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Journals 2004/2005Barbara Simon-Waters
July 19, 2004 My time here at the lab is waning just as I am becoming accustomed to the routine. I can do the elephant seal feedings on my own preparing the fish correctly. Today I arrived at the lab in time for the morning feeding of LT and Forrest. Forrest had been kept in the little pool overnight and was wallowing in his own feces. It was everywhere. Carey hosed down the pool area and turned up the circulation of the water. We switched the animals during the feeding process. I worked on Dr. Rick Condit's data on elephant seal locations at Ano Nuevo. The only thing I can figure out is that he is going to do some sort of census study. I attended Carey's lecture class, the topic being reproduction and social issues in pinnipeds and cetaceans. Her class had some very good questions and the students were interested in the topic. Carey's class had to do evaluations of the course and her teaching so I set everything up for th 2pm feeding trial. After this, Carey showed me some of her data that she has received from the feeding trials. Some very nice graphs! She also had data from animals in the wild. I think she will have a wonderful dissertation from it. From 4pm until 6:15 pm, I worked on the seal census data checking records from 2001, 2002, and 1997. I assisted Carey in the 7pm feeding as both animals had to be fed in the larger pool and then separated for the evening. Ann (whom I met this morning for the first time) had said that Forrest and LT began fighting and biting yesterday. Forrest was a pain and did not want to cooperate but LT knew the routine and went from his smaller pool to the larger pool without any problem. I left after this feeding. I have really enjoyed my time at the lab and am feeling sad that I have to leave. I feel comfortable at this point and feel that I have found my niche in the scheme of things here. I want to stay!!! :( Return to Journals Index |
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