NZ Science Conference

I think I have a science hangover!  I've spent the last 2.5 days recovering from an amazing, but intense, science conference.

The New Zealand Marine Science Society (NZMSS) held a join conference with the Oceania Chondrichthyan Society (OCS) in Auckland.  And it was GREAT!  So many talks about climate induced stresses, marine mammals, fisheries, otolith isotope and ring analysis, sharks and rays, and even some genetics too.   I didn't take my camera, which meant one less thing to carry with me between talks.  However, there are a few photos to be found if you search for the #NZMSS2015 tag or check out the NZMSS Facebook page.

The travel was easy - 1 hour flight from Wellington to Auckland.  We even got free wine and cheese on the return trip (NZ wine and NZ cheese are phenomenal, so this is a big win!). So that's not why I need to recover.  And, to be honest, I probably wouldn't be so worn out if I had taken less advantage of the free evening booze!  But - that's what makes conferences so fun; the inebriated networking!

The science hangover comes from the constant input of interesting science at a very intense pace.  While we had plenty of coffee/tea breaks with delicious snacks and lunches, the line up of 15 minute talks for 2 hours was pretty gruelling.  The upshot was, there was three rooms of talks to choose from, which meant that you had a chance to get up and move between speakers.  Which does a lot to wake you up.

I didn't present a talk, but a a lot of my fellow students did.  They were amazing!  Two of them won prizes for best talks!!!  I didn't win the poster award :(  But there was some strong competition.

The highlight of the conference for me was seeing my name in the references (and as a photo credit) on one of DoC's posters!  My habitat classification scheme is officially out there!  Judging from the number of talks that focused on habitat classification and mapping, the sooner we finalize and publish the scheme for use the better!  We have plans to polish up the classification (based on input from recent use) and send it out to institutions for comment.  I'm so lucky and stoked to be part of the process!!

Despite my best intentions to hit the ground running on my return, this blog is my first effort at productivity since I've returned.  I've been binging on movies and catching up on my online comics! Tomorrow, though, it's back to the grind with PCR's and DNA extractions.  Until then....I might have to go rent another movie to get me through the day.

NZMSS Conference Poster

I'm participating in my first conference next month!!

The annual New Zealand Marine Science  Society conference is happening just over a week from now.  It's being hosted by the University of Auckland on July 7-9.  I'm excited to be attending with a strong group from my university (Victoria University of Wellington) and it's associated marine lab VUCEL (Victoria University Coastal Ecology Lab).

Since I only started my master's thesis 2 weeks ago, I don' have any data with which to present a seminar talk.  However, my supervisor has agreed to pay all conference costs if I present an aims and methods poster!  This is basically a poster that explains what my project is and what I may find.

Here is my "final" version (subject to editorial changes based on upcoming feedback).

  The poster will hang up throughout the whole conference.  However, there will be a short period (only 30 minutes I think) where I stand next to my poster to "present" my study or to answer questions.

I'm pretty excited!!! I feel like an actual scientist!!!!

Habitat starting

Hi!  It's been a while.  Looking back it appears I couldn't be bothered updating the world with the end of my two week adventure in Australia.

Ah well, I shared my stories with friends and family in person (or at least over skype).

I'm writing this now in an effort to start a new habit.  I think that habit will be using one morning a week to write something here.  I'd like to start focusing on science stuff - try to share interesting stories as I work on my master's degree, or explain concepts in science.  Apparently scientists blogging/tweeting/facebooking is both uncommon and trendy.

Before I start on any other posts, though, I should probably introduce my interest of study.

Whelks!  Particularly, New Zealand's spotted whelk, Cominella maculosa.

What are whelks?  Whelks are basically a type of marine snails.  Only, they have a cooler shell.  Rather than a rounded shell (of which I have no pictures easily accessible), they have an elongated pointed shell (these images are NOT my whelks.  These are Australian whelks of unknown species.)
                                                 

I've got some of my whelks in my freezer at the moment.  I collected them in Waihi Beach during the NZ Molecular Ecology conference last weekend.  However, I'd rather go out on a fine day and take photographs of living specimen for you.

So, I guess I have my goal for next weeks post: I'll properly introduce you to the NZ spotted whelk and why I'm interested in it.  See ya then!

Busy Busy Field course

My good intentions of keeping up with a daily journal/blog of my field course exploits went out the window after that first post.  The days have been SO full of learning, site seeing, and socialization that I'm too exhausted to even spend time on my computer let alone typing on it.

It's hard to believe that our time on North Stradbroke Island in Moreton Bay is up!  It feels like we just got here.  However, our ferry leaves at 10am tomorrow morning.  We're off for a night in a backpackers in Brisbane, then a LONG bus ride to Gladstone, and then another backpacker's accommodation.  We'll finally arrive on Heron Island the following afternoon.  But don't worry, we still have at least one daily lecture scheduled to keep our brains from going to idle ;)

We've had an amazing time here on the island.  I've had a bit of camera envy as several of the students have small cameras that take good pictures both on land and in the sea...with no need for a waterproof case.  My little camera and waterproof case is a bit to old school to give me very good pictures.  Though, I'm not convinced its not entirely operator error on the settings..... I'll try again on my next snorkel.

The highlights of this trip have been (in no particular order)

1. March of the soldier crabs.  This was our first field exercise to survey seagrass beds.  I left my good camera at home (thinking I might slip into the water....totally unnecessary worry) and my little camera was having a fit and wouldn't turn on (turns out it couldn't handle the larger memory card).  So...I don't have any photos :(  But it was an amazing vision watching a thousands small crabs walking in ranks across the mudflat.  Amazingly you could even hear them walking!  They sounded like rain drops on the mud.

2. Watching a colony of bats fly overhead.  Again, no good photos since the light is quite low.  There are a LOT of flying foxes (aka fruit bats) on the island near the research station.  They are MASSIVE and so cool to see.

3.  Swimming in the warm ocean.  We had a great time keeping our footing in the heavy waves off Lookout point.  Fortunately, the life guard hadn't packed up yet, as it wouldn't have been a terribly safe place without someone keeping watch.  There was a strong undertow and a rip tide just past the waves.  While I did end up farther out then I meant to and I did get rolled quite a few times, there was no need for the lifeguard to come in after me or anyone else.  I was very pleased to leave the ocean a bit more tired but with both pieces of my bikini still in place (though there was a close call or two!).

4.  Getting a full dose of Aussie wildlife.  The wildlife has really been good to us on this trip.  We were able to spot a good many dugongs surfacing during our boat excursion and we had humpbacks swim buy off shore just after we'd all finished playing in the ocean.  Kangaroos were consistently present at the clifftop walk at Lookout Point and one of our group found a koala this morning in a tree near the station.

5.  Science.  It's been great fun doing science surveys that aren't being graded and aren't being written up in a report.  We just get out and look at the ecosystems that we've been introduced too during an earlier lecture.

I'm sorry to say, I don't have time/energy to add pictures to this entry tonight.  Hopefully at a later date.  I know it's only 9:30, but breakfast is at 6:30 tomorrow!  And I've been absolutely knackered after some pretty poor nights sleep (bloody birds that start screaming at 2 and 4 am!).

Moreton Bay

Today has been a GREAT day!! 

The morning itself was quite uneventful, however the afternoon and evening have been very fun.

The day started off bloody early with tossing and turning from 1am and finally getting up at 2:30.  I woke Dave at 3 and he was kind enough to drive me to the airport before heading back  home for (I hope) another hour or two of sleep. (Thanks honey!!!).

My fellow biology 529 (Tropical Marine Conservation Practice through Victoria University of Wellington) peers trickled into the airport slowly, all of us bleary eyed from the early morning.  We were given our course notebooks by the professor, checked in, sat around, went through passport security, sat around, and then finally boarded a plane for Brisbane.  

The flight was uneventful and was operated by Virgin Australia.  Fortunately, our flights were booked through Air New Zealand; so our hot (gross) breakfasts were free as were the in-flight wireless tablets that they use for entertainment.  While I slept through the distribution of the tablet entertainments, you can be sure that I didn’t pass up the free food before returning back to crazy airplane dream time.

Edible berry

We arrived in Brisbane in low clouds and mist, so there was no Great Barrier Reef feel to the place.  The water was dark though brown patches of shore could be seen.  The initial view of what seemed like endless mangroves was quickly marred by the appearance of two large pits and cleared flats of holding ponds.  Mining I assume.  The airport also occupied a large area of previous mangrove forest.  However, there certainly did seem to be plenty of green mangroves tops to be seen.

Pelicans

There was a lot of standing around while we waited for our professor and his assistant to collect our rental vans.  This worked to our advantage, as most everyone was able to make it through the long coffee line to get a much needed caffeine fix.  A short van ride later and we had made our way through the Australian suburbia of houses, shopping malls, and gum trees to the ferry departure point of Cleveland.  

The warm, moist Australian air was lovely after the cold New Zealand winter and the colder air conditioning of the van.  We were treated to a good view of mangroves, pelicans, and shags as we wandered the top deck of the ferry.  We found shelter below, however, as we caught up to the rain. 

Biol 529 crew on ferry

We departed the ferry at Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island and drove to the base that will be our home for the next 5 nights: Moreton Bay Research Station.  It’s a station maintained by the University of Queensland that is made available for researchers and school groups both nationally and internationally.  We well have catered breakfast, lunch, and dinners and share small dorm rooms containing 2 bunk beds.  Between every 2 rooms is a shared shower/toilet. 

Cultural midden (ancient rubbish site)

Ibis in the lawn before it wanders down the center of the street

There are several lab/lecture rooms available at the station.  While we’ll be busy getting our hands and feet wet in the field, we will also be spending several hours a day in lectures learning about the ecosystems we will be studying. 

The highlight of the day comes from two things.

First: the people on this trip are great.  I knew they would be; I mean we’re all here for the purpose of higher education and marine conservation.  But I was really worried that not knowing anybody would be super awkward.  However, it’s been so easy.  There are 5 girls and 8 guys among the students.  I was fortunate that my dive partner from my Wellington dive last weekend knew a girl coming on this trip.  We clicked immediately over our mutual acquaintance.  However, the whole group was bonded over our shared early morning pain.  Separating into smaller groups of two vans from Brisbane helped everyone get to know each other even better.  It’s been a TON of laughs.

Throwing boomerangs

A boomerang waiting to be made (the natural shape is
in the crotch of the tree)

The second highlight of the day, and the point where I felt truly happy and blessed to be here, was walking the foreshore with a cultural guide.  North Stradbroke is home to an aboriginal tribe and we spent several hours with a very knowledgeable and personable descendant.    He told us the tribe’s history, showed us many edible/medicinal/useable plants, and talked to us about how they tracked the running of the fish.  It was just so peaceful and relaxing walking along the park and beach as rosellas flocked in the gum trees (eucalyptus).  Ibis wandered into the middle of the street and galahs perched on phone lines.  Gigantic black crows the size of Alaskan ravens stalked the trees.

Our guide took out a collection of boomerangs and we had a right good laugh having a couple of goes at throwing them (I did POORLY!).  Our guide then took us to his house where he showed us a collection of various boomerang and hunting spear types as well as a myriad of many other tools of everyday tribal life.  He gave us an amazing didgeridoo performance (mimicking the laugh of the kookaburra splendidly), taught us how to make (and transport) fire, and then painted the faces of two students with the traditional stingray pattern used by him and his daughters when they perform dances.   

Rosellas in a tree

Rosellas in the sky

We ended our day back in the lecture theatre learning about the multitude of organisms that could kill, maim, poison, or just plain hurt us while we’re in the water.  While it is a bit of a scary list (cone shells, blue ring octopus, stonefish, blue bottle jellies, sharks, festering cuts from coral scrapes, etc, etc), most of the organisms are rare or can be avoided by shuffling your feet in the water and paying attention....and not harassing the animals!  The guideline is, if you don’t know what it is, don’t touch it.  But really – why would you need to touch it even if you know what it is?

I’m off to bed now.  It’s now 11pm and it certainly feels like it’s been a long day.  We’re up for breakfast at 7:30 tomorrow, followed by a lecture at 8 on sea grass.  We should be out exploring actual sea grass beds by 9!  While it’s highly unlikely, it’s thoroughly possible we might see dungongs!!! (think manatee relative). 

Rata Street Loop Trail

I was supposed to go into town today (aka Wellington City).  Of course, I was supposed to go into town yesterday as well, but today I actually made it to the train station.  I had just sat down when I decided to confirm the location of my train pass.  It's a 10 trip pass I purchased last week on my way home fom Wellington.  It cost about $50 and has been used once.

Imagine my surprise, disappointment, and self anger when I realized the small, ticket-sized, piece of paper was not in my cell phone pocket!  My options were to take the train anyway and discover what the "off peak" fare was, but that would be silly.  What if my pass was just down the stairs in the tunnel from the last time I looked at my phone (to find that it had taken me just 10 minutes to get to the station from my house). 

So, I popped up and headed back the way I came.  I probably looked kind of funny to the two guys that were waiting when I had arrived.  I passed on man on my way down the tunnel....did he have the ecstatic look of someone that had just found 9 free trips?  Nope.  Maybe he was just one of those hard to read guys, because my ticket was not on the ground.

Fortunately, the only other place I had taken my phone out,  hence the only other time the pass would have come with it, was outside my front door (so I could time my walk).  I headed back through the semi-busy shopping center of little Naenae with relief that I knew I wasn't chasing a pass down the breezy sidewalks.  I comforted myself with saying that someone else will probably be grateful for such an amazing find and maybe I don't really need to go into town anyway.  Afterall, I was only go to do some Christmas shopping/brainstorming and to hit the Uni gym.  Maybe I could check out the nearby trail I had just read about yesterday.  That would be as good as a gym session, if it was a good walk.

Imagine my happiness and relief when I got home and discovered a bright white spot in the lawn outside our house! Whew, that's some money saved for another day!  Now....about that walk....

Rata Street Loop trailhead (lower end)

I moved my packed lunch from my uni/gym bag to a smaller backpack, finished the tea in my travel mug, and then headed out the door.  I walked straight down my street, Rata Street, in a direction I'd never explored - away from the shops/station/supemarket.  15 minutes later, I was passing houses on the edges of foothills and looking at the "Rata Street Loop" trailhead.  Who knew nature was actually closer to my new suburbia than I'd thought!

I bought a uni gym membership last week.  I don't think that the Rata street loop would be a viable constant

option for the trail running I started when I moved to Wellington, but it will certainly do for a good dose of exercise when I can't make it all the way to the university just to hit the treadmill.  It was a great trail that undulates across several small streams and through native and pine trees.  It goes quite uphill for a bit, but this allows for great views over Naenae and Lower Hutt.

Looking over Lower Hutt / Naenae from ECNZ (firebreak) ridge trail

I took a spur trail up to the ECNZ ridge track (basically a big fire break road).  It was worth the side trip just to get the lungs working so hard! Straight up is the only way you can reach a ridgeline, isn't it.  I had an even better view from the ridge track - bits of the harbour were even visible.   I heard a tui or two at one location and spotted a tomtit on my way up. 

Looking from the other side of the ridge trail.....the reason a fire break is necessary

I followed the ridgeline for a fair ways (half hour maybe?) until I came to another spur track.  This track gave me an even better view down the valley to the harbour, but I could tell I was fair way from seeing any bits of the South Island, as mentioned in the website I'd read.  The ridgeline track looked to go on forever.

From the spur track looking to Wellington harbour

So, I turned around. I was content with the view I'd found and the exporing I'd done.  I found a shady pile of pine needles from which to watch the few small birds under the trees, considered how many squirrels I'd be watching if I were in the USA, and ate my sandwich.  I then headed back the way I came.  The walk home was pretty uneventful.: all down hill (my knees hating me for half off it), followed by a wide gravel road access to finish off the loop. 

Pine needles on the forest floor near a little stream
brings back memories from my field seasons in the Idaho Mountains

This little track is far different to the kaka, tui, and kakariki (parakeet) filled trail at Karori, but it's a little piece of nature close to my new home.  Plus, on a warm dry day like today, the smell of pine needles in the air take me back to Idaho mountains and connects me to my original home.

Who doesn't like a trail covered in exotic flowers?

close up of exotic flower

Not so exotic flowers
Gorse and foxglove

I haven't done a timed photo in AGES!

Dead Hedgehog.....because I can't break my tradition
of photographing dead things....and I wouldn't want to not share!

I love trails!

My Karori Flat