This summer, Charles is participating in a diversity of exposures to marine ecosystem research, monitoring, and management projects. His work at the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve and cooperative work with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is providing him with the opportunity to participate in research as part of a variety of marine ecosystem monitoring and management projects. Included in his daily activities are marine water quality and algae monitoring, commercial fish management, juvenile fish ecology, and public outreach and education. The internship is centered on salmon ecology and management, particularly focused on how juvenile salmon use estuarine habitats. Charles has assisted with field data collection, laboratory sample processing, data entry, and field sampling preparation for this project.
In addition, Charles has helped set up and presented a display of the salmon work for public outreach workshops, called Discovery Labs. This display included prey items from estuary habitats and a microscope showing a salmon otolith (a bone from the fish’s head which lays down annual rings like a tree) with instructions for ageing the fish which are under study. The last three weeks of his internship will focus on public education and outreach, including setup and presentation of the different Discovery Lab programs, guiding estuary walks, and assisting the public with general marine ecology questions. Charles will be finishing his B.S. degree in Biology this fall and looks to continue his work in ecology and animal biology.
