The Last Chapter in the FIO Marine Field Studies Adventure!

Week Five

Abigail Blackburn

We have been stung by hydrozoans, attacked by the aggressive sargassum (again, not a sentient organism), and endured the blistering sun and heat with no reportable casualties!

Week Five

This last week we learned about watersheds, which really tied together some of the activities we did at the other stations. I learned about culverts, creek systems, and how the planet has so many ways of restoring itself. Wildfires can restore forests and help the long-leaf pine burgeon. When there are large amounts of rain the riparian zones will flood, connecting choking points of the creek caused by human development. I grew up in a house that has a long-leaf pine in the front yard, and I remember somebody came by and gave us a photo of the tree. All I remember them saying is that the tree is a very important and native species. It was very meaningful for me to learn about this tree I grew up with.

Childhood Home

This week was very stressful due to the presentations of water quality on Friday. My group focused on microplastics and we learned how to identify them visually and using a probe. The majority of what we found were fibers which is consistent with what we had researched. I did not realize that the microplastics were completely unnatural and that they only exist in our atmosphere because humans made them. It is scary to think that we can cause such changes and not realize it. Something a bit more frightening could be the nanoplastics, which are small enough to enter cells, lungs, and bloodstreams. They can cause systemic damage and not much is known about them. We consume plastic in our drinking water, food, and air but have no idea what it is going to do to us or our environment in the long term. The trillions amount of trash in our oceans becoming these microplastics is very unnerving, it makes me want to do more ocean cleanups and replace the Water GOAT that was taken down in Baybourough Harbor, even though it might not make much of an impact I want to do whatever I can to help.

Besides all this doom and gloom I have had a wonderful five weeks with some amazing people. I truly wish we all stay in touch and can support one another with our careers. This course was phenomenal, and I have already recommended it to students I know in St. Pete. This course not only provided networking, but it also gave us experiences that are not available to everyone. I am so incredibly grateful for this course and to have the pleasure of meeting and getting to know everyone involved. The hardworking and generous individuals who keep this course going, thank you. Please FIO, keep this course going. With this course, I have found direction and I feel much more prepared for my future, and what is school if not to prepare us for the future?! 

Week One