Hey everyone!
It has been a few weeks since my last post…classes are in full force and mid-terms were last week. Our “spring break” started last Saturday and for the first part of it I went on a field trip to Orpheus Island with a few of my coral reef ecology classmates. The trip was an absolute blast! We were in the water for at least 5 hours of the day snorkeling around the reef flat and crest. The course aspect of the trip was intense and a lot of hard work. The class had to pick a process with respect to coral (i.e. recruitment, mortality) and then had to design a sampling method to measure the process. Of course the next step was to go out and implement it! My favorite study involved measuring coral recruits (<5cm colonies) along the reef crest with quadrats (see picture below) because each individual group had to design a sampling method and then compare results afterwards to see which design was more precise/efficient.
In other news, I am really enjoying my job as a skate coach at the ice rink and a lot of the kids are interested in playing ice hockey. In order to start a youth program the rink needs to register an adult team in an Australian league. A few of us have been out recruiting and as of now we have about 15 consistent skaters every Saturday, so we are hoping to register a team very soon so we can start up the youth program.
I can’t believe I have already been here 2 months!! The rest of break I plan on catching up on work and hiking/biking around the hills of Townsville. I may take a trip up to Cairns to visit a few friends, but I am also planning on getting my advanced dive certification in October sometime so I might just relax. Well I am off to lunch and then going for a run!
Hope all is well on your side of the world!
Kendall
So you get two Spring Breaks in one year? What a gig.
Great photos too!