Ready, Set, Build!

Did we mention how great our accommodations are here in Puerto Morelos?  No really; check out the view from our balcony:

palm

There are certainly worse sights to wake up to.  Though the day began peacefully enough, it wasn’t long before sandy vistas gave way to harsh concrete, and smooth cocktails to hammers and nails.   We’ll soon be caring for millions of coral larvae, and they need someplace to live.  Today, we had to build them a roof.

roof

With most of our equipment stuck in limbo, it was quite a task to put together a venue for our experimental set up.  The units need to stay outside, but we can’t let the larvae bake in the sun.  We also can’t let rain mess with the salinity in the tanks.  So we drove up to Cancun and purchased some plastic tiles to serve as a ceiling and shade cloth to reduce UV exposure.  Then we put it all together with duct tape, zip ties, and a few odds and ends we scavenged from campus.  By the end of the day, the shelter was up and running.

birthday

As if that weren’t enough cause for celebration, today happens to be Nick’s birthday.  Note the cake.  Happy birthday, Nick!

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