Sanctuary
Summits - Channel Islands
General
Information
About
the Panel of Experts
Post-Summit
Summary & Field Trip
Student Projects (forthcoming)
General
Information
Date:
May 24, 1999
Location: To be Determined
Participants: 30 high schools students from
San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura
counties
Theme: Survey of Living Resources
|
The
Channel Islands summit will cover issues
related to living resources in the
sanctuary. Pictured here is a treefish
which is one species of rockfish that can
be found in the sanctuary.
|
The students
involved in this year's Sanctuary Summit will
discuss the living resources in the Channel Islands
National Marine Sanctuary. The goal of the summit
is for students and teachers to look at the kinds
of baseline data collected during the expedition
dives and recommend a student research project for
future Sustainable Seas Expeditions. The project
will focus on a living resource of the sanctuary
and possibly include recommendations on developing
policies for the Channel Islands National Marine
Sanctuary management plan. The benefits students
will gain by participating in the summit are; an
increased understanding of the underwater cultural
and living resources in the region, and knowledge
on how the research process can be used in
developing future exploration missions.
The Sanctuary
Summit will have a panel of experts including:
- Dr.
Sylvia Earle, Explorer-in-Residence, National
Geographic Society
Ed Cassano, Channel Islands National
Marine Sanctuary Manager
Channel Islands Sustainable Seas
Expeditions Project Researchers
Representatives from the Regional Alliance
for Information Networking (RAIN)
Students at
the summit will participate as field reporters and
will report findings back to students and the
general public through the Camp
Internet program and
on this site's post-summit summary.
(top)
Panel of
Experts
Sylvia
Earle
National Geographic Society
Marine biologist Sylvia Earle
is Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic
Society, a position she has held since 1998. She is
working with a variety of Society divisions on
projects involving her passion -oceans - especially
serving as project director of Sustainable Seas
Expeditions and writing three books for publication
in 1999.
Named one of Time Magazine's
"heroes for the planet" in 1998, Earle has
pioneered research on marine ecosystems and has led
more than 50 expeditions totaling 6,000 hours
underwater. She holds numerous diving records and
is the author of more than 100 scientific and
popular publications, including a 1995 book "Sea
Change."
Earle was born August 30,
1935, in Gibbstown, NJ. She has a bachelor's degree
from Florida State University and a master's and
doctorate from Duke University, as well as nine
honorary doctorate degrees. She lives in Oakland,
California.
LCDR Edward Cassano
Channel
Islands National Marine Sanctuary Manager
Edward Cassano has led the
efforts to broaden the role of the National Marine
Sanctuary Program in the Southern California
region. He has worked hard to increase protection
and education of sensitive resources and to improve
research capabilities. LCDR Cassano has been a
commissioned officer with the NOAA Corps since 1986
and has conducted marine mammal, fisheries and
oceanographic research. He serves on several marine
management boards, including the Advisory Council
to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and
the Mineral Management Service High Energy Seismic
Survey Team.
(top)
Post
Summit Summary
Overview
|
The 1999
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Sanctuary Summit participants.
|
The Sanctuary Summit was held on Monday, May 24
1999 from 4:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Santa Barbara
County Hearing Chambers. Twenty-nine high school
students were selected to participate as team
members in the summit. The High Schools
participating were: Paso Robles, Cabrillo, San
Marcos, Dos Pueblos, Santa Barbara, Adolfo
Camarillo, Buena, Oxnard Unifies, Rio Mesa, and
Ventura.
The goal of the summit was
for students and teachers to recommend a student
research project for the Sustainable Seas
Expeditions that focus on a living resource of the
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The
benefits students gained by participating in the
summit were an increased understanding of the
underwater cultural and living resources in this
region and an understanding of how the research
process is used in developing management policies
to protect natural resources.
|
Students
and teachers getting to know each other at
the reception.
|
Prior to the actual
conference, there was a reception for the students
and panel members so they could spend more time
getting to know each other and relax before the big
event. After the reception and introductions, the
students presented four proposals on potential
student research projects for the future
Sustainable Seas Expeditions. The proposals were
outlined in Powerpoint and presented to a panel of
experts for review and discussion.
|
Panel of
Expert members: Dr. Sylvia Earle and LCDR
Ed Cassano.
|
The panel of experts consisted of Dr. Sylvia
Earle, LCDR Edward Cassano, Chris Miller
(Commercial Fisherman), Dr. Guy Cochran (USGS),
Timothy Tyndall (RAIN Network) and Dr. Edie Widder
(Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution). The
panel members did a remarkable job of communicating
the ideas of science to the students, and the
students and panel members were able to carry on
discussions in a relaxed manner. Everyone in the
room seemed to have a really good time sharing
stories about the ocean, laughing at awkward
moments and carrying on meaningful discussions
about science and the scientific
process.
Student
Projects
In spite of hectic school
schedules during this time of the year, the
students managed to develop interesting project
ideas. They were assisted in developing project
ideas prior to the summit by entering a chat
session on the RAIN web site that was hosted by the
Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary education
coordinator, Julie Goodson, and researcher Russ
Vetter of NOAA and the Southwest Fisheries Science
Center. During the chat session, students were able
to ask questions about possible topics for the
projects. This proved to be very helpful because
students were given resources about specific
project ideas, and were warned against ideas that
would be difficult to research. The four projects
that did surface and were presented are:
1. Distribution, Size
Frequency and Abundance of California Sheephead in
the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
(Ventura and Santa Barbara group)
|
Rosa
presenting the CA sheephead research
proposal for this team.
|
There are four possible objects
to this project: 1). To study the size, sex, and
number of CA Sheephead in both take and no-take
fishing zones, 2). To study distribution of CA
Sheephead in warm vs. cold water, 3). To study
reproductive habits of CA Sheephead in warm vs.
cold water, and 4) to study the dietary habits
during an El Nino or La Nina. Some
possible hypothesis ideas were if female Sheephead
change sex in areas of fish and no-fish zones or if
there is a survival but no reproduction in cold
years. Are Sheephead affected by El Nino or La
Nina? Also, a hypothesis could be that Sheephead
size is affected by their range or if fisheries are
taking too many of the fish. Data collection
methods could be observations from deep sea
submarines, snorkeling, or SCUBA diving.
2. CONQFISH1 - A Closer Look
at Physical Oceanography. (Cabrillo High School
team)
|
Students
from Cabrillo High School demonstrate how
the CONQFISH 1 underwater habitat
works.
|
This group from Cabrillo High
School, has developed an underwater living space
for mice called "ConqfishI". They demonstrated a
module with chambers for the mice to move around.
The students proposed moving the mice habitat into
the Channel environment to study living creatures
underwater.
3. The Distribution of
Gorgonians in the Channel Islands (Ventura
group)
|
Tim
presenting the Gorgonian research
proposal.
|
The purpose of this project
was to determine the distribution of gogonians in
the Channel Islands with the objectives of
determining the depths, substrate, and population
density at which these corals live. To reach these
objectives, the students suggested using the
submersible in the study areas observe the
substrates and depths of the gorgonians and to
determine the population density.
4. An Underwater World of
Magic: A Sustainable Seas Project (Paso Robles
team)
|
Aimee and
Aubrey from Paso Robles High School have a
good time while presenting their CA
Sheephead research proposal.
|
This was another suggested project that
concentrates on the species of California
Sheephead. This research study objective is to
determine the population of California Sheephead on
the coast of Anacapa Island in relation to the
effects of the temperature during a 24-hour period.
They want to know if the temperature of the water
effects the number of Sheephead found in a study
area. The methodology would include taking the Deep
Worker submersible along a predetermined transect
twice a day over a period of five years. The
significance of this project would be to understand
the patterns and effects on the daily population of
the fish in the Channel Island coastal region in
relation to temperature variations within a 24-hour
period.
Comments from
Participants
"The program with the
Sustainable Seas was a very good experience to be
able to see the researchers up close in action. I
think that the conference on Monday was very
educational and I learned a lot from it. At first
it was hard to know what to expect, but it was very
relaxing and comfortable soon later." -
10th grade
student
"I was truly impressed with the
student team and their ability to discuss science
and science methodology with the panel of experts.
Their raw enthusiasm came through and was catching!
Even the Panel members got into it!" -
Julie
Goodson, education coordinator
Sanctuary
Summit Team Field Trip
|
Students
involving themselves in the "virtual fish
count" during the live underwater
broadcast at Anacapa Island.
|
Three days after the summit,
the student participants were given the opportunity
to join Julie Goodson and others on a field trip to
Anacapa Island. After a two hour boat ride to the
island, the students were able to witness and
participate in a NASA Quest Live uplink broadcast
of the Great American Fish Count (GAFC)
at the Channel Islands. They participated by asking
questions to Laura Francis, Sustainable Seas
Expeditions education coordinator, who was hooked
up to a microphone (of sorts) while SCUBA diving so
she could talk with the students.
|
Laura
Francis and Ed Cassano reacting to the
taped underwater broadcast footage of
"where is Ed?" during the media
day.
|
Also participating in the
GAFC was Ed Cassano piloting the Deep Worker
submersible. Although Ed was unable to communicate
to the students on deck and Laura underwater, he
and the divers did manage to find each other. To
view a video of the dive and read the accompanying
chat session click here.
After the live uplink and
checking out the events from the Media Day, the
students ate lunch and then hiked around the island
with a Naturalist/Instructor from Island Packers.
After the hike and lecture, the students boarded
the boat for the two-hour ride back home.
(top)
For more information on
the Sanctuary Summit at the Channel Islands
National Marine Sanctuary, please
contact:
Julie Goodson, Education
Coordinator
(805) 884-1462
Julie.Goodson@noaa.gov
|