I have been asked by Dr. Datta and Dr. Kulkarni of UTSA's Chemical Hydrology and Mass Spectroscopy lab to accompany Dr. Kulkarni on a research trip to Lava Beds National Monument in northern California on the week of May 1st. The week before the trip, I came into the lab to pack and prepare all necessary items for field work in the lava tube cave systems that we will be working in (photos below). We are doing this research in collaboration with the University of New Mexico on behalf on the National Park Service to research the effects of fires on cave health in Lava Beds National Monument. This will be a massive learning opportunity as this is my first research trip and it will last for a week. I will be learning to sample not only in cave environments but also learning to collect the samples in the preferred method that a microbiologist would, as those are the samples that we are trying to obtain. Careful and meticulous work must be done to ensure the microbe samples are not compromised. This is Dr. Kulkarni's 5th or 6th time down into the cave system and he is eager to share as much knowledge as he can with me on this research adventure. After we collect the samples and ship them back to San Antonio, we will be testing them at the chemical hydrology and mass spectrometry lab on campus.
pH buffer solutions for calibration of pH meter instruments.
Field kit bags with filters, falcon tubes, droppers, pH buffer solution, glass vials, syringes, plastic wrap, etc. loaded into container for airplane travel.
Travel container inventory continued: kimtech wipes, gloves, masking tape, ph meter, bubble wrap, pipette tips.
Author transfers pH buffer solutions into plastic amber bottles for transport on airplane. (2022)