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The TED-style talk on Scientific Diving

Back in spring I gave a fun talk on scientific diving.

It was at the MARINE Colloquium (Monterey Area Research Institutions' Network for Education). It was super fun day and with a lot of good workshops!

The MARINE Colloquium is mostly for the grad-students in the Monterey area and we practice talks, give each feedback and can participate in a bunch of early career workshops. It is a great organization and a super fun day.

Last year I gave a "ignite talk" about my research in Israel. That was 5 min speed talking while the slides in the powerpoint are changing on a timer.
This year, I switched gears and went for a "TED-style" talk, and ended up telling some stories about my scientific diving experience.
This was a super fun talk to make and very easy since it is what I love to do. When we dive for science to collect data and what not, we put ourselves out in the elements. We push ourselves to go that extra distance. Should we do that? Can we do that? And how are we able to this?
I love diving and I love diving with a purpose. With the proper training and practice you can push your limits quite far.
 

Also, click here to see the video on youtube

Brittle Stars Incubation

Currently I am running an experiment at the Center of Ocean Health at Long Marine Lab (UCSC).
I want to test and see, if the brine discharged from Carlsbad Desal plant will affect benthic organisms.

Originally, I wanted to use polychaetes since these are the main organism that have been counted in the bio-surveys we've done at the fieldtrips.
This didn't happen however.
So instead I am using brittle stars. They were much easier to come by. One of those magic phone calls:

"This is Monterey Abalone Co. How can I help you?"
"Hi! Karen Petersen. So I wondered if I could buy say like, 150 brittle stars? Like, tomorrow??"

So now, 150 brittle stars are living "happily" in their little jars.

A bag of brittles

Color coded for the treatments

March for Science !

And then there was the March for Science.

Since the presidential change in February the science agencies in the States have been under attack. With a president that is obvious lying (or living by "Alternative Facts"), a congress with a majority of old conservative men and a government put together by people ran by greed and wealth, it is not only science that is under attack.
America seems to be changing, or maybe showing it's true colors. In any case, standing up for what you believe in: Truth, dignity and a world in prosper, has never been more important!

So here we are in DC. Marching through pouring rain. Exercising our civil rights with chants and humorous signs. What it helps, I don't know. But at least we're doing what we can to show our displeasure with the state of things.

White House pose

Science is like magic!

And not only in the States is Science facing this problem. All over the world it seems people refuse to listen to reason and make up their own reality. It is scary and it makes me wonder where skills in science would be put to best use: doing research, teaching future generation or doing policy?
Maybe it is time to some serious career thinking!

A break in the rain draws the crowd

At least for now I can burst my #notmypresident #notmycountry. However, it is #stillmyworld

#marchforscience #earthday2017

The very final trip to Carlsbad

Just as one thought that there was plenty of data for the project:
Let's collect more data!!!

So back to Carlsbad it goes!

For one day (coupled with a night of fun in San Diego) I dorve down to collect water from the area around Carlsbad Desalination Plant.
This included filling ten big 20L jars with water and carry them back to the truck. No need explaining that my arms were dead the week after!

Now, back with water, I am setting up for two final experiments:
1) Will the brine discharge impact the biome living in the sediment?
2) Will it impact a benthic creature like a brittlestar?

Back to Ben-Gurion

I collected a lot of samples over summer during the IRES project (Coastal IRES). However, in the midst of running too many experiments - there was no time for the analysis.

So I am back in Sde-Boker Midreshet Ben Gurion to hopefully finish the lab work !

I am always amazed of how fast you can change your scenery "just" by flying for some hours. Friday morning I was in misty California - Sunday morning I was in the desert looking at Ibexes on the campus of Ben Gurion University of The Negev.

With Edo Bar-Zeev's shiny white new lab and the expertise of both him and his students, I managed to pull off a shit-ton of lab work!
While still enjoying the beautiful desert area:

At the end of the trip I went to Hafia to work with Eyal Rahav.
The Israel Oceanographic and Limnology Research Institute has quite a different look to it:

But as long as the scientists within the building know what they are doing (or for the most part at least we'll have an idea of what we're doing) - the outer casing doesn't really matter!
And anyway, there was a lot more to Hafia than just an old sovjet-concrete square:

Now I am finally done with all the lab work from the projects we did in Eilat in July and August. Next up: What does it mean ????

(and I though the lab work would take a long time!)

Last Fieldwork in Carlsbad

For one last time, we returned for a week of field sampling in Carlsbad.
The weather was beautiful, but unfortunately two divers came down with a cold on the first day of work. Leaving my faithful buddy, Jacque, and I to do the remainder of the sampling.

 In poor conditions we scrambled to get the surveys done and the water collected. Luckily, a great team of helpers on the boat got us through the hard days of diving.

Now, all the samples have been collected. All there is left is to get them analyzed and figure out, if there is any significance between them.
Stay tuned !

The Crew