of previously recorded poop piles to document the decrease in size.  After this task was finished (about an hour), I was done for the day because it was the other groups turn to take part.  So me and this guy Alex started jumping off the top of the boat into the turquoise waters :) After awhile, I just stationed myself on top of the boat.  Combination of sunbathing, observing my peers working around me, and taking in the awesome panoramic view.  It was heaven.  I didnt come down until we docked the boat back at the Gump station.  After we cleaned up and such it was dinner time.  Then came hard core study mode.  The invert test was the next day and I desperately needed to review and learn.  We started at the water table, looking at the live specimens that had been collected and then moved into the lab to learn phylogeny of like a bajillion invertebrates.  I basically fell asleep on Nick, flashcards in hand.