Not every student who attends the High School Marine Science Symposium on Thursday at the Curry Student Center on the Northeastern Boston campus will be a scientist.
But whether you become a researcher, teacher, artist, policy maker, or simply an informed voter, each has an opportunity to advocate for healthy oceans and a sustainable environment. Sierra MunozNortheastern Outreach Program Coordinator marine science centerhe told 170 students in the Boston area.
Muñoz said restoring coral reefs, oceans and biodiversity is critical for the future. “And that future includes all of you.”
The annual symposium, organized by Northeastern in conjunction with the Massachusetts Marine Education Group, was the first in person since March 2020.
“To learn something new about our coastlines and oceans, meet scientists and conservation leaders doing work that interests us, and continue on our current path to impact change on this planet. I hope you find inspiration for it,” Muñoz said.
During the morning symposium, students participated in a workshop to learn why ocean acidification poses a threat to the environment and how high levels of man-made noise make it difficult for marine mammals to communicate.
Students had the opportunity to use seaweed to press and rub. They dissected oysters into parts most gourmands don’t think about, such as gills, digestive tracts, and gonads, and learned what it takes to become a shark scientist.
Amelia Laguerre of Somerville High School put a drop of water in a device called a refractometer to measure the salinity. She pointed it at the ceiling light and checked the salinity score. “It’s 35. Super salty! Straight from the ocean,” Laguerre said.
Another bottle of water had zero salt. “This is freshwater,” Laguerre said, adding that he wished the school had a refractometer.
“I love everything about[marine biology],” she said.
Pat Harcourt, a volunteer with the Massachusetts Marine Education Group, said the symposium is a way to bring the ocean into the classroom.
“A lot of high schools don’t have courses specifically for marine science,” she said.
Jesse Mechling of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, one of 20 groups presenting at the symposium, said the Massachusetts Marine Education Group, which represents teachers in grades K-12, has held the event for 50 years, the last decade or so. Said it was hosted. Together with Tohoku.
According to Harcourt, marine science cuts across the curriculum and touches on everything from the arts and sciences to engineering. She said it’s especially important for Massachusetts students to learn about the marine environment.
“We are a Gulf State. Our history is connected with the sea,” she said.
During the morning’s Marine Science Activity Fair, students demonstrated fish species identification, observed different types of live crabs, and learned why scuba diving is more than just a sport, it’s a scientific tool.
Northeastern’s Three Seas Program graduate student Sam Zhang spoke with a group of students at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury about diving off Massachusetts vs. Panama.
Derian Pena, a 17-year-old senior who hopes to study marine biology in college, said the day was a great opportunity to learn about fish in their natural environment “not in a glass box.”
Jeffrey Garcia and Vincent Nguyen, also seniors at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science, reported that the Urban Harbors Institute staff could use filters to remove plastic particles from sandy water and remove particles smaller than 5 mm. I saw. examined under a microscope.
Nguyen, 17, said the symposium gave students the opportunity to see real scientists at work. “There are great researchers here!”
“We learn from people’s experiences,” said 18-year-old Garcia.
“The ocean is very unexplored. Most people don’t think about it unless they live in it,” said 17-year-old Maisie Pearce, a third-year student at St. Marks School in Southborough.
Pierce, as Rosie Poulin of the Ocean Genome Legacy Center in Northeastern showed off a waterproof collection kit containing small test tubes that Northeastern scientists use to solicit fish and animal tissue samples from marine researchers around the world. listened.
“I’ve always loved marine science,” Pierce said. Understanding marine ecosystems is important, she said, because the oceans make up a large part of the planet and also have a major impact on terrestrial ecosystems.
Valerie Cairns, a biology teacher at Maynard High School, said the symposium was a great opportunity to expose students to the university environment while also showing them the kinds of jobs they can have in the sciences.
In her keynote address, Violet Doucette, a recent NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship graduate who graduated with a Master of Science degree from Northeastern’s Three Seas Program in 2020, urged students to say yes to the opportunities presented to them, According to the jobs that excite them, “Apply for all.”
Doucette, who now works for NOAA, learned to scuba dive and drive a boat during her career.
The marine environment needs advocates for musicians and artists as well as scientists and policy makers, she said.
Cynthia McCormick Hibbert is a reporter for Northeastern Global News. Email c.hibbert@northeastern.edu or reach out on Twitter. @Cynthia Hibbert
