Today the BI213 Research Methods course spent the afternoon on a pontoon boat with the Marine Discovery Center to learn about field data collection.
Students utilized a secchi disk and YSI probe to check the water clarity, temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen from the surface to depth at three locations in the Mosquito Lagoon.
They learned about how each measurement changes with tides, seasons and environmental stress events, like algae blooms, and the ecological significance of specific values.
The experience taught the students about managing data collection in the field, how to deploy gear from a boat and effective communication between the data collectors and recorders.
In addition to learning about data collection, the students were able to experience bottlenose dolphins, cannonball jellyfish and a bird rookery while taking in the scenes around them.
This experience is one of the many ways Bethune-Cookman introduces our Biology majors to science concepts outside of the classroom.
Dr. Sarah Krejci & the Aquatic Research Lab 