25 May, 2010

Ocean-minded minutes

So I've been writing a series of ads for the family dive shop trying to capitalize on our marine science cred. Education's definitely a big facet of what we do, so we decided to go with an "edu-tising" radio campaign for the local market. Every few weeks I pick three topics in oceanography, marine fauna, etc. on which to pontificate for 30 seconds each. Just now, for example, I've finished one for manta rays, one for the plankton, and one for tidal generating forces.

This is rough. I have the tendency to wax lyrical about topics that interest me and am utterly flat and boring when I'm uninterested. It's also difficult to dispense complete nuggets of informational gold in only 30 seconds, which forces me to pick topics about which I can make simple statements and sweeping generalizations without feeling too much a tool.

Perhaps I can use this blog as a means to assuage my guilt. You, fellow naturalists and assorted laypersons, can listen to the completed commercials here www.bottomtimehawaii.com. Feel free to call me out on any mis/over/under-statements, disingenuous omission, befuddlements, fudges, confusions or other offenses I've overlooked.

And offer advice. And ideas for more bloody commercials.

Thanks stacks,
Gavin

17 May, 2010

A new blog, then.



At the behest of several friends, and on my own recognizance, I have agreed to start a blog. I enjoy writing, and I'm told that others enjoy reading the products, but since my graduation from UH-Hilo a year ago I have had little opportunity stretch my literary legs. If my langauge for the first few posts, especially this one, seems stilted or overly dry, chalk it up to rustiness or a general lack of enthusiasm when talking about myself.

Because I suppose this first posting is where I should state my interests, my background, my goals, and my intentions for this log.  Well.

My name's Gavin. I am, as I mentioned earlier, a relatively recent graduate of the University of Hawaii at Hilo's Marine Science program. I've wanted to be a marine scientist (of various stripes) since I was about four. I'm still not really decided on what my main area of concentration should be, but while at school I mainly studied marine ecology and conservation biology. I also enjoyed studies in oceanography, and a research assistant position with the island's extension agent for aquaculture, Dr. Jim Szyper. My future areas of work will likely be decided by where I end up for grad school, if I end up going at all.

Unlike many of my co-graduates of the class of 2009, I had the dumb luck to obtain a good job in my "field" more or less straight out of college, and I've been there since. I'm nominally a research technician working for a local Kona mariculture (open-ocean aquaculture) company. It was great research experience to start with, working on sustainable feeds trials, fish health studies, and some oceanography work. There has since been a "major restructuring" at this company, however. While I was lucky enough to keep my job, the former research team is now entirely employed in getting hatchery production up and running. I now raise live feeds for the larval rearing operation. I've gone from scientist to sea-monkey farmer. They swear they'll get us back onto research as soon as possible, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

My family moved to Kona from Arizona around the same time that I came out to Hilo for school. We were all avid SCUBA divers before we moved out here, and living so close to some of the greatest diving on earth has made junkies of us all. It was inevitable then, really, that we'd end up trying to make a life out of it. My Mom got her instructor's certification and the 'rents bought a small dive operation (of ill repute) which we are busily trying to resuscitate. When I'm not working at the hatchery, I can generally be found around the shop or the boat we keep moored at Honokohau harbor. We've got a charter full of recent UH grads tonight, actually.

Right, enough of that for now. On to the fulcrum of this post which is... what can you, dear reader, expect to see on this blog henceforth?

I hope this blog (along with possibly a companion youtube channel) will turn into a running advertisement for diving, the Big Island in general, and topics in science and nature that I find relevant. To that end you'll probably see a lot of posts pertaining to dive sites, marine species, Big Island back-country areas, general adventuring, interesting new papers, and possibly some equipment reviews for you kit-hounds out there. Along the way you'll probably learn more than you ever wanted to know about the vagaries of Land Rovers, rotifer culture systems, and backplate harness BCD's. Just wanted to let you know the potential side-effects.

I think for now that will be all. I've got to get some work done on a paper I'm co-authoring before the charter tonight and setting all this up has allowed me far too much procrastination.