Tag Archive for 'ocean'

Cephalovlog

Published
by
Jason
on July 29, 2007
in Cephalovlog
. 1 Comment

Sticking a tentative tentacle into the world of video podcasting. This first one is something of a test.

60 Second Sunset, Siesta Key, Sarasota, FL

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Shot on 07/28/2007 with my peewee Canon ZR500. Edited with iMovie and scored in Garageband. Inspired by this series 60 Seconds in the Life of the Galapagos Islands over at Ironic Sans.

BTW, my buddy SB just coined a new word tonight. I was asking him about youth culture and the balkanization of all these social networking sites. He said that geeks go to blip.tv and the “general public & yutes go YT [YouTube].” So there you have it:

yutes |yoōts|
noun
1. [informal] plural for young adults.
2. [slang] YouTube enthusiasts (often obsessive youths).

youts
British spelling of yutes

Scholastic Squids and the DAST-ly Hallows

Published
by
Jason
on July 23, 2007
in Under the Bridge
. 1 Comment

The 2007 Annual National Marine Educators Association Conference is under way in Portland, Maine. Sadly, I will not be able to attend NMEA this year. However, I did get a chance to present last year. My wife and I also took that opportunity to tour through New York City. Our last day was rather rainy, and somewhere in SoHo we serendipitously ducked into the Scholastic Retail Store to avoid the downpour. It was a pretty amazing space, with lots of primary colors and opportunities for young readers. I picked up a book on sharks to share with my co-workers.

Back at work, summer camp was still underway. During the first sessions the kids were asked to draw a picture of a scientist, which is pretty standard stuff*. Their efforts were posted up in the classroom and I had a chance to check in a couple of times to see the progress. Many of them initially drew the archetypal illustration of a white male in a lab coat doing something with test tubes. And it was also interesting to note how many of the younger Aquakids (students entering grades 1-4) had a hard time distinguishing between science and magic. Many of them conflated chemistry with potion making and mixed up the regalia of wizardry with that of the laboratory.

Which brings me back to Scholastic. They are the the American distributor for the Harry Potter series. Many people intuitively argue that Harry Potter is good because it gets young people reading. Others are not so sure. So one might also blame Scholastic for contributing to the confusion in the kids’ illustrations. But the picture isn’t that clear. Scholastic also has a remarkable partnership with the American Museum of Natural History called Science Explorations.

Scholastic: Squid Anatomy [200x150, 8K]The program promises to, “engage students and teachers with authentic, hands-on science investigations with real scientists, primary documents, genuine artifacts, and standards-based science inquiries based on the Museum’s resources.” In additon to print publications, engagement currently seems to consist of a half-dozen interactive, Flash-based websites. These include exhibits on bats, bugs, space, reptiles and Charles Darwin. But naturally enough, my favorite one is Investigating The Giant Squid: Mysterious Cephalopods of the Sea. The exploration includes a virtual dissections and an interview/slideshow with Dr. Neil Landman from the AMNH. I am planning on posting this bit to TONMO (if it is not there already) because they recently started a new K-12 forum devoted to using cephalopods in education.

Science Explorations also has a section called Writing with Scientists. It offers teachers and students, “step-by-step support to transform a collection of notes, observations, research, and experiments into a well-organized, thorough, and thoughtful science report.” You can read examples of how students use the resource over here.

First expedition of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s 2007 field season: Cayman Islands Twilight Zone

Published
by
Jason
on May 20, 2007
in Events
. 1 Comment

Image courtesy of Cayman Islands Twilight Zone 2007 Exploration, Deb Gochfeld, NOAA-OE [200x150, 16K]The first expedition of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s 2007 field season, Cayman Islands Twilight Zone, is now available on their website. The expedition runs from May 20-June 10, 2007.

During the trip, scientist will study coral reefs of the “twilight zone” in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Cuba. These reefs have been studied much less than shallow and deep-water reefs because they are beyond the safe range of conventional SCUBA equipment, yet are too shallow and close to shore to justify the use of expensive submersibles and ROVs.

This shore-based mission will employ new diving techniques that allow scientists to personally visit deep-water ecosystems without the need for expensive submersibles. Divers will utilize both open- and closed-circuit diving systems, as well as breathe special gas mixtures, including Nitrox and Trimix.

Web coverage for this mission includes Biotechnology, Technical Diving, and Biodiversity content essays written especially for this mission. Web logs, including video and images, written by scientists and other explorers at sea capture daily activities and discoveries. An “Ask an Explorer” feature is also available to submit questions to and receive answers from the explorers while they are engaged in the mission.

3D Papercraft Dogfish Shark Model

Published
by
Jason
on December 26, 2006
in DIY
. 3 Comments

3-D Dogfish Shark Model [200x150, 12K]
The Delaware Sea Grant program has a neat resource for educators. I mentioned it in the latest podcast, but wanted to bump it up to its own post too. Here’s the description from their annual report:

Learn all about the smooth dogfish shark as you put together your very own 3-D paper model! This eight-page, full-color project meets the National Science Education Standards. It includes background on sharks, the model parts to cut out with scissors and tape together, and a crossword puzzle to test your knowledge. Cost: $1. Contact: Marine Public Education, (302) 831-8083.

Interior 3-D Dogfish Shark Model [200x150, 12K]Unfortunately, there is no further Internet-based info that I could find, so you will have to call to find out more. Or listen to the SeaTalk Radio PSA about the model [mp3].

(Tip of the tentacle to Elizabeth and Kimberly for the resource.)

UPDATE: I notice that a lot of people searching for dogfish dissections end up finding this post. If you need illustrations of a Squalus acanthias dissection, check out BIODIDAC. They have photos and line drawings to help you. Keyword search: dogfish. Available in English and French.

“Shellebrate Life” with Megotta.com

Published
by
Jason
on July 13, 2006
in Events
. 0 Comments

Sea turtle webcast on Friday, 07/14/2006

This sounds very interesting:

On the night of July 14, 2006 , Megotta, Inc., with the cooperation and supervision of the Caribbean Conservation Corporation/Sea Turtle Survival League, will broadcast the first-ever live web cast of a nesting sea turtle in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.

From their website, it looks like Megotta, Inc. is located on the Florida Space Coast and is developing a business giving individuals and groups the technology needed to share educational and ecological content. It was started by graduates from Florida Tech and as part of its mission, they launched their MeGotta Careâ„¢ program. Initially they are working with local groups supporting marine ecology. Sounds pretty neat.

Additional sea turtle links