Yesterday I joined Jim Lee and Charlie Milan to help them execute sampling for the monthly Barataria Transect, one of Eugene Turner’s projects. His lab has been doing this transect, monthly, since 1994 to monitor water chemistry and some of the biology that occurs across this contiguous estuarine system. Over the years, various other sampling has been done, including work on the Macondo oil spill and toxic algal blooms. They brought me along so I could collect samples at the beginning of the transect in support of our microbial community survey of the Southern Louisiana coastline and our high-throughput culturing activities. I also brought my camera.

Grand Isle at sunset, facing southeast. Some oil platforms are visible in the distance.
Grand Isle at sunset, facing southeast. Some oil platforms are visible in the distance.
The quaint Grand Isle Suites where we stayed overnight. Our LSU van and 19' whaler are visible in front.
The quaint Grand Isle Suites where we stayed overnight. Our LSU van and 19′ whaler are visible in front.
Calibrating the YSI
Calibrating the YSI
The Sand Dollar Motel, where we launched
The Sand Dollar Motel, where we launched
An early sampling station
An early sampling station
Early segments of the transect are mostly water with faraway marsh
Early segments of the transect are mostly water with faraway marsh
Oil production in the northwest corner of Lake Salvador
Oil production in the northwest corner of Lake Salvador
Coolers and action-packers make the sampling go 'round
Coolers and action-packers make the sampling go ’round
A charming camp near one of our sampling sites.
A charming camp near one of our sampling sites.

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Jim doing turbidity measurements, old school
Jim doing turbidity measurements, old school

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HWY 90, also known as station 30.
HWY 90, also known as station 30.
Old HWY 90
Old HWY 90
Some of the local architecture
Some of the local architecture
Me and Jim
Me and Jim
A lonely cypress in Lac des Allemandes
A lonely cypress in Lac des Allemandes
The entrance to Bayou Chevreuil
The entrance to Bayou Chevreuil
Beautiful Bayou Chevreuil
Beautiful Bayou Chevreuil
Bayou Chevreuil
Bayou Chevreuil

-jct

cruise info culturing lab life LSUCC microbial diversity oceanography