Fieldtrip Days

Finally off to the water! - that was the motto for us this week.

After spending the first month mainly on the PC and with preparations, we finally started fieldwork this week.

The first survey day for Susann's killer clam project was coming up - exhausting, long but successful :)

As part of the subsequent experiment, we want to measure the calcification of the clams and to be able to extrapolate these values for the field/whole reef, we want to determine the abundance of the clams beforehand.

Meaning: laying transects and counting or measuring clams.

On Wednesday, finally the time had come for the mandatory check dive for scientific diving here at the university. Luckily, our Safety Officer was a super nice and experienced professional diver - he immediately recognized that he didn't need to make us do mask exercises anymore :) And so we had the chance for two relaxed dives at Al Fahal Reef.

After the side facing the land (where we had already snorkeled twice) looked a bit worn out in some places (the last very hot summer seems to have taken its toll on the reef), the outside that we dived on was a real surprise!

Incredibly many different corals and fish - you really had the feeling of diving in an aquarium!

It is also a new experience to do without neoprene - we even did our 110-minute dive in our thin snorkeling clothes in a relaxed manner.

Although it is slowly becoming cooler on land (and therefore much more pleasant), the water is still 32-33 °C.

Today is the last working day of the week - but we will continue 'underwater' on the weekend as well. We have booked a dive trip from the university for tomorrow (we will have pictures and a report on that next week).

Things are also going well at work - Felix is ​​still busy with preparations and setting up the CO2 measurement system for the upcoming 24 hour survey, and I have to deal with 'slaughtering' my clams next week in order to take tissue samples.

Currently, 'Sam the Clam' and 'Harrold' - as Kimberly, a master's student here, has named them - are still in their aquarium.

So it's small steps that move us forward - but that's how it goes here :) A friend recently spoke of 'chewing speed' - that seems to be quite fitting.

Best regards to all of you at home

Felix and Susann