James Cook University Study Abroad Student Blog Featured by Australian Trade Commission

Submitted by Stacey on May 17, 2012 – 10:02 amNo Comment

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Casey Yanos’ “Delusions of a Small World” Chosen for Study in Australia’s Student Blogger Program

With stories of her “unexpectedly experiential education” in marine sciences, comparisons of U.S. and Aussie cultures, and descriptive excursions across Australia’s geographic wonders, Casey Yanos’ blog caught the attention of the Australian Trade Commission and is now featured in its Study in Australia Student Blogger Program.

Casey Yanos

Yanos, a College of Atlantic (Maine) student, is spending a semester abroad in Australia at James Cook University – Townsville.

“I chose to study abroad in Australia because I have wanted to go to Australia for as long as I can remember,” Yanos says in her blogger profile. “Now that I am working toward a marine science degree, it is the perfect time to go. The diversity and richness of marine life in Australia, particularly on the Great Barrier Reef is unmatched by any other place that I have had the opportunity to visit. James Cook University’s location in Townsville is ideal, being close to the water and the reef, making it easier to have more hands-on classes, which are the type of classes that I thrive in.”

Here’s an excerpt from her blog:

“Being on a boat is the best cure for anything, not that I’m ailing from anything in Australia except maybe the heat, but there is nothing like the smell of the sea, the wind in your face and the mainland at your back. The day was spent baiting, setting and hauling in long lines. Anything that was caught, including eels, catfish, travoli and other fish, were accounted for and released. But when we caught a shark we would pull it in, lasso it’s tail and tie it off alongside our little research vessel. We took measurements, tagged and released them. In total we caught 6 Blacktips and 1 Hammerhead, Sphyrna mokarran. Unfortunately the study is mostly focusing on Nervous Sharks, Carcharhinus cautus, and a few other species that we didn’t catch that day, but if we had we would have taken blood samples in addition to the measurements in order to run stable isotope analysis. Either way it was still an awesome experience and it is things like this that make me remember how fortunate I am to be in this awesome country and to be studying something so fascinating.”