Eco Cruise

Weeks 5 & 6:

I went on the Great Bay Eco Cruise this week, which was attended mostly by adults who had a marine science background. I wasn’t sure what to expect as we set sail on the Gulf Challenger with 30 adults who seemed to already know plenty about marine science. I had been to an event focused on youth education, but I wasn’t sure how adult education would work. They all shared their knowledge, networked with each other, and had a wonderful time pointing out familiar landmarks along the ride. Some were local, but hadn’t been out on Great Bay in years and were noticing all the changes in the landscape that had happened since. There were stations to collect samples with a plankton tow and measure pH, dissolved oxygen, and other water quality parameters. We compared samples from the coast (more ocean influence) to the Bay (more freshwater influence) and then visited the Jackson Estuarine Lab. I met some wonderful people who had successful careers in the marine field and happily gave me advice about being a recent graduate.

My other long-term projects are going well. My mentor is bringing the curriculum I’ve worked on over to Appledore Island where marine educators will read it and provide feedback/suggestions. I recently worked with two Marine Docents to create a seacoast activities guide for the NMEA conference attendees. We’ve suggested different activities for people who are visiting the area for the first time, which is a high proportion of the ~400 anticipated attendees. We’ve suggested outdoor activities, food, music & arts, shopping, and kids’ activities. This project was marketing-focused and I really enjoyed finding pictures and writing little blurbs for each suggestion. One of my mentors put the guide on the conference website and it was really satisfying to see our work online for people to use and enjoy. The guide will also be printed out for the information table at the conference, which is now only 2 weeks away! I’ve been shielded from the conference stress, but the planning committee has been working on the conference for over a year!