Expedition Journal
Expedition JournalDate: Mon, 22 Jan 96 22:34:13 UT From: The Nettesheim Family Subject: Congratulations to Jason VII Argonauts Congratulations to all the JASON Project Argonauts on your endevour. It sounds like your all making the most of your time in the Florida Bay. We've been reading your Expedition Journal, sounds great. We also saw all your pictures and biographies here on the Internet. Take lots of pictures to share your experiences with those of use watching from the COLD NORTH!!! Most of all have fun and learn all you can. We'll see you on the Web Danielle! Goodbye from Wisconsin.
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 19:59:15 -0500 To: argonaut@jason.org From: Katie inderbitzen Subject: To the Argos... Dear Argos; (care of Todd, the fabulous coordinaut) I just wanted to drop you guys a line and let you know that you're doing a great job with your journals. I think the kids are really enjoying them. Some of your descriptions about the production team are so right. It IS hard to be natural: for instance, when you're trying to take a lava sample and you have a boom or camera near your head! However, the team can be really goofy-especially on down time. They give the best back rubs! Well guys, you're doing a great job. Keep up the good work! Have fun, eat, and most importantly, SLEEP! Believe me--from going on three hours of it, per night, for an entire week was not enjoyable! However, the experience counteracts this. Have a great time the rest of this week! =|:-) Aloha; Katie Inderbitzen Hudson, NH JASON VI Student Argonaut
>Date: Thu, 25 Jan 96 03:44:28 UT >From: Manatee Team >Subject: Botts > >Hi, Mrs. Botts > >We wrote you twice and we haven't heard from you...but we know you are very busy. >We will save some of our questions for when you return. We did want to know if >that was a picture of you standing in front of the airplane. > >We are looking forward to seeing the finished map--we all didn't know how much work >went into making a map! > >Hope you are having fun! > >From all your students. > Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 23:42:16 -0500 To: jason-stu@gsn.org From: argonaut@jason.org (JASON Project Argonauts) Subject: Re: JASON-STU> Botts Dear Manatee Team, No that was not me in front of the airplane. Jim Anderson and Safia Rawoot were the student argonauts that flew over the bay. The map is being finished by students and will be on the Internet soon. I hope that you have learned something from following along on the expedition. I know that it is not the same as being here but at least you can see the power of the computer and how much a part of the expedition, the way we communicate and your entire future depends on technology. When I was in middle school we did not have computers. I would have been able to follow my teacher via computer or even have known how to turn on the computer. Many of you are very comfortable with technology even though you are still very young! I have been busy but I think about you everyday and I have been trying to think of all of the labs that we can do to show you everything that I have learned. See you on Monday. Sincerely, Ms. Botts JASON Project Argonauts January Research Expedition, January 20-27, 1996 JASON Project homepage: http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/JASON.html
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 20:49:13 -0500
To: jason-stu@gsn.org
From: argonaut@jason.org (JASON Project Argonauts)
Subject: JASON-STU> Hello LaJunta High and Middle Schools
Hello La Junta High Scool and Middle School,
I know you've been waiting all week to hear from me (I hope!). I've been
really busy doing everything from snorkeling in the clear waters of Florida
Bay to working in laboratories occupied by the state of Florida.
The first thing we did this week was learn how to snorkel. Our
group went out to the Bay, which is right outside our dorm, and testeed on
varios things which we need to be able to do to snorkel.
Other things we did were take water samles from varios places around
the Bay, and then test them either on the boat or in the lab.
Today I learned how to identify many diiferent species of fish and then sort
them into their groups of classification. We also snorkeled near Rabbit
Key, which is between the Florida coast and the Keys. Tommorow I'll be
catching spiny lobster for the whole day, so I'll be pretty busy.
I need to go identify some more fish in the" Wet Lab".
Brysen Mustain
JASON Project Argonauts
January Research Expedition, January 20-27, 1996
JASON Project homepage: http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/JASON.html
>Date: Tue, 23 Jan 96 22:44:06 UT
>From: Columbian Elementary La Junta Colorado
>Subject: Re: Sea Cucumber
>
>What is a sea cucumber? Is it a plant or an animal? What does shark's blood
>look like? Why are you testing the shark's blood?
>
>How deep have you gone in the water?
>
>Please say Hi to Brysen for us!!
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 1996 20:49:05 -0500
To: jason-stu@gsn.org
From: argonaut@jason.org (JASON Project Argonauts)
Subject: JASON-STU> Sea Cucumbers and Sharks from Brysen
Dear Columbian Students,
It's been a great so far here in Sunny Florida!
I 'm replying to your message about Sea Cucumbers and Sharks. I can answer
your question about Sea Cucumbers and Sharks. The sea cucumbers are
organisms that look like inflated caterpillars. They feed on the bottom of
the ocean floor, and are related to sand dollars. The other day picked one
up out of the tank and it squirted water all over me. I think it's part of
their defense. Well I have to start sorting the fish we caught today.
Brysen Mustain
JASON Project Argonauts
January Research Expedition, January 20-27, 1996
JASON Project homepage: http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/JASON.html
>Date: Thu, 25 Jan 96 22:02:51 UT
>From: La Junta Middle School
>Subject: Re: JASON-STU> Hello LaJunta High and Middle Schools
>
>Brysen, What are spiny lobsters? What kind of fish are you separating?
>Thanks for writing to us. How big is the bay?
>
Dear La Junta Middle School students,
I'm glad I got your e-mail address. Now I can reply to you directly.
Yesterday we went out to Florida Bay, which is about 1200-1800 sq. km.
We went to catch and study Spiny Lobsters, which are Lobsters that are pretty
much covered with small horns and spines. One of the scientists and I went
snorkeling, (along with other argonauts and scientists) and first studied the plants
and animals in the Lobster habitat. Then we went Lobster Hunting. I caught three
Lobsters by myself. The scientist, Bill Sharp, caught about five. It's easy to find
out what to do after you miss three or four Lobsters in t he net.
All you have to do is trick the Lobster. Because a Spiny Lobster walks
backwards, you set the net behind the Lobster. Then you touch the lobster with
a tickle stick, and he goes in the net. The lobsters are found in Sea Whips and
under Loggerhead Sponges.
Two nights ago, we sorted the fish we caught after trawling and seining fish
in a net. We identifyed Grunts, Mojarras, Snappers, Groupers (we tagged one
Red Grouper) Toadfish, Pipefish, and Seahorses. We caught hundreds of fish
in only five minutes!
Today we released Conch in the Atlantic Ocean. The water was so rough
today after last night's rain shower we didn't get to snorkel. The Ocean near the
Keys is only about waist deep.
Well, I have to go.
Brysen Mustain
JASON Project Argonauts
January Research Expedition, January 20-27, 1996
JASON Project homepage: http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/JASON.html
At 06:58 PM 1/25/96 EST, you wrote:
>Dear Emily and the Croc Team,
>
> How is the croc catching coming? Our teacher
>showed us a picture of you she took right before you
>left for Florida. We like your Jason T-shirt.
>
> We have been reading about your adventures and
>we have a few questions. How many crocs have you cought?
>What was the biggest one? You said one had a number.
>Did you figure out the number from the scutes that had
>been cut or was a number written on the croc? If it was,
>where and how was it written? We also wondered if cutting
>the scales hurts the crocodile.
>
> We will keep looking for more of your expedition reports.
>We hope we can write to you when you get back home and that
>you will write to us. We are just starting to do Jason and
>we think it is really neat. We wish we could be in Florida
>like you are!
>
>Jason Club/Ms. Rossman's Class
>Webutuck Elementary School
>Amenia, NY 12501
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 1996 02:27:25 -0500
To: jason-stu@gsn.org
From: argonaut@jason.org (JASON Project Argonauts)
Subject: Re: JASON-STU> crocs
Hello JASON Club.
Thanks for your letter. Everything has been going just great. We have gone
out croc hunting every night. We caught one croc on Monday (2 1/2') and one
on Tuesday (6 1/2'). The one caught on Monday had a number. The numbers
can be read by counting the clipped scutes. The croc that we caught on
Tuesday had not been marked, so we had to clip the scutes ourselves. We
merely use a swiss army knike and remove the scutes, kind of like clipping
fingernails. They do bleed a little bit, but it does not seem to bother the
croc.
Unfortunately, on Wednesday a croc, about 8 feet long, slipped away and
today (Thursday) we had to return early because of the rain. If you have
any more questions, feel free to write and keep on reading our homepage, we
update throughout the day.
-Emily Hudson
-Rebecca Somers
-Danielle Nettesheim
JASON Project Argonauts
January Research Expedition, January 20-27, 1996
JASON Project homepage: http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/JASON.html
Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 23:42:16 -0500
To: HPP
From: argonaut@jason.org (JASON Project Argonauts)
Subject: Sandee @ JASONville
Greetings from the Croconaut at Jasonville!
Yesterday (Tuesday) was very exciting! My argos started out
in the field with Laura Brandt and Dr. Mazzotti, the crocodile scientists.
We helped clean the equipment and boats from the croc survey the
night before and prepared them for the expedition of the day. Then
we cruised out across the Florida Bay (did you know that almost all
of the Bay is 3 feet deep or even more shallow?) The boat pilots have
to know a lot about the area to navigate it quickly and safely---it is
especially exciting flying back home across the pitch black waves at
10:00 pm! We went ashore on a small mangrove island and tramped
through the swamp, knee high in mud and picking our way through
mangrove vines. Finally we found a croc nest on the bank of a creek!
The scientists had suspected it had flooded last summer and wanted
to dig it up to see if the eggs had hatched before the flooding. So we,
including Dr. Ballard, used shovels and spades to unearth our find.
There were indeed 39 eggs (the average nest is 30-40) that had not
hatched. The smell was very strong, as you can imagine, with that
many "goose- egg sized" rotten eggs! We covered them back up, and
the scientists assure us the nest will be used year after year.
Then we squished back to the boats and were off to wait for dark
to fall. After dark, 2 boats began "shining" the shorelines and one quickly
spotted a croc! Cameras rolled and flashed fired and Dr. Mazzotti
secured the croc. Measurements showed it was about 6' 6" total length,
a 14-15 year old female. She was untagged, so we clipped the appropriate
"scutes" to identify her
All in all it was a most exciting time yesterday. Needless to say, I didn't
have the time or energy to write you last night (had lots of mucky jeans and
shoes to wash or the smell would become permanent, I fear). Hope you
are enjoying my messages. Keep writing to us--either the Argos or I will
try to respond as we get near the computer center! This is the most awesome
thing to be involved in. I hope some of you will apply to become a Jason
Project Student Argonaut in future expeditions!
Yours in Jasonville,
Moffett, Argodile
Back to January Expedition Journal
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Gene Carl Feldman
(gene@seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov)
(301) 286-9428
Todd Carlo Viola, JASON Foundation for Education (todd@jason.org)
Revised: 27 Jan 1996