Mid-way through spring, I decided to merge two goals: a desire to test the waters in working in field scientific research, and to live in Alaska. So, I landed a summer internship with the Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova, Alaska!
My work, as far as I know, will involve analyzing nutrients in the waters from the Copper River Delta
(CRD) using spectrometry and various chemical reactions to determine nutrient content and amounts. I will work with Rob Campbell on a project funded by the USGS to investigate effects of increased glacial melt on the CRD ecosystem. Some remarkable features about the Cordova area that drew me to want to live and work there for a summer include:
- an opportunity to contribute to a project that will hopefully help natural resource managers understand the changes of the local ecosystem and how these changes might affect the fish population
- a river delta habitat that is a stopover for most migrating shorebirds of North America
- pristine rain forests
- glacier-capped mountains
- bald eagles, sea lions, and glassy protected waters of Prince William Sound
- a small but vibrant community
I will miss the warmth and sun of a California summer, but the opportunity to engage in field research related to environmental conservation and the ability to live at the doorstep of amazing wilderness are well worth the sacrifice. Look out Cordova, here I come! : )
My work, as far as I know, will involve analyzing nutrients in the waters from the Copper River Delta
(CRD) using spectrometry and various chemical reactions to determine nutrient content and amounts. I will work with Rob Campbell on a project funded by the USGS to investigate effects of increased glacial melt on the CRD ecosystem. Some remarkable features about the Cordova area that drew me to want to live and work there for a summer include:
- an opportunity to contribute to a project that will hopefully help natural resource managers understand the changes of the local ecosystem and how these changes might affect the fish population
- a river delta habitat that is a stopover for most migrating shorebirds of North America
- pristine rain forests
- glacier-capped mountains
- bald eagles, sea lions, and glassy protected waters of Prince William Sound
- a small but vibrant community
I will miss the warmth and sun of a California summer, but the opportunity to engage in field research related to environmental conservation and the ability to live at the doorstep of amazing wilderness are well worth the sacrifice. Look out Cordova, here I come! : )
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