Oceana Powers-Schmitz, Brookings-Harbor High School student, TOPAZ/JASPER GEMM Lab Project, MMI Oregon State University
Hi, I’m Oceana Powers-Schmitz and while I am not quite an expert in marine mammal ecology (yet!), I am quite the expert in bringing the team together through a clever game and a heartfelt laugh. One game I turned the team onto this summer during a team dinner was “So, I hear you’re an expert in ______.” Essentially, someone in your group provides you with a niche topic and someone else will have to then go on a spiel about it for at least a minute. One of the best ones I heard so far was when we were driving back from getting Langlois Market hot dogs (don’t knock it, till you’ve tried it). I tasked Eden with “So, I hear you’re an expert in the price of tea in China”. The most fun part of this game is how you have to think on your feet when the pressure is on. This skill is helpful during this internship because I have had to troubleshoot a lot in the field. One example of this was when the team had to rethink the mechanics of our zooplankton net because it was not collecting efficiently. We solved this problem by taking a trip to Gold Beach Lumber and attaching a washer to the bottle to weigh it down, allowing for more space to catch zooplankton within the bottle.
Fig 1: Zooplankton net (Left) with fishing weights in the bottle. Zooplankton net (Right) after removing weights and adding washer.
Although I’m definitely the best at this game, the team has shown some promise at getting better as we spend more and more time together. At the start of the internship, I watched the team make our share of mess ups (fortunately during training week!) such as not turning on equipment or losing the spare zooplankton net overboard. As the internship has progressed, it has been amusing to experience us getting a handle on all the new methods and protocols that come with the TOPAZ/JASPER project. For example, in the beginning, one of the most challenging methods to execute in the field is setting up the Theodolite on an unlevel cliff side. But now Celest and I have a competition to see who can set up and level the Theodolite the fastest. (If you ask her, we’re tied— but I’m obviously winning.)
Fig 2: Celest (right) and me (left) after I assembled the theodolite. (Celest thinks she’s winning.)
Afternoons in the lab are an enjoyable part of the day (for me at least) because it is a chance to relax after an eventful, physically demanding (and hopefully whale-filled) morning. After we break for lunch, I head to the kitchen to make my go-to: 4 slices of Oven-roasted Turkey, a slab of butter, pinch of pepper and salt (can’t be stingy with the salt) on two toasted slices of Buttermilk bread. Pro tip: food is best digested with a book; I’m on my third one.
Fig 3: The best post-field day lunch combo 🙂
The afternoon is also a chance to become closer as a team. From watching the GoPro bloopers to trying desperately to get Google Earth to work in order to check if we were “on station,” these afternoons are always fun. While this statement might be a hot take, I’ve really gravitated to data processing over zooplankton ID. For this project, data processing consists of inputting RBR data, visibility metrics, and going through each station’s GoPro footage into an excel sheet. This process is an important part of the long-term study of our Port Orford field site because researchers will be able to access and use this information. Using what we have collected, future studies may draw new conclusions or make important findings that can be published and add to our knowledge of the ecology of the local gray whales.
Though I am not yet an expert in the field, this internship has solidified the idea that I could become one in marine science. I’m glad for the hands-on experience this internship has provided and through this I feel confident in the fact that I would enjoy this career path. Over the next couple weeks, I can’t wait to introduce the team to more entertaining games to keep us on our toes while we wait for whales. I’m excited for each of us to return home saying “I’m an expert at GEMM Lab’s TOPAZ/JASPER Gray Whale Project.”
Fig 4: Locked in, listening to my favorite podcast, looking through RBR data.
*P.S. Here’s a great podcast to listen to when processing data, you can thank me later 🙂
