China Research » Christy Creamer

It’s soooo HOT!

Christy Creamer — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:13:01 +0000

For the week of June 22nd through the 26th, we continued work on our project by discussing our options after we had a mass mortality of the green mussel larvae. We decided to use oysters as well in our study and compare the embryonic development but remove the portion on larval rearing due to interest of time. We went to the local market to obtain our specimen. One difference with spawning of oysters and mussels is that you only need the meat of the oyster. We took about 1lb of oyster back to the greenhouse where we set up a tub of filtered seawater and began extracting milt and eggs by hand. This process is carried out by making a small incision in the gonads of the oyster and applying pressure until the gametes flow freely. After we obtained enough gametes we stirred the sample to induce fertilization. About 20 minutes later, we took a sample of water up to the microscope laboratory and began recording cleavage patterns with an electron microscope. Almost immediately we noticed that oysters have rapid cell cycles when compared to the green mussel and blastomeres are almost immediately recognized.

The later part of the week was spent staining our fixed samples from the previous week and using a fluorescent microscope to record pictures of our specimens. A fluorescent microscope is used to study properties of organic or inorganic substances using the occurence of fluorescence and phosphorescence. The flourescent microscope is able to highlight cleavage patterns and make them appear clearer than the electron microscope and to make polar bodies more evident.

After the work week was over, the students that I have been working with decided to see Transformers together and to have a bbq at the beach. We played volleyball, frisbee and soccer on a local strip of beach. The weather was great considering how hot it has been. We grilled tofu, makeral, chicken, pork, beef and even some vegetables. It was nice to be together outside of the lab because we were able to get to know one another more and see eachother more laid back. I think this day was definitely one of the highlights of the whole trip because not every person traveling internationally gets to experience what it’s like to spend time with locals and appreciate the differences of other cultures. Throughout this trip we have been well taken care of by the students and I am convinced that our experiences would not have been half of what they are without them.

We were just informed at lunch that tomorrow we will be taking another trip to KTV with the students to sing….why don’t we have these in America?

All-nighters and such…

Christy Creamer — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:42:41 +0000

So I started my research project about two weeks ago. The title may be Morphological observation of embryonic and early stage larval development of Perna viridis. It has been interesting for the most part since my first day I was able to visit a village further south with a professor and his students and see what aquaculture was like in another part of the world. This is definitely something I have only dreamed I could do! Not what most people would say is a “dream” of theirs I guess….I was able to watch local workers shuck oysters for their meat and go out on a boat to collect traps with a fisherman and even visit a local hatchery where they were raising oyster spat, green mussels and abalone. Who would have thought that all the things you only get to see on discovery channel or read in magazines, you could experience for yourself.

Most of my days though, consist of research on the computer, or collection of our species at the local fish market. Either way, still pretty interesting stuff when you can walk outside and your in China! So when I say there is lots of research on the computer, it’s mostly because the green mussels we are trying to spawn, like to do things on their own terms. This means, we get to wait allllll day until 9:30p or so until they feel like the time is right….then we get to stay up until 6a.m. watching the embryonic development of larvae. So…watching them turn from a circular blob (cell stage #1), to observing cleavage patterns and the formation of blastomeres (blobs 2 through >32). Then we squeeze in some sleep only to return to them spinning and twirling all over the slide while we scramble to take a picture while keeping them in view under the scope.

During free time, we usually do some touring or I try to challenge myself and go down to the markets with all the great language skills I now have (pretty much ordering a drink, pointing at food and getting the check!) Usually my answer to everything is smile and nod…they are probably saying something like “I’m charging you double,” or “are you an idiot?”. I just say, yes…For the most part though, I am usually getting awkward looks from people with the occasional pointing, Oh! and the shoving to get a friends attention…and no, I don’t think it’s what I am wearing….maybe.

Hong Kong, CN

Christy Creamer — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:27:21 +0000

So finally we are in China! We left from Tampa on May 22, 2009 and arrived in Hong Kong on Friday night. Some of you may know this is my first time EVER leaving the country…go big or go home right? From the moment we got into our taxi I knew this would be the best decision I had ever made in my life. The memory I will keep in my mind for the rest of my life will be my first view of the mountains. Never seeing mountains before (I’m a Floridian) and being able to see them 7,800 miles away from home is something to remember.

It was late when we arrived so we were taken directly to Honk Kong Baptist University’s (HKBU) International Housing and given our room keys. The next morning we began touring the city. The campus is amazing in itself but the city is something I can’t even begin to express. In a way you feel like you may have seen something like it in the U.S. but here, it’s bigger, busier and just different. I mean, the city goes up through the mountains…how do you even get up there? Oh, and even the mall we went to is enormous…I found out people come from all over the world just to shop here. That’s big! Oh and I said we are about 7,800 miles from home. Just in case you were wondering, iv’e seen Starbucks, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC, Dairy Queen, Walmart and Burger King maybe just as often as you find them at home.

Anyway, so while we were in Hong Kong it rained..everyday…all-day, which was fine because we had our 7-eleven umbrellas that would bend the opposite way with the slighest gust of wind. Mine can be found at the Buddhist Temple in Ngong Ping in the trash. Speaking of Ngong Ping Village, it’s on top of another mountain. You can take a 30 minute gondola ride up to the top if you don’t mind hanging hundreds of feet in the air with strong winds, fog and rain….maybe they will stop with you high above giant boulders and leave you swaying back and forth due to inclement weather..but that’s only when it’s REALLY bad, and only when your on your way back down. Ha! but really, that was quite possibly the most exciting trip I have ever had in my life. The gondola ride was still gorgeous because you could see the entire city, waterfalls, beautiful pebble pathways…unbelievable scenery. There is also a tea place at the top of the mountain where you can have traditional tea time (Oolong Tea from the Fujian Province) …and Tian Tan Buddha Statue is well worth it!

Since I have three weeks worth of writing still to catch up on for you, I will also let Joel, Cathy, Sara and Steven add some of their stories about HK and I will let you all keep up with me through pictures too. Here is my address to picasaweb where I am continually posting new pics. So keep an eye out. You can click on Christy, and it will take you to the rest.

http://picasaweb.google.com/CCreamer104