Jacob Evans
Clatsop Community College
Project: Native Oyster Restoration in Coos Bay - Hydrodynamics of Olympia Oysters in an Estuarine Environment
Summary: Over the summer in the PRIME internship, I worked with Steve Rumrill and participated in a major project by South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve on the restoration of native Olympia Oysters to Coos Bay. I helped with collecting samples out in the field, recording juveniles, and the large scale movement of hatchery oysters out to test sites in the bay. My personal project focused on the hydrodynamics of Olympia Oyster clusters during ebb and flood tide conditions, specifically What is the difference in current speed reduction due to oysters between a Flood and Ebb Tide? and What is the relationship between oyster Cluster size/shape and amount of turbulence and current speed reduction?
My Experience: [The internship] was a really intense experience. I cut my teeth on day one out in the mud and water collecting oysters. I learned the reality of field work which is a lot of hard work really early in the morning. Over the course of the term it shifted to lab work which can be kind of tedious, iPod came in handy for most of this. And finally the term came to a conclusion with a presentation of all the work I did.
The whole thing was really fast paced and challenging at times, but overall it was a good experience. I got hands on experience in field work and real applied research, not the recycled stuff you usually get in the standard class room. My research was something brand new and had never been done before. I met a lot of great people and went to a lot of different events such as SeaFest and the 35th anniversary of South Slough. It was a lot of hard work, unsure efforts, and setbacks, but the successes I had and the things I got to see and do were amazing. If you are interested in science or if you just want some experience dealing with real world applications of what you are studying in college, then it’s a great experience and one I highly recommend to anyone. It’s a once in a lifetime thing, and it’s a great way to prepare for the real world.
Mentor: Dr. Steve Rumrill, Research Coordinator, South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
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