The Naturalist

I really like working with this crew. I've been able to joke around and they don't see me as a fish cop anymore. Everyone has their job to do, I don't interfere with theirs, and they all seem to understand mine pretty well. I'm not here to enforce laws, that's the coast guards duty. I'm not here to interpret the laws, I'm not versed well enough to do that. I'm here to take down catch data and take some specimen samples of the catch. I realized a couple days ago that I am doing essentially the same thing all the early naturalists did when they boarded fishing and cargo vessels heading into the ocean. They were aboard as a guest paid by the Queen and King to find and discover new plants, animals, or drugs across the global in the name of King and Country. There was a lot of money to be made in bringing back a flower, or fruit producing plant that was not grown in Europe but could be cultivated. These science nerds rode aboard the vessels, with all their literature, paperwork, drawings, specimen samples dispersed all over their stateroom, much like I've got going on. A job separate from the rest of the crew, and essentially treated like the government aboard the ship. They could be on these voyages for years at a time. Darwin's infamous trip to the Galapagos was one of these parliamentary sponsored trips that his uncle set up for him when he was collegiate aged to keep him out of trouble. The doctor in the movie Captain and Commander was naturalist as well if you remember.

I've taken this kind of personality while on board, while interacting with the crew. Any of you who asked me a science question only to be board out of you mind with my 30 minute ramble of a response, knows that I can get really excited about explaining how things work when I know a little bit about it. You also know that I am excited to tell it to anyone who wants to listen, (or even pretends to listen). Well I have a captive audience most days as I'm watching and tallying the fish as they come aboard. So needless to say, I've been in my "Bill Nye the Science Guy" mode with this crew. It's been a lot of fun. It's only been 8 days, so I haven't rambled enough to bore them with it yet, it'll probably happen soon. Besides, I'll run out of material soon enough. The fishermen who have been out here doing this for a long time, have really taught me more about the fish specifically then did any of my trainers. The fish habitat, how they migrate, where they live, what temperature of water is best, how the full moon plays a role in the catch, when they breed, how often they breed, how old they get, how the smallest change in barometric pressure affects the size of the catch. Absorbing their knowledge and experience as their eyes tell the story of many with vigor, I can't help but get caught up in it.

When I started this, I couldn't tell you the difference between a trout and a salmon, or be able to pick them out of line up. I was what is known in the Science world, as a pipette jockey; working with microorganisms, and lab educated. It's been a lot of fun being able to switch from one discipline of biology to the other. This has given me a greater perspective of the biological world I've only been able to gaze at on the Discover and Science channel. I think for the next adventure and change of perspective, I should choose a warmer climate, and maybe on dry land? Novel idea, don't you think?

- Casey