New Highschool Intern Joins No Bones -- Say Hello to Zoe!

In a classroom, in seventh grade the lights dimmed, and on came a Planet Earth documentary, most students eyes closed but this was the highlight of my day. This was the beginning of my love for science.  I had an amazing teacher, and everything started connecting in my head. Science became a complete world for me. The video featured outlandish underwater creatures, looking like they came from a science fiction movie, but of all the fantastical animals the one that stood out the most was the ever transforming cuttlefish. Its ability to constantly change form and their unusual ability to understand their environment complexly fascinated me. I then began my first personal scientific project and discovered many new things about cephalopods. Their complex social patterns sparked my interest in neuroscience. 

The beautiful Metasepia pfeffer (Pfeffer’s Flamboyant Cuttlefish) in a beautiful shade of crimson. (Photo by Richard Ling)

Most importantly, this one public scientific outreach video inspired me to look at life from a viewpoint in which humanity’s achievements aren’t necessarily the best scale for an organism’s level of advancement. Throughout these personal discoveries of science through journalism I realized my two passions, writing and scientific research could converge and I could help ensure biodiversity, express new scientific achievements, and advance technology through my words.

I’m Zoe Grabenstetter, and I’m the new intern for the No Bones blog. I’m ecstatic about being able to bring you stories and discoveries straight from the Invertebrate Zoology department at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. I’m working with the wonderful No Bones team, Allen Collins, Liz Boatmen and Maria Robles Gonzalez for the duration of the summer. As well as working with the many experts, other interns, and many others in the department to learn more about invertebrates, and share everything I can with the No Bones blog. 

My fellow STEM ambassadors and I on STEM information night at South River High School (from left to right: Julian Richards, Zoe Grabenstetter (me), Drake Sockett, and Hannah Hall)

I’m a rising senior in high school from Crofton, Maryland a town close to Annapolis, Maryland’s capital. I’m in South River High School’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program. In my STEM program, a high quality of work is expected and we take many college level classes as well as a junior research project, and a senior capstone. My school system has a large emphasis for studying the Chesapeake Bay and its many Invertebrate creatures, causing me to be keen to work with any aquatic animals, especially invertebrates. 

After seining on a SERC trip in the southern Chesapeake Bay, we collected data on the numbers and percentage of grass shrimp (I’m in the top left corner)

This experience will be an amazing adventure, and I cannot wait to dive right in (and hopefully not get stung by a box jellyfish Carybdea). I had a big adventure with the Smithsonian Education and Research Center in Edgewater, MD tracking the tributaries from a small creek all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. On the way studying critters such as Palaemonetes (the common grass shrimp), comb jellyfish such as the Mnemiopsis leidyi (sea walnut), and the ever popular (and delicious) Callinectes sapidus or blue crab. The grass shrimp and blue crab are large indicators of the health of the bay, they have been a large part in proving that the bay is in bad health by their recent population decline. While the “sea walnut” or comb jellyfish is invasive and is one of the causes of the decline in fisheries due to their consumption of local zooplankton.

During this internship I want to get my hands dirty and learn everything I possibly can. I hope you can join me on this adventure and learn a little more about the other 97% of animals that inhabit the planet with us. What would you like to know? Let the No Bones team know by leaving a comment or tweet at us @InvertebratesDC

By: Zoe Grabenstetter – Intern at the No Bones blog

 

Comments

[Camy]

You will have an exceptional summer experience. I look forward to seeing the world through your eyes. No bones about it.

[Susan Walther]

I look forward to more posts! It's never enough for someone to major just in journalism--its study needs to be combined, as you have shown so wonderfully well, with a passion for a particular subject. Rock on!

[Nancy gross]

This is so totally cool. I am so impressed with you knowledge, writing and passion.Anxious to keep reading and learning more from you Zoe.