Preconference Day in Woods Hole, MA

Curtis, Jen and Barb spent all day Monday at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, attending a series of presentations called Global Warming: Engage Your Students. 

To see a slideshow of Flicker photos from the day, click here. 

Barb's notes from the day are below:

Welcome: Dennis Richards

Superintendent, Falmouth Public Schools

• Just came back from Bermuda -- he realized that if you live on an island you, think differently
• The oceans are in trouble and because of that we’re in trouble
  
• We need to think about mitigation as well as adaptation. For example, in Bermuda they’re building homes to capture rainwater as a new adaptation
• Trying to help teachers and students work with scientists, using facilities and sharing knowledge

Keynote Presenter: John Bullard

President, Sea Education Association

• Dedicated to teaching about oceans -- former Mayor of New Bedford and University Chancellor. Worked for Clinton Administration – Office of Sustainable Development – helped to develop policies
• Watch out when people in politics start talking about science!
  
• Teach HS students in the summer/ college during the year about the oceans, go to sea and always ask students 2 questions:
• What’s Going On? – Hone power of observation
• What Do I Do? – Accountability
• Shared slides from Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth slide show on Global Warming

Session 1 - Scientists Connecting Remotely

Dr. Linda Amaral Zettler

Associate Research Scientist, The Josephine Bay Paul Center

• Microbial Inventory Research Across Diverse Aquatic (MIRADA) Long-Term Evaluation Research
  
• She started with study of single-cell organisms in the open ocean. Started thinking “smaller” – microbial
• Most life on earth is microbial. Important in foods we eat, are decomposers forsewage treatment, may present alternative fuel possibilities
• More microbial cells in our bodies than anything else -- Microbes can live without us but we can’t live without them
• Ocean Planet – Why should we care?
  
• 71% of planet surface is salt water
  
• 80% all life forms are marine
  
• US consumes 90 million metric tons of marine protein per year
  
• Top 2 feet of ocean contains as much heat as entire atmosphere
  
• Census of Marine Life – http://www.coml.org -- 80 nations engaged in 10-year initiative to assess/explaine marine life in past, present and future -- Now will include microbial organisms as well
• Sampling at sites throughout the world
  
• Lots of questions in biology can’t be studied in shorter periods of time
  
• Less than 1% of what we can culture represents what’s out there
  
• Screencasting with Snapz Pro (http//www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox)
  
• Has data coming out of the project that others can access to compare and analyze
  
• She, as a scientist, created a screencast to help create tutorials for other scientists
  
• Would be great to create tutorials for K-12 students
  
• Podcasting as Outreach Activity for MIRADA Project
  
• Looking for ways to make podcasts more interesting and useful for teachers & students
  
• Wants to get research out to public as outreach
  
• Got a 6th Grade teacher in Falmouth to get students to generate questions for one of the graduate students who is conducting research at Palmer Station in Antarctica
  
• iVisit – Free Videoconferencing
  
• Connected to a remote classroom in Wilmington, DE. Had scientist in Woods Hole give presentation to classroom in Wilmington, she showed her slides, the kids asked questions. Can have up to 8 classrooms participate in a videoconference like this
• Looking for other classrooms to connect with (mostly targeting 6-7 audience)

Building Underwater Microscopes
Dr. Heidi Sosik

Associate Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

• She is an oceanographer who studies phytoplankton ecology
  
• Phytoplankton: Single cells, Microscopic, Photosynthesize, Produce the food that everything else depends on, Bottom of the food chain on which everything else is built, but extremely difficult to study
• Her role grew into that of Instrument Developer – Designs technologies that advances studies in her field
  
• Flow Cytometer in the lab – thin stream of fluid passes through laser beam in order to measure properties – ideal for looking at small organisms (or blood)
  
• Flow Cytometer in the Ocean – revolutionizing how plankton communities are studied – can run 24/7
  
• Difficult to build equipment that works in harsh environment of ocean
  
• Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory
  
• Extension of labs into the ocean
  
• Shore-based with cables that run into the ocean for electricity & internet
  
• Robotic, homemade systems
  
• Like a microscope because it can take pictures remotely
• Can do time series – over time can track abundance of different organisms during different times of year
• Able to detect “blooms” and help to recall shellfish that is contaminated
  
• Lesson from the Phytoplankton Woman: If you can’t find the right equipment, build it yourself! Her team took pieces of equipment from the lab and cobbled them together like a “science fair project,” using old cables, floppy disk drives, etc. They then used the software engineers, mechanical engineers and microscope specialists available at the Institute to help develop the equipment they wanted (see photos). Thought about using an outside company, but wasn’t going to create the specs they needed, they already had the expertise and they didn’t want to get involved with it becoming a commercial product. Cycle fresh water through the equipment to keep viewing window clear. Barnacles & mussels attach to the outside. Send beads cycling through to make sure equipment is clean and working well.

Session 2: Understanding Biodiversity

Changes in Seal Migration Patterns

Encyclopedia of Life - Sarah Bordenstein

BioBlitzes - Misha Herscu

• Global Climate Change (NASA) – http://climate.jpl.nasa.gov
  
• Can look at changes in climate visually over time
  
• Data constantly changing
  
• Missouri Botanical Gardens has plant catalogue
  
• Encyclopedia of Life – http://www.eol.org
  
• Trying to design it for everyone to use and contribute
  
• Can use it as a portal to other websites that catalogue
  
• Will have a “vetted” view with scientist info only
  
• Will have a view that others can upload photos and video to use
  
• “We will never complete this project”
  
• Foundations have promised $50 million to fund project over next 10 years to get most of known species in place as technology evolves
  
• Attempt to address affect of climate changes on biodiversity
  
• Started by E.O. Wilson’s vision – in a paper he called for a web page for every species – he was granted a “wish” through T.E.D. along with Bill Clinton
  
• Will have creative views, including iPhone, Widgets, Google, etc.
  
• There are not lesson plans yet, but will be designing a section soon
  
• Will have about 20,000 plants by December

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