So...I've been slowly figuring out by way of researching for my capstone that I'm entering a whole area no one has really been in. So my capstone paper will eventually (definitely looks that way) will end up being published somewhere, sometime. How is it the state of California has had NO one research biotoxins and how it affects the economy?! There are hypotheticals and there's extrapolating from other states, but I can't find any papers on specifically California or even government documents! So I'm going to have to end up doing MORE research and work for my capstone than I thought. I'll have to extrapolate from other studies and compare it to California and look at domoic acid blooms, fishery closures, beach closures, and fishery and beach data when they're open. Lovely...
In some ways it's kind of interesting going and doing something no one has really done before, but it's also terrifying for an undergraduate capstone paper! I had a PhD scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (a premier institute) tell me that if I unearth any information or write a paper that estimates economic costs from harmful algal blooms (HABs) for California to pass it on to him. This guy has been writing papers on harmful algal blooms HABs and economy impacts for years (at least 2000). So I'm just a bit floored and even more stressed now. Lol
On another note...it seems wrong that kids (5 and 3) have more energy than a 21-year-old. I'm reading stories to my niece and nephew and getting them ready for bed and all I can think about is how much I want to go to bed and how wired they are. LoL I do think if I can have any super power it'd be to sap excess energy from little kids and/or the ability for people to sleep for you. I think both those would be very useful. Who cares about being invisible or being able to fly, I want something more practical. :P
School! My first of three marine biology tests is next Tuesday. AHHHHHH! I have a paper/presentation due next week in Water Law too. I have to go to the water district's office and pick up a brochure and call them to interview someone. *rolls eyes* My first formal paper is due Thursday for food ethics. It's definitely not my best paper I've written. It's hard to fit everything I want to say in 5 pages double-spaced. Also harder in trying to cover enough points with such little information and on a topic that's hard to grasp. It just makes for a not-so-great paper. At least that's what my draft for tomorrow is like. LoL The GRE is quickly approaching; okay, it's in 47 days. It seems really close, though, and finding time/energy to study is hard.
As for the aquarium, I have to make a decision tomorrow whether I can commit to being a mentor or not. It's basically a mandatory meeting 3 times in a year (fall-summer) and arriving early/staying late on shift on Sundays. I think I can do that, but do I want to add another level of commitment onto myself? Granted, it's not adding that much more since I'm already going on Sundays, but it's all psychological!
Anyway, I should go to sleep. Well, more like read some marine biology and my lit review paper for it. Test next week with 200 pages of the book to read and pages of notes to review. AHHHHH
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