Our second day on the Island commenced with a very cold 6:30 AM swim to the boat wreck near the island. There was plenty to be seen although the water was a little choppy and the visibility wasn't quite as good as it could have been. Once back and (semi) dry we had a lovely breakfast of egg and spinach tacos completed with yogurt, toast and fresh fruit. After breakfast, we had some difficulties getting the projector to work for a lecture so we got an early start on our field work for the day. We paired up, grabbed our gear and headed for the beach. The lab we were conducting was designed so that we find the relative abundances of biotic and abiotic components of the seafloor as you move further away from a reef. We did this by laying transit lines (long measuring tapes) and placing a quadrat (plastic square with an internal grid) at different places along the line. This was to determine the relative densities of things such as coral, rocks, algae and sand. We then had lunch and went to the lab to analyze our data. After several hours we finished our lab reports and were able to head out for one last snorkel before sunset where we saw a massive loggerhead turtle along with some more rays. Disappointingly, I still have yet to see a sizable shark but we're headed to shark bay tomorrow so Ill be angry if it doesn't live up to its name. We had nothing scheduled after dinner so i set out on my own to the beach where I sat and watched the stars for about an hour. It was unsettling seeing a whole new set of stars and constellations but luckily i was able to pinpoint the southern cross which gave me a feeling of familiarity. It always amazes me how much more of the sky you can see once you get away from civilization and light pollution. Anyways, I didn't get too many pictures today but did run into a massive spider so viewer discretion advised.
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After arriving in Gladstone on Tuesday and staying the night at the extremely hospitable Gladstone Backpackers hostel, we took a mid-afternoon ferry to Heron Island. The ferry ride in was very quiet as our group shared the large ferry with only 4 guests that were coming to stay at the resort that shares the island with the research station. The water was calm for the most part and several dolphins were spotted playing around the boat. Upon arrival we were given a quick tour and the snorkeling gear required to conduct our research over the coming days. After settling into our dorms, we took a stroll down to the beach to watch the beautiful sunset (which we missed by about 2 minutes). Once down at the beach we began to wade in the shallow waters and watched juvenile reef sharks and rays come into the bay with the incoming tide. We then ate an amazing dinner (shout out to Pat, the on island chef) of pasta bake and chocolate mousse. The next couple days activities will be heavily determined by the weather so keep your fingers crossed for clear and blue skies. I feel incredibly blessed to be here and I am excited to see what else this astonishing island has to offer!
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