TIS Ocean Conference
HEALTHY OCEANS
November 25-26, 2021
On the 26th of November 2021, we concluded the first ever TIS Ocean Conference! As part of our Year for the Oceans, middle and high school students had the chance to participate in various activities ranging from the local mangrove junk boat tour, to the prototyping of coral restoration structures throughout the span of two days. We are incredibly grateful to have welcomed marine experts and ecological researchers to our conference. Students gained valuable knowledge related to marine conservation, ecotoxicology, microplastics and more.
Day 1
The Ocean Conference kicked off with an introductory presentation by our Activist in Residence and coral biologist , Andrew Taylor, who called in from Nusa Lembongan, Bali. Students learned about Andrew's intriguing life as an on-field marine researcher, and were introduced to the coral restoration design competition.
Later on, Dr. Elitza Germanov talked about manta rays and sea turtles conservation, preparing students for their citizen science project in the upcoming day. Other speakers include Prof. Karen Tagalao and microplastic expert Saidu Bashir from the University of St. Joseph. They explained the concept of ecotoxicology and presented on-going research on local water pollution levels, and impact of microplastics on the environment, respectively. Students were also given the opportunity to examine brine shrimps, a model organism often used to study toxicology, through stereomicroscopes.
Towards the end of the day, students gathered in small groups and were separated into small breakout rooms with Andrew. They brainstormed their coral restoration structure designs and discussed with Andrew the various factors to consider in their design.
Day 2
On the second day of the conference, half of the group participated in the citizen science project lead by Dr. Germanov, while the rest went on the mangrove junk boat tour with Prof. Tagalao.
The students in the citizen science project generated data that will contribute to on-going projects to help researchers obtain large data sets. They identified the age, sex, and species of various sea turtles and manta rays.
Meanwhile on the junk boat tour, Prof. Tagalao gave a thorough explanation on the impact of local mangroves on water quality, biodiversity, and shore erosion. The students enjoyed the bright blue and sunny day on the waters as they waved to every other boat that passed.
At lunch, the two groups had the chance to exchange what they have learned earlier that day, and were excited to begin their coral restoration design challenge.
Coral Restoration Design Challenge
The coral restoration design challenge began after lunch. Both groups gathered in the school's Idea Lab where students were able to utilize the countless resources available, from 3D printers to wood working tools.
The winning design would be recreated in Nusa Lembongan by the Blue Corner Dive teamand planted on the sea-floor of the degraded site.
Within one and a half hour, the students brought their innovative coral restoration structure designs to life. They gave quick elevator pitches in teams, highlighting the benefits of their design to Andrew.
At the end of the day, everyone gathered in the secondary library to hear the final announcement of winners. The Head of School, Howard Stribbell, presented the award certificate to the group of three (Jeya Verschuren, Clio Chan, Matilda Griffiths), who constructed a cost-effective, modular, coral restoration structure. In the following weeks, this structure will be built and transferred to the floor of the ocean in Nusa Lembongan.
