How can I describe this summer?
beautiful
long
hot
buggy
educational
outdoorsy
pinchey
relaxing
ultimate
delicious
adventurous
silly
mysterious
star-filled
constellations
challenging
surprising
wonderful
incredible
summer.
The final week of rusty crayfish work was a whirlwind of activities, from conducting my own experiment (with the much needed and appreciated help from Lindsey, Dr. Lodge, Ricky, and Jennifer) to creating a poster in preparation for the undergraduate research symposium on campus in South Bend. Very intense. But the summer came to a happy close (well, started out a bit stressful when our trailer broke) with a beautiful final Lodge Lab camping trip at Ottawa. We enjoyed Ashley's cooking, were champions of finding firewood after a rain, and all utilized our Navy Seal skills when we went swimming in the lake after hours. What an incredible night.
And what a cyclic summer! On May 30, when Bradley and I had first arrived, we had gone out to a beautiful small island on Big Lake for our first rusty crayfish collecting experience. I was clumsy, unaware of how crayfish swim (backwards) and naively afraid of their chelae pincers. But my final day out in the field with Lindsey, we went for one last collection of rusties for her parasite-project. I still can't catch all of them, but now I tend to think like a rusty while snorkeling. Oh, there's a big log here? Better see who's hiding! Oh, you think you're a big crayfish on campus and are walking over the rocks? Better scoot my net right on behind you.
Ok, now I sound crazy. But I'm not crazy! It's just been a really lovely summer snorkeling and hanging out in nature. I've said it multiple times, but I really couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my summer. Lounging in the company of good people, learning about birds and amphibians and fish (and bacon), while exploring science? Incredible.
So here's to the end of summer! Raising a glass (or a 1928 sugar cone) to everyone at UNDERC and all of the times we shared this summer. Pls keep in touch! My email is heyyjune@gmail.com :> :> :>>
beautiful
long
hot
buggy
educational
outdoorsy
pinchey
relaxing
ultimate
delicious
adventurous
silly
mysterious
star-filled
constellations
challenging
surprising
wonderful
incredible
summer.
The final week of rusty crayfish work was a whirlwind of activities, from conducting my own experiment (with the much needed and appreciated help from Lindsey, Dr. Lodge, Ricky, and Jennifer) to creating a poster in preparation for the undergraduate research symposium on campus in South Bend. Very intense. But the summer came to a happy close (well, started out a bit stressful when our trailer broke) with a beautiful final Lodge Lab camping trip at Ottawa. We enjoyed Ashley's cooking, were champions of finding firewood after a rain, and all utilized our Navy Seal skills when we went swimming in the lake after hours. What an incredible night.
And what a cyclic summer! On May 30, when Bradley and I had first arrived, we had gone out to a beautiful small island on Big Lake for our first rusty crayfish collecting experience. I was clumsy, unaware of how crayfish swim (backwards) and naively afraid of their chelae pincers. But my final day out in the field with Lindsey, we went for one last collection of rusties for her parasite-project. I still can't catch all of them, but now I tend to think like a rusty while snorkeling. Oh, there's a big log here? Better see who's hiding! Oh, you think you're a big crayfish on campus and are walking over the rocks? Better scoot my net right on behind you.
Ok, now I sound crazy. But I'm not crazy! It's just been a really lovely summer snorkeling and hanging out in nature. I've said it multiple times, but I really couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my summer. Lounging in the company of good people, learning about birds and amphibians and fish (and bacon), while exploring science? Incredible.
So here's to the end of summer! Raising a glass (or a 1928 sugar cone) to everyone at UNDERC and all of the times we shared this summer. Pls keep in touch! My email is heyyjune@gmail.com :> :> :>>
Hey this is a really informative poster. I read it all. I have a question, when you say invasive and native crayfish were stationary in presence of predator means that they were not moving at all even when they realize predator is approaching to them?If yes, why is that? any explanation or observation for that kind of behavior? I mean I would run away if somebody try to kill me but they do exactly opposite.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Swapnil!
ReplyDeleteYes, "stationary" means that they were not walking/swimming around. This means that they may have been standing still in the corner, or behind the PVC shelter, or something like that.
But if someone was trying to kill me, and there wasn't an obviously huge shelter to hide behind, I might try to stay still and not move. Because movement is what frequently gives you away. ;)
I think the crayfish didn't always realize that the shelter was a shelter and thought that it was just another obstacle to go over (many times, the crayfish would walk the perimeter of the tank when in the presence of a predator) instead of entering it.
Make sense. Got it. Its like if you see a bear then there is no point running away because no matter how fast you run, bear gonna get you at some point. It better to stay standstill. These crayfishes are smart creatures :)
ReplyDelete