By Yangjum Sherpa My name is Yangjum Sherpa and I am a third year student at SRJC. My major is Biology and I am interested in the field of Neuroscience. It is difficult to find an internship however, I was very lucky to intern at UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab (BML). I was mentored by Ashley Smart, who is currently a PHD student. It was a wonderful experience to learn science with a friendly and down to earth mentor at a marine laboratory surrounded by breathtaking ocean view. After taking Bio 2.2 (Animal Biology) class, I was fascinated by different behaviors of animals based on their surroundings. When my professor announced the internship opportunity, I did not hesitate to apply. Reflecting back, I am glad I applied. Ashley’s research is focused on Aplysia, cute sea slugs which can grow as large as 6.8 kg. The experiment was about how the ocean acidification is affecting the Aplysia’s response to different stimuli, for example food or other chemicals. Before the actual experiment, Ashley provided literature papers that covered knowledge about Aplysia and also about ocean acidification (OA). I also performed ethology and collected data on their behavior. I observed the Aplysia for over two hours and I should say that watching these creatures was one of the most pleasurable feelings (like an ASMR). Afterwards, I assisted Ashley with the experiment and learned about how an experiment is designed and processed. We had a total of twelve Aplysia, which were divided into six so that the experiment can be repeated twice and were exposed to ambient and OA habitat. Aplysia are known to be a fascinating research animal as they have evolved unique chemical defenses against predators. Food, Ink and Seawater were used as a form of stimuli and their behavior towards these stimuli were recorded for future behavior analysis. Since I am also interested in Neuroscience, it was very interesting to know that these creatures were used as models to learn about memory and learning because of their simple nervous system. Fun fact that the study of Aplysia for understanding how an organism’s neural behavior functions has led to the 2000 Nobel prize in medicine being co-awarded to Eric Kendel. Overall, one of the biggest learning experiences from my summer at BML was understanding about what a PHD degree meant as through these experiments, I was also shadowing my mentor. It gave me a good idea about what pursuing a PHD degree meant. I am very glad that I got this opportunity because I have learned many skills that will help me in my future endeavors. Lastly, I would like to thank my mentor and other BML representative who helped make this internship possible. Yangjum Sherpa is a student at Santa Rosa Junior College. She was a SRJC-BML Intern in the Summer of 2019. She was mentored by Ashley Smart.
0 Comments
By Blake Nogleberg Blake searching through the salt marsh in Bodega Bay for the lined shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes). PC: Jan Walker My name is Blake Nogleberg and I am a fourth year SRJC student looking to pursue a career in the marine sciences. I worked alongside Graduate Student Jan Walker this summer.
As a kid I grew up only a short drive away from the Bodega Marine Lab (BML), and I was always intensely interested in what kind of work went on in this facility. So when the opportunity arose this summer to intern here, I did not hesitate to apply. My time at BML has been an amazing experience. I was able to work with and learn from some extremely talented scientists, help maintain field experiments in the salt marshes of Bolinas Lagoon, Tomales Bay, and Bodega Bay, as well as help conduct several laboratory experiments at BML. My mentor was Jan Walker, a PhD student from the Grosholz lab, and we examined the impact of the lined shore crab (Pachygrapsus crassipes) on the salt marsh plant community. Understanding the role of crabs in determining plant community composition is important when considering management strategies of foundational marsh species, such as cordgrass. Cordgrass has been targeted for management and restoration due to its amplitude of ecosystem services, such as sediment accretion, flood attenuation, and habitat for endangered species. We hypothesize that these crabs could impact the plant community by consuming dominant salt marsh plants (cordgrass and pickleweed), and by creating burrows in the marsh sediment, thereby changing sediment properties crucial for plant health (salinity, oxygen concentrations, etc.). Crabs may play a critical role in meditating stress for plants and, by understanding their role, we can better inform and bolster management and restoration in our northern California wetlands. The field work portion was quite enjoyable. I spent most of the time chasing our crab friends and attempting to catch them without being pinched, their feisty attitude continually surprising me. There was a learning curve when it came to walking through the salt marsh, however I became proficient in navigating the spongy, quick sand-like landscape without swamping my boots or falling too many times. We woke up before the sun to catch the low tide, and we worked efficiently to collect data (and crabs) to make it back out of the marsh before high tide. The lab work we did was interesting and engaging. I helped Jan setup two different feeding experiments to determine exactly what plants, and what part of the plant (roots or leaves), the crabs preferred. This portion of the internship allowed me to ask countless questions about our experiment, and the setup and execution of lab experiments in general. Additionally, I was able to get professional advice on how to navigate the unfamiliar territory of academia. It was infinitely valuable to be a part of Jan’s work, and the skills and knowledge I acquired over the summer have set me up to succeed in the next stages of academic life. I hope to use my experience here to further pursue a career in marine science.
As such, the BMR Team and I met frequently, evaluating the state of the reserve and adjusting priorities. For example, after one land survey, we found a choke point where Velvet Grass was likely to spread rapidly into an area of pristine native coastal prairie. We were able to adapt our plans to focus on that area, hand pulling several of the most dangerous plants and spreading mulch to create a barrier beyond which the Velvet Grass will not spread. Another amazing opportunity I experienced was a nature hike through the saltwater marsh, led by former BMR director Peter. He showed a group of us almost every single plant, native or otherwise, that lives in the saltwater marsh along Bodega Bay. He has been leading these nature hikes for several years, and he and the BMR crew are able to talk about fluctuations in plant populations. There were several native plant populations that have rebounded surprisingly well - in one case, a plant population had increased from less than 10 individuals the previous year to well over 100 individuals at the time of our hike. Peter was able to show me the anatomical markers botanists utilize most often to identify and distinguish different plant species, which I was able to use directly in the field during surveys. My observations in the saltwater marsh helped me to think about the reserve as several smaller ecosystems, interconnected with complex relationships. The SRJC-BML mentorship/internship program is valuable to anyone who is interested in life sciences, land management, or the sciences in general. It provides networking opportunities, career path guidance, and a very valuable perspective into the professional and academic sciences that is hard to acquire in a classroom, especially at a non-research-based community college. The people I met were unique and amazing individuals who showed a real interest in me, and the experiences I had, I will cherish forever. Few people are privileged with an opportunity to immerse themselves in a career before starting it, and this internship provided that for me. Tyler Shatto is a student at Santa Rosa Junior College. He was mentored this summer by Luis Morales and Suzanne Olyarnik.
|
AuthorsBML-SRJC Interns! Archives
April 2024
Categories |