{"id":4146,"date":"2021-07-12T12:08:59","date_gmt":"2021-07-12T19:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/gemmlab\/?p=4146"},"modified":"2021-07-12T12:09:04","modified_gmt":"2021-07-12T19:09:04","slug":"taking-a-breather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/gemmlab\/2021\/07\/12\/taking-a-breather\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking a breather"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Allison Dawn, new GEMM Lab Master\u2019s student, OSU Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While standing at the Stone Shelter at the Saint Perpetua Overlook in 2016, I took in the beauty of one of the many scenic gems along the Pacific Coast Highway. Despite being an East Coast native, I felt an unmistakable draw to Oregon. Everything I saw during that morning\u2019s hike, from the misty fog that enshrouded evergreens and the ocean with mystery, to the giant banana slugs, felt at once foreign and a place I could call home. Out of all the places I visited along that Pacific Coast road trip, Oregon left the biggest impression on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 1. View from the Stone Shelter at the Cape Perpetua Overlook, Yachats, OR. June 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

For my undergraduate thesis, which I recently defended in May 2021, I researched blue whale surface interval behavior. Surface interval events for oxygen replenishment and rest are a vital part of baleen whale feeding ecology, as it provides a recovery period before they perform their next foraging dive (Hazen et al., 2015; Roos et al., 2016). Despite spending so much time studying the importance of resting periods for mammals, that 2016 road trip was my last true extended resting period\/vacation until, several years later in 2021, I took another road trip. This time it was across the country to move to the place that had enraptured me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that I am settled in Corvallis, I have reflected on my journey to grad school and my recent road trip; both prepared me for a challenging and exciting new chapter as an incoming MSc student within the Marine Mammal Institute (MMI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1: Journey to Grad School<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I took that photo at the Cape Perpetua Overlook in 2016, I had just finished the first two semesters of my undergraduate degree at UNC Chapel Hill. As a first-generation, non-traditional student those were intense semesters as I made the transition from a working professional to full-time undergrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of my freshman year I was debating exactly what to declare as my major, when one of my marine science TA\u2019s, Colleen, (who is now Dr. Bove<\/a>!), advised that I \u201ccollect experiences, not degrees.\u201d I wrote this advice down in my day planner and have never forgotten it. Of course, obtaining a degree is important, but it is the experiences you have that help lead you in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That advice was one of the many reasons I decided to participate in the Morehead City Field Site program, where UNC undergraduates spend a semester at the coast, living on the Duke Marine Lab\u2019s campus in Beaufort, NC. During that semester, students take classes to fulfill a marine science minor while participating in hands-on research, including an honors thesis project. The experience of designing, carrying out, and defending my own project affirmed that graduate school in the marine sciences was right for me. As I move into my first graduate TA position this fall, I hope to pay forward that encouragement to other undergraduates who are making decisions about their own future path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 2. Final slide from my honors thesis defense. UNC undergraduates, and now fellow alumni, who participated in the Morehead City Field Site program in Fall 2018.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Part 2: Taking a Breather<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like the GEMM Lab\u2019s other new master\u2019s student Miranda<\/a>, my road trip covered approximately 2,900 miles. I was solo for much of the drive, which meant there was no one to argue when I decided to binge listen to podcasts. My new favorite is How To Save A Planet<\/a>, hosted by marine biologist Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Alex Blumberg. At the end of each episode they provide a call to action & resources for listeners<\/a> – I highly recommend this show to anyone interested in what you can do right now about climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along my trip I took a stop in Utah to visit my parents. I had never been to a desert basin before and engaged in many desert-related activities: visiting Zion National Park, hiking in 116-degree heat, and facing my fear of heights via cliff jumping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 3. Sandstone Rocks at Sand Hollow National Park, Hurricane, Utah. June 2021.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0My parents wanted to help me settle into my new home, as parents do, so we drove the rest of the way to Oregon together. As this would be their first visit to the state, we strategically planned a trip to Crater Lake as our final scenic stop before heading into Corvallis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 4. Wizard Island in Crater Lake National Park, Klamath County, OR. June 2021.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This time off was filled with adventure, yet was restorative, and reminded me the importance of taking a break. I feel ready and refreshed for an intense summer of field work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 3: Rested and Ready<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Despite accumulating skills to do research in the field over the years, I have yet to do marine mammal field work (or even see a whale in person for that matter.) My mammal research experience included analyzing drone imagery, behind a computer, that had already been captured. As you can imagine, I am extremely excited to join the Port Orford team as part of the TOPAZ<\/a>\/JASPER <\/a>projects this summer, collecting ecological data on gray whales and their prey. I will be learning the ropes from Lisa Hildebrand<\/a> and soaking up as much information as possible as I will be taking over as lead for this project next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will take some time before my master\u2019s thesis is fully developed, but it will likely focus on assessing the environmental factors that influence gray whale zooplankton prey availability, and the subsequent impacts on whale movements and health. For five years, the Port Orford project has conducted GoPro drops at 12 sampling stations to collect data on zooplankton relative abundance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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