The purpose of this trip was to take what we learned in the tropical marine biology lecture during the spring semester and apply it to the field. As we went to places like the everglades, mangroves and even diving (or snorkeling) at the reefs, we came across so much life that I thought I would never have the privilege of seeing. Whats even greater is experiencing this with those who have the same passion for this as I do. I wasn't ashamed of geeking out when we visited the MOTE Laboratory or being scared of snorkeling in the open ocean as my friends (especially Alex) were there for me and made me feel relaxed and comfortable. I loved how we all knew the things we were interested in and whenever someone saw something he or she would tell the the other person. It was a lot of fun shark tagging in teams of two as it became competitive and were even able to get a laugh out of how people threw the buoy overboard.
Apart from the scientific stuff, the most fun was during launch and dinner time. As we all sit at the tables we would have to surrender our phones which was a great idea as it allowed us to talk about the day and also get to know more about each other. I think Dr. Z had the most fun during that time. Fro challenging each other to chug a sundae to eat some hot peppers to trying new things and just cracking up jokes and just laughing. I was so happy to be apart of this class and be able to go to a place I can be myself with those I care about. There were times where I felt like a burden or annoying and not gone lie there were times where my anxiety or depression would even show up. But again, being with some of my closest if not only friends helped as they would quickly try and do something to cheer me up. I wasn't going to let anything ruin this trip for not only me but those I came here with. I hope everyone enjoyed this trip as much as I did.
Also so shout out to our great TA Mike for dealing with us and being informative and a great sport and thank you Dr. Z for also joining in on the fun and teaching us some new things that we will all remember for years to come! Go Tropical Ospreys!!
Below are links to some of the places we went exploring and eating at:
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