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Here Today, Here Tomorrow: A Geographic Focus on Marine Conservation
A Student Ocean Conference

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Student Ocean Conference

"This was a great experience for me and I would do it again in a heartbeat.: -Student Comment

Here Today, Here Tomorrow: Using Science and Submersibles to Conserve our Marine Resources

Introduction

The Monterey Bay Aquarium joined with the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to host a Student Ocean Conference on May 10-11, 2002. A total of 115 students from Monterey, Humboldt, Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties participated in the conference. The conference involved a wide variety of activities from scientific research to discussions and workshops on ocean conservation to the use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). In addition to these three components, students heard from two excellent speakers and attended a career panel.

An evening session around the touch tank

Research Presentations

Students who have been involved in long-term research on marine related topics had the opportunity to present their projects to other students and to a panel of scientists. The panel of marine science experts provided feedback on the student projects and also spoke about their own research. This session allowed the students to gain invaluable experience presenting work to a crowd, as well as receiving expert advice from scientists in their field. Some of the student research topics included:

  • A Field Study of Otters
  • Water Quality Monitoring
  • Hydrothermal Vents
  • Intertidal Community Monitoring

Director of the Seattle Aquarium Mr. Bill Arntz

Remotely Operated Vehicle contest

Students designed and constructed fully operational remotely operated vehicles prior to the conference. The students then competed with their ROVS in the pool. Each team participated in two events: an obstacle course and a catch and carry. The ROVs were reviewed and evaluated on innovation and design criteria by a team of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute ROV pilots and engineers. This element of the Monterey Bay Student Ocean Conference was unique from all the other Coastal America - National Geographic sponsored SOCs and clearly appealed to students who were more technology oriented and potentially our future ocean researchers.

The Ballard Locks

Ocean Issues Discussion and Workshops

Students were invited to share their concerns about the health of the oceans and to propose solutions. The students also identified actions they could take to contribute to the solution.

Issues identified by students:

  • Overfishing
  • Pollution " Global Warming
  • Overpopulation
  • Oil Spills
  • Use of acoustic devices by the Navy

Suggestions for Congress:

  • Protect fish breeding grounds
  • Establish fixed fishing limits
  • Prevent ocean dumping
  • Do not allow military uses of the oceans (acoustic devices, bombing practice)
  • Do not drill for oil in Alaska or off the coast of California

Actions for students:

  • Teach/learn more about ocean issues and the current state of the world's oceans
  • Don't litter
  • Drive less to reduce the need for oil production
  • Encourage people not to purchase SUVs

As a complement to the discussions about ocean issues students could sign up for fieldtrips to experience the ocean in a more direct way.

  • Aquarium experience - A hands on experience that including feeding some of the Aquarium residents and learning about local species.
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute Field Trip - A behind the scenes tour of one of the world's most prestigious research centers for deep-sea exploration.
  • Ocean Kayaking Field Trip - Two and a half hours of ocean kayaking in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Professional guides and naturalists led students along the coast where they were exposed to sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, and giant kelp.
  • Shipwrecks in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary - Students learn to use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to make maps of the ocean floor and plot locations of shipwrecks in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
  • ROV Building Workshop - The students that didn't participate in the ROV contest were given the chance to build their own underwater vehicle and test it out in the pool.
  • Discover SCUBA - A 90-minute SCUBA experience led by professional instructors in the pool. A good introduction to SCUBA gear and the basics of diving.

Director of the Seattle Aquarium Mr. Bill Arntz

Speakers

One of the highlights of the general session of the conference, which included all attendees, was the keynote address by Dr. Sylvia Earle. Dr. Earle shared her experiences with the group during an interactive presentation that emphasized the role of technology in ocean exploration. In addition, Alan Scott, author of Ship of Gold in the deep Blue Sea, gave a presentation sharing his experience as an acoustic engineer involved in the salvage of the S.S. Central America. The students were clearly inspired by both speakers, with many of them showing enthusiasm for long term involvement with technology and ocean exploration.

Career Panel

The career panel consisted of a range of professionals that work in ocean-related fields. Each panelist gave a talk on his or her work and answered questions for the students. The panel provided students with concrete examples of the different careers available to them if they decide to pursue their interests in the ocean. Careers included in the panel:

  • Marine Scientist
  • ROV Pilot/Technician
  • Aquarist
  • Program Manager for a Non-profit
  • Electrical/underwater Acoustics Engineer

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This page was updated Friday, 20-Feb-2004 11:14:07 EST

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