ducking, solstice and SALT!

Well we have had a happening few days up here! Note the brand new sign that has just been put up.

First off we traded the YSI (salinity meter) for hip waders and took to the ponds...the duck ponds. On Sunday we went out with a group of researchers looking at sea ducks, specifically the Long Tailed Duck. We helped put up the mist nets and acted as "predators" to chase the ducks into the nets. Unfortunately we were more successful in capturing the attention of the sled dogs tied up all around the pond we were working in. Apparently though, as soon as we left, the catch turned more successful....I suppose we should stick to zooplankton....

In addition to Sunday being duck hunting day it was also the solstice! Now technically the solstice occurred at 5:30am Sunday morning but the researchers at the centre celebrated it Sunday night with a bonfire and grilled cheese roast, aided by the 17 degree!! weather we experienced on Sunday. Indeed it really was the summer solstice as the sun was only beginning to dim around midnight.



































This morning we woke up to more or less sunny skies, but a frigid north wind that blew icebergs around the bit of open water we are beginning to see on the horizon of the bay (also the river is open)! We started the first of our manipulation experiments today which led to our first real bluff mishap. An illustration is provided below. While crossing a crevice between two sections of our bluff, I attempted the move I attempt everyday to pass over the crack. Unfortunately I did not take into account the very heavy, salt filled backpack I happened to be wearing.


I'll have to start doing more push ups because I ended up pinned against a rock acting as almost a human bridge. Fortunately my fellow planktoneers came to my rescue and were able to pull the backpack off of me (and no they didn't pause to take a picture..hence the drawing). The day continued without incident and several of our pools are now officially more saline than they were before. And our experiment is off and running!






p.s. Karl, we met one of your field course students!