Fieldwork in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Guest post by Lindsay Kosnick ('27).

As our group embarked on the long journey to the Gulf, my excitement began to grow. I couldn’t wait to begin my first research experience by getting hands on in the field. I knew there were so many interesting critters and bivalves that could be scooped up and dropped onto my waiting tray. But when we finally got on the boat and things started rocking, everything went downhill. My only experience with boats was on quiet ponds and lakes, so I had no idea that I would get incredibly seasick. No matter what I did or what medication I took, I couldn’t seem to get over it. I spent my days in the field fighting my nausea inside the boat’s cabin and running to the deck to throw up. I couldn’t sit up without feeling sick, let alone work through the samples we were collecting. Needless to say, it wasn’t the trip that I was expecting.

Despite my experience being an unpleasant surprise, I still think it was incredibly valuable that I went on the trip. As a rising sophomore, my future is uncertain. I don’t know exactly what I want to do or where I plan to go. There are so many paths to take within Geology, it’s hard to know which one to follow. Throwing up over the side of the boat may not sound like an experience that would provide me any clarity, but it was. Now I know that marine field work may not be for me. I also know that I want to try other field work, just with my feet firmly on the ground.

Most importantly, my time on the boat has made me even more excited to get started in the lab. Because of the severity of my seasickness, I was really limited on how involved I could be in the field. Now that we are back in the lab, I can’t wait to finally get to work. Over the next few weeks I’ll be taking a close look at various species and their larval shells. When I find a species that is abundant both live and dead with well preserved larval shells, I’ll be able to work on studying its life history. I’m looking forward to seeing where the lab work takes me.