June 22, 2009

6-22-09

Hey there sea monkeys, back for another round of Bering Sea Plunder with Ensign Blunder. Despite a less that stellar krill tow early this morning (only nine individuals, not enough for any additional water filtration) I was very excited because one of Megan and Tracy's growth experiments had just completed (Megan is shown in the picture standing next to her filtration apparatus). The growth experiment takes place in a rotating incubator with six tinted tubes.


The tubes are tinted to block out sunlight and expose krill to approximately the amount of light they would encounter at their natural living depth. The daily vertical migration of krill is an amazing feat for such a small animal. During the day they essentially hide in the dark from predators who have a tough time seeing and catching them in deep dark waters. During the night when it is dark at the surface the krill migrate towards to the surface to feed on algae. The algae live closer to the surface to harvest sunlight for photosynthesis. The krill can migrate up to hundreds of meters in one evening to feed. Not bad for only being an inch or two long.

The light filter that Megan has on her growth experiment allows 6% and 25% light penetration. This is a good indication of how dark it is around the depth they live during the day. It is also a good explanation why their eyes are so big compared to the rest of their bodies. After Rachel and I collected the eyes from 45 individuals, we submerged them in organic solvent (used to dissolve our target chemicals out of the eyes) in 4 mL vials, and sonicated them for 15 minutes. The sonicator (vibrates samples at a very high frequency to allow the solvent to better penetrate the eyes) is the white box by the right side of the fume hood. The fume hood is the black cabinet with the vertical sliding door holding all the lab equipment. Fume hoods are used for lab work with toxic chemicals. They suck air inward so that fumes stay in the hood and the lab worker doesn't breathe them in. Once the eyes are sonicated they are placed in either the -80 Celsius freezer or the 4 degree Celsius fridge, depending on the type of eye extract. The freezers are the off-white units shown in the picture to the left, and the fridges are the metallic units to the right.


After doing a few rounds of eye removal from the krill, I have a new appreciation for doctors and veterinarians. It is very easy to damage the krill eyes as you are removing them. I imagine it would be much more difficult to work with a patient that is still alive in which you are trying to repair a vital organ. I read a newspaper article recently which stated that there is a shortage of primary care physicians because it is a less popular specialization for medical school students. This is becoming an even bigger issue with health care reform on the table in congress. While primary care doctors may not be as high profile as surgeons or specialists, they are just as essential to the health and well being of all medical patients. Unraveling the mysteries of the Bering Sea is no easy task. It takes a team of scientists from many different disciplines to make real progress on answering tough questions about how all of the nutrients and organisms in the ecosystem interact. Some have said that our problems with healthcare are virtually un-resolvable. Right now it seems that lawmakers are at least on the right track by pulling together a wide range of experts to address all the different issues. Ugh, here I go again. Let's just say that if I had to choose between affordable high quality healthcare and seeing another whale, I would take the healthcare. But another whale never hurts.

-Eli