Location: Tobago Cays, Grenadines
Hello loyal readers,
Today was such a busy day! In the morning, we started our chemical oceanography unit with some throwback to high school chemistry. Getting a chance to start learning how to use all the scientific equipment on board was so cool, especially because we get to start working on group research projects soon. A couple of the different instruments we got to try were the colorimeter, Secchi disk, and a refractometer. The colorimeter used different chemicals to test for levels of different nutrients in the water. A Secchi disk is a way to measure the visibility in the water. By lowering the disk into the water until you can’t see it anymore and measuring the string, it gives the Secchi distance or distance of visibility. A refractometer measures the salinity of a water sample. Everyone’s topics seem like they’re going to be so much fun to learn about. With learning about the equipment, we also got to try our first lab looking at water samples under a microscope. We found a super tiny shell, actinopods, some cool little crustaceans, and pieces of seaweed. In the afternoon, we got ready for sign-out night and a beach barbeque! I think everyone really loved the fresh lobster. Everyone also got a chance to explore the little island, and a couple of us hiked up to watch the sunset! I know I had a super fun night, and I’m sure everyone else did as well. I can’t wait to see what the rest of our trip brings!
Miss you Mom, Dad, Audrey, Winston, and Franklin
-Isabel