Tide Bite – May 2024

One of the challenges for researchers doing field work on San Juan Island is the limited numbers of sites with public shoreline access – and of course the corollary that any place with public access will have a lot of public traffic, making it very hard to do undisturbed observations and experiments.  

Tide Bite – April 2024

Previous issues of Tide Bites have featured “apprentices” from our autumn Pelagic Ecosystem Function research apprenticeship.  This is such an inspiring program that we asked two of last quarter’s students, Sarah and Marilyn, to write an essay for us.  

Tide Bite – March 2024

FHL is proud of its record of hosting many different types of research, from genomics to subtidal ecology.  The collaborative work described in this Tide Bite is new for us, but of great potential importance – and a nice example of applied work requiring the wisdom of a basic scientist – in this case, someone capable of identifying algae (not easy!) and understanding their ecology and life histories.   

Tide Bite – February 2024

The Story of the Totem Pole
by Megan Dethier and Joshua L. Reid (Snohomish)
For those who haven’t been to FHL in the last 2 years, an amazing item now graces the entryway of the Fernald Building: a gorgeous totem pole.   

Tide Bite – January 2024

One of (many) hard things about the COVID-19 pandemic, for the whole world, was the drastic curtailing of human interactions.  We felt this at FHL, of course, but also suffered from the fact that resident and visiting scientists were restricted from spontaneous collaborations like the one discussed in this month’s Tide Bite.  

Tide Bite – December 2023

This essay is a departure from our usual marine-organism stories – but it starts with sea slugs, and transitions to a topic of special interest to women in science and parents of young children.  

Tide Bite – November 2023

This month we have a nice description of FHL’s REU program, of which we are very proud!  We love the way this mentored-research program blends our missions of research and education, and also links undergraduate education with preparing students for graduate school.  

Tide Bite – October 2023

Greetings,

Summer researchers at FHL carry with them a sense of purpose and urgency: in the time they are here (it’s never long enough), they are focused on gathering data to address a conceived scientific question.  

Tide Bite – September 2023

As a very busy FHL summer wraps up, it’s fun to read this essay about one research scientist’s many summers at FHL, from lab neurobiologist staying in “primitive” huts, to Whiteley scholar housed in those elegant cabins.  

Tide Bite – August 2023

The Dining Hall & Kitchen: Heart of the FHL Campus
by Megan Dethier, FHL Director
A year ago we celebrated via Tide Bite the hard work and great attitudes of two essential FHL teams: the Maintenance and Custodial staffs.