E es para ingeniería * E is for Engineering

By Cynthia Reséndiz, Oregon Coast STEM Hub Director

Hoy les quiero platicar sobre la ingeniería o “engineering” en inglés, que se encarga de diseñar y construir todo tipo de cosas.

ingeniería civil * civil engineering

La ingeniería nos rodea: la vemos en los puentes, en las carreteras, en los edificios… Los que construyen estas estructuras son los ingenieros civiles. También la vemos en los automóviles que manejamos, los transportes como los aviones, los autobuses….¡Qué bueno que existen los ingenieros! ¡Imagínense tener que caminar a todas partes!

Existen muchos otros tipos de ingeniería, por ejemplo:

  1.  la ingeniería en alimentos que ayuda a que los alimentos nos duren más sin que se echen a perder. 
  2. la ingeniería química que estudia cómo transformar materias primas en productos que se puedan vender.
  3. La ingeniería mecánica: que construye y da mantenimiento a máquinas y aparatos mecánicos. Y hay hasta una ingeniería del espacio creando satélites y cohetes. ¿Tiene usted pequeños ingenieros en casa? ¡Estas son carreras que pagan muy bien!

En Newport, Oregon tenemos una gran obra de ingeniería: Hablo del nuevo edificio de estudios marinos Gladys Valley del Centro de Estudios Marinos Hatfield, en South Beach. Este es un lugar seguro en caso de un terremoto, tiene capacidad para más de 900 personas, y cualquier persona que se encuentre en la zona puede ir a refugiarse de un posible tsunami después de un terremoto. Los ingenieros diseñaron este edificio para resistir terremotos y tsunamis de los más fuertes que existen. En la parte de afuera del edificio hay una rampa de evacuación que lleva a una terraza que está a 47 pies o 14 metros de altura. Es importante que sepa que el edificio Gladys Valley es el único edificio en Oregón que ha sido diseñado para resistir un tsunami. Si usted se encuentra en otras áreas de la costa usted debe ir a refugiarse en terrenos elevados, NO en la azotea de un edificio.

Por ejemplo, un lugar seguro y ubicado en terreno elevado en South Beach es el área cercana al colegio comunitario. Donde quiera que se encuentre en la costa, después de un terremoto asegúrese de dirigirse (o quedarse) al terreno elevado que le quede más cerca.

Mi nombre es Cynthia, soy la directora del centro STEM (Oregon Coast STEM Hub). STEM es un acrónimo en inglés que representa las palabras Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas. La educación STEM es importante para que los niños desarrollen habilidades, que sin darse cuenta, que les van a servir para toda su vida. Hoy hablamos de la E de ingeniería. Gracias por su atención y ¡Nos vemos la próxima semana para hablar de la “M” de matemáticas!


Today I want to talk to you about engineering, which is responsible for designing and building of all kinds of things.

Engineering surrounds us: We see it in bridges, on roads, in buildings… Those who build these structures are civil engineers. We also see it in the cars we drive and other transportation such as airplanes and buses. It’s good that engineers exist! Imagine having to walk everywhere!

There are many other types of engineering, for example:

  • Food engineering helps food last longer without spoiling.
  • Chemical engineering transforms raw materials into products that can be sold.
  • Mechanical engineering supports building and maintaining machines. 
  • And there is even Space engineering for creating satellites and rockets.
food engineering * la ingeniería en alimentos

Do you have little engineers at home? These are careers that pay very well!

In Newport, Oregon, we have a great engineering feat: I’m talking about the new Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in South Beach. This building is a safe place in case of an earthquake. Engineers designed this building to withstand the largest predicted earthquakes and tsunamis. The roof has the capacity to hold more than 900 people, and after a big earthquake, anyone who is in the area can go to the roof to shelter from the tsunami which is expected to follow. On the outside of the building there is an evacuation ramp that leads to a terrace that is 47 feet (14 meters) high. It’s important to know that the Gladys Valley building is the only building in Oregon that has been designed to withstand a tsunami, so if we are in any other part of the coast we must go to high ground, NOT to the top of a building.

For example, after an earthquake, another safe place in South Beach is high ground near the community college. Wherever you are on the coast, after an earthquake, make sure you go to (or stay on) the high ground that is closest to you.

My name is Cynthia, I am the Director of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. STEM is an acronym in English that represents the words Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM education is important for children to develop skills that, without realizing it, will serve them for a lifetime. Today we talked about the E for engineering. Thanks for joining us, and see you next week to talk about the “M” in math!


Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building * edificio de estudios marinos Gladys Valley
(photo/foto: Sharon Biddinger)

Cynthia Reséndiz es la Directora del Oregon Coast STEM Hub, que tiene su sede en el Centro de Ciencias Marinas Hatfield de la Universidad Estatal de Oregón (OSU por sus siglas en inglés), en Newport, Oregón. Cada semana, Cynthia habla en español de temas relacionados con STEM en el programa Radio Arcoiris en KYAQ 91.7FM. Sintonízalo los viernes a las 4:30PM, en la radio o en la transmisión en vivo por internet. https://www.kyaq.org/ 

Los primeros cuatro episodios se enfocaron en el significado de las letras S, T, E, y M. Esta publicación es la transcripción del episodio sobre LA INGENERíA. El programa fue transmitido en español y traducido al inglés para este blog.

Cynthia Reséndiz is the Director of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, which is headquartered at the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. Each week, Cynthia talks about STEM topics in Spanish on the  Arcoiris Radio program on KYAQ 91.7FM. Tune in at 4:30PM on Fridays to hear the show, using your radio or by streaming through the internet. https://www.kyaq.org/ 

Her first four shows focused on the meaning behind the letters S, T, E, and M. This post is a transcription of her presentation about ENGINEERING. The program was delivered in Spanish and translated into English for this blog.

T es para la tecnología * T is for Technology

By Cynthia Reséndiz, Oregon Coast STEM Hub Director

Estamos rodeados por la tecnología. Pongamos atención a la tecnología a nuestro alrededor: teléfonos celulares, muchos servicios son por medio de apps, casi todo es electrónico incluyendo el dinero, vamos a la tienda y pagamos con una tarjeta. Pero…¿Se imaginan un mundo sin tecnología?

La tecnología se inventó para hacer nuestras vidas más fácil, y cambia muy rápidamente. Seguido escuchamos que las compañías sacan nuevas versiones mejoradas de pantallas de televisión, celulares y computadoras. No sé ustedes, pero yo a veces me siento como en una película de ciencia ficción cuando escucho que hay robots que realizan cirugías, carros que se manejan solos, drones que vuelan para tomar fotos y videos…Pero no todo es entretenimiento. También una combinación de ciencia y tecnología nos permitió tener vacunas para salvar millones de vidas durante la presente pandemia de COVID19. 

¿qué es la tecnología? Es la capacidad de cambiar o combinar algo que ya existía para mejorar nuestras vidas, en pocas palabras la tecnología resuelve problemas.

Hay carreras relacionadas con la tecnología como computación y la robótica, pero no tenemos que ser expertos. Por ejemplo estudiar un poco de computación, a cualquier edad, siempre nos va a ayudar al buscar trabajo. En los niños estudiar computación desarrolla capacidades como el pensamiento crítico, que nos lleva a analizar y razonar la información que recibimos, y nos va a ayudar a diferenciar las noticias falsas de las verdaderas. 

Mi nombre es Cynthia, soy la directora del centro STEM (Oregon Coast STEM Hub). STEM es un acrónimo en inglés que representan las palabras Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas. La educación STEM es importante para que los niños desarrollen habilidades, que sin darse cuenta, que les van a servir para toda su vida. Hoy hablamos de la T de tecnología. Gracias por su atención y ¡Nos vemos la próxima semana para hablar de la “E” que en español significa ingeniería! 


Cynthia Reséndiz es la Directora del Oregon Coast STEM Hub, que tiene su sede en el Centro de Ciencias Marinas Hatfield de la Universidad Estatal de Oregón (OSU por sus siglas en inglés), en Newport, Oregón. Cada semana, Cynthia habla en español de temas relacionados con STEM en el programa Radio Arcoiris en KYAQ 91.7FM. Sintonízalo los viernes a las 4:30PM, en la radio o en la transmisión en vivo por internet. https://www.kyaq.org/ 

Los primeros cuatro episodios se enfocaron en el significado de las letras S, T, E, y M. Esta publicación es la transcripción de su presentación sobre la TECNOLOGíA. El programa fue transmitido en español y traducido al inglés para este blog.

We are surrounded by technology. Let’s pay attention to the technology around us. Think about cell phones, for example. Many services are through apps, almost everything is electronic including money, and when we go to the store we pay with a card. But… can you imagine a world without technology?

Technology makes our lives easier, and it changes very quickly. We often hear that companies release new and improved versions of television screens, cell phones and computers. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’m in a science fiction movie when I hear that there are robots that perform surgeries, cars that drive themselves, drones that fly to take photos and video. But not everything is entertainment; a combination of science and technology allowed us to have vaccines to save millions of lives during the current COVID19 pandemic.

What is technology? It is the ability to change or combine something that already existed to improve our lives, in short, technology solves problems.

There are technology-related careers like computing and robotics, but we don’t have to be experts. For example, studying a bit of computing, at any age, will always help us when looking for a job. In children, studying computers develops skills such as critical thinking, which leads us to analyze and reason with the information we receive, and will help us differentiate between false and true news.

My name is Cynthia, I am the director of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. STEM is an acronym in English that represents the words Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM education is important for children to develop skills that, without realizing it, will serve them for a lifetime. Today we talked about the T of technology. Thank you for your attention and see you next week to talk about the “E”, which means engineering!


Cynthia Reséndiz is the Director of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, which is headquartered at the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. Each week, Cynthia talks about STEM topics in Spanish on the Arcoiris Radio program on KYAQ 91.7FM. Tune in at 4:30PM on Fridays to hear the show, using your radio or by streaming through the internet. https://www.kyaq.org/ 

Her first four shows focused on the meaning behind the letters S, T, E, and M. This post is a transcription of her presentation about TECHNOLOGY. The program was delivered in Spanish and translated into English for this blog.

S es para la Ciencia * S is for Science

By Cynthia Reséndiz, Oregon Coast STEM Hub Director

A woman holds a bird outddors
Dr. Cynthia Reséndiz

Hola, mi nombre es Cynthia y soy y soy una científica mexicana. ¿Me están imaginando como un hombre con barba y canas? ¡NO! Muchos de ustedes me conocen o me han visto en Zoom y saben que no me veo así. O al menos eso creo yo.

Estudié biología en México, y después trabajé en lugares muy bonitos como el Ártico, en el polo norte. Mi trabajo era buscar nidos y contar huevos de un ganso que viaja al Ártico cada año en verano para reproducirse. Fue muy divertido, vi paisajes muy bonitos y animales muy interesantes como los osos polares. En todo el mundo hay mucha gente que su trabajo es buscar animales o plantas. Aquí en la costa de Oregon hay gente a la que le pagan por buscar ballenas, peces y otros animales que viven en el mar, en los ríos, o en el bosque. Se estarán preguntando…¿Por qué les pagan por hacer eso? La presencia de algunos animales nos dice si la naturaleza y el ambiente donde vivimos es saludable. Y si la naturaleza tiene salud, nos va a dar aire limpio que respirar y agua limpia, y nos enfermamos menos. La naturaleza nos da salud para nosotros y nuestras familias.  

Soy la directora del centro STEM (Oregon Coast STEM Hub). STEM son unas siglas en inglés que representan las palabras Ciencia, Tecnología, Ingeniería y Matemáticas. STEM también significa tallo en español, como el tallo de una planta. El tallo es la base desde donde crecen las plantas, y de igual forma la educación STEM es importante para que los niños desarrollen habilidades a veces invisibles porque las desarrollan sin darse cuenta, pero les van a servir para toda su vida. Hoy hablamos de la Ciencia.

La ciencia no nadamás son animales y plantas, la ciencia hace muchas cosas, como las vacunas de la COVID19, las medicinas que nos curan cuando estamos enfermos, ¡y muchas cosas más!

¡La ciencia es para todos y todas! No importa la edad, dónde nacimos,  o a qué nos dedicamos. Todas las personas podemos aprender, tener curiosidad y ser científicos en nuestros ratos libres. Todos los niños son científicos chiquitos, son curiosos y siempre tienen preguntas muy interesantes. Los invito a apoyar a sus hijos a desarrollar sus habilidades científicas. En el condado de Lincoln hay científicos en el acuario, en el colegio comunitario, y en el centro Hatfield de la Universidad Estatal de Oregon. Si a sus hijos les gusta el mar, los animales o la naturaleza, pueden estudiar estas carreras.

Gracias por su atención y ¡Nos vemos la próxima semana para hablar de la “T” de tecnología!


Cynthia Reséndiz es la Directora del Oregon Coast STEM Hub, que tiene su sede en el Centro de Ciencias Marinas Hatfield de la Universidad Estatal de Oregón (OSU por sus siglas en inglés), en Newport, Oregón. Cada semana, Cynthia habla en español de temas relacionados con STEM en el programa Radio Arcoiris en KYAQ 91.7FM. Sintonízalo los viernes a las 4:30PM, en la radio o en la transmisión en vivo por internet. https://www.kyaq.org/ 

Los primeros cuatro episodios se enfocaron en el significado de las letras S, T, E, y M. Esta publicación es la transcripción de su presentación sobre la CIENCIA. El programa fue transmitido en español y traducido al inglés para este blog. 

Hello, my name is Cynthia and I am a Mexican scientist. Are you imagining me as a man with a beard and gray hair? NOT! Many of you know me or have seen me on Zoom and know that I don’t look like that. Or at least that’s what I think.

I studied biology in Mexico, and then I worked in very beautiful places like the Arctic, at the North Pole. My job was to search for nests and count eggs for a goose that travels to the Arctic every year in the summer to breed. It was a lot of fun, and I saw very beautiful landscapes and very interesting animals like polar bears. All over the world there are many people whose job it is to look for animals or plants. Here on the Oregon coast, there are people who get paid to search for whales, fish and other animals that live in the sea, in the rivers, or in the forest. You may be wondering… Why do they get paid to do that? The presence of some animals tells us if nature and the environment where we live is healthy. And if nature is healthy, it will give us clean air to breathe and clean water, and we get sick less often. Nature provides good health for ourselves and our families.

I’m the Director of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. STEM is an acronym in English that represents the words Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM also means stem in Spanish, like the stem of a plant. The stem is the base from which plants grow, and in the same way STEM education is important for children to develop skills that are sometimes invisible because they develop them without realizing it, but they will serve them for their entire lives. Today we will talk about Science.

Science is not just animals and plants, science does many things, such as COVID19 vaccines, medicines that cure us when we are sick, and many more things!

Science is for everyone! No matter the age, where we were born, or what we do. All of us can learn, be curious and be scientists in our spare time. All children are little scientists, they are curious and always have very interesting questions. I invite you to support your children in developing their science skills. In Lincoln County there are scientists at the aquarium, at the community college, and at the Oregon State University Hatfield Center. If your children like the sea, animals, or nature, they can study these careers.

Thanks for your attention and see you next week to talk about the “T” of technology!


Cynthia Reséndiz is the Director of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, which is headquartered at the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon. Each week, Cynthia talks about STEM topics in Spanish on the Arcoiris Radio program on KYAQ 91.7FM. Tune in at 4:30PM on Fridays to hear the show, using your radio or by streaming through the internet. https://www.kyaq.org/ 

Her first four shows focused on the meaning behind the letters S, T, E, and M. This post is a transcription of her presentation about SCIENCE. The program was delivered in Spanish and translated into English for this blog.

Day three on the Oceanus: Unexpected Gifts

By Tracy Crews

This post is part of a series about the 2018 STEM research cruise taking place this week on board the R/V Oceanus. Other posts in this series include Tracy’s report from Day One, and a post from high school student Alishia Keller from Day Two.

Pacific white-sided dolphins

Pacific white-sided dolphins

We started out our research cruise off the Oregon Coast, but as the wind increased down south impacting visibility, we tried our best to outrun it by heading north, into the waters off of Washington. We started out the day over Gray’s Canyon, surrounded by thick fog, wondering if we had traded one weather problem for another. But as the sun rose higher in the sky it burned off the fog and we were able to resume our survey tracks, zig-zagging back and forth from the shallower edge of the canyon, through the deeper water, then back to the other side again. Our quest today was to find those large, elusive whales known to prefer deep water, like sperm whales, beaked whales, and blues.

It wasn’t long before we saw a large pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins, estimated to be 230 in number by our two marine mammal researchers. Soon the dolphins surrounded the boat, darting out of wave crests, performing acrobatics and dancing in the wake of the vessel. The speed and agility they displayed was truly astounding. But as much as we enjoyed their antics, it was time to resume our search for their larger relatives.

Sperm whale fluke

Soon thereafter, as we made our way into deeper water, a solitary sperm whale was spotted. Everyone was excited to see such a rare sight but it wouldn’t last for long. Immortalized in books like Moby Dick, these large, toothed whales are impressive divers and once submerged can stay down for 45 minutes or more. Unsure when or where it would resurface, we continued along our survey transect.

As we moved back into shallower waters, we began to see more of the humpback whales that we have become so familiar with over the last few days. Most were traveling in small, close-knit groups, synchronized as they moved through the water. Others could be seen diving together then “logging” at the surface, floating to conserve energy and recover before diving once again.

deploying CTD

More oceanographic surveying

As the day wound down and wind picked up, we shifted gears to conduct some more CTDs (oceanographic surveys) and decided to conduct another nighttime plankton tow to compare to what was caught the previous night in the Astoria Canyon, off the Columbia River. As we gathered outside on the back deck to watch the sun sink below the horizon, one of the teachers pulled out his guitar and harmonica and we were presented with one last amazing gift, something mariners often wait a lifetime to see- a green flash.

Sunset Day Three

Waiting for the green flash

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Tracy Crews is the Marine Education Program Manager for Oregon Sea Grant, the Student STEM Experiences Coordinator for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, and the Principal Investigator for the STEM research cruise taking place this week on the R/V Oceanus.

This cruise is funded by Oregon Legislative funds with additional support from Oregon Sea Grant and Oregon State University. Track the R/V Oceanus at marinetraffic.com, and see more photos of this expedition on the Oregon Coast STEM Hub Facebook page.

 

 

Shipboard Experience on the Oceanus

By Tracy Crews

Surveying the horizon for marine mammals and seabirds

Surveying the horizon for marine mammals and seabirds

This weekend, a science party of 13 researchers, students, and teachers gathered aboard Oregon State University’s research vessel, the Oceanus, to begin a four-day research cruise aimed at providing mentoring and career connections at sea. The team mission is to conduct marine mammal and sea bird surveys and correlate sightings with oceanographic data and prey distribution. Participants in this cruise include high school teachers and students from Bandon High School, Taft High School in Lincoln City, and Warrenton High School, as well as college students from Southwestern Oregon Community College, Oregon Coast Community College and Oregon State University.

Deploying the CTD

Deploying the CTD

While adapting to life at sea, these teachers and students are learning to handle lines and deploy oceanographic equipment, how to identify marine mammals, seabirds, and plankton. They aren’t just observers but active participants in the science party, operating critical equipment, including hydraulics and data collection systems.

The first day we experienced sunshine and many successes.  Participants mastered their seasickness, and went on to deploy and retrieve plankton nets and CTDs. The abundance and types of plankton (small floating plants and animals) captured in the fine-mesh nets, and the physical parameters of conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth measured by the CTDs will help researchers characterize the water column.

In addition, we surveyed over a dozen humpback whales and numerous porpoises, and used a drone to capture video footage of a humpback whale from above. The video data will help researchers from OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute assess the whale’s body condition, an indicator of overall health.

Life on the water is often exhausting, and after a 14 hour day, we are all ready for some much needed sleep. Laying in our bunks as we are rocked to sleep, we dream of what tomorrow will bring.

—————-

Tracy Crews is the Marine Education Program Manager for Oregon Sea Grant, the Student STEM Experiences Coordinator for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, and the Principal Investigator for the STEM research cruise taking place this week on the R/V Oceanus.

This cruise is funded by Oregon Legislative funds with additional support from Oregon Sea Grant and Oregon State University. Track the R/V Oceanus at marinetraffic.com, and see more photos of this expedition on the Oregon Coast STEM Hub Facebook page.

Day Three on the R/V Oceanus

By Tracy Crews14322520_10154620897918825_6368728729391639749_n

Internet access from the R/V Oceanus has been inconsistent, but education PI Tracy Crews has been able to send in some photos and observations via social media. Here are some of her observations, sprinkled with links to other blogs from other participants:

Our last day out at sea started with deploying the CTD in the Astoria Canyon in the dark. Our marine mammal surveys got off to a slow start but we were seeing a lot of jellyfish, juvenile sunfish, seabirds, and even some tuna. All of a sudden on the horizon emerged a large pod of Pacific white-sided Dolphins (40+) that started riding the bow of the research vessel. Before they had even departed, a large pod (30+) of finless Northern right whale Dolphins joined them. What a sight to behold!

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14292445_10154620897908825_1829467431939711403_n 14370105_10154621326008825_7513331746840510529_nThe researchers from OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute estimated that we saw over 400 Pacific white-sided dolphins and Northern right whale dolphins today in addition to the numerous humpback whales we encountered. Another amazing day out at sea with Oregon coastal teachers and students!

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What an amazing cruise it has been! Everyone soaked up the sun on the flying bridge as we made our way into the Columbia River where we dropped off our chief scientist and OSU graduate students before making our way to Portland where we will engage in two days of outreach activities. Our captain used a small boat to shuttle the researchers into Astoria so they can return to work tomorrow. Getting the science party and all their gear off the ship proved to be quite an ordeal involving a crane, step ladder, rope ladder and half the ship’s crew! We were sad to see them go and just a little jealous of their ride in the red rocket. We are grateful to them all for generously giving their time to share their knowledge and passion with us.

To learn more about these amazing researchers, read Ms. Almasi’s blog post “Spotlight on the Scientists

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We experienced a gorgeous evening steaming up the Columbia River towards Portland on the R/V Oceanus!

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Day Two on the R/V Oceanus

By Tracy Crews

cupsInternet access from the R/V Oceanus has been inconsistent, but education PI Tracy Crews has been able to send in some photos and observations via social media. Here are some of her observations, sprinkled with links to other blogs from other participants:

Day Two of our oceanographic cruise started with us once again surrounded by humpback whales feeding. In addition we have seen more seal lions and flocks of seabirds including some black footed albatross. Our teachers and students continue to shine as they deployed and retrieved another CTD (to measure Conductivity, Temperature and Depth) and collected and entered survey data into the computer on the fly bridge. Unfortunately, the weather turned overcast and chilly today forcing us all to bundle up.

Visit the GEMM lab blog to find out more about the marine mammals and birds encountered on Day Two.

Students and teachers have spent some of their downtime on the R/V Oceanus decorating styrofoam cups to send down to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Here are a couple of photos of the process.

decorating cups

Decorating the cups

attaching cups

The decorated cups were attached to the CTD that was about to be deployed.

Read Ms. Almasi’s blog about the science behind the styrofoam cup experiment

 

cups and scope

We used two sizes of cups. This photo shows the difference in size before (center) and after (sides) the cups were sent to the deep ocean.

Torres with cups

Dr. Leigh Torres shows what the bag of cups looked like when they returned to the surface

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The styrofoam cups made it back from their journey to deep, 1400 meters to the sea floor attached to the CTD.

The sunset was a glorious ending to a great day. Although we didn’t see as many whales today as yesterday, we did see numerous humpbacks, a couple of fin whales, some Dalls porpoises, and some Pacific white-sided dolphins, as well as some sea lions, albatross, and ocean sunfish (mola-mola). We have left the waters off Heceta Head and will be making our way towards Astoria Canyon overnight. Sweet dreams to everyone aboard and on land!

sunset from ship

sunset


Tracy Crews is the PI for the “Shipboard Experiences on the R/V Oceanus” research cruise, the Marine Education Manager for Oregon Sea Grant at Hatfield Marine Science Center, and the STEM Programs Coordinator for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub.

 

Day One on the R/V Oceanus

By Tracy Crews

Huge pod of humpback whales put on quite a show for us lunge feeding and breaching. What a great way to end our first day at sea.

A huge group of humpback whales put on quite a show for us lunge feeding and breaching. What a great way to end our first day at sea!

What was Day One on the R/V Oceanus like for the students, teachers, and researchers on board?

Knot tying, safety at sea, deploying and retrieving scientific instruments, interpreting data, conducting effort surveys, and photo identification of whales….

…these are just a few things that teachers and students on board OSU’s research vessel Oceanus put into practice yesterday on the first day of a three day research cruise off the Oregon coast. Before even leaving the dock, participants started their training, learning about shipboard technology and donning survival suits during safety drills. Crossing the bar, we spotted the first marine mammals of the day: a few gray whales and California sea lions. During this cruise, teachers and students will get an in depth look at how researchers identify, track, and study marine mammals in Oregon waters and beyond, and how baththymetry and oceanographic conditions influence the distribution of these animals.

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A humpback whale blows at the surface.

As the first day of the cruise progressed and we passed over Stonewall Bank, we spotted a small pod of humpback whales. As we transmitted south, we also encountered a pod of orcas. The grande finale of the day came early sunset when a large group of humpback whales (approximately 50) was spotted near Heceta Bank. They were lunge feeding, opening their huge mouths and taking in water and, presumably, lots of food. A plankton tow confirmed the presence of krill, which is a favorite prey item for humpbacks.

When we came across a huge group of humpback whales, we decided to take a plankton tow and found it chocked with krill.

When we came across a huge group of humpback whales, we decided to take a plankton tow and found it chocked with krill.

With a final debriefing at 8:30 pm, teachers and students wandered off to their shared quarters excited but exhausted with a greater understanding of marine mammals and an appreciation for how hard researchers work. It was a great start to what we hope will be a successful experience for everyone!

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Hear from others on board about what they thought about the first day of the cruise:

R/V Oceanus Day One: Hungry, Hungry Humpbacks from the GEMM Lab – OSU graduate students Florence Sullivan and Amanda Holdman describe the day with some great photos of whales contributed by Chief Scientist Leigh Torres.

Of Whale Poop and Shearwaters – Waldport High School teacher describes what is was like to watch humpbacks lunge feed, and what she learned about the color of whale poop.

WEBCAM
What does it look like from the bow of the R/V Oceanus right now?  Visit the webcam here: http://webcam.oregonstate.edu/oceanus


Tracy Crews is the PI for the “Shipboard Experiences on the R/V Oceanus” research cruise, the Marine Education Manager for Oregon Sea Grant at Hatfield Marine Science Center, and the STEM Programs Coordinator for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub.

 

Shipboard experience on the R/V Oceanus

Three Oregon high school teachers are among the participants working on the R/V Oceanus this week.

This week, students and teachers from the Oregon Coast STEM Hub are joining Oregon State University scientists aboard the research vessel Oceanus to gain at-sea research experience. The project, “Building the STEM Pipeline through Oceangoing Research and Near-Peer Mentoring” is a collaborative effort that aims to enhance critical STEM skills among coastal learners.

Read the OSU press release

The R/V Oceanus departed this morning from Newport and is headed for Astoria and Portland. Tracy Crews gives this report of their departure:

We couldn’t have asked for better weather as we departed Newport on our cruise offshore to conduct marine mammal and seabird surveys and collect oceanographic data. My first cruise as PI (Principal Investigator), we have 3 high school teachers, 4 high school students, an undergraduate student and 3 graduate students working with our chief scientist from OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute. We got our first glimpse of marine mammals (sea lions and gray whales) crossing the bar and have successfully completed our first CTD. A few seasick folks but otherwise we are off to a fantastic start!

Through this blog and the Oregon Coast STEM Hub Facebook page, you can keep track of the vessel’s progress, the STEM activities taking place on board, and even occasionally hear from the participants themselves. The following teachers and students are on board, representing several different regions within the Oregon Coast STEM Hub:

Coast high school and undergraduate students on board the R/V Oceanus

Coast high school and undergraduate students boarded the R/V Oceanus this morning for a 3 day research cruise

  • Martha Kemple – teacher, Bandon High School
  • Matthew Perry – student, North Bend High School
  • Kama Almasi – teacher, Waldport High School
  • Etasha Golden – undergraduate OSU (Waldport HS grad)
  • Leland Wood – student, Newport High School
  • Natalie DeWitt – student, Newport High School
  • Josh Jannusch – teacher, Warrenton High School
  • Charlotte Watkins – student, Warrenton High School

Teacher Kama Almasi has a blog that she is using to connect back with her students at Waldport High School. Her first entry focuses on the colorful science of seasickness, but we hope no one will be collecting THAT kind of data on this trip!

RESEARCH
On their first day at sea, the students and teachers have been working with researchers and crew members to deploy and retrieve CTDs. These instruments collect conductivity, temperature and depth data to provide a profile of the water column.

FullSizeRender[9]FullSizeRender[11]WHERE IS THE R/V OCEANUS?
Track the R/V Oceanus on websites such as www.marinetraffic.com. Type in the vessel’s special number “7603617” into the search engine, and you can find out the ship’s location, travel pattern and other information.

Stay tuned and follow along to find out what this group will be doing next!

Oceanus160913


The R/V Oceanus will be in Portland by September 16th, and will offer a variety of outreach activities for the public, teachers and students while the vessel is in port. For more information, read the OSU press release or contact OregonCoastSTEM@oregonstate.edu.

 

 

 

Tribal Youth Explore STEM

TYEE - Assembling a whale

Assembling a whale skeleton

Building ROVs

Building underwater robots

For the second summer in a row, Oregon Sea Grant hosted the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians TYEE (Tribal Youth Employment Experiences) program at Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC). This week long program was designed to introduce Native American Youth (ages 14-17) to career paths within Natural Resources.

This year’s schedule included lots of hands-on activities such as collecting data on burrowing shrimp and designing experiments with shore crabs from the Yaquina Bay Estuary.  The students also built and deployed light traps to collect plankton, designed and operated small remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and worked with the ODFW port sampler at the Newport Bayfront to collect biological fisheries data.  They were given behind the scenes  tours of the HMSC sea water system, the quarantine and hospital areas of the animal husbandry wing, the fisheries genetics lab, and the “Bacon-flavored” seaweed lab.  In addition, they Skyped with researchers working out at the Axial Seamount, toured the Aquarium Sciences Facilities at Oregon Coast Community College, and listened to presentations from STEM professionals on topics such as hydrophones, seabird research, and shellfish management.

The evaluations that the youth completed were all excellent. 100% agreed they learned more about marine research, ocean issues, and related careers and over half (57%) reported after completing the program that they were considering a career in marine science or a closely related field.

Behind the Scenes tour

Behind the Scenes tour with Dr. Miller-Morgan

TYEE - Fish dissection

Fish dissection

 

 

 

 

TYEE - ROV testing

Testing student-built ROVs

TYEE - Sampling for shrimp

Sampling for burrowing shrimp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oregon Sea Grant is a partnering organization in the Oregon Coast STEM Hub.