Students for the Summer

Although the weather does not seem like summer, the number of students working in our office tells me otherwise.  A total of 13 students have been hired for local field work. Eight have been hired to work out of Walla Walla and will probably not step foot in this office, at least this summer.   Not all of the students have started but each day seems to bring new faces into the office.  I was happy to work with a few of the students so far.  I'm sure I will be getting to know more of them as the weeks go by.  They are enthusiastic, smart, fun, and ready to learn more.  Here are a couple of pictures of their work. 

Sean and Taylor worked a week together at Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge (JBH).  This work is part of a bigger multi-agency project titled "Multi-Scale Salmon Ecosystem Action Effectiveness Research in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary".  Part of the work at JBH is to evaluate the effects of tide gate replacements on the refuge.  We accomplish this by sampling various sites with a seine to determine monthly fish community composition and distinguish between native and non-native fishes.  Taylor will spend most if not all of the summer at JBH, while Sean will be part of lamprey research team.

Pulling out a seine with a kayak.

Taylor and Sean sampling fish.

One week I travelled to Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge to continue the post-restoration monitoring work (http://www.fish-notes.blogspot.com/2012/05/bandon-marsh-restoration-and-legend-of.html).  There Brook and I worked with Sean and Juliet.  It was great having two more people to help carry all the gear out to the sites.  We also split up for awhile to get the work done more quickly.

Brook and Juliet removing fish from a fyke net.

 

Sean and Juliet sampling fish.

I am looking forward to meeting and working with some of the other students who will be joining our office for the summer.  Hopefully, you will meet them too, through their own blogs.

Submitted by Donna Allard