Welcome
Hey There!!
Welcome to the 2009 VIMS REU blog!!
We are all having a blast here in Virginia! This week has been full of great weather and fun activities! Projects are underway, with sea grasses planted, algae-growing flotation devices cast off, and a wide variety of other experiments set up.
I am not sure what the other students have been up to this week as I have spent the last 5 days on the beautiful Patuxent River in Maryland. The scenery was fantastic, with adorable Eastern homes lining the shore, gorgeous marshes and nature parks, and incredible sunsets over the water.
![Stacy Aguilera at the helm.](_photosets/reu_2009/stacy_at_helm.jpg)
Working with Professor Rochelle Seitz and her lab, we traveled North from Solomon’s Island to collect samples. We suctioned up sediment to look for life along three different shoreline types: natural marsh, bulkhead, and riprap (stones placed to prevent erosion). We were extremely lucky with weather and were able to witness a number of cool creatures, from rays to blue crabs to ribbon worms. We measured chlorophyll, nutrients, and a number of other parameters to try to determine which type of shoreline is best for the benthic (bottom-dwelling) creatures. We also placed a few cages to measure the predation rates on clams. The trip was a success, we had a ton of fun and collected 45 samples!