Going off to the tropics to study pumilio!

MonarchzMan · #1 (**permalink**) 05-09-2007, 11:40 PM

Yup, that's right, I'm going to Panama on the 16th and won't be back until July 30. I'll be spending the summer in the Bocas del Toro archipelago (i.e. I'll be spending 2 and a half months on the beach; who could ask for a better summer?)

For the first 7 days, I'm going to be tagging along with the study abroad group I went with last year. I'll be working with one of the professors to be trained on how to help him with his project for the rest of the summer when he's not there. The next four days are going to be free to do whatever. And then the research team from Texas will be coming down on the 27th and I'll be working with them for the rest of the summer.

I'll be working on the pumilio complex and microhabitat analysis of the various morphs. I believe that I'll have daily, or at least weekly internet access, so I'll do my best to keep with updates and such. I'll be taking hours of video and audio, and probably thousands of pictures. I'll be bringing my laptop, so I'll be able to load pictures onto here, allowing me to have looooaaads more pictures (yay for 220 gig hard drive!).

Obviously, I'll be on a whole lot less, but I'll do my best to stop by occasionally.

jbeetle · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 12:33 AM

Glad to see you got it all together. Look forward to any updates and pics. Good luck.

leucofrog · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 01:12 AM

goodluck, and be safe down there

tyler · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 02:27 AM

Damn, that's awesome. Good luck and have fun mate!

UmbraSprite · #5 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 04:53 AM

That's awesome.

I am going to be down for a few weeks in June. Probably 11th-18th in Bocas. I am chartering a catamaran to take us to Cayo de Agua and Escudo to shoot pumilio.

If you are interested...the cat sleeps four and they provide EVERYTHING. Killer seafood...drinks....snorkeling if you choose...they have kayaks on board to explore the islands...etc etc etc

The rates are ~175-200/day depending on how many of us there end up being. Currently there are only two of us.

I am also going to try and get down to see some darklands before I head back to Costa Rica.

Shoot me a PM if you are interested in coordinating.

Chris

MonarchzMan · #6 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 05:21 PM

Thanks for the offer, but I think that everything will be covered from these guys at UT. I'm not sure what populations we are sampling when, so it could be such that we will have already sampled the populations you plan on going to. The seafood, though, makes the offer very tempting :lol:

If you're around Isla Colon, feel free to stop by the Smithsonian station. They allow visitors, I believe.

*GREASER* · #7 (**permalink**) 05-10-2007, 06:38 PM

thats really awsome man. Im excited about being able to hear about your research through the board. I know everyone would really appreciate hearing all about it and checking out the pictures.

zBrinks · #8 (**permalink**) 05-11-2007, 06:42 AM

Thats awesome! Is this with the professor at MSU? Im leaving for Michigan tomorrow, and will be attending MSU in the fall . . . does he do this thing every year? Cause if he does, I better start saving up . . .

Oh yah, there better be pictures :wink:

MonarchzMan · #9 (**permalink**) 05-11-2007, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zBrinks

Thats awesome! Is this with the professor at MSU? Im leaving for Michigan tomorrow, and will be attending MSU in the fall . . . does he do this thing every year? Cause if he does, I better start saving up . . .

Oh yah, there better be pictures :wink:

It's partly through the professor at MSU. He takes a class on a study abroad each summer for three weeks. One of those weeks, you're in Bocas del Toro, and since he's studying pumilio, he's always sure to have a little side project going to look at them. I'd definitely recommend going if you can. It's a blast (I went last year) and there's a big focus on herp stuff. I'll be with them for that week, but for the rest of the summer, I'll be with a group from the University of Texas studying pumilio. I will be collecting tissue samples for the MSU prof so that he can hopefully do genetic mapping on all the populations.

That said, I have no idea what his plans are when he finishes this project (he's only been able to get scatterings of data since he's only there one week a year) and if he'll continue to work with pumilio afterwards. I'm guessing that with my data collection from this summer, that he'll be able to finish up his project and publish his findings.

We'll have to meet up at some point since it looks like I'll be up in Lansing to help him with sequencing.

Steve · #10 (**permalink**) 05-11-2007, 08:50 PM

One thing that i always wondered about the Boca's, What is the salt content in the air and the surrounding jungle being so close to the sea... does it affect or play a role in the requirements in Pumilio from that locale?

Is it something worth looking at or am i well off key here?..

Sounds like a great trip though, enjoy.

Regards

Steve