Week 1, Day 2

Husbandry is a part of my daily schedule. I've been told to think of the cuttlefish as mine :) The group you see below is just a small sampling of the nearly 90 cuttlefish we have, most of which are juveniles.


We also have 6 octopuses (2 different species), but they spent a lot of their time hiding. The one in the picture is the largest one we have and is an Octopus bimaculoides. As you can see, we have to take measures to ensure its incarceration. Otherwise, they'll find their way out and will eventually be found wandering around if they're lucky and dead if they're not.



One of the great things about interning at MBL is that there are frequently guest speakers presenting new and interesting research. I was able to attend a talk by Dr. Tyrone Hayes from Berkeley. He's doing research on the endocrine effects of the herbicide atrazine on frogs, and subsequently, the people who are exposed to it- which is basically everyone. For more information on Dr. Hayes and his research, go here.

The rest of the day was uneventful, as first weeks usually are. They typically require a lot of paperwork, lab safety videos (you gotta love those shots of people "accidentally" drinking out of beakers and pipetting by mouth), and rummaging through equipment wondering where the previous intern left that ac adapter.