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Summer, 2004

NMEA 2004 Get on Board!

By the time you get this edition of Masthead, the National Marine Educators Association annual conference will be history. We hope you made an effort to visit sunny St. Petersburg, Florida. You’ll see some of the conference highlights in an upcoming NMEA newsletter. I’m excited about the many field trip offerings, outstanding concurrent sessions, and the camaraderie with fellow NMEAers. I’ll report on my experiences with the conference in the following issue of Masthead. If you haven’t tried to attend a national conference, you are missing out on a terrific experience. NMEA has some of the best educational organizers nationwide and their dedication to high quality programming is well known. NMEA offers scholarships and many school systems will support this type of professional development. The 2005 conference will be in Maui so start planning now for a most memorable experience. Barry Fox, Masthead Editor

MAMEA 2004 October 29-30 Corolla, North Carolina

An annual Marine Science Education Professional Development Weekend

Keep an eye on our website for more information at www.mamea.organd refer to pages 6 - 10 of this issue. The Conference themes are Biodiversity and Aquatic Ghosts but other topics are most welcomed. Mark your calendars and start planning your costume now for the Biodiversity Ball! There will be much to see and do so please try and join us.

Hope to see you all there!

It's been more than a workingman's generation since a comprehensive review of our nation's ocean policy has been conducted. The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy is nearing its final stage. The Commission's work has the potential to chart a new course for both formal and informal marine education. It is critical that MAMEA, who's common goal is to improve education about all aspects of marine and aquatic environments, embraces the commission's recommendations, evaluates the impacts and serves as a conduit for implementation and communication. I am pleased to report that the first stage of preparing the Association for embracing the Commission's recommendation is nearing completion. The MAMEA Strategic Plan has been finalized. Six recommendations for organizational and programmatic improvements have been identified, and many of the recommendations can be directly or indirectly linked to the Commission’s findings. The second stage will be the development of the Association's Action Plan. The Action Plan will identify specific steps, projects and activities the Association will undertake over the next several years to strengthen its overall commitment to improving all aspects of marine education as the Commission's recommendations do. At the October 2004 fall conference, the Board will present both plans and ask for a vote of confidence that the Association's plans support its mission. In late August, both the Strategic Plan and the Action Plan will be available for membership review and comment on the MAMEA website. As always, MAMEA is your Association and I find it an honor to represent your interests. Lewie Lawrence President

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Master Naturalist Program – Virginia: The Virginia Master Naturalist Program is an adult environmental education program sponsored by 4-H Cooperative Extension. Participants will learn science-based curriculum and interpretation skills in the classroom and in the field. For more information, contact Mike Hayslett: mhayslet@vt.edu, 434-48-5444, Holiday Lake 4-H Center. Alternatives for Coastal Development: One Site, Three Scenarios: This website illustrates three different development scenarios created for a residential area in coastal Georgia. The website includes maps and details of three different designs; comparisons of environmental, economic, and social indicators; three-dimensional views of each; detailed project methodology; and growth and development-related information. For more information, visit: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/alternatives/. Ask Dr. Global Change: From the U.S. Global Change Research Information Office, "Dr. Global Change" offers a searchable collection of answers to questions about global warming, ozone depletion, greenhouse gases, and other issues related to climate change. Students can also submit questions of their own and explore related links. This reference service also assists researchers, educators, resource managers, and others in finding information relevant to global environmental change. For more information, go to: http://gcrio.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/gcrio.cfg/php/enduser/home.php. Crittercam: See What the Animals See: What do marine animals do when we’re not around? National Geographic’s Crittercam allows researchers to follow wildlife through the use of advanced monitoring equipment attached to the animal. The Crittercam website has maps, lesson plans, and activities. For more information, check out http://www.nationalgeographic.com/crittercam/index.html. Deep-Sea Creatures Quiz from National Geographic: Dive to the depths to test your knowledge of some of the Earth's most unusual creatures. Try this quiz and read the accompanying background information. While you’re on the website, check out the other games including weather wizard, frogs, and much more in the archives. For more information, go to: http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0309/games/game.cgi. Natural Inquirer Journal from USDA: This journal was created so that scientists can share their research with middle school students. Each article describes scientific research conducted by scientists in the USDA Forest Service. The website lets you search for articles by topic and by issue. While it focuses on forests, topics of interest for marine educators include wildlife, habitat and water. For more information, check out www.naturalinquirer.usda.gov. RubiStar – Free Generic Rubrics for Teachers: Rubics can be quite time-consuming to develop. The RubiStar website provides tools to help the teacher who wants to use rubrics but does not have the time to develop them from scratch. RubiStar provides generic rubrics that can be printed and used for many projects and research assignments, or customize your own from their format. For more information, check out http://rubistar.4teachers.org. Travel Matters: This website helps students, teachers, and others learn about how their travel habits and vehicular choices affect climate change. Travel Matters offers interactive emissions calculators, on-line emissions maps, and education content that emphasizes the close relationship between more efficient transit systems and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The website includes questions, activities guides, an interactive quiz, resource lists and more. For more information, check out http://www.travelmatters.org. Invasive Species Workshop: The good, the bad, and the prolific: Nov. 19-21, Center of Marine Biotechnology, Baltimore MD. Learn information from the experts in the field of invasive species and receive some excellent materials to help you engage your students in the classroom. The registration Fee is $25. Contact Adam Frederick for more details: Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program, Center of Marine Biotechnology, 701 East Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21202, (Phone 410.234.8850) or Email (frederic@mdsg.umd.edu).

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – DELAWARE (Sarah Schoedinger) Horseshoe crab spawning, ChesSIE and watershed ecology were some of the topics covered at a recent mini-conference in Smyrna, DE. The conference, jointly organized by the Delaware and District of Columbia representatives of the MAMEA Board, was scheduled in late May to coincide with the official horseshoe crab count that occurs annually during the late Spring along the shores of the Delaware Bay. Thanks to the generosity of Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the conference participants had access to free lodging in a peaceful setting near the Aquatic Resource Education Center. Those who wanted to participate in the official horseshoe crab count were invited to stay an extra night at the lodge. (http://www.lsc.usgs.gov/aeb/2065/)

The mini-conference included a beach walk before sundown, a share-a-thon about professional development opportunities for teachers; classroom activities that focus on horseshoe crabs and watershed ecology; and a presentation on the Chesapeake Science on the Internet for Educators (ChesSIE). Finally around midnight, a few of the intrepid (or, at least, awake) attendees made their way to the Pickering Beach to view the masses of horseshoe crabs spawning at the waters edge under the full moon. Given the enthusiastic response of this year’s attendees, the organizers of the event plan to host a similar mini-conference in May 2005.

MARYLAND (Kathy Siegfried)

National Aquarium in Baltimore-Teacher Orientation Tuesdays, 4 p.m. (8/24, 9/14, 10/05, 11/16, 12/7) Saturdays, 10 a.m. (9/18, 10/23, 11/20) Attend a teacher orientation and experience first-hand all the excitement of the Aquarium prior to your school’s visit. The 60-minute orientation includes:

• Free admission to the Aquarium • An introduction to the building and exhibits • Ideas for visit or follow-up activities • Information about the Aquarium’s inhabitants • A review of the reservation process • Free take-home materials

The workshop is free for all teachers. To register, call Central Reservations at 410-576-3833. Special sessions for groups of 20 or more teachers may be arranged. Call 410-659-4272 or e-mail jharber@aqua.org Project WET – National Aquarium in Baltimore (October 9, 2004) Participants in this one-day workshop will engage in hands-on, multi-disciplinary activities that promote awareness, appreciation, knowledge and management of water resources. All participants will receive a copy of the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide. This guide contains over 60 activities for children in grades

K-12. To register, call 410-576-8799 or e-mail dchristopher@aqua.org. Aquatic Resources Education Grants Conference November 4, 2004, Hashawa Environmental Center, Westminster, MD The goal of the conference is to provide hands-on training, content material, project ideas, resources for project assistance, and project funding sources for Maryland public and non-public schools. Formal and non-formal educators welcome. Contact: Cindy Etgen at 410-260-8715 or cetgen@dnr.state.md.us POW! The Planning of Wetlands will be presented by Environmental Concern, Cape Lookout Environmental Education Center, NC - September 10-12, 2004. Create a living, breathing wetland, while teaching science, math, and engineering, covering National Science Education Standards, creating wildlife habitat, and improving environmental quality. Spend a weekend at the beach to find out how! The course is submitted for NCEE Criteria I certification. Fee: $80 for materials & meals, plus $33 for lodging and $15 for round-trip ferry. Please call 410-745-9620 or e-mail pow@wetland.org for more information.

NORTH CAROLINA (Amy Sauls)

Programs at the North Carolina Aquarium at Ft. Fisher include the following: • The Aquarium has partnered with the New Hanover

County Library in its Summer Reading Program. The hour-long program for pre-K and K children includes a story, craft and live animal

presentation. All classes have been filled and well received by participating parents and children.

• The education and exhibits staff is working on their second in-house film production. The Marine Careers. The 12-minute DVD is scheduled for release late this year.

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• The Aquarium continues its AquaTalk series. Staff and scientists from various state and federal agencies as well as leaders from local grassroots conservation groups conduct these bi-monthly presentations. For program topics and schedule contact Jackie Harris at jackie.e.harris@ncmail.net.

• The next edition of Conserving the Cape Fear, an on-line publication highlighting conservation efforts throughout the Cape Fear Region, will be out in September. To request a copy of the newsletter, contact jackie.e.harris@ncmail.net or download the newsletter from the aquarium website at http://www.ncaquariums.com.

• On June 11 the Aquarium, in collaboration with the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, and the towns of Carolina Beach and Oak Island, planted 15,000 sea oat seedlings. Over 100 volunteers, including aquarium staff, participated in the project. This great opportunity to accomplish important conservation initiatives with community support promises to become an annual event.

First Annual Educational Resource Consortium The Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, a charter school in Wilmington, NC, received a grant from the North Carolina Office of Charter Schools for the dissemination of innovative practices. Two teachers organized a two-day Educational Resource Consortium on June 24-25 to investigate partnerships between schools and informal education centers. Eight teachers, representatives from the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Marine Quest, the North Carolina Zoo, Cape Fear Riverwatch, Cape Fear Children’s Museum, and the Museum of the Coastal Carolinas shared partnership ideas and developed draft agreements for several projects. Projects included reciprocal staff involvement in curriculum development and program presentation, joint grant proposals, and planning for expansion of partnerships. A summary of the consortium is being presented at the North Carolina charter schools conference. The teachers responsible for organizing the Consortium intend to make this an annual event to eventually include many more charter schools, community schools and education partners. National EstuaryLive will be held September 23rd and 24th. This year will feature sessions from Albemarle-Pamlico Sound, in North Carolina; Mullica River-Great Bay, in New Jersey; Puget Sound, in Washington; Peconic Estuary, in Eastern Long Island, New York; South Slough, in Oregon; Weeks Bay, in Alabama; and Waquoit Bay in the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. Go to www.estuarylive.org for more details.

The local EstuaryLive will be held in North Carolina September 21st and 22nd and will include topics such as shellfish, general estuary information, boating, birds and reptiles just to name a few. Check the website for updates, lesson plans, alignment to NC Standard course of study and other resources. www.estuarylive.org Coastal Explorations workshop will be held later this fall at Bald Head Island, NC. Watch the Web for details and dates (www.ncnerr.org) and follow teacher links to the workshops. Contact Amy Sauls for more information. There are various ways to participate in on-the-water programming or topics relating to the water at the NC Maritime Museum. • Teachers must register groups to tour the Museum or

Repository or arrange a field trip to a coastal habitat. Worksheets appropriate for various grade levels are available.

• NCMM Repository tours offer opportunities to hear about Blackbeard’s flagship and view the Queen Anne’s Revenge shipwreck diorama and artifacts.

• Environmental programs feature field trips to barrier islands, wetlands and coastal forests, and a phosphate mine to see fossils, wildflowers, carnivorous plants, birds, marine life, and fungi.

• Try your luck and taste buds in clamming and crabbing workshops.

• Participate in classes in boat building and boat building skills, sailing, and sea kayaking.

• Attend lectures on dolphins, sea turtles, European lighthouses and international travel.

• John Maiolo of East Carolina University presents Hard Times and a Nickel a Bucket about the NC shrimping industry on Oct. 1 (coincides with NC Seafood Festival in Morehead City).

• Jay Barnes, director of the NC Aquarium of Pine Knoll Shores presents Faces from the Flood, Remembering Hurricane Floyd on Oct. 15.

• International travel: Clipper cruises to Nova Scotia (September), Israel (December), the Galapagos and Machu Picchu (April 2005)

• Join a Photo expedition at Cape Lookout for the weekend of Oct 5-7.

• View an art exhibit by Carol Lassiter of Chapel Hill entitled Lured by Fishing (Aug. 17-Oct. 17).

View the current calendar of events and education services at www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/maritime and www.ncmm-friends.org. E-mail: maritime@ncmail.net, Phone: 252-728-7317

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VIRGINIA (Lisa Ayers-Lawrence) The Virginia MAMEA mini-conference, Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay Teacher Workshop, was held at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science June 28-30. A total of 33 teachers came over the three days to learn about oyster biology, ecology and restoration. Twelve of these educators will conduct an oyster restoration project with their classes, growing and monitoring juvenile oysters over the school year then transplanting them in the Bay at the end of the year. Classrooms all over Maryland and Virginia are participating in projects like this. The classroom activity in this issue was developed by the Bridge (www.marine-ed.org/bridge) was part of the workshop and takes a look at real oyster gardening data available online. It can also be found online at http://www.vims.edu/bridge/index_archive0501.html. Blue Crab Bowl It’s time to start recruiting your high school students for the Blue Crab Bowl, a marine science academic competition. The Blue Crab Bowl will be held February 11-12, 2005 at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Registration packets must be requested by October 29, 2004 and submitted by November 24, 2004. For more information, email Anne West-Valle at anne@ccpo.odu.edu.

Kudos - MAMEAn Cathy Roberts is one of thirteen teachers nationwide to be selected to participate in the ARMADA Project, which provides K-12 teachers with research and mentoring experiences. As an ARMADA Master Teacher, Cathy will attend an intense training workshop then board a research ship to study the frontal zones near Cape Hatteras. After the research cruise, Cathy will incorporate the science into her classroom and will mentor area teachers. The Mariners’ Museum, Newport News This summer the Mariners’ Museum has opened its new exhibit Flying Colors. Open through 2004, this exhibit showcases working maritime flags and their importance in maritime history and culture. Virginia Marine Science Museum (Virginia Aquarium), Virginia Beach This summer and fall at the Virginia Marine Science Museum (now called the Virginia Aquarium) you can get out of the heat and navigate their walk-through mazes (A-MAZING Sea) or take in the IMAX movie Into the Deep. If the heat isn’t bothering you, get out on the water by signing up for a dolphin watching boat trip or a Creek Cruise. For more information, go to http://www.vmsm.com/.

MAMEA Educator Awards NOW is the time to submit your nominations for our annual MAMEA awards to be presented at the annual Professional Development Weekend in October. Honor one of your colleagues by nominating him or her for a Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association Marine Educator Award. Now in its 18th year, the MAMEA Marine Educator Award program recognizes two outstanding marine educators each year – one classroom teacher and one non-traditional educator (including museum staff, college instructors, and employees with government agencies). This year’s winners will be announced at the MAMEA Annual Professional Development Weekend in Corolla, North Carolina October 29-31, 2004. It's easy to nominate even on-line. Just go to: http://www.mamea.org/awards.html Nominees must: Be a MAMEA member, Demonstrate a commitment to marine education, Excel as educators, Develop and use innovative marine education materials, Share information with colleagues, Promote marine education professionally.

For more information, contact John Chubb. Nominate Someone Today!

Paul Standish Scholarship The Paul Standish Scholarship is awarded annually to one MAMEA member interested in attending the regional conference but in need of financial assistance. The Scholarship covers the full registration package excluding field trips and other additional fees. Applicants must have at least one year of membership in the Association prior to application. To apply, complete this application form and submit a letter of application justifying the need for the scholarship and explaining how the conference will benefit you and your students. Application deadline is September 30, 2004. Include on your application letter: your full name, years of MAMEA membership, institutional organization, subjects/grades taught, address, home and work telephone, Fax and e-mail. Mail, Fax or e-mail your application to: Barry Fox, Box 9081, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA 23806 (804-524-5848) (Fax: 804-524-5057) Email - bfox@vsu.edu.

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Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association Marine Science Education: An Annual Professional Development Weekend

October 29-30, 2004, Corolla, NC Themes: Biodiversity and Marine Ghosts

(Other topics are welcomed.)

Name: _________________________________________________________________________

Professional Title: ________________________________________________________________

School/Institution: _______________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Work Phone: _____________ Home Phone: _______________ E-mail address: ________________

Type of Session (check one) ___ Hands-on workshop ___ Research/Information ___ Demonstration

Length of Session (check one) ___ 45 minutes ___ 90 minutes

Location preference (check one) ___ Outside (__ beach or __ patio) ___ Inside

Title of Presentation: _____________________________________________________________

Presentation Description (limit 40 words): ______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

Grade level ______________ Interest area: ______________________________________

Preferred audience size: AV Needs:

___ Max 10 All of the concurrent session rooms have Internet access. ___ 10-20 ___ 30 or more Fax or Mail to: Questions? MAMEA, Call for Papers Contact: Dianne Roberts Susan Haynes, shaynes@vims.edu PO Box 1346 804-684-7735 Gloucester Point, VA 23062 FAX 804-684-7161

Proposal deadline: September 17, 2004

Note: Presenters are responsible for their own AV equipment. None will be available from the hotel.

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Registration 2004 MAMEA Conference October 29-30 Corolla, NC

Name: _______________________________________________________________

Address:______________________________________________________________

City:_______________________ State:____________ Zip Code:________________

School/Organization:____________________________________________________

Home Phone:______________________ Work Phone:_________________________

E-mail:___________________________ Fax:________________________________

Share-A-Thon: Any items you want to share, swap, barter, give-away, demonstrate, etc. are needed for this event. Tables will be available. I will bring:______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Auction: Don’t forget to bring something for the silent auction and the live auction! I will donate: _____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

Conference Fees: Tickets for special events are included in packages A & B. Early bird After Sept. 30 Total Package A: Full conference including Friday $90 $100 ____ Biodiversity Ball, Saturday sessions, lunch, Share-a-thon, dinner, auction and membership Package B: Saturday sessions, lunch, $70 $80 ____ share-a-thon, dinner, auction and membership Package C: Saturday sessions, lunch, share-a-thon $30 $40 ____

Field Trip (select one and pay amount for 1st choice) Corolla Kayak Adventure $40 Pine Island Birding $5 Whalehead Club and Currituck Lighthouse $10 Currituck Banks Guided Boardwalk Talk $5 Coastal Research in Rea l Time $5 Note: All field trips require you to bring your own lunch/snacks. Field trips are open exclusively to MAMEA registrants until September 30th. After that time, guests may sign up on a space-available basis. A parent must accompany children under 18.

1st choice ____________________________ ____ 2nd choice ____________________________ Guests Friday night Biodiversity Ball and pizza $20 ____ Saturday night dinner and auction $40 ____ (Includes dinner + 2 adult beverage tickets. Children under 12 may order off menu for $5.95 + tax)

Total Cost ____

www.mamea.org

Please make checks payable to MAMEA and send your registration to: Dianne Roberts, MAMEA Conference, C/O VIMS, PO Box 1346, Gloucester Point, VA 23062.

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Mailing Registration Forms Important Notes:

• Conference registration is limited to 100. • All mail-in registrations must be received by October 21.

After that date we can only accept walk-in registration at the conference. • No refunds available after October 21. • Questions? Contact Susan Haynes, 804-684-7735, shaynes@vims.edu

Tentative Agenda

Thursday, October 28 Board Dinner (Metropolis, Corolla) 5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. Board meeting (Bodie Room, Hampton Inn) 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Friday, October 29 Registration (Lobby, Hampton Inn) 8:30a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Field Studies 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Biodiversity Ball (Hampton Inn) 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Pizza and punch (Lobby) 6:15 p.m. Silent Auction (Bodie/Ocracoke) 6:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Welcome by Pres/Pres. Elect (Cape Hatteras/Currituck) 7:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Kids costume awards (Lobby) 7:30 p.m. Adult costume awards 8:45 p.m.

Saturday, October 30 Registration 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Welcome (Cape Hatteras/Currituck) 9:00 a.m - 9:15 a.m. Speaker: Dr. Emmit Duffy (Marine Biodiversity) 9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Concurrent Sessions 10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Lunch (boxed) 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. Business meeting/Awards (Cape Hatteras/Currituck) 12:30 p.m.– 1:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Share-a-thon/kids activity (Lobby or Bodie) 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Social/ Dinner/Live Auction (Sunset Grille, Duck) 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 31 New Board breakfast (Lobby) 8:00 a.m. What should I be sure to bring?

• A creative, marine-themed costume for the Biodiversity Ball (kids welcome)

• An auction item (or two or three) • Your undying enthusiasm for marine education

Field Trip Descriptions Corolla Kayak Adventure: www.kittyhawk.com/kayak/northern.cfm 8:30 – 11:30 am; limit 12; cost: $40 per person Explore the peaceful waters of the Currituck Sound north of Corolla. Paddle around the maze of freshwater marsh islands of Pine Island and Currituck Beach Lighthouse areas. Learn a little history and search for herons, egrets, otters, and other wildlife. Take home a unique outlook on the Outer Banks. Meet at 8:30 am at Carolina Outdoors in Monteray Shores Shopping Center, 5 miles north of the Hampton Inn.

(Continued on next page)

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Pine Island Birding: www.ncaudubon.org/nccas_sanc4.html 8:30 – 10:30 am; limit 15; cost: $5 per person. October is birding season on the Outer Banks. Join Audubon North Carolina Education Director Andy Wood for a guided birding hike along Pine Island’s open beach to look for traveling shorebirds and inside the shrub thicket habitats to observe autumn songbirds. Sandpipers, plovers, and a host of water birds are likely encounters, along with numerous warblers and other woodland birds. Meet in the lobby of the Hampton Inn, Corolla. This walking tour begins on the hotel’s beachfront. Whalehead Club/Currituck Beach Lighthouse: www.curritucklight.com, www.whaleheadclub.com 12:30 – 4:30 pm; Limit 15; cost: $10 per person. Discover the history of two of the first permanent structures in the area. Enjoy a guided tour of the Whalehead Club, a hunt club built in the 1920’s and on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been restored to its original splendor with water lilies carved into walls, mahogany door surrounds, and the unique look of corduroy walls and cork-tiled flooring. Discover the 158-foot tall Currituck Beach Lighthouse, illuminated in 1875. Climb the lighthouse (214 steps) for an incredible view of the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Sound! Meet in the lobby of the Hampton Inn, Corolla. A van will take the group on this excursion.

Currituck Banks Guided Boardwalk Talk: www.ncnerr.org/pubsiteinfo/siteinfo/currituck/currituck.html 2:00 – 4:30 pm; limit 20; cost: $5 per person Come see the Currituck Banks National Estuarine Research Reserve site. Take a walk on the walkway, and then enjoy an easy hike through a maritime forest along North Carolina's northern Outer Banks. The boardwalk leads to the sound side where you get a wonderful view of the Currituck sound, uninterrupted by development. This is a unique estuarine area since the ocean is so close to the sound, yet the nearest inlet and saltwater input is over 30 miles to the south, so this estuary is very fresh. Enjoy seeing this unique maritime forest habitat that still exists intact in a few places. Meet in the lobby of the Hampton Inn, Corolla. You’ll need to carpool to this location! Coastal Research in Real Time: frf.usace.army.mil 2:00 – 4:00 pm; limit 15; cost: $5 per person Explore the Army Corps of Engineers’ Field Research Facility, a first-class coastal research center in Duck. Research oceanographer Kent Hathaway will take participants on an in-depth tour of the facilities, in addition to a walk to the end of the pier to conduct supobs (supplemental observations) by taking a CTD cast and making current measurements. Meet in the lobby of the Hampton Inn, Corolla. A van will take the group to the government facility.

Hotel Information 2004 MAMEA Conference October 29-30 Corolla, NC Our conference hotel is The Hampton Inn and Suites on the beach just south of Corolla. All events will take place at the hotel with the exception of Saturday evening dinner and auction. There are no other hotels close by. A block of rooms has been set aside at a fantastic conference rate of $57.25 single/ $67.25 double + tax. Amenities include a complimentary breakfast bar daily; complimentary coffee and tea in the lobby 24 hours a day; private beach and ocean access; outdoor pool (seasonal); indoor heated pool and whirlpool spa (open all year). All rooms include microwave and refrigerator; coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board; private balcony.

www.mamea.org

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For the special group rate, reserve a room by September 30. Be sure to refer to the MAMEA conference. There is NO guarantee that the conference rate will apply to any reservations made after this deadline.

Hampton Inn & Suites Outer Banks - Corolla 333 Audubon Drive, Corolla, NC 27927 Telephone: 1-252-453-6565 Fax: 1-252-457-0024

Visit http://www.hamptoninn-outerbanks.com/ for more information and directions. NOTE: Conference registration is limited to 100. Make your reservations early!

Many Thanks to Our Sponsors Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve

Virginia Sea Grant North Carolina Sea Grant

Delaware Sea Grant Hampton Inn - Corolla

Sunset Grille and Raw Bar - Duck

NMEA Update MAMEA has a strong representation on the NMEA board. Sarah Schoedinger is the new President-Elect, Terri Kirby Hathaway was re- elected as Secretary, and Beth Jewell was elected to the board of directors this spring. At the NMEA conference in St Petersburg Florida, Adam Frederick was awarded the James Centorino award. Richmond will be hosting a NSTA regional conference this fall, December 1-3. MAMEA and NMEA will be sponsoring a marine education share-a-thon. Space is still available for folks to share an activity. If interested, please contact Beth Jewell at beth.jewell@fcps.edu.

MAMEA Educational Project Grant Program With a few hours of thought, planning and writing you can qualify for up to $500 mini-grant to assist your educational programs. Please consider applying for these funds. MAMEA is here to help you have a successful program. Contact the Mini-grants Chair for information or assistance. Purpose:

The MAMEA Educational Project Grant Program provides funding to classroom teachers and other educators for marine and aquatic educational projects.

Eligibility: Any MAMEA member may submit one proposal per year. A minimum membership of one year is required prior to receipt of grant funds. Applications can be made prior to fulfilling the one-year term.

Program Structure: • Complete proposal guidelines, instructions and instructions are available on-line at www.MAMEA.org. • Grant application deadline is September 30, 2004. Applications are accepted year-round. The application

form is available at http://www.vims.edu/adv/mamea/minigrant.html or contact the Grants Chair. Send five copies of the completed application, with attachments, to: MAMEA Grants Committee Chair Barry Fox, Box 9081, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA 23806 (804-524-5848) (Fax: 804-524-5680)

E-mail: bfox@vsu.edu

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Oyster Gardens: A Classroom Activity Using Online Data by Laura Rose

Along America's coastlines, a new type of gardening is growing in popularity. It doesn't require soil or shovel; however, other unique equipment is necessary. Water is essential; but saline, not fresh. And, like traditional gardening, a bit of back-aching work and a lot of tender loving care are also required.

Oysters are in need of some tending these days because various human activities have drastically reduced their populations. Being stationary filter feeders, these bivalves cannot relocate when runoff from land carries silt or toxins to their immediate area, or when dissolved oxygen levels become critically low due to algae blooms. Diseases such as Dermo and MSX have hit populations hard. Over harvesting by humans has also made it difficult for oyster populations to sustain themselves.

Oysters play a critical role in the ecosystem by consuming phytoplankton and improving water quality through their filtering. When the first settlers arrived, oyster reefs were plentiful, and even poked out of the water like mountains peeking through the clouds. Chesapeake Bay, whose name means "Great Shellfish Bay," was historically replete with high numbers of oysters that were able to filter the bay water in a period of about three days. It takes the current oyster population approximately one year to filter the bay water.

Oyster gardening activities have evolved with the strategy of raising hatchery-produced oyster seed in floating cages to a size that allows them to be transplanted safely onto reefs for restoration. With the current knowledge about disease problems, the oyster gardening approach allows the grower some control in overcoming them. It generally takes wild oysters three years to get to harvestable size, but because of Dermo and MSX, the oysters are not likely to survive that long. Hatchery operators can spawn oysters earlier than under natural conditions. This gives young oysters a big head start in growth before they are potentially exposed to diseases. While optimum growth in oysters occurs in higher salinities, disease pressure is generally less intense at lower salinities, and the hope is that oysters can survive to maturity there before being stocked on reefs.

Oyster gardening programs are cropping up in New York Harbor, the Hudson River, and Galveston Bay, Texas, but perhaps the most visible is in the Chesapeake Bay, historically one of the country's foremost oyster production areas.

Around the Chesapeake Bay, both private homeowners and students are getting involved. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) oyster gardening efforts include the Gardener REsearch Extension Network (GREEN), which involves gardeners with testing new strains of oysters at their sites, and the CHesapeake Oyster Monitoring Program (CHOMP), which gathers water quality and oyster growth and mortality data collected by participating gardeners. Information from these programs will assist both researchers and gardeners with predicting oyster growing performance in various locations around the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Student Oyster Corps in Maryland and the Oyster Reef Keepers of Virginia are helping classrooms conduct their own oyster restoration projects. Students raise oysters in floats attached to docks, monitoring and tracking their size and the environmental conditions that may affect their growth. At the end of the project students have the opportunity to board a boat and transplant their oysters onto reefs.

The Maryland Sea Grant Oyster Gardening page has great information on getting started, oyster ecology, oyster seed, and oyster care. Let's also look at their Oyster Garden Data.

Data Exercise

In this activity we’ll use Maryland Sea Grant Oyster Garden Data to see how well the oysters are doing. To access the data, go to http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/oysters/garden/datastats.html. To get an overall picture of the success of oyster gardening in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, select the boxes for Average Length and Survival, leave the default choice for rivers (All) and click on Compute Statistics. You will see a list by water body of average length and average percent survival based on samples of 50 randomly selected oysters. The "n" stands for number of samples. Have students compare length and survival by water body and over time. For higher salinities, a survival rate above 50% is good, while in lower salinity areas, 70-75% is considered good. Are you impressed by the numbers? Which areas have the best survival? Which the worst? Which years have the best survival? Which have the worst? Have students discuss the factors that may contribute to oyster mortality.

This article was developed by the Bridge (www.marine-ed.org/bridge) as part of the Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay Workshop and can also be found online at http://www.vims.edu/bridge/index_archive0501.html.

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President Lewie Lawrence MPPDC 125 Bowden St., PO Box 286 Saluda, VA (804) 758-2311, (804) 758-3221 (fax) mppdc@inna.net

President Elect Susan Haynes VA Inst. of Marine Science PO Box 1346 Gloucester Point, VA 23062 (804) 684-7735, (804) 684-7161 (fax) shaynes@vims.edu Secretary David Christopher NAiB 501 East Pratt, Pier 3 Baltimore, MD 21202 410-576-3859 dchristopher@aqua.org

Treasurer Karen Fuss 3008 Chelsford Way Williamsburg, VA 23185 757-564-9629 karendave@widowmaker.com

Past President NMEA Board Rep. Beth Jewell 5462 Stavendish St. Burke, VA 22015 703-913-3800 (W) fin2fluke@hotmail.com DE Representative Shaun Giudice 200 N. 8th Street Delmar, DE 19990 (410) 548-2993 (H), (302) 846-9544 (W) shauneen@shore.intercom.net DC Representative Sarah Schoedinger CORE 1755 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 332-0063 x221 (W), (202) 986-5072 (fax) Sschoedinger@COREocean.org VA Representative Lisa Ayers Lawrence VIMS PO Box 1346 Gloucester Point, VA 23062 (804) 684-7608, (804) 684-7161 (fax) ayers@vims.edu

NC Representative Amy Sauls NC NERRS 135 Marine Lab Rd Beaufort, NC 28516 (252) 354-5410 (H), (252) 728-2170 (W) (252)728-6273 (fax) amy_sauls@ncnerr.org MD Representative Kathy Siegfried NAIB Pier 3/501 East Pratt Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 576-3888 (W), (410) 570-1927 (C) ksiegfried@aqua.org Masthead Editor Barry Fox Box 9081 Petersburg, VA 23806 804-524-5848 (W), 804-524-5057 (fax) bfox@vsu.edu MAMEA Webkeeper Frances Lee Larkin Virginia Institute of Marine Science PO Box 1346 Gloucester Point, VA 23062 (804) 684-7172 (W), (804) 684-7161 (fax) larkin@vims.edu

Standing Rules Committee Chair: Vicki Clark VA Inst. of Marine Science PO Box 1346 Gloucester Point, VA 23062 (804) 684-7169 (W), (804) 684-7161 (fax) vclark@vims.edu Grants Committee Chair: Barry Fox (address above) Awards Committee Chair: John Chubb PO Box 836 Eastville, VA 23347 (757) 442-9041 jchubb@broadwater.esva.net Nominations Committee Chair: Carol McCormack 107 Mahon Lane Peck’s Pond, DE 19701 carolm@dea.net

Archives Committee Chair: Terri Kirby Hathaway NC Sea Grant PO Box 699 217 Budleigh Street (UPS) Manteo, NC 27954 (252) 475-3663 (252) 475-3545 terrikh@csi.northcarolina.edu

Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association Masthead Box 9081, Virginia State University Petersburg, VA 23806

Be sure to • Attend one of the programs and use the resources described in this

issue, • Apply for the MAMEA mini-grant (www.MAMEA.org), • Nominate yourself or someone else for a MAMEA award, • Get involved in you local MAMEA events and attend the regional

conference.