July 22
Today we left Washington D.C. and drove to Virginia, playing games along the way. When we got there we started looking for the place where we were supposed to stay. After a short while we found it and checked in. We went in the rooms to check them out, and we found ourselves in a dimly lit room with questionable comforters and a creepy atmosphere. To make matters worse, two of the room numbers were splattered with paint, which made it look like blood. We were all really polite and didn't say anything even though we would rather sleep somewhere else. Fortunately, there were available rooms at the Comfort Inn and we didn't have to worry about staying at the Motel.

Once we checked in at the Comfort Inn, we took our luggage out of the car and took them to the rooms. We spent a little time at the pool and afterwards changed and headed down to the dive shop. We got our own mask and snorkel and then went to dinner with Dr. Earle.

Finally, we went back to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to a presentation by Dr. Earle. It was incredibly interesting and before we knew it, time had flown by and it was already 10:30. We got back to the hotel pretty late and went to bed at about 11:30. It was a long, yet amazing day.

I'm thrilled that we get the chance to work with Dr. Earle. She is simply incredible. She has the record for the deepest ocean dive and has traveled all over the world. She has an incredible amount of knowledge and is so passionate about the sea. It's nice to see a person genuinely care about our seas and oceans. I'm really looking forward to this expedition.

We'll also work with Dr. Reay from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. He is a great person who really wants to transmit what he knows about the bay and make sure that the other people understand that it's in trouble and we can help. He's a person who really knows his stuff. I'm excited about working with him too.

July 23
Today we went to VIMS and then headed out on the boats. We were on the Moray with Dr. Reay and headed out to Goodwin Island, which had salt marshes. Once we were there we went in the mud flats to do a transect and other tests. It was difficult to walk around the mud flats because my water shoes repeatedly got stuck and I fell a couple times. I had the opportunity to use a probe that was different from the one we used in Mission 1. It was a great probe because it took temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and salinity all in one reading. We also took a core sample and we were able to see several different organisms, which was pretty exciting.

After lunch we headed back to the island to do some seine netting. I helped pull the net the first time. It was hard work because of the heavy chain at the bottom, but it caught a whole lot of species. It was incredible all the different organisms we were able to see.

Once we were done looking at the organisms caught, Dr. Reay gave us a brief explanation of the two different types of grass found there: eel grass and widgeon grass. Then, we went snorkeling and I was able to see the grasses on the bottom in their habitat. It was the greatest part of the day. One particularly funny event was when I dove and came up, I had a whole bunch of sea grass on my hair and Maria saw me and just burst out laughing. According to her I was "swamp girl."

Another funny event was when my hair got really stuck in the snorkeling mask and we were trying to have a serious conversation with Dr. Reay. I was trying not to make a big deal, but it was really stuck so Maria finally had to help me untangle my hair. It was pretty amusing since everyone was paying close attention to Dr. Reay.

We went back to VIMS when we were done and changed into our dry clothes. It didn't take much time, and before long we were all in the van waiting for Beven. Austin suggested that we move the van before Beven came out, so we did, and Maria rushed out to videotape his reaction. After a while, Beven came out and after looking around the parking lot for the van, he had a confused look on his face and so he went back into the building while we were laughing our heads off. When he came out the second time, he unfortunately saw Maria hiding behind the bushes and the prank ended there. It was simply so funny, and I know it's one of those experiences I'll never forget.

Today was an incredible day. I had a lot of fun and I learned tons. Dr. Earle is so wonderful. She is the one of the sweetest persons I've ever met. I really admire her deep love and respect for nature. She is so passionate about what she does, and admires every single creature that crosses her path, no matter how big or small they are. I still have a lot to learn from her, she is really an inspiration.

July 24
Today we went to VIMS and talked with Dr. Earle and Dr. Reay. We learned lots of interesting things, like how there are 150,000 sq. miles of marine sanctuaries, but that only represents less than 1% of the world's oceans. We also found out that the world population has tripled and that half of the people live on the coasts.

Afterwards, we went on the Moray once again to see an oyster reef. We were surprised to see the water so turbid and also to find only one live oyster among tons of dead ones. When we were there, we also pulled a crab pot with five trapped crabs. We were able to save them and it felt great to be able to help a small, yet important, creature of the bay. On our way back we were lucky enough to see the dolphins out on the bay. It was a spectacular sight. It was an unforgettable moment.

After lunch, we went back on the boat to visit a buoy. The waves were pretty high, so we didn't get in the water. Dr. Reay explained to us what types of data the buoys gather. They are simply amazing! They give you an incredible amount of information. You can get wave height, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, and other data by going to a website and accessing your desired buoy.

When we were done, we went back to VIMS where we actually got the chance to access a buoy via the Internet. It showed a lot of very important data and it even showed graphs. It was so awesome! After Dr. Reay was done showing us buoy-related things, Dr. Earle did a wrap up of the mission. It was great because we got to discuss Mission 3 and we were able to tell her our thoughts and comments about this expedition.

July 25
Today was the last day of our mission. It was full of one-on-one interviews and journal writing, but we did get a chance to do some fun things. We watched a video that Dr. Earle showed us, and Dr. Reay took us on a tour of one of VIMS aquariums. Both activities were incredible!

When we were done, we went back to say goodbye to Dr. Earle since she had to leave today. I am going to miss working with her. I had the best time learning from her. She always had something interesting to tell us, she is officially one of my heroes. I was sad to see her go, but she asked for our addresses and said she would keep in touch, which makes me so happy and excited.

Dr. Reay is also an amazing scientist. Today he showed us a simple experiment that explained how oysters filter the water, which really helped demonstrate their importance to the bay.

After a while we all decided to call it a day and went to have some fun with Dr. Reay. We put on chest waders and went out on the water to do some seine-netting and digging to see what types of creatures we found. It was incredibly fun! The waders feel so nice once you're in the water. We found various types of fish and also a seahorse.

After we went back, we were ready to leave and had to say goodbye to Dr. Reay. He has been amazing to us. I had the greatest time with him. Fortunately, he gave us his card and said we'll keep in touch, which makes me feel less sad about leaving.

Personal Conclusion
This whole expedition has been so enlightening. Dr. Sylvia Earle is an amazing woman! She taught us so many things and really opened our eyes to a whole different world. I will never look at any body of water the same way. I have learned to think from the point of view of the sea creatures and I think that is really great, because now, whenever I look at a water body I'll be aware of all the organisms that call that place home.

An important thing I'm taking home with me is the awareness of the water's problems, and I'm eager to get home and tell everyone about the problems caused by over-fishing and pollution. Also, how all these problems can be related to any of the world's oceans, seas, rivers, or lakes.

Finally, I'm glad to have had this opportunity, because I now know some things I can do to help. This was an unforgettable experience, and I can safely say I'm a whole different person in the way I think.