From October 20th to October 25th, I got the pleasure of joining a team of researchers from Rice University, Texas A&M University, and University of Houston Clearlake on a research cruise to the Flower Garden Banks (FGB). The cruise was a product of a recently funded NSF Rapid Grant to track the effects of floodwaters associated with Hurricane Harvey on the reefs at FGB. Our team included oceanographers, biologists, as well as support divers from NOAA and Moody Gardens. Researchers from Boston University will also assist in sample processing.
We spent five days upon the LUMCON R/V Point Sur conducting sampling dives for corals and sponges and collecting water quality data using CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) techniques. At times the weather didn't seem like it would cooperate, but in the end we completed all planned CTD surveys and came home with many coral and sponge samples from both banks of the perserve. The crew of the Point Sur made the ship feel like home. All in all it was a great, productive experience! I am looking forward to our portion of the project (proteomics and biochemical assays of corals) and integrating our results with all of the other groups who collected samples!
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AuthorLauren Fuess is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Connecticut working with Dr. Daniel Bolnick. Formerly she was a PhD student at the University of Texas at Arlington with Dr. Laura Mydlarz. The opinions expressed here are solely her own. Archives
September 2019
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