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Educational Activities
Journal Entry
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Tuesday,
September 2, 2003
Hello and good morning to everyone. Yesterday was such a great day.
We spent the day at Midway Atoll. There are actually two separate
islands there. One is Eastern Island and the other is Sand Island.
I was lucky enough to go to Eastern Island which is the bird sanctuary
and snorkel on the coral reef nearby. What beauty. I took so many
digital images, and I hope you enjoy seeing many of them on the web
site.
Today we are back to our routine of collecting, curating, and preparing
rhizosolenia data. Each time the divers go out they come back with
about 40 mats. I process about 12 to 24 mats each time. RoMP typically
does 2 dives each day, once around 9 am then, again at 3 pm. It takes
me about 3 hours to process the mats and I also spend about 1 hour
each day preparing the collecting jars. On top of that I am responsible
for all the education pieces and helping the teachers with lessons,
audio clips, emails and other education activities for the web site.
It takes me about 4 hours each day to do the education activities.
In addition, I help out the researchers with other work such as photography.
I spend about 3 hours each day shooting video and digital images. In
the evening I help run water samples for nutrient profiles which takes
another 2 hours.
So, after my 13 hour work day, what do I do? I email my family and
friends, watch movies in the lounge, and visit with the crew members
at meals. I spend some time reading in my cabin each night and washing
up from being splashed in salty water all day. I get to enjoy the beautiful
sunrises and sunsets. I have a very busy work schedule with STEAMER
but, I love being on the open water and learning outdoors because it
is different, fun, and I am not cooped up in a sterile laboratory all
day. I get to enjoy doing science research and educational activities.
STEAMER is just one of my education research projects. I do others
in West Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. The teachers I get
to work with are great, and the researchers are wonderful. I get to
learn a lot of new and wonderful things about science all the time.
Well, I have 35 minutes before the divers come back and I need to
go wash clothes.
Shout out to the Hanegans! Love you all. I’ll watch a beautiful
sunset for you tonight!
Dr. Nikki Hanegan
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