By Jen Burger, IdeaStar intern

Hello! I’m Jen Burger, a summer intern here at IdeaStar, Inc. I am currently a sophomore at the University of Rochester and am planning on finishing a double major in Studio Arts and Bio/Geo (a spin off of an environmental science major).

My internship has been great so far! I have my very own cubicle (which for some may not seem like a big deal but for a sophomore in college it’s pretty exciting) and it seems that everyday I’m learning something new. I’ve done just about everything from testing Web sites and drawing up storyboards to answering phones and cleaning carpet spots. It’s definitely teaching me what an office job is all about!

About a month ago I had the opportunity to take a two week course in Tropical Marine Ecology through Miami University of Ohio in the Florida Keys and San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. The course was an intensive field-based study on estuarine and marine ecosystems. We looked at all sorts of marine related topics including coral reefs (both living and fossilized), inter-tidal zones, mangroves, weather, algae, invertebrates, vertebrates, all sorts of water and land plants, and the geology of the Everglades, Florida Keys, and Bahamas.

On our last full day there our professor gave us some free time - this is what happened to me!

The trip was absolutely amazing! I had the time of my life and not just because of the beautiful places we visited. While there I was able to finish up my SCUBA certification and did four day dives and one night dive seeing some of the most incredible things I have ever come in contact with. I never imagined all the different marine critters I would be able to see before coming on this trip. Some of the more incredible creatures I saw were hawksbill sea turtles, nurse sharks, flounder, southern sting rays, queen parrotfish, HUGE crabs and lobsters, sea biscuits, pin cushion sea stars, and much MUCH more.

I became so fascinated while in the water that at times I accidentally got a bit too close and some creatures fought back. After a month I still have marks on my elbow from a battle with some pretty sturdy Blade Fire Coral.

While this trip was for school credit my main concern in taking it was to see if it may be something I am interested in pursuing as a career. After my two weeks of amazing encounters with all sorts of marine species and finding myself interested in even the most boring of algae I must say that I am most definitely interested in pursuing the marine sciences. Next summer I hope to take a similar course with the same professor in Costa Rica to continue my field experiences. I hope one day to get my masters in some branch of the Marine Sciences and this trip has certainly helped me on my way!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 2:04 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.