Encounters with octopus saliva-and a taste of scientific discovery on the shores of California's north coast-just might change Cristen Dahl's life forever.
For her first three years as a biological-sciences major at UC Davis, Dahl never wavered from her intent of becoming a doctor. But after investigating the mysteries of octopus digestion at Bodega Marine Laboratory last spring, she could easily picture herself as a scientist.
It was easy to visualize, because during a quarter at Bodega she became one.
Besides attending classes in small-group settings, Dahl worked closely with faculty members and other marine scientists to conduct original research on how octopus consume whole crabs from the inside out while leaving the shells intact.
A number of UC Davis scientists, many of them products of a similar marine-lab education, hope to make the Bodega learning experience more broadly available to students.
They are working with the lab's director Susan Williams to expand educational opportunities at the campus's coastal facility-adding a new marine-ecology graduate course of study, offering new undergraduate courses and proposing a ma- rine-biology track for undergraduate biological-sciences majors.
Williams and the other faculty members say their aim is not so much to train future marine biologists-job prospects in the field are slim. Rather, they hope to help students learn to think scientifically.
"It's more that we want to train people who appreciate biology," said Gabrielle Nevitt, an associate professor in the Section of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior.
Experience hard to match
Bodega Marine Lab, on wind-swept headlands in Sonoma County north of San Francisco, offers students learning experiences that can be difficult to match on campus, according to both the scientists who teach there and their students.
Collaborative learning in small classes, first-name relationships with faculty members, easy access to sophisticated scientific equipment and the opportunity to pursue creative, independent research are among the advantages they list.
Dahl, 21, said she signed up for an intensive spring-quarter program at Bodega in order to dive head first into scientific investigation.
"I wanted to do research, not just hang out in a lab washing glassware," she said. At Bodega Marine Lab "you get hands-on experience. You get to see how research really works-how exciting it really is and how frustrating it really is, at the same time."
Intense research focus
During her quarter at Bodega, Dahl decided to study octopuses after finding little scientific literature about them. Through her research, she identified digestive proteins in octopus saliva that detaches crab tissue from its shell.
Researchers at Bodega and elsewhere who helped her with her study are encouraging her to submit her findings to a scholarly journal. Not only do Bodega student researchers often publish their results, they are often listed as the primary authors, faculty members said.
Of the 33 reserves maintained by UC, Bodega receives the highest student use, Williams said.
Last year, about 1,000 undergraduate students visited the lab on field trips or to attend classes. More than half came from UC Davis, the rest from other campuses.
In addition, 84 graduate students currently use Bodega Marine Laboratory for their theses research-45 of them from UC Davis and the remainder from universities as far away as Colorado.
This year, UC Davis began offering ecology doctoral students the opportunity to pursue a designated emphasis in marine science.
Despite little advertising, marine ecology received dozens of applications, more than all but one of the Ecology Graduate Group's 10 other areas of emphasis, said Ted Grosholz, a Cooperative Extension assistant specialist and the marine ecology chair.
Many of seven graduate students accepted into the inaugural class have already begun conducting research at Bodega.
Yet, Williams and other marine scientists said the lab remains a largely untapped resource, particularly by undergraduates.
To encourage higher participation this coming spring, the application deadline has been extended a month to Feb. 23.
Worthy study abroad alternative
Biologist Nevitt, an authority on salmon and shorebird behavior, said living and studying at the marine lab can be as enriching for students as traveling abroad.
Williams agreed. In fact, the lab director describes the spring undergraduate program the quarter abroad at Bodega Marine Lab. "It's cheaper than France, but the wine and cheese are as good," she said.
Yet, she said many students are unaware of the program. Others may fear they will be unable to sublet their Davis apartments or that they will miss required courses if they leave campus.
Some funds are available to help students defray costs of Bodega dormitory rooms.
Jay Stachowicz, assistant professor in the Section of Ecology and Evolution, said a proposed undergraduate emphasis in marine biology within the biological- sciences major may ease degree concerns. The 15 units earned during the spring-quarter program would fulfill more than half the requirements for the marine-biology emphasis.
Stachowicz also plans to teach a new fall course in marine ecology that would help students segue easily to the spring program.
In addition, the Bodega lab will offer a new course for environmental toxicology majors this summer-"Environmental Stress and Development in Marine Organisms," which will also emphasize research.
Susan Cole, a senior majoring in neurobiology, physiology and behavior, described her spring quarter at Bodega as "the best experience of my undergraduate career."
"No doubt, the classes were hard and the project was like no other project I have ever been assigned," she said. "But it was a real challenge that taught me more than I ever learned in the previous three years here at UC Davis."
Kathleen Holder is the public communications representative for the Division of Biological Sciences.