Day 2: Pre-trip module review, project brainstorming, and night hike.

We started right into our bioinformatics class with Dr. Gabriel Vargas. Gabriel had us review all the pre-trip modules and then told us about some of his research that uses computational biology - bioinformatics tools. In the afternoon, we split into our project teams and proposed our project ideas. 

Computational Biology Comparisons of Metagenomes:

  • Matt and Ryan: Marine photic zones in the Columbia river outlet, Baffin Bay, Costa Rica Thermal Dome, and Station Aloha (6 mi. North of Hawaii).
  • Michael: Pelagibacteria in the Arctic and the Pacific oceans.
  • Ruby and Danielle: wetland peat zones in Alaska (arctic) and Colombia (tropical).
  • Alex and Jerry: Nutrient/metagenome relationships among 5 shallow (<30m), large lakes located in 4 countries.


After dinner we did a 2-hour night hike with our guide Dennis. We saw LOTS of cool insects, a tree frog, a green pit viper, lots of katydids, spiders, a butterfly chrysalis, three birds sleeping in the trees (one was a Trogon - same family as the famous Costa Rican Quetzal). Another plus? It did not rain HARD - just a gentle drizzle while we were under the protection of the cloud forest canopy.

 


Find the Katydid?

Chrysalis




 





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