These
last few weeks is seeing the beginning of the end of our adventures. At
the lab things are starting to really pick up the pace. In the past 2 weeks, I
have done parts 1 and 2 of my experiment; which was monitoring gene transcript
levels and enzyme activity with RT-PCR and UV-visible spectrometry. The
study is wrapping up quickly, with the last of the data being gathered next
week. I have learned so much about oysters whereas before, I couldn’t even tell
them apart from rocks.
On Thursday, we
took a quick field trip to Barra da Lagoa and visited an oyster hatchery to collect
the oysters that will be used for the experiment next week. I was shown
around the facility and learned about the different methods that they use to
grow and cultivate the oysters. They can either be grown to maturity through
the tube or tank method. They also explained the cycle water filtration
system they had set up for feeding the young oysters as well as taking
filtering out any waste products without losing any small oysters they may have.
We collected 3 different types of oysters, 2 native to the Brazilian coast, and
1 foreign species. Then we packed the oysters into containers and drove back to
the lab.
Later, I
got to explore the other side of Lagoa da Conceҫão. We decided to go to Praia Molé to enjoy the
rare warm weather and this beach was beautiful! The sand was dotted with
seashells, the sun was out, the weather was warm, and the waves were out for
the surfers. We relaxed on the beach
while some others in our group went surfing; it was interesting since I had
never seen surfing in person before.
Today,
I joined my group of friends for a light afternoon hike in Barra da Lagoa, another place
I wanted to visit. The trail had a
stunning view of the rocks and the water.
We even got to see the gorgeous sunset behind the mountains. It makes me sad that my days in Brazil are
also coming to their own end soon, but I’ve treasured all the wonderful days
spend here and plan to make to most out of every day I have left.
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