Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve and UTMSI Summer Science
Along with other graduate students at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, I helped teach hands-on events through the Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve and with University of Texas Marine Science Institute’s Summer Science program, geared largely toward elementary and middle school-aged kids (and at Oso Bay, parents too!). Our group talked about the importance of oyster reef conservation, and students learned about oyster anatomy by dissecting real oysters, what kinds of animals live and depend on oyster reefs with live fish and invertebrates in aquaria, and of course, how to shuck an oyster! Many oyster shells were also decorated to take home.
Learn more about Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve and UTMSI Summer Science.
Guest speaker - COBASH Bacalar
In 2015, I was invited to give a presentation to a biology class at COBASH, a high school in Bacalar, Q. Roo, Mexico. My talk focused on our current research in Laguna Bacalar and on the issues associated with cultural eutrophication. More specifically, given that the lake is home to a dreissenid mussel population still held in check by nutrient-poor water, I drew comparisons to the mussel invasions in the American Great Lakes (i.e. what can happen when mussels have a lot of plankton to eat, fueled by land-based nutrient influxes). A huge thanks to professor Martin Maas, his colleagues, and students for having me.
National Ocean Science Bowl/Lake Sturgeon Bowl
In 2014 and 2015, I presented the benthic ecology lab’s research to high school students from southeast Wisconsin at the Lake Sturgeon Bowl, part of the National Ocean Science Bowl—an aquatic science-based trivia competition open to student teams from high schools throughout the nation. I included hands-on demonstrations, several live specimens, and video clips related largely to our mayfly research.
Learn more about the Ocean Science Bowl and Lake Sturgeon Bowl.