Showing posts with label guest lecture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guest lecture. Show all posts

4/11/10

Lessons needed

With days (yay!) until we depart for the Bahamas, lots of questions have been rising to the surface from our SEA TURTLEs. What's the Bahamas like? Is it always sunny? What do the teenagers do there? What do I have to pack? Are we there yet?

Fortunately for the TURTLEs, Sunnye Dreyfus, an educator and Global Explorer at the Aquarium, was more than happy to come and talk to the TURTLEs about the Bahamas and answer some of those questions. A world traveler (click here for past adventures), Sunnye spent 6 months living, working and learning on Elethuera Island as part of the Island School. There she learned the ins and outs of aquaponics as well as some insights into island culture.


Sunnye wearing a necklace she made from plastic pieces found on Bahamas beaches

She was more than happy to tell the class about the people (they are over all friendly), conch stands (they are everywhere!) and the social life on the islands. She also talked about the problem of plastics, which unfortunately can be found everywhere on the beaches (click here for Sunnye's take on the subject). And the thing that the students liked the most? Learning the Bahamas version of " wicked awesome" (which is "mudda sick").

Needless to say, it got the class super excited about traveling. And to get them even more excited, some of those pesky travel questions were answered by Jenna. Flying these days is no picnic, but Jenna walked the class through some clever tricks on how to pack.

Jenna's packing seminar

Her top three suggestions? 1) Roll your clothes to save space...2) Layer clothes and then fold to save space....3) Use your sneakers as storage spots to save space. And why do we need to save space? So that we have room to pack the very important wetsuit!

Not only a sneaker but packing space as well!

So there it is...classroom sessions for SEA TURTLE complete. It's been a great series of lectures and guest speakers to which I'd like to express my thanks for sharing all of their experiences. Now, I have to go pack my bag and practice my "mudda sick". Here we come Bahamas!

-Jo

Posted by Jo at 8:21 PM 2 comments
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3/28/10

Lionfish...A Prickly Situation

Our expedition to the Bahamas is getting closer and closer. However, there is still work to be done and learning to do before we travel. A recent lecture had the SEA TURTLEs learning about an invasive species that is quickly taking over Caribbean waters. Don Stark, a volunteer diver at the Aquarium and a fantastic videographer, came to speak about this prickly fish. Here is his post on the problem:


Lionfish on the reef-photo courtesy of Don Stark

One of the tropical species the SEA TURTLEs will probably see during their visit to the Bahamas is the lionfish. Lionfish (Pterois volitans and Petrois miles) are beautiful fish native to the Indian Ocean and tropical Pacific Ocean. But over the past decade, they have been found throughout the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. How did they get into these waters? The major hypothesis is that the 1991 Hurricane Andrew destroyed an aquarium in Key Biscayne, FL which housed a small number of lionfish. Since this time, lionfish have spread as far north as Rhode Island and as far south as Venezuela.


2009 distribution of lionfish in the Atlantic and Caribbean (NOAA map)

I became interested in lionfish and their potential impact on Caribbean reef health when I first started seeing them while diving around the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) in 2006. Since those first sightings in 2006, lionfish are seen on virtually every dive site around the TCI. These invasive animals threaten the health of reefs by consuming juvenile fish which reduces biodiversity and depleting those animals, such as parrotfish, which help maintain a healthy reef system. Over the past year, I have been working with the Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources in the Turks & Caicos Islands in their effort to control the lionfish population via creating incentives for fishermen to catch lionfish and licensing selected individuals and diving operators to collecting lionfish in Marine Parks around the TCI.


Don speaking to the class


SEA TURTLEs listening

The discussion with the SEA TURTLEs was focused on defining the problem of invasive species and the efforts being undertaken by local governments in an effort to control the invasion. There were lots of great questions and fortunately, no one injured themselves on the needle-like dorsal fin spins I brought in for show and tell about lionfish (which have venomous spines in their dorsal, anal and pectoral fins).


Isaiah looks at a lionfish spine

-Don

This isn't the first time teens learned from Aquarium experts about lionfish! Click here and here to read previous blog entries about lionfish in the Bahamas.

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Posted by Jo at 8:35 PM 0 comments
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3/16/10

Why are you here?

Why do you want to learn how to dive?

Who inspired you to go in this direction?

Where do you think diving will take you?

This isn't a pop quiz or essay assignment: all of these questions were posed to our SEA TURTLEs during a recent guest lecture. Paul Leonard, a Penguin exhibit staff person at the Aquarium, asked our students to think about the decisions that made them explore diving.

Some of the answers were easy to come by. An interest in seeing the world from under the waves, their work here at the Aquarium inspiring them to learn more, wanting the experience of being in another universe all were things expressed. Some answers were harder as many of our students don't know what is out there in the world of SCUBA.

Paul talks to the class

To make it fair, Paul answered all of these questions from his perspective and shed some light on a few opportunities available to our students. He described his connections with the ocean as a child, his inspirations (Bob Ballard, Sylvia Earle and Jacques Cousteau) and how he wanted to learn more about ocean life. All of these things pushed him to learn how to dive and to explore his new passion.

Too many questions!

In addition, Paul was able to describe another avenue for the students to explore diving. Paul has the honor of belonging to the Boston Sea Rovers, a group of highly-esteemed divers that help to educate people about diving and to further the sport throughout the world. (Read Paul's guest entry on the GOT Blog for more information about his involvement in the Boston Sea Rovers!) They hold a yearly clinic with classes for people to refine and learn new skills as well as the chance for people to network with other divers. It's a great opportunity for a new diver to go deeper and to connect with people of similar interests.

The students were very interested in learning about Sea Rovers and were fascinated by Paul's experience. Here's what one student said about the presentation:

Paul told us about the organization called the Boston Sea Rovers and the potential scholarship opportunities. He spoke about different famous divers which was great because I didn't know about any beforehand. We learned especially about Sylvia Earle and Robert Ballard (who discovered the Titanic wreck). Dr. Ballard is now doing a project on the Black Sea and when I got home that night I researched all about it. This lecture particularly inspired me to want to learn and train towards being an ocean explorer and coming up with my own questions and discover! -Oriana

Oriana, Isaiah and Evan listen

Yet another great guest lecture that clearly made an impact on the SEA TURTLEs! It's been awesome to watch the class become aware of all of the great experiences and opportunities that will be open to them as divers. And one of the biggest opportunities, the Bahamas trip, is coming soon. I hope that everyone is looking forward to it as much as I am! More fun to come!

- Jo

Posted by NEAQ at 9:56 AM 0 comments
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3/2/10

Not all diving is warm water diving

Tropical breezes. Warm waters teeming with life. The fantastic turquoise-blue ocean color. During the winter doldrums, it's not difficult to imagine warmer places. This is particularly true for our SEA TURTLEs as our trip to the Bahamas draws closer and closer.

However, not all scuba diving is done in warm tropical waters. Though it can be bone chilling cold, there is some fantastic diving here in New England. Bill Murphy, our latest guest speaker, described diving in the Northeast and what it's like to collect some animals for our cold water exhibits.

Bill presenting to the class

Bill definitely knows something about cold water. He is the aquarist for our Northern Waters Gallery where the exhibits focus on habitats in the Pacific Northwest as well as here in New England.

He discussed what it's like to collect animals in Eastport, Maine. Nutrient rich waters and big tidal currents allow for lots of of marine life to flourish there, and thus it is a favorite site for our aquarists to find exhibit animals. The animals are collected, brought on board the boat and then kept in floating pens until they are shipped back to Boston.

Floating pens used to hold animals before transport back to Boston

Lots of types of animals are brought back, according to Bill. Things like stalked tunicates, sea stars and hermit crabs are always common finds. (You can see sea stars and hermit crabs at the Aquarium's Edge of the Sea Touch Tank!) The aquarists even find lumpfish - green bumpy fish with a suction cup on their chin that are a favorite of visitors and volunteers alike.

Little lumpfish stuck on a fingertip

As with all scuba diving, cold water diving in Eastport takes a lot of planning. There are lots of safety precautions taken because of the large tidal flow and currents that are typical in this area. Sticking to a schedule, staying with your buddy, keeping warm and hydrated are all important good safe diving techniques that Bill described and that our SEA TURTLEs have been learning over the past weeks.

Aquarium divers get suited up for cold water

One of the favorite parts of the night was the "show and tell" portion. Bill brought a dry suit and described how they differ from the wetsuits that our team will be wearing in the Bahamas. Dry suits are designed to keep the water out (the dry part), and with a warm-layer suit underneath you can stand to be in the cold waters. Our TURTLEs enjoyed checking it out and measuring themselves up against the suit. Granted, Bill is well over 6 feet tall, so it wasn't quite fair!

Oriana measures up to Bill's dry suit

Overall it was another great night featuring another great lecture. Bill was able to introduce the TURTLEs to cold water diving and how we collect animals. He also had the best quote of the night when he said, "Each place you dive has a unique feel. The more you dive, the more you will love it. But most of all, it is important to have fun!"

As a lot of the teens have said they can't wait for the next part of this crazy adventure. Another great class session down and another step closer to those warm tropical breezes and blue turquoise waters.

- Jo

PS: Last year, Bill was featured in a guest post on the Giant Ocean Tank Blog about the Aquarium's crafty octopus. Check out that entry here!
Posted by NEAQ at 11:17 AM 0 comments
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2/6/10

Questions, corals and inspiration!

There are lots of great things about working at the Aquarium, but one thing many of us enjoy is working with people that do amazing research and conservation work all over the world. And if you can manage to catch our scientists in Boston between trips to a research spot, you can convince them to talk about their work and show some great pictures!


Randi answering a question for our SEA TURTLEs

Such was the case when Dr. Randi Rotjan came to speak with our SEA TURTLEs about her research on corals, the scientific process and how she got to where she is today. (Learn about Randi's research in the Red Sea here.) It was a fantastic lecture with many students commenting on how much they learned and were inspired to do something to help our oceans. Here two SEA TURTLEs, Oriana and Nick, respond to the lecture.




Oriana taking some notes

Oriana's words:
It was so amazing to learn how Dr. Rotjan devotes her life to answering her own questions through her research!! It was really interesting to hear about everything. Her talk made me want to learn more about corals! One of my favorites things she said was "the only constant is change." This inspired me to keep exploring, learning more and to think about (and answer!) my own questions. I cannot wait for the next class!





Nick posing a question about potential frustrations


Nick's thoughts:

It was an incomparable to discuss corals and marine ecosystems with someone with not only an impressive aptitude for the subject but also with a person who possesses a deeply inspiring passion for our world's oceans and all of its hidden treasures. I left the discussion reassured that we, as "stewards of a blue planet", have the power to establish a fighting chance for the natural world and in motivating our peers to care about the ocean. I was amazed and grew very excited about my upcoming adventure!

Pretty powerful words from our SEA TURTLEs! Things could not have worked out better. Everyone learned about corals, the importance and power of being able to ask your own research questions and became inspired for the future. Clearly Dr. Rotjan made an impact on our young ocean stewards. And as both Oriana and Nick both expressed, I cannot wait for the next class and for the upcoming adventure!

- Jo

Posted by NEAQ at 3:36 PM 0 comments
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