On Tuesday, July 16, 2013, the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory welcomed 50 students and staff from the Taylor County 4-H Club. Their day began with a lecture on Dr. William Herrnkind's curriculum on salt water marine habitat and sea life found in the Gulf of Mexico in the Big Bend Area. From there a trip to the greenhouse with wet tables in which they got to interact with various marine species with instruction from Dr. Stephen Gosnell.
On Saturday, May 25, 2013, students from Chiefland High School and Bronson High School visited the lab under the GEAR UP program. GEAR UP, which stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a grant that was developed to prepare low-income students in grades seven through twelve for postsecondary education. It sets rigorous academic standards to ensure higher rates of college attendance in these underprivileged students.
Today staff at the FSUCML welcomed the brand new Zodiac named "Sebod" (pronounced "sea-bod"). Thank you to The Dobes Family Foundation for this generous donation to the R/V APALACHEE. "Sebod" is an appropriate name as it comes from the Dobes family name spelled backwards. This Zodiac MilPro SeaRider is about 13.5 ft. (approx. 4 m) long by 6 ft. (approx. 2m) wide and can carry up to 6 passengers. The SeaRider has been proven in operation use around the world, by both military and professional operators, with its unique water ballast system and deep "V" hull, giving the craft exceptional sea keeping capabilities, yet still offering high performance and maneuverability in the heaviest of seas. The Zodiac MilPro SeaRider has been at the forefront of the design and development of RIBs since its onset. We are thrilled to add this as a scientific resource to the R/V APALACHEE!
The time has come! Last week the Deep-C team picked up the sailbuoy, recently named "ArgoKnot", after its two month long journey in the Gulf of Mexico. Read the blog to discover the meaning behind the sailbuoy's newly-appointed name. "ArgoKnot" had a purpose to its sailing journey and that was to measure and record temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen. Although it had a few stalls, having to fight some strong wind, currents, and waves, along the way, it made great progress and followed fairly closely to its predetermined path. This project serves as a trial for future sailbuoy projects. Scientists who worked on the "ArgoKnot" hope to install additional sensors and record more extensive data about the Gulf. They hope that in the unfortunate event of another oil spill, that a sailbuoy will prove an invaluable tool for monitoring the evolution of the surface spill. See the complete journey of "ArgoKnot" here.
On Thursday, May 2, 2013 new post-doctoral associate, Dr. Stephen Gosnell, participated in the Tallahassee School of Arts and Sciences' Science Night. Presenters came and set up tables and presentations for students and their parents interested in variable science topics. The audience ranged from kindergarten students to middle-school students. Despite the rain, there was a great turnout and everyone had a fantastic time. Amy Akridge, a science resource teacher, noticed a group at the end of the night exclaiming, "We love Science Night!" We are thrilled that Dr. Gosnell could be a part of inspiring such enthusiasm in young students.
Dr. Sandra Brooke is setting sail with NOAA to further explore the submarine canyons between Charleston, SC and Norfolk, VA. In 2010, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and NOAA funded a four-year project to conduct multidisciplinary research that will be used to manage canyon ecosystems.
On Wednesday, April 24, 2013, history was made! The Academic Diving Program (ADP), consisting of Alex Chequer, Sonja Bridges, and a few of their students, was accompanied by the Marine Field Group on the very first dive taken from the R/V APALACHEE. They traveled from the lab to K-Tower and it was a sight to behold with the clear blue skies above and calm, blue waters below. The dive platforms worked out perfectly. This was just the first of many dive trips to come from the R/V APALACHEE. The ADP plans on utilizing it in many of their future dives.
On Saturday, April 20, 2013 the FSU Coastal & Marine Lab hosted its Biennial Open House. This year is no different in that the event was a huge hit. The activities included touch tanks, scavenger hunt and crafts for the kids, oyster tonging, silent auction, tours of the R/V APALACHEE, tons of displays from the scientists on their research, as well as outside organizations, and much, much more! We had a total of 1038 people come through and everyone seemed to be really enjoying themselves and learning something. Thank you to everyone who came out and for those of you that contributed to the silent auction, sponsored our event, or volunteered your time! We can't wait to see everyone again in two years at our next Open House.
WPBT2's Changing Seas "Creatures of the Deep" documentary will be premiered at the FSU Coastal & Marine Lab's Open House on April 20, 2013. This episode features FSUCML scientists, grad students, and technicians conducting Deep-C related research on the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on deep sea creatures in the Gulf.
On Friday, March 22nd at 5:30 pm FSUCML staff and Vice President for Research, Dr. Gary K. Ostrander, welcomed FSU administration, board members, and guests to the dedication of the R/V APALACHEE. The night was filled with mingling, food, and fun. After a speech by Dr. Ostrander and another from FSUCML director, Dr. Felicia Coleman, the R/V APALACHEE was officially christened and is ready to take the seas!
