Order.

"Happiness [is] a byproduct of a well-ordered life." 

- the TV show The Gilded Age

If the quote above is to be believed, I should be miserable right now. My house is absolute mayhem, and my lab is no better. I left town in an absolute flurry at the end of July, and my collateral chaos has sat in place ever since. On top of that mess are boxes of gear I brought home from the Solomon Islands, packages I should have shipped before I left, packages that arrived while I was away, and the usual array of dog toys and bones. Mayhem. 

You might be wondering why I only posted once in August. Last time you heard from me, I was in the Solomon Islands, waiting to board a research ship. I had an amazing two weeks on board diving, collecting data, and doing the type of research I have wanted to do for years. I would have loved to tell you all about it. Unfortunately, the sites we were working on were incredibly sensitive, so the chief scientist asked me to refrain from posting. The discoveries we made need to be shared with relevant stakeholders first. 

Metridium senile in my lab

Now that I'm home and have recovered from jet lag, it is anemone season! I collected some of my favorite anemone, Metridium senile, from the jetty at the Cape Cod Canal in Sandwich late last week. I'm hoping they'll spawn for me so that I can collect data about their larval behaviors just like last year. I have two years for the project, so I am going to use both years. More data is always better. 

I learned last year that Metridium like to spawn on their own schedule, and there is nothing I can do to incentivize or induce them. They spawn right after dawn, so I've been getting to work between 6 and 7 am every day this week. So far, nothing. I suspect they're going to spawn early next week, because the full moon is on Sunday and that means spring tides. My beloved anemones spawned right after the spring tide last year. Their spawning behavior reminds me of corals, which spawn on a highly specific schedule determined by the moon phase, tidal cycle, and sunset time. I'm very curious if my anemones will keep the same schedule this year as last year. We shall see!

While the anemones gear up to do their thing, I am organizing my lab and home. Order may bring happiness, but disorder does not spell misery - at least for me.