IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING: FIELDWORK

That's right folks, it's that time of the year- the sun is shinning, the temperature is rising, and it's time for fieldwork. I'm willing to bet this is the most desired word to hear by undergraduate science majors, probably even most members of the scientific community as a whole. Scientists are driven by their desire to explore the unknown, and what better way than putting on a pair of waders and jumping into a creek?

After a couple months of processing samples from the previous field seasons, I was given the opportunity to participate in fieldwork with the GMU fish lab. This opportunity included:

• Monitoring adult and juvenile fish populations in Potomac River watershed creeks by conducting hoop nets

• Recording and documenting standard length measurements, sex, and species of fish sampled in field

• Conducting ichthyoplankton tow samples to monitor larval fish populations

• Assessing spawning site health by monitoring water quality using multiparameter sondes and created depth and flow creek profiles

• Maintaining infield data entries

So I packed my snacks, put my waders on, and hiked to the field site... only to find hundreds of fish to be recorded, handled, and released. I like fish, don't get me wrong, but managing my first couple minutes of shock when I realized I was expected to untangle squirmy fish from tiny holes in the nets was something I hadn't expected. I've been blessed with the ability to care too much for fish, bugs, and any other little creature that moves (sometimes even plants, if I'm feeling sappy) which really made me question if I was cut out for field work. Our catch had some larger species of fish that inevitably influenced the survival of some of our smaller species, and this was something I had to accept.

It took some time, but I eventually regained control of my emotions and was ready to tackle our task. It helped that I was immediately thrown into the role of standard length measurement taker and determiner the sex of the fish. This forced me to overcome my apprehension towards handling the fish, and once we got going I became much more comfortable handling the fish. This process continued for many hours, until every fish had been recorded.

I had always thought that fieldwork was my calling (don't we all), but this experience really did make me stop and question if this was the right path for me. After sharing my concerns with my mom and close friends, I was reassured that this was just my first experience and that it doesn't have to define my entire future relationship with fieldwork. To reiterate this, the next week I went into the field and actually found pleasure in handling the fish (even though that bunch was especially feisty).

On a side note, it is important to remember fieldwork is still work but by no means is it boring work!