Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Intern

This spring I interned at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. I chose to apply for the green crab intern position at Padilla Bay because I have always had a fascination with crabs. Growing up, I spent my summers at Camp Orkila on Orcas Island, kayaking in the Salish Sea and hiking shorelines dotted with madrone, Douglas fir, and seaside juniper. Hours would go by in the sunshine with my friends, turning over rocks and searching for the shore crab with the coolest carapace, or poking sea anemones and watching them squirt. The excitement of flipping a rock and seeing the scuttles of crabs always brought me back to the beach. The Salish Sea has been a consistent presence in my life, and I owe my favorite memories to it. I have always had a curiosity when it comes to the ocean and its inner workings.