Up 6.30am to get breakfast and print out some directions. Got a courtesy bus to the airport then had to wait for a Hire car shuttle to the Budget rental car section, this was 10 mins outside the airport.
Usual thing with rental cars, you think you have booked everything then they start to list the extras you might like:
“Would sir like wheels with this vehicle, we recommend it?”
Not quite this bad but stuff I thought would be standard such as :
Fuel, Roadside assistance, Medical assistance…..was not included. Fortunately it was quite reasonable. Decided to purchase the Sat’ Nav’ for an extra £10, it was to be a wise move.
Sat’ Nav’ did me proud on the way down south from the airport, very smooth journey and arrived after 1 hour and 1 minute, as predicted.
The University Of Massachusetts, Dartmouth was a strange looking campus. The buildings were finished in a bland concrete colour and had a strange “communist block” type look. That said they appeared to be well resourced and well kitted out inside.
Was a bit early so took a walk around, it was quite sweet to see the “kids” strutting around. You forget how this stuff is such a life changing experience…..first time away from home, total independence, sports, relationships, great friendships…..good times.
Found my way to the office of Ken Oliveira, Associate Professor who specialises in the biology of the American eel. Ken is a larger than life character who greets you like a long lost friend, like only the Americans can do. After a brief tour of the labs we meet up with Whitney Hable, Assistant professor of Marine Biology and co-researcher on the eel’s project.
The plan was to head out to the marine lab and check the state of the eel brood stock, some of which are expected to spawn. Quick stop for a Subway sandwich, I had a “footlong” with barbecued chicken, it was to weigh me down for the rest of the day.
At the Marine Lab Ken, Whitney and Andrea (research student) prepared the equipment to check and inject the female eels to induce spawning. Obviously a well-rehearsed procedure, like a mini production line.
Ken, Andrea (centre) and Whitney process another female American eel
Andrea injecting a female with salmon pituitary extract
Each female was checked for ripeness and injected with a salmon pituitary hormone. Those that were considered closest to spawning were “biopsied” to check egg quality and brought back to the campus for the final maturation hormone injection, DHP. This would hopefully cause the females give eggs 16 hours later.
Back at the campus the eggs sampled were measured and checked under the microscope for assessment of condition. Five females were selected for final injection which is given in 6 small shots, 3 on either side of the body spanning the length of the ovary.
Unfertilised American eel egg, approx 0.8mm in diameter, ready for final maturation (Courtesy of Oliveira and Hable 2012
So that was it, just have to wait until tomorrow. Jumped in the car and programmed the Sat Nav to get me to the hotel room, it didn’t recognise the address but I managed to get near enough to ask. Hotel was a bit out the way so it was definitely going to be a “night in”.
Had a lot of admin stuff to do so it worked out well….printing boarding pass, booking train tickets etc. It was weird to think that this was my last night away, tomorrow it would be checking the female eels at the University, fertilising the eggs then heading home!!!
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