FGCU

On Monday June 8, 2015 Dr. Muller took our cohort out to Big Hickory, Big Bay/Lagoon to take some core samples from in the waters. At each site we only took one core sample, but the first site had the largest aluminum tube, and the second had the smallest. The way you take a core sample is by putting the detachable handles onto the aluminum tube when in the water, adjust where they are needed to be placed. Then when the handles are on four people need to be helping, two on each side and then move the tube up and down until you cannot push anymore. Then the handles need to be pushed upwards so you can continue the motion into the sediment until you have enough of the core sample or you hit hard sediment on the bottom. When capping the top and bottom you have to make sure that the coring tube stays as vertical as possible so the sediment inside does not shift at all. Shifting the sediment would mess up the different layers which tell you information about the sediment years and years ago.

When looking at the core samples in the lab you can actually see some differences along down the core. The tops of both cores from each of the two sites had a lot of organic material and very fine grains. The color was also very dark meaning that the sediment is very organic. Then when moving down the cores you can notice that there was more and more shell hash and bivalves meaning that the environment at that time must have been shallow waters, high salinity, and these organisms received a lot of light. In one of the cores you could see a pattern of sand in just one part of the core which could show the hurricane named Donna that came through Fort Myers not too long ago. Then when we got to the bottom of each core you could see constant sand patterns meaning that there was constant and seasonal rainfalls making that pattern in the sediment, and that the sediment was very course.

Before taking the core samples and observing the two core samples in the lab, I did not know that much about geology, and Dr. Muller did a great job in teaching us on how to core and how to interpret the core samples. Now I feel more confident in my geology skills, and could observe and interpret other core samples given to me. Taking the core samples was a tad hard in the water because you are trying to keep you footing in the sediment but at the same time your feet are sinking into the bottom. It was a great learning experience and I would love to be a part of one like this again.