EQ

1.   Review this.  Confirm by stating "I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ."
Essential Question
Once a topic is chosen, the student will develop a working essential question.  The purpose of the working essential question is to help the student build a strong foundation of research which will allow him or her to create an essential question that encourages depth and rigor in the chosen topic.  An essential question must:

• Provide a framework for studies (It calls for breadth and depth of research, Is not a yes/no question)
• Takes a stance (Allows you to argue some point, Cannot be a recitation of facts or a list)
•  Format (It is specific, The wording makes sense)

2.  Review the following EQs and

• Tell us if it meets the rule of 3 criteria.
• Tell why it does or why it doesn't

 a.  What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
Meets all the rules of 3. It calls for research and is not just a simple yes or no question.

 b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
 Does not meet the rule of 3 because the topic is not specific at all, you can't really research this properly.

 c.  What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
 Meets the rules of 3, it allows you to argue different points, it calls for research, and the wording makes sense.

d.  How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
Does not meet the rules of 3, although the wording makes sense, it does not really leave much room to take a stance.

3.  Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.
What are the most important factors to consider when raising marine life in captivity?

11/10/13

Got my Olive Rockfish today! :D They are adorable too, not that bright, but adorable. They are veracious eaters. I was feeding them whole mysids and they ate everything I put in. Anyways, I did the usual morning feedings and cleanings and then went up to the library to submit my proposal. That took up most of my morning. Then after the library and lunch I went to the tank sheds with Natalie to find  myself three 10 gallon tanks.... this was easier said than done. I didn't find any ten gallon tanks, but instead found three 15-20 gallon tanks. So I took those instead. Then I had to scrub them down and bleach them.But before I could bleach them I had to cover all the holes with tape, which I did with lots and lots of tape, and then fill it up to the top with fresh water and bleach and let that sit for 30 minutes, and so the leaks began. Water just kept on coming out, it had seeped through the tape, and of course it had waited until after I'd put the bleach in. Bleach in cuts doesn't feel good at all. So after a bunch of leaks, tripping over siphons with 5 inch diameters and generally making a mess,  had two tanks done...... or so I'd thought. I found out that after I drained the bleach water I needed to fill it up AGAIN with fresh water and then place four crystals of chemical in it and let that sit for five more minutes. So Then I had to drain it again and finally I was done. So next Sunday I will be bleaching the last tank.

11/03/13

Today has been one of my favorites so far! After the usual morning feedings and tank cleaning, I did my very first tour! Southgate was coming again and Andres asked me if I could give a tour of the aquarium to the kids who were new. So I did, to one kid, yes one kid only. But it was fun. I took him to the jelly lab where he got to hold a moon jelly and took him to the touch tanks, let him feed the red abalone and then gave him a tour of the aquatic nursery and main exhibit hall. After this we stopped for a quick lunch break where I discovered the amazingness that is the maple bacon doughnut. Then we all went down to the tidepools. It was lowtide and there were tons of life about! I saw lots of Sea Hares, Starfish, Muscles, Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Snails, Sea Anemones, sea slugs and tide sculpin. After about a good half hour we all had to go back. Then I fed the animals for the p.m. feeding and met with Andres again. He showed me how to use ImageJ and I got some much-needed facts clarified. I hope to have my proposal submitted by tomorrow.

This is the molted shell of a male Striped Crab I found under a rock.

the Tidepools at Cabrillo are absolutely beautiful, and abundant with life. I highly suggest people go there at low tide.

10/27/13

Today I participated in the usual morning feedings and cleaning of the animals and tanks.Then, I helped Daisy rid the Two Spot Octopus tanks of the dead crabs and such. That was easier said than done. See, we can't really put our hands in  the tanks to pick it up because that really stresses out the octopus. So instead we use basters to 'suck up' the stuff. As you can hopefully imagine, it's hard to suck up a snail shell with a baster..... but we managed. It just took a lot longer than I thought it would. For the most part of the day it was normal. Later I met with both Andres and Nicole to discuss my project. Well, turns out they got rid of their Olive Rockfish so I will be using Kelp Bass instead. Lucky for me the aquatic nursery already has those.

Octopus bimaculoides

Octopus bimaculoides, commonly known as the Two Spot Octopus, is a favorite species of octopus for pets because of its pleasant nature and hardiness. It can be found off the coasts of California to Mexico, from east Africa to America Samoa, Japan and Great Barrier Reef. It is found in the intertidal (low tide) and benthic (subtidal) zones. It is usually found in sandy substrates or hidden in rocks and debris.   It can reach a mantle size of 7 inches and its arms can reach about 23 inches. It is not heavily textured and has several common colors such as brown with grey splotches.The Two Spot octopus gets its name from the two iridescent blue chain-like circles set under each of its eyes. These circles are called ocellus.

10/20/13

Today was a very busy day at the aquarium! It was their annual Seafair and the place was PACKED. But before seafair started, we did the usual feeding and cleaning of the animals. One of the volunteers doing a project on Rock Shrimp found parasites growing inside them so we watched him remove them. That was pretty cool, I like parasites. Then, sea fair started. I was stationed at the front so i worked between the kitchen and the thumb-buddy station. We had a lot of people come that day. Later on I met with my mentor and we once again discussed my research project. We decided that I would use a ten gallon tank, the long ones, and divide it into three different sections. Each section would have two olive rockfish in it. We also decided that we would have no gravel in the tank so that I could put a grid at the bottom to better measure their length by using a program called Image J. I'm almost done finding everything I need to write my proposal, so hopefully in a few weeks I'll have it ready and approved.

Blog 8: Research and Working EQ

1.  What is your working EQ?
What factors are most important to successfully raise marine life from birth/hatching in captivity?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format. 
 One of the possible answers to my EQ is nutrition in a fish's diet. Nutrition is especially important in larval and juvenile stages of fish because this can shape how well they do in later life. Poor diet can lead to things such as mal-pigmentation, skeletal deformities and loss of enzyme capacity. It affects their growth, both in weight and length, and their behavior. I hope to further research the effects of nutrition in diet with my independent component, where I will be using Olive Rockfish as my experimental species.
3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?
The most important source that i have used so far is my mentor. Andres has been really helpful and has provided me with many great opportunities to expand my knowledge. He's taught me the different feeding methods for the fish, cleaning and maintenance and the difference between the AQ1 and AQ2 water lines. I've learned how important water temperature, diet, environment and stress factors are in keeping and raising healthy fish.

 4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?
My mentor is Andres Carillo and I volunteer at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. I volunteer specifically in the aquatic nursery, where I work with larvae and juvenile fish. Both my mentor and the aquatic nursery relate to my EQ. My mentor teaches me how to take care of the young fish, along with giving me problems and 'tests' to have me stop and really think things out. The aquatic nursery provides me with the perfect facility to study the larvae and juveniles, along with actively interacting with the public to not only improve my public speaking skills, but to push me to expand my knowledge so that I can provide them with accurate information.