S.S. Morning Star Update

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

The student-built unmanned sailboat S.S. Morning Star has entered new territory! Educational Passages reports that the vessel launched from the University of Washington’s R/V Thompson last August is alive and well just north of Hawaii. This is the furthest west that any of the GPS-equipped 5 foot sailboats in the program has traveled in the Pacific Ocean, and its position on the globe required data managers to actually rewrite code so they could keep up with its progress!

Follow its track here: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/drifter/drift_ep_2015_1.html

The S.S. Morning Star was built by students at Tillamook High School during the spring of 2015, using materials provided to them by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. The crew of the R/V Thompson released the boat at sea on August 15th during its research expedition to the Axial Seamount. See photos and read a description of the deployment day on the Axial Seamount Expedition 2015 blog.

The S.S. Morning Star is the third student-built sailboat supported by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub that has been deployed in the Pacific. The other boats were built by students in Waldport (Phyxius) and in Coos Bay (S.S. Dolphin).

Siuslaw Stewards of the Sand

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

By Jim Grano

Siuslaw students present their Stewards of the Sand project at the Oregon Youth Summit

Siuslaw students present their Stewards of the Sand project to Dr. Jane Goodall and others at the Oregon Youth Summit

On Thursday October 15th, ten students from Siuslaw Elementary and Middle School in Florence attended the Oregon Youth Summit in Portland. The students are veterans of the Oregon Dunes Stewardship Project that has been carried on by all Siuslaw 4^th grade classes since 2011, and they were looking forward to sharing details of their recent invasive species removal efforts with others.

The Oregon Youth Summit featured a mix of 30 elementary, middle, and high schools from around the state. Dr. Jane Goodall gave the keynote address to 400+ students, teachers and parents in which she talked about her life, career, and shared a hopeful message for a peaceful future.

The goal of the Summit was to have an opportunity for all students to share what they’ve done, and to inspire each other to even greater work in the future. Each school displayed its environmental research and/or stewardship project on a 3’ X 6’ table.

The school teams briefly presented their projects to Dr. Jane Goodall. Siuslaw’s spokesperson was Brady Bauer. The team had previewed the project for their local school board on the evening before the Summit. Read the presentation . Brady concluded the presentation with the following poem. Dr. Goodall commented that she knew the poem, and that it is a favorite:

Stewards of the Sand exhibit

The event also featured mini-workshops and a scavenger hunt involving all of the displays. “I particularly enjoyed creating balls of dirt, clay, compost and assorted wildflower seeds,” said Owen Harklerode, after attending one of the mini-sessions. “It involved getting my hands dirty.”

In preparation for the Summit, Siuslaw’s team met over 5 evenings and did much of the work at home. The students created a display on a board constructed from Scotch Broom sticks, and which featured a hand made broom, awards the project had received from Oregon Invasive Species Council and US Forest Service, and take-away informational brochures about invasive Scotch Broom.

Dr. Goodall at the exhibit

Teacher Dennis King and volunteer Jim Grano guided the students. “After a full day of work, Dennis and I should be exhausted after this extra planning and time … instead we are energized and inspired by the enthusiasm and creativity of these students and their parents!” Grano said.

Student Ava Glowacki summed up the experience as follows: “When I consider and reflect upon my experiences while participating in the Oregon Youth Summit, there are 3 things that stand out. First, meeting a highly inspirational person such as Dr. Goodall. Second, listening to Dr. Goodall’s speech about how she started out and how it became her passion. And finally, being able to see all of the other schools’ projects that showed what they did to make a difference in our environment.”

This opportunity was sponsored by the Diack Foundation, which also provided a $250 assist to each school for transportation and substitute teachers, and from the Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School (JGEMS).

Jim Grano was a teacher in Mapleton and Siuslaw School Districts for 33 years before he retired in 2007. Today, he is a busy volunteer in the Siuslaw, Reedport and Mapleton school districts, coordinating more than 40 grant-funded project-based field experiences for students. He is also an active liaison for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub.

Coos Bay Teacher Receives STEM Award

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

Krissie Presented with STEM Champion Award

October 14, 2015

BRANSON, Mo. – Nicholas Krissie of Sunset Middle School in Coos Bay, Oregon was awarded the STEM Champion Award during the International STEM Education Association’s STEM Expo in Branson, Mo. on October 13, 2015. The STEM Champion Awards program honors public and private elementary, middle and high school teachers and teacher educators who have served as champions for integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in their schools and communities.

Nicholas created a one string guitar class during his first year of teaching. In the class, students learned math through the measurements required to build an instrument. They learned energy transfer as they studied how instruments worked. They learned engineering design, history, research methods, wood working, perseverance, and many 21st century skills as they built their instruments. One of the most important lessons they learned was that math, science, and other school subjects can be applied in real life. Upon realizing the success of Nick’s instrument program, the Coos Art Museum and the Coos Bay Community Education Foundation provided grant funding to extend the instrument program to include the entire fifth grade. The implementing the one string guitar class and creating integrated STEM curriculum lead to Nick being asked to serve as a STEM mentor teacher for the school district. Nick continues to grow as an educator, and he has been asked from organizations world-wide about how to implement a guitar program. We commend Nick for demonstrating to students how what they learn in school can be translated into real-world skills.

The STEM Champion Awards serve as a standard of excellence for individuals who promote integrated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. The International STEM Education Association (ISEA) seeks out individuals who have implemented STEM programs, provided professional development, encouraged others and have been instrumental in supporting integrated STEM education.

The STEM Champion Awards are presented annually at the ISEA STEM Expo Conference.

Related Story: Coos Bay Teacher Wins STEM Award – The World, September 18, 2015

Tribal Youth Explore STEM

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

Assembling a whale skeleton

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 with Dr. Miller-Morgan

Fish dissection

Testing student-built ROVs

Sampling for burrowing shrimp

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

FREE STEM Camp for Girls in August

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

GEMS Campers collect data outside

Do you know a middle school girl who lives on the Oregon Coast and likes to create, build, and make discoveries? The Oregon Coast STEM Hub is partnering with the Oregon Coast Aquarium to offer Girls in Engineering and Marine Science (GEMS), a unique Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) camp this summer in Newport. This free two-day camp will be led by female faculty and graduate students from Oregon State University and will take place on August 17^th and 18^th at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, with participants spending the night in the shark tunnels at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Female campers will explore careers in STEM fields through hands-on activities like building wave energy devices and hydrophones, designing and running experiments, and collecting data in the Yaquina Bay Estuary. Participants will develop teamwork, communication, and leadership skills throughout the program and learn from OSU mentors about what it’s like to pursue a degree and career in a marine related field.

GEMS Campers test their engineering design

GEMS begins at 9 am on August 17^th and ends at 4 pm on August 18^th. Only girls who are Oregon Coast residents and are entering 7^th and 8^th grades are eligible to participate. Meals are included both days.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. To take advantage of this opportunity, participants must register by August 10^th by visiting the Oregon Coast STEM Hub Website at http://oregoncoaststem.oregonstate.edu/book/summer-activities. To obtain a paper registration form, please email OregonCoastSTEM@oregonstate.edu.

STEM Career Profile: NOAA Corps

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

What is it like to work in a STEM career? Meet Lieutenant Laura Gallant. She is the Deputy Chief of Operations at the NOAA Marine Operations Center – Pacific where she helps coordinate logistics and support for NOAA vessels in the Pacific Fleet.

Oregon Coast STEM Hub: How did you get interested in this career?

Laura Gallant – Courtesy photo

Laura Gallant: I was always interested in the natural world around me and how that all fits together. I realized as I grew up that meant I was interested in science. When I went to college I majored in Natural Resources. While I was there I did a semester abroad with Sea Education Association. We spent six weeks learning about nautical science, oceanography, and marine biology; and then we spent six weeks at sea in the Caribbean on a 120ft long tall ship. We learned to sail and conduct science experiments at sea. It was hard, I was always tired and sea sick; but it was also beautiful, exciting, and interesting. We had a captain who was a real inspiration to me. She was jack-of-all-trades. She had a Ph.D. from Harvard, but could also sail a tall ship and had travelled extensively. She took the time to explain things to me when I wanted to get deeper in to the “why” than our textbooks or lessons included. She also had such authority! I mean command at sea is not something we often see women depicted doing in movies and books. I was fascinated.

When I got back to college I wanted to study the sea, so I added a second major in Ocean Sciences. It was during those new classes that I found out about NOAA Corps. I had nearly joined the Navy or the Air Force when I started college because I loved the idea of serving my country, but I wanted to serve in a scientific capacity. The NOAA Corps is science and service. It was such a perfect fit! But even then I decided to go to graduate school. I thought I wanted to get a Ph.D. and be a researcher. I ended up getting a Master’s Degree in Biology and then decided it was time to join the NOAA Corps.

OCSH: What exactly is the NOAA Corps?

LG: NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA Corps is one of the seven uniformed services. It is also the smallest, with just 321 officers. We staff NOAA’s fleet of research vessels and aircraft. The NOAA Corps officers are the bridge officers and pilots. We work with civilians who serve all the other roles you’d need at sea: engineers, deck crew, shore support, etc.

LT Gallant mans the bridge during ROV recovery – Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

OCSH: How do you get into the NOAA Corps?

LG: We are a direct commission service. That means to get in you need to finish a bachelor’s level education first. We require a certain number of credits in math and science, so most of us are science or engineering majors. There is an application process that is a lot like a college application with essays and an interview. Once you are accepted we go to a 4-5 month officer training program at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. After training we go out to the fleet. It takes about six months to a year at sea to get trained underway and qualified to drive the ship without direct supervision. Our ships range in size from 170 to 270 feet long, with anywhere from 21-52 people aboard. So when you are in charge of the vessel you are also in charge of everyone’s safety at sea.

OCSH: As a NOAA Corps officer, what do you do?

LG: In addition to driving the ships, officers also conduct and interpret science. Our ships have three main missions: seafloor mapping, fisheries research, and general oceanography. On the seafloor mapping ships, officers collect the data and then use computer programs to clean and convert that data into new nautical charts. On the fisheries ships, officers consult with the scientists aboard and serve sort of as intermediaries between scientist and ship’s crew. Oftentimes the scientists know what sort of data they want to collect but need specialized input on how to get the ship to best collect that data. Same goes for the general oceanographic vessels. They might be deploying buoys, collecting water chemistry data, or observing whales.

Officers spend about two to three years assigned to a vessel and then rotate into a three year land assignment. Ashore we might work in a NOAA laboratory or in a logistics and support type position. There are a lot of different types of assignments.

OCSH: How is your career related to STEM education?

ROV Deep Discoverer – Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

LG: It’s important to have a STEM background because we are constantly using science, technology, engineering and math. We have to calculate speed/distance/time equations to figure out how fast we should go to arrive on station at a specific time. We use math to interpolate tidal data to figure out the best time to enter or leave a harbor. We analyze surface current and wind vectors to determine the best way to orient the ship for stationary operations. We also use our scientific education to interpret weather data we receive so we know if it will be safe to conduct operations. We are trained in radar and radio technology and learn how to use the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Some of our ships have sophisticated computers that maintain dynamic positioning, so all the ship’s engines and thrusters are controlled from one console. We have to understand technology and its integration in the ship’s systems to able to use that system safely. It’s a career that relies heavily on STEM.

OCSH: Although normally we can find you living and working in Newport, last April you were on board NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as it conducted its mission to explore Puerto Rico’s seamounts, trenches and troughs using the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer. What were you doing there?

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer – Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

LG: I worked on Okeanos Explorer for about a year and half as Operations Officer. In April I went back to help train the new officers in ROV operations. It’s the officer’s responsibility to safety deploy and recover this 10,000lb ROV. It isn’t a task we take lightly! The whole crew needs to work together. The ROV supervisor directs the operation, the NOAA Corps officer drives the vessel, and the deck crew works the crane and other rigging.

Learn more about Okeanos Explorer‘s expedition on the website oceanexplorer.noaa.gov and read Laura’s mission log post: “A Day in the Life of a Watch Standing Bridge Officer” to find out more about her life and duties on board Okeanos Explorer.

Laura Gallant is actively involved with the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. She has served as a science mentor for the Newport Schools Science Fair, a mission judge for the Oregon Regional MATE ROV Competition, and she is a member of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub’s Communications Committee.

MATE International ROV Competition

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

Be sure to tune in and cheer on the two teams from Oregon that are participating in the International MATE ROV competition next week! Look for the Ranger Class team R.U.W.E. from Taft 7-12 High School in Lincoln City, and Linn-Benton Community College’s Explorer Class team. Below is a message from the competition organizer Jill Zande:

Watch it LIVE June 25-27 at www.marinetech.org

The Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center, the National Science Foundation (NSF), NSF’s Office of Polar Programs, and the Marine Technology Society ROV Committee invite you to our 14th Annual MATE International Student ROV Competition.

Sixty-three teams representing middle schools, high schools, home schools, after-school groups, community colleges, and universities from 16 different countries are scheduled to compete in this year’s event, which is being held June 25-27, 2015 at the Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University and the National Research Council’s Ocean, Coastal, and River Engineering (OCRE) facility in St. John’s, NL, Canada.

This year’s competition focuses on the role that ROVs play in scientific research and the offshore oil industry in the extreme environment of the Arctic. The underwater mission tasks include piloting under an ice sheet to sample organisms and deploy instrumentation and battling current, waves, and wind to inspect pipelines and test oilfield equipment. This year’s complex missions are made possible by the unique features of MI’s flume tank and the OCRE’s ice tank and offshore engineering basin.

Each year the competition challenges students to think of themselves as “entrepreneurs.” Students are asked to transform their teams into companies that design, build, and market their “product” as a way to gain a better understanding the breadth of real-world business operations. Along the way, they learn how to manage a project, work as a team, think creatively, and problem-solve, which are all important 21st century workplace skills.

During the event, a panel of judges – professionals representing industry, science, government, education, and exploration – will evaluate the student-run companies on their ability to effectively communicate their vehicles’ design and construction via technical documentation, marketing displays, and sales presentations.

The competition will also feature the Ocean Career Expo, organized by the MATE Center and its partners in the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE).

We encourage you to join us! You can also visit the MATE competition web site at www.marinetech.org where a LIVE videostream (including scores, photos, and video clips) will be hosted during the event.

Jill Zande

MATE Center Associate Director & ROV Competition Coordinator
(831) 646-3082 (work)
jzande@marinetech.org

Linn-Benton Community College ROV team, Explorer Class

Taft 7-12 High School team R.U.W.E., Ranger Class

Skill Set

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

Hatfield Marine Science Center’s Dr. Su Sponaugle shares how “girly” skills she learned years ago have played a part in shaping her science practices today.

Today I applied what I learned in elementary school. The blanket stitch. I have a Ph.D., but the skill I used today came from something I learned at age 8.

Science at Sea

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

Oregon Coast Educators and Students Engage in Science at Sea Activities
By Tracy Crews

Toledo High School teacher Ben Ewing holds the SS Dolphin which was built by Coos Bay middle school students and will be launched from the R/V Thompson over Memorial Day weekend.

Educators from Oregon will be taking part in a buoy deployment and research cruise off the Washington Coast to learn about how the changing ocean conditions impact ocean life in the Pacific Northwest. The deployment will occur over the Memorial Day weekend in NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, from the University of Washington research vessel Thomas Thompson.

Ben Ewing of Lincoln County School District and Cindy Bryden from Haystack Rock Awareness Program will join other educators from Washington and use this opportunity to learn more about the oceanographic research that is addressing several critical issues impacting Pacific Northwest coastal and inland waters. Educators will incorporate the research and their own cruise experiences into their classrooms and education programs.

The primary purpose of this cruise is to deploy a moored buoy system with sensors to monitor ocean and weather conditions off the coast. A Seaglider, an autonomous underwater vehicle, is part of the observing array and will be deployed as well. These observing instruments are part of a larger observing system known as NEMO (Northwest Enhanced Moored Observatory). While at sea, the team will conduct water and plankton sampling as part of Washington Ocean Acidification Center monitoring for ocean acidification.

In addition to supporting the research at sea, Toledo High School teacher Ben Ewing will be deploying the SS Dolphin, a five foot unmanned sailboat built by Sunset Middle School students in Coos Bay. This student-built sailboat is equipped with a GPS unit (Global Positioning System) so Oregon students and the public can track its journey across the Pacific. Funded by the Oregon Coast Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Hub, the SS Dolphin is the second student-built boat to be deployed in the Pacific Ocean by research vessels this school year. Plans are currently underway for Hatfield Marine Science Center researchers to deploy a third student-built boat at the Marianas Trench near Guam in June.

Based at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub is one of six regional STEM Hubs funded by the Oregon Department of Education. With over 50 active partners, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub serves coastal teachers, students and communities along the Oregon coast, connecting them with regional resources and providing world-class STEM experiences.

Track the boat online here: http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/drifter/drift_ep_2015_1.html (Zoom into the Pacific NW)

Tracy Crews is the Project Manager for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. You can reach her at OregonCoastSTEM@oregonstate.edu.

Irish Transition Students Visit Hatchery

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Cait Goodwin

Guest Contributor: Monika Robinson

Members of the “Irish Transition Program” at Waldport High School have been very busy! The program’s name comes from the school’s mascot (Irish) and its focus on preparing students with developmental disabilities for life after graduation. With the help of their teacher, Learning Specialist Monika Robinson, the students have been working on developing job skills. Last month, the team visited the Oregon Hatchery Research Center (OHRC) in Alsea to learn about the salmon cycle and to practice their job strategies. The Oregon Coast STEM Hub provided funds for the transportation and associated costs for the students’ upstream visit.

Irish Transition students remove invasive species from a dry stream bed

OHRC is a world-class research facility charged with developing and perfecting programs to improve fish hatchery practices and investigate all things relating to propagating salmon and steelhead. The motivated students from the Irish Transition Program toured the Center’s grounds and then used hand-operated gardening tools to practice their job strategies. The class dedicated themselves to clearing invasive species from one of the dry experimental streambeds, which they accomplished despite the persistent rain.

The trip to OHRC provided students with an opportunity to relate some of the activities they have been doing in class to a much larger professional scale operation. Irish Transition students have been raising salmon eggs in their classroom at Waldport High using the ODFW’s Salmon Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) “Egg to Fry” protocol. Two new chillers donated by Alsea Sportsman’s Association (ASA) support classroom aquariums where the students have placed eyed eggs in gravel. The students are keeping daily records of fish development, taking pictures with school iPads, and examining specimens under microscopes. When the hatched fry grow to be a little over an inch long, the students will release them into the Alsea River.

The Egg to Fry program and the trip to the hatchery not only provide Irish Transition Special Education students with hands-on STEM learning experiences, but these activities also connect them with STEM professionals in the local community.

“Community connections for these students are very important, to both socialize them with the world at large and to let them experience one of the many real work activities available to them following graduation,” Robinson said.

She thanks several community members for helping to make the field trip such a successful learning adventure for her students, including Ryan Couture and Alex Powell, from OHRC; Christine Clapp from ODFW; and Chuck Pavlik from ASA.

Monika Robinson is a Learning Specialist at Waldport High School in Waldport, OR.