Tracking Salmon at Davies Creek: A summer internship experience
Hello, my name is Corban. I am entering my second year at UAS. When I started this internship, I was pursuing a major in environmental science; however, after my time with ACRC, I am switching my focus to Biology. I first learned about this internship from a professor of mine. It seemed like a very good opportunity to me, and I was tired of working in retail, so it felt like a necessary change. I was originally interested due to the more humane ways Lindsey captured and handled the fish. Additionally, being outside and hiking most days was very appealing to me.
Unlike most others, I was hired to work specifically as Lindsey McCulloch’s tech. Consequently, most of my days this summer have been spent independently assisting her with the PhD project she is working on at Davies Creek. This project involved tasks such as hiking through muskeg, swamp, and forest environments to reach sampling sites. At these sites, our goal was to capture Coho, Dolly Varden, and Cutthroat trout. We would then measure and weigh these fish. If they were over 70 mm, our next task was to scan the fish to see if they had been tagged. If they had not been tagged, we would inject them with a PIT tag. We also collected water samples and downloaded sensor data on dissolved oxygen (DO), water temperature, and a level logger. Additionally, I helped install four PIT tag arrays that scan any tagged fish passing over them. This project was very interesting, but carrying the batteries for the arrays was not very enjoyable.
While I was primarily Lindsey’s tech, I also had the opportunity to assist with other projects. For example, I worked with Holly Harris, a PhD student from New Zealand, on a combined drift project with Lindsey. This project involved placing a drift net in the water for a variable amount of time (depending on the flow), then bagging whatever was caught. We would then capture fish from our drift sites, take their diets, and measure turbidity on the same day. I also worked with Emily Whitney on her project, which involved driving along the Juneau Road system to take water samples, as well as kayaking to the outflow of the Mendenhall Glacier to collect samples there. I found the lab time to be extremely valuable as well, as it provided me with substantial experience in the various processes that occur in a lab environment.
My favorite memory from this summer occurred near the beginning of the internship. Lindsey, Holly, and I were gathering fish from the minnow traps when, suddenly, it felt like a dam in the sky had broken, and it began pouring rain. Holly and I rounded up the remaining fish while Lindsey set up a tarp shelter for us. When we got back to the shelter, we put on dry-ish layers, sat down, and simultaneously started laughing at how awful the weather was. I found this moment memorable because it was heartening to see that even in some of the worst conditions, we could still find humor and camaraderie.
Working at ACRC this summer has been incredibly inspiring. This internship has taught me so much about various aspects of science and even influenced me to choose a different career path. I am very grateful for this wonderful opportunity.