On an unusually sunny and warm November Saturday, over 200 junior high school students and their parents gathered 81 MSRC ‘s new Southampton campus for Explorations in Marine and Ocean Sciences. MSRC’ s program was one of eight held at oceanographic institutions nationwide as part of Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth (CTY) 2005 Science and Technology Series.
MSRC Associate Director Bill Wise and staff assistant Kim Knoll coordinated the day-long event. Wise noted that the program focus was to allow the students to interact with leading marine scientists via lectures, discussions, field trips, and laboratory exercises. The hands-on activities were designed to expose the students to options for future study and research, as well as provide a sense of the excitement of working in this field. “CTY conferences also involve the parents,” he continued, “so they are in a better position to help their children make future education and career choices.”
This is the first time MSRC has been involved with the CTY program. Associate Professor Chris Gobler noted that the recent addition of the Southampton campus made for an ideal location to hold the program. The Southampton campus has direct access to Shinnecock Bay and each student group spent half of the day on the water. Dr. Gobler took his group on board the R/V Paumonok to investigate the bay’s water quality and plankton ecology. Other student workshops included investigating near shore fish and benthos ecology, examining salt marsh and beach dune ecology, and visiting the marine mammal and sea twtle rehabilitation center at the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Presetvation.
“The success of this public outreach event clearly demonstrates one of the main benefits of the acquisition of the Southampton campus by Stony Brook,” said MSRC Dean and Director David Conover who gave the conference’s opening address. “We don’t have the watetfront facilities necessary to host this kind of activity at Stony Brook.” Conover added, “The opportunity to spend a day teaching marine science to the region’s brightest junior high students is valuable for recruiting new students. We hope these students might think about Stony Brook in a few years when they are choosing a college.” Several of the many MSRC faculty and staff that participated in the day noted that the students were extremely enthusiastic and interested in the day’s topics and the opportunities for unique field experiences. Wise added, “Evetything came together splendidly from the weather to the activities to the participants. Everyone really seemed to enjoy the day.”
