Oysters!

Is it already Thursday? Apparently it is... Anyway, today I went to Martha's Vineyard to collect oysters for a grant project that the vet at the MBL is doing. We took the ferry over to the island and then got into the back of a truck to drive to the site. Don't think that that was easy--it was freeeeeeezing! I was bundled up in my hat, gloves, and winter coat pulled over my head. The only part of me that was exposed to the elements was my cheeks which are now thoroughly wind burnt and pink. When we got to the site (which was beautiful) we went out on the boat to collect the oyster baskets (I'm not sure the actual terminology).
There were three lines with fifteen baskets each which we had to sort (dead and alive) and count. While it may seem like this wouldn't take too long, it took about seven hours to finish--but it wasn't without its perks. It sounds tedious, but I really enjoyed being out in the field, collecting data, seeing new organisms. We saw some green amphipods that looked like the small runt cousins of stomatopods with strange boxing glove appendages it used to try and right itself. I learned about a parasitic worm that is infecting the oysters causing the fishermen much frustration, and I'm sure economic woes. What this grant is trying to do is to find some oysters that are resistant to this particular parasite and once identified, they will seed the next crop.
I met a fisherman who gave me some pears that he had collected which were sweet and delicious. People are so friendly and so eager to make you feel welcome here.
When I came home, I had the place to myself and cleaned up the kitchen (as a payment for all the free food and beer I have been given!) and now I am going to try and get a full nights sleep before a long day tomorrow, followed by my first party in the Hole.