SAME Annual Meeting 2023
As promised, here are the notes and resources from our SAME Share-a-Thon. They are in order of how we presented/sat in the room (to follow with your notes if you took your own). Email addresses are linked to each person's name.
If there are any corrections or specific links you'd like to add, please email samemarine@gmail.com.
Connecting the Gulf Coast’s Watershed and states, the benefits of the coast to each state
Jacobs Engineering scientific diver restoring coral reefs destroyed by munitions testing by the Navy. The reef is transplanted to new homes.
In a “flux” position right now with a marine debris contract with BTNEP.
Mentor graduate students at Nicholls State.
Hoping to work with a nonprofit and continue mentoring.
Teacher workshop with DISL. The researcher that looks at clams (Dr. Harnik) will be coming. They will look at carbon dating. Title: Time traveling through coastal history–Dating clams. It will take place on July 16-20.
NASA/Sea Grant collaboration with sea level rise. Adding content to the curriculum.
Hiring an education coordinator.
Research on estuaries with climate change and SLR changes. How marshes are responding. Researchers explained work with carnivorous plants and how the marsh reacts to fire, and if marsh migration would push the carnivorous bogs.
Also, with FERMA, look at saltwater encroachment.
Athens State reached out to create botanical gardens with plugs for water restoration. They are growing out plants and keeping plants in cryogenic areas in case of need.
An extension agent in TX. Identifies as a generalist.
Responds to river flooding, shelters large animals if needed, and maintains them during the flood.
Master Naturalist group that he trains (52 hours of subject matter to new interns and graduate with 40 hours of training). Has over 36,000 contacts last year to do events.
Does water fairs for 4th-7th graders. These involve looking at water stations to teach water aspects and methods where students can learn concepts but don’t understand them practically. Reaches ~1500 students.
Lost contacts with teachers because COVID
Does Water Wednesdays–virtual workshop on the third Wednesday of the month at 6:30-8:00 pm. He talks about hydroponics, aquaponics, water wells, sewage, etc. The next one is in February.
Training for faculty and students to improve scientific communication skills and understand a sense of place and people (LaDIA and GRS). This is about 38/40 students and ~20 staff members/researchers.
Also hosts Ocean Commotion event each year. 25th year of Ocean Commotion is soon.
Teen STEM Cafe–students present workshops, researchers, etc. Funded by Harte Research Institute. Teens lead their own cafe. Speakers and trainers that work with the students get vetted. Kids are honest and will tell you what they like and don’t like. Two events later around World Ocean Day and National STEM Day
Gulf Ambassadors workshop–Art and science workshop with stories back home to show how to communicate their science. Federal program–education officer (2 months)--JOIDES Resolution. Look at climate aspects, etc., that are going on in coastal areas. Looking at art benches at these ports to tie in the area and communicate what researchers do.
Environmental justice groups–look at desalinization.
NOAA Ocean Exploration—lessons and curriculum and building PDs.
Vegetation data on the reserve system.
Helped with the education sector as a grad student
Place-based education–”BRACKISH”--place-based education, 3-day program (1-day explain, 2-day fieldwork, 3-day case studies). Built to increase environmental literacy.
Comprehensive conservation plan (copy in the back of the room)--give background, content, preservation/conservation, and trends over time (state of the bays).
Has an estuary 101 campaign–pledge and things people can do to reduce their impacts. Plan to launch in spring
Video about bays coming out. Looking at oysters in Pensacola Bay.
Partnering with The Well in Pensacola to focus on farm oysters–”hope on the half shell”.
BWET oyster grant–a case study with students and teacher PD.
$750,000 grant proposals (26 proposals) for teachers, local researchers, etc.
Mardi Gras bead recycling/exchange (clean beads out of trees). Specifically targeting Mardi Gras events on Palafox St. in Pensacola. There is no contract to clean the trees after a parade, so she’s leading that effort.
Looking for volunteer training (seine net, run tanks, etc.) to increase capacity --Gulf Shore Park on March 11th
Outreach for NOAA fisheries, Ocean Guardian School, BWET grants
Looking for ways to come together for the best funding opportunities for groups.
Current BWET funding opportunities (6-7 grants a year). Call for grant reviewers and can pay reviewers $250 per review.
Watershed Game from Minnesota Sea Grant
Collaboration with USM and EPA–Survey of Gulf (November and January)--looked at seagrasses, water quality, microplastics, and fishing
Clean Memphis. Project with Memphis state parks. Add refill stations. Towns are taking initiative at looking at how their city's impacts affect the Mississippi River
Gulf Guardian Awards–program to receive awards every 2 years. Adding new categories. The award ceremony will be next year at GOMCON. Nominations will be sent out soon.
Oceans 2023–Fall in Mississippi. Info about student competition rules. Prize is monetary.
Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival’s Student Science Showcase call for submissions is open now. Will be an award for students doing research projects/stewardship projects. Festival is on April 1st.
EPA has RFPs coming out soon. It will have an EJ component.
Job openings coming soon
30 NERRs
Governor submitted a nomination for the Atchafalaya River Delta
Partners
State Lands proposed for inclusion
Educator impacts
Universities and researchers in the area
Number of schools/students
Purpose and why needed
Promoted from director’s assistant to special programs and communications manager
Museum grant (INSPIRE)--VISIT–Visualizing Interpretive Space through Integrative Teamwork. At Grand Bay NERR, the visitor center needs improvements and is not kid friendly. Goal to bring in community leaders/educators to help design. Visiting other museums to see how they do things. Started in October. Next–focus groups to see how to go forward.
Block prints–had a 3-4 hour workshop to learn how to make and use them.
Explained what DISL is and what the Discovery Hall Program (DHP) does..
TEACH–Teaching Educators about Alabama’s Critters and Habitats–will be adding marine turtles into the components
Boardwalk Talk Series–watch virtually/in-person–series of videos on YouTube page on science components like restoration, coastal resilience, et al. 45-minute chat about topics.
2 BWETs this summer. Year 2 in Southwest Louisiana; Year 1 in climate change in the Pontchartrain Basin (May 30-June 2)
Wetland Days–Did 4 last year and 1 this year (with 2-3 more coming). Brought wetland education to rural and underserved communities.
Plastics on parade–EPA grant to educate students about what happens to the Mardi Gras beads after a parade.
Pathway–writing an Environmental Protection and Sustainability Pathway for Louisiana High School students.
Also, help with Environmentors and Coastal Roots
K-12 workshops/camps
ROV support/workshop–85 kids on campus for workshop
5 summer camps–Sharkfest, Angler Camp, Ocean Science Technology camp, Island Adventures. Will be 36th anniversary of Sea Camp.
Weather module with DISL and Mississippi/Alabama Sea Grant (2-hour modules)
Created artwork about the area
OECI-USM, University of Rhode Island, Woodshole Institute, et al.--work with college students (HBCUs) to study the ocean science world (long-term recruitment and sustainability of staying in the field/work). The program pays for all of their needs.
Reaching out to students with university clubs, especially Tuskegee Institute (Ocean Exploration Club)
Collaborators and presentations with partners
Rae is NMEA equity and belonging committee co-chair
Call for proposals at NMEA 2023: need 45-minute presentation, workshop, lightning sessions. Deadline is February 28th
SWMS–Society for Women in Marine Science
Personal: artist- https://raeraethesciencebae.com/
GIS Climate Project, teaching GIS at schools
Using Kahoots for a lot of geography
Focus on middle and high school
How to make your watershed?--workshop with grades 6-12
Started doing work with 3rd grade class
ESRI is getting the software to the schools
Has two IBCs in the state and working on a third
Experience with K-12 PD in East Asia
Home-based educator
Has a foot in public school & homeschool
Wants ways to connect what the students are learning to the world
Incorporate PD and workshops into her classroom
Wants to learn–Block prints, fruitful Fridays in the cafeteria, recycle food/water event, raise paddlefish, education lunches, watershed game
School took away refill stations and wants to find a way to put them back
Aquatic VIP- Volunteer Instructor Program
Native Fish in the Classroom (4 hatcheries–Fowler does the paddlefish)--20 schools in grades 6-12
Family fish festivals/Get out and fish (17 ponds in the state with stocked fish)
WETshop- Wetland Educator Teacher workshop (workshop and resources)
Fishing 101 for women (March and April) with a chance of a weekend field trip
Fishing course series (catfish, trout, and bass)--two-hour workshop
Classroom visits
Fisheries mobile museum
Also a birder
Texas Aquatic Science textbook (available online)
Texas Waters Book/Program to be a specialist in the state–John uses this to train
Webinar series online
Texas Water Specialist Website. Align with Master Naturalists training, has a lot of webinars and information.
Training in prisons for water specialists/natural gardeners
Men’s max security prison- training since 2017
Women’s short term prison- training started last year
TEKS help/training
Paul Anderson- Wonder of Science
Reworking STEM workshops/camps–OceanSTEAMERs
Ocean competition in March and April (ROV)
Teacher workshop with plankton (card-based activity for students to understand food webs/chains within an ecosystem)--email to get access
Working with communities to build awareness
Teacher workshops
Summer PD for middle school students
Connection with social scientists and information to address problems, especially SLR.
Bays and Bayous this week, they’ll be doing a game about SLR
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Working with stakeholders. Needs assessment and gap analysis brought up. For mesobenthic, Ocean Exploration Portal has some resources but not specifically for gulf in this area.
Links for our Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities restoration in the Gulf related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill:
MDBC Website: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/project?id=87
2022 MDBC Gulf Restoration Cruise Season Highlights: https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/2023/01/2022-gulf-mexico-deep-sea-cruise-season-numbers
3D print corals are proposed as a traveling interactive exhibit to develop awareness of Gulf species. Likely partnering with aquaria or educational facilities along the Gulf to host this exhibit. Let Sasha know if you're interested!
Looking to learn what formats teachers and other educators do or do not use or want related to marine education (1 class period or multiday lesson plans, videos and what lengths, fillable worksheets, hands-on models, afterschool or free period activities, meet the scientist video calls/livestreams, etc.) Reach out to Sasha to share your feedback, thoughts, or needs!
History of organization. In January 1992, 25 people met in Margaret’s living room in Diamondhead, MS and SAME was established.
Need state departments and teacher organizations (state science teacher associations) to attend
LA grant program- QSM grants. Middle/High school get $2000, preK-4 get $1500.
Teacher award programs also include non-formal awards. Example: LSTA distinguished informal educator awards
SAME awards and scholarships
Board of Gulf Education (BGE)--K-8 place based grant comes out soon
In discussion with NOAA and environmental education award–there was none from the Gulf this year
“It should be very difficult to choose a winner for awards in this room.”