Friday, June 22, 2012

Hasta Luego!  Until Next Time!

Well... the expedition is over and we are all struggling to get back to our usual day-to-day routines.  The marvelous memories of this venture are forever cinched to my heart and, in places, to my skin!  I thank all of you who made this possible either in the background, or on-site.   My most sincere thanks go to Dr. Heather Judkins for her 200% effort to ensure this expedition was a success!  It was certainly a pleasure and fun to collaborate with you!  Also, my most sincere thanks to the entire USFSP Study Abroad Program and Fiscal Staff (especially Wendy Baker, Mai Huynh and Jason Morris), for taking care of all student program coordination and financial details.  You folks ROCKED!

I also would like to thank USFSP College of Arts and Sciences Dean Frank Biafora, Chancellor's office (especially Dr. Norine Noonan), and the Biology Department (especially Dr. Debby Cassill and Dr. Melanie Whitmore) for believing in the vision and mission of this expedition and for facilitating its realization.

Also, special thanks to USFSP Bookstore for providing USFSP t-shirts to all students.  The t-shirts were worn well and often ;) !  Muchas gracias to all of the Turrialba Lodge staff (Don Tony Lachner, Don Fausto, Macho, and las muchachas), Organization for Tropical Studies (Kenneth Alfaro), and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute staff (Dra. Nelida Gomez and Gabriel Jacome).  Lastly, I would like to thank my wonderful mother (Sra. Matilde Mendez) and the rest of her Habitat for Humanity staff for providing us with an unforgettable experience!



To our students, I have to say that this experience has meant as much to me as I see it has meant to you.  We have all grown as individuals, and certainly as a group.  Our moments trekking to the summit, swimming in hot springs, sliding down the jungle, and being withing millimeters of fire coral will never be forgotten!  May you always stay along the sunny side of the trail... and periodically remember to tune-in to those wave orbitals that rock our biology! ;)

Feeling Blessed

Dr. Herzfeld



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Rachael Moran--Final Post

DISCOVERY

I learned so much on this trip. The science was important but the lessons that will linger on in my mind till I'm old and grey were ones about discovering new cultures, new perspectives, and new people. I enjoyed every experience while abroad, even the difficult moments (like thinking my heart was going to explode while hiking up a volcano), because without struggle no one would ever appreciate the finer moments. I learned that life will find a way despite volcanic eruptions and other geological events of a magnitude beyond imagination. I learned that after 5 years of French in school, if someone asks me a question in Spanish, I will still answer them in French. I learned that salsa dancing is every bit as difficult as it looks. I'll never forget all the beautiful people and places I was fortunate enough to discover. I can't wait to share some of my experience with everyone at the symposium on the last day of class.




Special thanks to Dr. J and Dr. H, and my family and friends for their support and guidance.


Thoughts from Dr. J

Turrialba Volcano Park Entrance

Who knew that when this picture was taken, we would accomplish so much in our six week adventure?

As I read through the blog, I am in tears- of joy because I am so ultimately proud of the entire group.  I know I sound like a mom (again) but I am truly impressed with every student in this group of first-timers for the course.  You have far exceeded my expectations in so many areas:  handling group dynamics with grace, willing to try the unknown, conquering some rigorous portions of the trip, being patient with Dr. H and myself all the way through, being mature, respectful, and insightful in all situations that were presented along the way.  You have truly done USFSP proud and I hope you'll take your memories and lessons learned from this course into your world after college.

As for me, I have learned the following:  that I still don't enjoy some tropical fruits and treats (imagine my face with those boiled peanut tasting things), that geology really isn't all that bad (thanks, Dr. H!), that I desperately need to learn Spanish and more about plants, that I couldn't have led this crew without Dr. H, and that I absolutely love waking up to the call of the Howlers.

Thanks to everyone at USFSP that has made this course a reality for us!  Truly amazing experience for me that I will cherish always.

Pura Vida BGPG 2012! 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Lena Wray: Final post

Pose of success after the 11 mile, 10 hour hike to the summit of the Turrialba Volcano
This trip has been nothing short of extraordinary. Beginning our journey as scientists, we faced the feat of the Turrialba volcano, which at times required a 45 degree angle hike up hill. We sat in an empty room for hours on end with nothing but field guides in hand. Each group put together a hypothesis from scratch, and obtained remarkable data. I am glad I went on this trip so I could fully immerse myself in being a scientist. I now not only have a general idea of what a biodiversity study is, but I have also helped to complete one which could possibly get published. From hiking to volcano summits in the clouds to being eye-to-eye with a sloth and her baby, this trip will forever stay with me throughout all the places science takes me.

Last One!

  Well as far as I feel I still am on Panama time.  This trip has been a real life changing one.  It seems I miss my 5 am howler monkey wake up calls already but I will push on. Hiking up volcanoes, thunderstorms that deafen, driving down winding mountain paths, and waking up in the Caribbean and seeing the Pacific by lunch time are some of the little things that I became accustom to.  We were worked real hard by our professors but in the end they forged us into students with a scientific mind.  We woke up and conducted our field research in some very unforgiving terrain and EVERYONE made it happen, I am very proud to have been part of this program.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Judkins and Dr. Herzfeld for pushing me like they did. I will remember this entire trip my entire career.

Krishna Nayak

Boy does time fly when your having fun! I can't believe that we are home already. Three weeks flew by before you could blink but maybe that is because we hiked to the summit of the second largest volcano in Costa Rica (Turrialba), got up close and personal with sloths in the tropical rain forest, and snorkeled among some of the world's most diverse coral reefs. It is impossible to sum this trip up into one word but INCREDIBLE would come pretty close. I can't believe I was lucky enough to be given this opportunity and it is something that I will remember for a lifetime. We all grew into one happy little family and I will remember the class of BGPG2012 forever! Dr. Judkins and Dr. Herzfeld thank you so very much for taking us under your wing and teaching us what it is like to think like a scientist and actually conduct research out in the field. (Not as easy as it looks) I can't express the amount of knowledge I have gained from this study abroad experience but I know I have been forever changed as a student and a person. I only hope to continue to travel the world one day as a scientist and explore all that it has to offer!   

PURA VIDA!

Britt :)



Honestly, I was a little nervous before we left on our three week journey, I was going to be living with people that I just met, 24/7. what I discovered was a wonderful group of people that have influenced my life forever. the experiences that we shared together will always be with me. Love you guys!!!

I am extremely grateful  to Dr. Herzfeld and Dr. Judkins for putting this trip together. through your direction I have been exposed to what field research is truly all about, a lot of hard work and commitment and I enjoyed every moment of it! This experience has shown me why I decided to return to school.

Thank you for everything.

Sincerly,

A. Robert Collins 

End of the Expedition

 If I had to describe this study abroad trip in one word... it would have to be "insane". We hiked to the summit of an active volcano, explored the rainforest, snorkeled some coral reefs, walked along the edge of the Panama canal and wandered around two different countries with people we barely knew. No one even tried to kill us! It was three weeks packed full of learning, science, hard work and having fun.

I learned a lot on this trip so picking only three things could be tough. I learned that the Central American Isthmus completely formed about 25 million years ago... or 3 million depending on whether you believe the geologists or the biologists. I learned that the Montezuma Oropendola has a really awesome bird call. Finally, I learned to appreciate what other countries and regions can have that are unique to the rest of the world. I tried a lot of different foods and beverages that I had never even heard of before traveling to Panama and Costa Rica like Arroz con Pina.


This study abroad trip has been an amazing experience and something that I am extremely glad that I pursued when I heard it mentioned in Spring class. Professors Herzfeld and Judkins did a fabulous job of making the class run smoothly and work together to create a complete idea of how the world works from magma to monkeys. I have learned a lot, had some really great experiences and have gotten to know some really cool people. We are now working on finishing up the course with the post test, presentation and final research paper. The one instant that I wish we would move in geological time...

Rob Cuba
Class of BGPG 2012



Monday, June 18, 2012

Final Post- Erin Walters

It is crazy to think that we are back already from our 3 week journey! It is something when I can say that those three weeks were probably the most challenging and rewarding moments of my young 21 years of life. The experience and opportunity that I was immersed in was incredible, and everything that I have learned and am still taking away is what feeds my fire for more experiences like this one. This trip has done nothing but inspire me more to be a biologist and travel the world and study its immense bounty.

I cannot be more thankful for being chosen to attend this extraordinary experience, so Dr. Judkins and Dr. Herzfeld thank you so much!! And I must say you guys did a fine job of picking out individuals to get along for 3 weeks together in tight quarters! We had some pretty awesome times together and I think we grew into this little happy family J Not only have I taken away an experience and tons of knowledge, but I’ve also gained some close friends, ones who will most certainly never be forgotten! I can’t imagine our trip with anyone else! And by the end of this, I will have a research paper out, with my name on it!! I haven’t even graduated yet; clearly this trip has allowed opportunity that most students don’t receive until after graduation if ever. BGPG 2012- it’s been REAL!!!

Jamison - final post


The one word that sums up this trip would have to be extraordinary!!! I have learned many things on this trip. For instance the examination of strata can give you a detailed history of the land such as water flow, vegetation and major events such as volcanic eruptions. 



Also that soil nutrient is much higher in newer secondary succession areas than in areas of old growth. This is due to the fact that the soil nutrient that comes from things such as leaf litter and animal/plant death is almost immediately decomposed and reabsorbed by plants, insects, etc. which in turn does not allow for the organic layer to get more than a few centimeters deep in the rainforests. 
 
Sloths are capable of swimming considerable distances. When we were at Bocas del Toro we saw quite a few sloths most of which were the three toed. This was interesting to me since we were on an island that was a few miles away from the main land. Dr. J and I bounced a few ideas back and forth such as they could have floated in on a broken tree, the human factor and even possibly an avian predator dropping them. Dr. J later was informed by a couple of local scientist that the sloths had in fact swam to the island!!
This experience has definitely lived up to and even exceeded my expectations that I had in the beginning. From the sheer exhilaration of being on the top of a volcano to the brink of delirium from being in a packed van for hours. I will never forget the amazing group of people I traveled with and how they made the many hours spent in the van seem shorter and even fun.  I will also remember all the beautiful places we visited and the awesome people we met (Macho and Luewis).

Final post for Aaron

We're back! We've had three weeks of adventure, learning, and fun and it almost seems surreal being back. This trip has been one of the most exciting and educational experiences of my life; there really is no one word I can use to describe it properly, but I'll try anyway.. eye-opening. I saw so much in our short time there but so little in comparison to all there is to see.

The academic portion of this course has been more than I could have ever hoped for. I got experience in planning, creating an experimental design....reworking the experimental design, sampling, and analyzing data. For the region itself, we learned about the biological and geologic history and how interconnected they are. For instance, the closure of the gap (via the creation of the Panama isthmus) had significant effects not only on the marine environment, but also on the continental exchange of species between North and South America. In addition to learning a lot in our lectures, field talks, and research, I also got a crash course in local culture. We learned all kinds of new phrases and words and got to try many new types of food, including my favorite, chicheme, which is very interesting drink/shake made with corn, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.

This has definitely been one of the most entertaining and rewarding experiences of my life. It was the perfect combination of education, field work, and fun and if asked again, I would go in a heartbeat. I would like to thank Dr. Herzfeld and Dr. Judkins for not only the opportunity to go on this trip, but also the continued support, advice, and mentoring they've given every day since.

Till next time,

-aaron


Sunday, June 17, 2012

Final Post For JJ

Alright... we are home and  I have to say it was quite a trip. I am thankful that I was chosen to participate in this unique study abroad course. This course was the perfect chance for me to get an idea of how field research is conducted and some possible places, such as The La Selva Biological Station and the many Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute locations, that can help me conduct research projects in the future.

 I knew that that we would be seeing, doing and learning amazing things but what surprised me the most was how well all the personalities of our group meshed together. All of the positive mental attitude made all of our experiences that much better. Who would want to summit a volcano with a bunch of grumps? Not me!  So... thanks to Dr.Herzfeld and Dr. Judkins for setting up this course and thanks to the crew for being easygoing and making the best of every opportunity!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Trip of a Lifetime


The only word for me that can begin to describe this trip would be extraordinary. The opportunities to experience the culture and natural wonders of Panama and Costa Rica that were afforded to the lucky 14 of us on this trip are things that some people never get the chance to do in a lifetime. In a three week period we ventured through a wide range of habitats, from active volcanoes to tropical rainforests and coral reefs. We hiked to the summit of an active volcano, saw two oceans, watched a leatherback turtle lay her nest, ate delicious local food and much more. Overall, this trip has pushed me to go outside of my comfort zone and resulted in much growth, not only as a scientist but as a person as well.

This trip was 21 straight days of learning, being immersed in the field of science. So, to pick only three things I learned is a rather difficult task but I will focus on the main topics. First, I learned that plants are a lot more difficult to identify than you think. There is an entire vocabulary dedicated to the structure, texture and scent of plants. Is a plant pinnate or palmate? Is it a compound leaf or a simple leaf? What technically defines a leaf? All questions that Kelly and I had to ask and learn along our journey. It gave me a great appreciation for the botany field and actually has made me want to take a class! The next thing I learned was the formation of Panama and how it acts as a land bridge between North and South America, allowing for the exchange of plants and animals. Panama was originally a peninsula that was created by volcanic activity as the Cocos plate was being subducted under the Caribbean plate.     When Panama and Costa Rica merged together, forming an isthmus, there was a buckling and a stretching of Panama which allowed for the formation of the canal. The final topic I learned a lot about on this trip was the formation of coral reefs and their different zones as well as the types of organisms that inhabit each of these zones. For example, hard, sturdy corals, like brain coral, inhabit the reef face and buttress zone because they can withstand the high wave action. Or, soft, delicate corals like sea fans and staghorn coral that  are found in lower energy zones like the lagoon and flat top sections. Oh, and perhaps the most important thing I learned... science isn't perfect and researching make mistakes all the time. What is important is to learn from the errors and utilize all of the resources that are available to you.

In closing, I have learned so much from this trip. It is hard to even put into words the experience, and I am sure it will take months for me to truly understand the impact this trip had on me as a student and fledgling scientist. Thank you for the opportunity Dr. J and Dr. H! BGPG 2012!

Pura Vida,
Karleigh

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Final Thoughts by Kelly O'Connell


Growth



This trip was been a once in a lifetime experience for me. Its difficult to understand the world in all of its entity without traveling it. There is so much that the world has to offer and I do not feel like I would be getting a complete education without the opportunity to travel.  It does not matter where I am in my life right now as long as I have an idea of where I can go. I feel as if I have that direction that I was searching for. The reason that I wanted to go on this trip is so I would be able to completely understand myself and where I want to go next with my education and knowledge of the world. I think this course confirmed my desire to travel, explore, learn, and share. We are all capable of making a significant impact of the world whether it be in the scientific field or even just by self-promotion. I am happy to have been part of a group that could share interests and successfully grow in knowledge together. I have learned so much throughout college but this experience really helped me realize why it all is so important. I have been learning the scientific method my entire life. However, these past few weeks was the first time I feel as if I really understood it. Taking an idea about a project and applying it to "real-life" research and problems is inspiring. The entire process has been enlightening. I am now learning how math and statistics actually apply to science. I also opened my eyes to a world of different cultures. Meeting people and striving to understand life as they know it is one of the greatest learning experiences in itself. I know that there is a place for me in the scientific world and have grown to never limit myself getting there.

Monday, June 11, 2012

A Day of Giving Back


Authors: Karleigh and Kris
Working on sifting sand

Word of the Day: Caridad, the Spanish word for charity. Today the entire group had the pleasure to work with Habitat for Humanity Panama and help build a house for a local family in need. The family was picked by the community to receive this generous donation. The group worked on mixing cement and reinforcing walls or sifting sand to be made into concrete. Despite the heat, we all enjoyed the opportunity to give back. This trip has given all of us so much, the least we could do was aid the community in return.
Before

After
Just a small recap of things we have done in the last couple of days...
El Palmar

Yesterday was a great cultural day for the group. We traveled to the Pacific Coast of Panama. Along the way we stopped at Queso Chela, a local hot spot for delicious baked goods and chicheme. Chicheme is almost exclusively Panamanian, and is made with milk, sweet corn, cinnamon and vanilla. Later we went to Lovers Falls, a beautiful waterfall and then to El Palmar (The Place of a lot of Palms), a local beach. The Pacific Ocean looks a lot different from what we are used to in St. Petersburg, FL. Instead of being completely white and made of calcium carbonate and silica, the sand here is mixed with black and gray shiny particles. These are mostly fine grains of basalt and magnetite minerals that have been weathered and eroded from surrounding volcanoes, which helped to form the Panama land mass.


Mother leatherback turtle laying eggs

On Thursday evening the group went on a night excursion to the beach in hopes to see a turtle laying her nest. We were lucky enough to see a mother leatherback turtle complete her nesting! We had to use the red lights on our headlamps because the turtle's eyes could not detect it. The turtle's age was estimated to be around 40, since it takes roughly 25 years to reach sexual maturity.

Question of the Day: After all you've read about this trip, would you like to visit Panama and Costa Rica? Why or why not?

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Discovering Fossils

Authors: Lena, JJ,Aaron, Rachael
BGPG Crew at STRI Gamboa

Word of the Day: Mafic Rock-An igneous rock comprised of magnesium and iron rich minerals which originates from magma at relatively high temperatures. Their occurrence at the surface of the Earth results from volcanic eruptions.  Due to its composition and intense weathering that occurs when exposed, this rock can sometimes be easily broken into pieces.

Science of the Day: This morning the group took a trip to the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Investigations where we attended a lecture by a paleontologist, Dr. Aaron Wood. He discussed some of his current research concerning mammalian response to paleoclimate change, notably how mammalian faunas diverged evolutionary and ecologically as latitudinal climatic gradients intensified over the span of the Neogene. After the lecture, we followed him to one of his research sites on the edge of Panama Canal along the expansion zone where fossil excavation is currently underway.  Dredging has exposed  fossils such as marlin, shark, and several different extinct mammal species. At the site, we were able to see a facie (a distinct sedimentary layer) composed primarily of coal deposits that contained different mollusca fossils.

Fossil Hunting
Fossil snail and clam shell

Culture of the Day:
The Carludovica palmata, or Paja Toquilla, is a palm-like plant which is used for weaving Panama hats and is native to South America. The straw is harvested from the Ecuadorean fields, where it grows in the ideal tropical climate of the Equator, and is then cut, washed and dried, and taken to the local market to be sold to the weavers – historically, this is done on a Sunday before Mass for the straw to be blessed.

Rob Cuba, Rachael, Kris


Question of the Day: What kind of fossils do you think you would find in your backyard? Why?

Thursday, June 7, 2012

All About Beaches

Authors: Kris, Kelly, Brittany, and Jamison

Word of the Day: Phase shift- the bleaching of coral reefs drives away herbivorous fish and other algal consumers and shifts coral dominated reefs to unhealthy algae reefs

Science: Today we had to cut our adventures short and went to Starfish Beach due to the high swell approaching the island. Despite the let down we still saw a bunch of cool creatures. The picture below we have the cushion sea star. This Echinoderm moves by its tube feet and feeds by eviscerating its stomach around its prey as it begins to digest it outside of its body.

Cushion sea star

Below we caught a flame box crab right off the dock here at the Smithsonian Tropical Research facility. This crab draws in water through its gills and spouts it out of its head resembling a fountain.

                                                                  Flame box crab

Below we have a yellow lined arrow crab also found off the dock. This crab resembles a spider and is unique because it travels up and down the water column like its swimming.

Yellow lined arrow crab





Culture: Above the picture was taken at Paunch Beach, a local surfing spot. We geared up with our mask, snorkels, and "safe" foot wear out to the reef where the waves were crashing. Immediately we encountered a fringing reef right off the sandy beach. It was a treacherous walk out to get our fins on but a common stroll for the local surfers. The jagged sharp corals were impossible to walk on with our un-calloused feet. The locals have been dealing with these types of shorelines for their entire life.

Question: What characteristics classify sea cucumbers, sea stars, and sand dollars in the same Phylum?

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Answering some more questions


Aloha Kim Falinski,
La Selva’s intact old growth forest is threatened by several invasive plant species (including Asian bananas, lowland coffee, and bamboo) that can have serious negative impacts on the natural forests. In addition to monitoring and removing these invasive plants from the forest, they also encourage research by students on invasive species. All the species we listed were native to the area and we did not come across any honey bees or bee keepers.
Love, JJ

Hey Maggie,
No, we are on an island called Bocas del Toro which is off the northern coast of Panama.
-Rob

Last Science Sampling Day

Authors: Aaron, Erin, Rachael, Rob Collins

Word of the day: 

Rugosity- a measure of small scale variations in amplitude and the height of a surface. This type of practice is used commonly for characterising seafloor habitats.

Coco point reef.

Science of the day:

Today the group went sampling on the reef at Coco Point. Some of the groups had to use waterproof paper and clipboards underwater to write down notes and observations of various things like biodiversity counts, herbivory tracings, and measurements of soils etc. The soil groups collected soils underwater at three different locations along their transect lines. The atmospheric gases group took air samples directly above the water on the boat. The bird group did sea bird surveys and observed coastal bird behavior. Dr Iuri conducted his own rugosity study and Dr. Judkins had the opportunity to observe a school of Caribbean reef squid.

Biodiversity group counting organisms along their transect.

The soil group draining water from sediment samples.


Last night our group went on a "night wade" to see what kind of creatures stir about at night around the mangroves. We went out with nets, headlamps, and tubs to capture and release whatever we could find. Some of the first things we found were sea urchins, which we picked and observed. The most interesting observation made was that all the spines moved individually. We also caught a baby barracuda and a bunch of minnows. Later, as we got more skilled at finding creatures, we discovered a juvenile yellow spotted sting ray, a burr fish, mangrove crabs and sea cucumbers.

Some of the species found on the night wade.


Inflated burrfish.
Question of the day:

What defense mechanism(s) do sea cucumbers have to protect themselves from predators?

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

A Day on the Reef

Authors: Karleigh, Lena, Rob, JJ
Purple tipped sea anemone

Word of the day-Nematocyst- A stinging cell characteristic of the Cnidarian phylum. This includes jellyfish, corals, and anemones.

Example of algae, hard and soft corals at our site
Science of the Day- Since arriving at Bocas del Toro, Panama, we have been immersed in a coastal setting with mangroves, beaches and corals. Today was our scouting day to find our location for sampling tomorrow. We left early in the morning and visited and snorkeled around two locations: Coco Point and Crawl Kay. Our fourth and final sampling site will be Coco Point, a beautiful fringing coral reef surrounded by small mangrove islands. Coral reefs are comprised of several different zones. The first zone is the reef face. The reef face is the deepest portion of the reef, extending vertically from the base of the reef to about 20m below the surface. It receives the lowest amount of light energy and low wave energy. Next is the buttress zone. It has the highest wave action, and is characterized by spurs and grooves of tough, durable coral. The next region of the reef is the flat top zone. It is across the reef crest and is very shallow. The light is abundant and there is lots of wave action. Behind the flat top is the rumble zone full of broken pieces of coral that are dislodged from the buttress via wave action. This area is usually patrolled by larger predators. The final zone is the lagoon; a very calm area with lots of light and possibly some patch reefs.


View from the STRI dock
Culture of the Day- More than 40% of the world's population lives near the coast. Bocas del Toro is an island off the Atlantic Caribbean coast of Panama, and the lifestyle revolves around the water. Locals tend to work on boats conducting ecotours or fishing trips. Seafood is a major component of their diet, and many locals participate in water sports like surfing, kayaking and snorkeling or diving.

Question of the Day: Are corals and sponges animals? Why or why not?
Happy snorkelers at Coco Point


Monday, June 4, 2012

International Travel Days and Arrival at STRI

Checking out pictures from La Selva at the Airport in Costa Rica

The tired crew at 4am as we boarded the bus to the airport in Panama City

Boarding the plane for Bocas del Toro this morning


Authors:  Kris, Brittany, Jamison and Kelly

Word of the Day: Zooxanthellae- dinoflagellates that live within tissue of the coral polyp body

Culture Focus:  We were sad to say goodbye to La Selva but very excited about arriving at our new home for the next 4 days, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Station in Bocas del Toro in Panama!  We left Costa Rica on June 3rd and made it to Panama City last night.  We stayed at a hotel overnight and were lucky enough to hear a Colombian band who decided to have a jam session right where we were.  Great atmosphere and a great way to welcome us into Panama.  We had to start our day today extremely early (4am) to make our puddle jumper plane from Panama City to Bocas.  We arrived at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Station around 8am and were delighted to be served breakfast and shown our dorms for the next 4 days.  Today was spent settling in, unpacking gear and attending lectures by Dr. H and Dr. J about the coral ecosystems we will be exploring over the next few days.

Question of the Day: What types of coral reefs have you visited? Were they affected by the rising problem of coral bleaching due to climate change?

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Nights and Days at La Selva

Authors: Aaron, Erin, Rachael, Rob Collins

Word of the day:

 Stipule- A leaf like appendage usually found at the base on leaf petioles, typically born in pairs and derived from the meristematic tissues of the plant.

Today's Science:

Last night, our group went on a night hike into the rain forest to seek out some nocturnal organisms. We saw many creatures like the red eyed tree frog, vine snake, annulated tree boa,  Fer-de-Lance viper, spectacled caiman, fishing spider and many other species of frogs and toad. We even saw one of the fishing spiders eating a frog in the swamp! The guide pointed out a particular type of cactus that flowers nocturnally so it can be pollinated by bats.

Rob and Rob setting up titrations

The groups today spent more time analyzing and organizing data. Some groups were in the lab titrating, preforming weight loss on ignition of soils, and measuring nitrates, ammonium, calcium and pH of the soils as well. Other groups spent time identifying plant and animal species and organizing data into excel sheets. We even had a botanist come in and help some of the groups identify plant characteristics and narrow them down into their respective family classifications.

Vine Snake


Red-eyed Tree Frog
Fishing Spider eating frog in the swamp






















Question of the day:

 Why do some plants have the adaptation for flowering just at night and not during the day too?


Night blooming cactus

Hello from La Selva,
We have received a few more questions from people and we are going to answer some of these questions this morning.

Iuri’s daughter asked what do “bullet ants “eat?

Bullet ants are active all over the tropical rain forest and are mostly found around tree trunks. They are mostly predator- scavenger ants, fruit nectar and water is carried back to the colony to feed the nest ants and to feed the larvae. They are strongly attracted to termites but will eat other insects and invertebrates as well.
I hope this is helpful.

Norine Noonan wanted to know if the students have seen any signs of climate change?

Honestly, we have no frame of reference in regard to climate change in this area do to the fact that we are only in La Selva for a few days. Since the trip began we have been at three different locations, all at different elevations which had their own unique climates.

 If anyone has a question they would like answered, you can email Judkins@mail.usf.edu and Dr. J can pass along the questions for us to answer.  Hope to hear from you soon!