Creating Community Through Science

Hello everyone! Meghan Slocombe here, the new Community/Citizen Science Educator. 

I have been blown away by the science community we have built at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. In my first month, I have worked with our volunteers to find safe ways for them to continue collecting and processing water samples for our SoundToxins program. I’ve seen vets and community members assess stranded marine mammals, and joined individuals in the aquarium to monitor the growth rates of our pinto abalone. Yet, as winter closes in on us and COVID-19 continues to make it difficult to meet in person, I know many are having trouble finding ways to continue to connect with our science community.

Well lucky for you, I’ve found some great online opportunities for contributing to science. (These online programs have clear instructions on how to help, so don’t worry if you do not have experience with the program beforehand.) Now just because you’re conducting science online, does not mean you’re in it alone! We want to hear from you about what projects you’re contributing to.

Zooniverse is an online citizen science platform with projects in all sorts of topics!

Tell us about the fish you’ve recently identified in the waters off of the Hawaiian islands through the OceanEYEs project.

Or send us pictures of the invertebrates you’ve catalogued for the California Academy of Sciences Invertebrate Zoology Collections.

Better yet, report back on the history of Daytona Beach’s fisheries operations after identifying fish from old photographs.

Fish aren’t your cup of tea? How about you help identify plankton off the California coast. Who knows, it might give you something to talk to our SoundToxins volunteers about!

For those still looking to brave the winter weather, check out the King Tides from November to January. Visit a site before and after the highest tides of the year. Just make sure to be careful!

The point is, while winter may limit our ability to meet in person we are still a community. (And a strong one at that!) My hope is that we can continue to make our community stronger and larger by contributing to the science of other communities. If you want to share with PTMSC your experience with community science or some pictures of your most recent beach walk or winter paddle, email Meghan Slocombe (Community/Citizen Science Educator) at mgslocombe@ptmsc.org.

Day of the Orca

Port Townsend Marine Science Center kicks off Orca Month and it’s 35th Anniversary year with The Day of the Orca, June 3rd.  

Port Townsend Marine Science Center, 11am-5pm
Free Admission to Fort Worden State Park; Free Admission to PTMSC

Come help celebrate with us and learn about the Southern Resident and Transient Orca populations that swim these local waters. For thirty-five years the Port Townsend Marine Science has been dedicated to inspiring conservation of the Salish Sea for a healthier environment for orcas and all marine creatures. The Marine Science Center is home to one of only 8 fully articulated orca skeletons which is featured in the exhibit, Learning from Orcas. The exhibit tells this orca’s story and how our community came together to have her remains inspire all of us to take action for a healthier Salish Sea.

“What better way to begin our 35th year and celebrate Orca Month, than to partner with Puget Sound Express and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce to create Orca Fest, a month long learning opportunity of these remarkable animals.” said Janine Boire, Executive Director, Port Townsend Marine Science Center. For more information and other events celebrating Orca Month go to: http://ptorcafest.com.

June 3rd activities at PTMSC will include:

• Welcome – with Port Townsend Marine Science Center Executive Director Janine Boire, and Jamestown S’Kallam tribal member and Chief Chetzemoka descendent Marlin Holden
• Introduction to Our Orcas – with Ken Balcomb, founder of the Center for Whale Research, PTMSC Executive Director Janine Boire, and photographer and Puget Sound Express Naturalist Bart Rulon (Seating is limited)
• How to ID Orcas – with Puget Sound Express Naturalist Bart Rulon
• Get To Know Your Orcas session for children and families
• Tours of Hope – one of only 8 fully-articulated orca skeletons in the world
• Free Boat Tours on Puget Sound Express whale watching vessels
• Listen to Orcas – Learn how orcas communicate and listen in via the Hydrophone Listening Network

Family-Oriented Art Projects take place throughout the day

Become a Member Today & Celebrate 35 Years with Us!

There is an African proverb, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. And look how far we’ve come together over the last three and half decades.

In this our 35th anniversary year we celebrate all of you, our members through the years, who have helped the Port Townsend Marine Science Center flourish. With your ongoing support we can do so much more. Your membership, joined with 625 others, makes possible programs like the recent gray whale project, free science classes, and the new energy efficient lighting systems in the Marine Exhibit.

We want you with us this year as we revel in the stories and celebrate all of us coming together for a healthier Salish Sea. Please renew your membership today and join us for a year of celebrations both looking back 35 years and looking forward to PTMSC’s exciting new programs including Birding from the Pier and Tots Storytime.

Best,
Janine Boire
Executive Director

P.S. Renew or join now to help reach the goal of 700 members which is just 20 people for each of our 35 years! Take action now and you will get an invitation to our members-only Party-on- the Pier, August 5th.

P.P.S Here’s a fun challenge: find the hidden octopus logo in the above graphic and win a prize! Claim your prize in the gift shop during open hours before June 30th.

Screening of "Plastic Ocean"

Port Townsend Marine Science Center to Host Screening of Award Winning Documentary, A PLASTIC OCEAN :

Saturday, April 22, 2017 - Port Townsend, Washington @ 3:00 PM at Port Townsend Marine Science Center Natural History Exhibit

A PLASTIC OCEAN uncovers the shocking truth about what is truly lurking beneath the ocean’s surface. More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans each year. A PLASTIC OCEAN follows an international team of adventurers, researches and ocean ambassadors on a mission around the globe. This award-winning documentary shows the devastating effects of our disposable lifestyle on marine life and the consequences for human health.

During its four-year production period, A PLASTIC OCEAN was filmed in 20 locations around the world, documenting the global effects of plastic pollution and introducing workable technology and policy solutions that can, if implemented in time, change things for the better.

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries together with Washington CoastSavers are hosting free screenings in Port Angeles at Peninsula College on April 13th at 7:00PM, and in Port Townsend at Port Townsend Marine Science Center on April 22nd at 3:00PM. The screenings will be followed by panelist discussions and are open to the public. Washington CoastSavers is an alliance of partners and volunteers dedicated to keeping the state’s beaches clean of marine debris through coordinated beach cleanups, education and prevention. Make a difference, register for April 29, 2017.

Washington Coast Cleanup at http://www.coastsavers.org/

A PLASTIC OCEAN can be found on iTunes and other online movie platforms.

A Plastic Ocean Website: http://www.plasticoceans.org

Washington CoastSavers Website: http://www.coastsavers.org/

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Website: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center inspires conservation of the Salish Sea. A new initiative—Gone Green? Go Blue! Support Your Local Ocean—encourages collective action and civic engagement. Located on the beach at Fort Worden, the PTMSC offers two public exhibits: the Marine Exhibit and the Natural History Exhibit. The Natural History & Orca exhibit is open Friday through Sunday, 12 to 5 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youth, and free to PTMSC members. The PTMSC also offers a wide variety of educational programs and special events. For more information, call 360.385.5582, e-mail info@ptmsc.org or visit www.ptmsc.org/events.

COASST Marine Debris Training

Join the COASST Marine Debris program on Saturday, April 8th from 10am - 4pm and help make a difference for the environment!

COASST Marine Debris participants survey local beaches and collect data on the characteristics and location of debris-data that will ultimately be used to map the source and transport pathways of debris, as well as the potential harm to people, wildlife, and local coastal ecosystems.

Beach surveys are best conducted in groups of 2 or more-please come with a survey partner in mind or plan to join a team during training.
Reserve your training spot by emailing coasst@uw.edu or calling 206-221-6893.

More information about the COASST program is available at https://depts.washington.edu/coasst/involved/volunteer.html

Honoring a Legacy with Service: 5th Annual MLK Day Weed Pull

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”  -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Brave volunteers tackling the Himalayan blackberry near the campgrounds. Photo by Wendy Feltham.

Every year in January, AmeriCorps members across the country honor Martin Luther King Jr. on his namesake national holiday with a day of service. MLK Day is usually a day off; a day off from school, work, meetings or errands—a long weekend in some regard. However, the legacy of MLK Jr. is one of taking action. That’s why Washington Service Corps and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) strive to make it a day on, instead of a day off.

PTMSC AmeriCorps (from left to right) Juhi, Brooke, Sarah, Mattie. Photo by Wendy Feltham.

The AmeriCorps at PTMSC chose to serve the community of Port Townsend by committing to a term of service. The annual MLK Day of Service is meant to recruit others from the community to join us in that duty. This year marked the 5th annual day of service weed pull at Fort Worden State Park. On January 16th, 2017, we gathered with volunteers who rose to the call to join us in serving our community.

A clearing where invasive, pokey, Himalayan blackberry used to be. Not to be confused with trailing blackberry, a native species. 
Photo by Carolyn Woods.

This year we targeted the Himalayan blackberry and English ivy that were overrunning the area behind the Natural History Exhibit and campground. These are both quick-growing plants that out-compete the native species vital to the ecosystem at Fort Worden. We gathered at the Natural History Exhibit to identify target areas, gear up, and get to work.

Volunteers rolling up the English Ivy like a carpet; the best technique for those pesky vines! Photo by Wendy Feltham.

Although we had been prepared for rain to pour on us, somehow it managed to hold off for the weed pull. It was the only thing that held back. Over 50 volunteers showed up, donating a combined total of over 150 hours of service. The outpouring of support was tremendous, and the event an all-around success.

(Above, both) Team work makes the invasive-species-eradication
dream work! Photos by Carolyn Woods.

The weed pull couldn't have been so outstanding without the help of many. Thank you to PTMSC, Friends of Fort Worden, and Washington State Parks for partnering with us on the event. Thanks to the Noxious Weed Board, Native Plant Society, as well as individuals from the Coastal Artillery Museum and Department of Fish and Wildlife and other volunteers who generously donated tools. Thanks to the Fort Worden Rangers and Maintenance team for their continuous support. Thanks as well to our Washington Conservation Corps team at Fort Worden and to our fellow AmeriCorps from NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary for joining us in service. I also want to recognize and thank my teammates Sarah, Juhi, and Mattie for their individual and collective efforts in executing the weed pull. We have enormous gratitude for every single volunteer who joined us to honor MLK Jr. by coming together as a community and providing a service to our environment.

_

BROOKE ASKEY is the Citizen Science Educator and an AmeriCorps Member at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Sea Star Wasting is Not a Party

When I arrived at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) from Texas, I was prepared to show off my knowledge of marine mammals while learning more about other organisms such as birds and invertebrates. Little did I know that I frequently made a common slip – “starfish? Don’t you mean sea star?” After decades of confusion, scientists have pushed for a change from starfish to sea star, and nobody told me! If you’re lucky, you can catch me for an easy opportunity to poke fun at this simple transition.  

A blood star (Henricia leviuscula) with abnormal arm growth. Photo: PTMSC

I knew these invertebrate animals were named for their trademark five-armed, radial symmetry, and are not fish. More than 2,000 species of colorful sea stars sport five arms, even though some species can have 10, 20, or up to 50 arms. It is also not unusual for a five-armed sea star to have six arms due to abnormal growth.

Sea stars are echinoderms, which translates to “spiny skin.” Their living relatives include sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and sand dollars. The PTMSC Marine Exhibit hosts all of these, with short to long spines, and colors ranging from purple, pink, and orange!

I had never felt a sea star’s leathery skin before I began working at the Marine Science Center, nor was I aware of how varied the colors can be. They use colors as camouflage in a number of environments, ranging from tide pools to more than 6,000 m below sea level. The sea stars in the Marine Exhibit (ME) are a deep purple, peach, or neon orange, and are within your reach. Sea stars move and flex using a water vascular system. They pump seawater through their body, filling and emptying tiny, suction-cupped tube feet to extend, retract, or even create suction to scale any surface. One leather star (Dermasterias imbricata) even used its tube feet in an effort to help clean their tide pool tank! The tube the star is grasping a gravel tube, which staff and volunteers use to clean the gravel of the tanks, while in the meantime picking out any discarded clam shells from a sea star’s previous feast.

Giant Pink Star helping to clean. Photo: Mattie Stephens

Most sea stars also have the amazing ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using their tube feet, they pry open clams or oysters.  Then, the upper portion of their stomach (known as the cardiac stomach) emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The clam’s muscles tire against the strong, hydraulically operated tube feet, and eventually open. The stomach then envelops the prey to digest it, eventually withdrawing back into the body.  At this point, the lower, or pyloric, stomach digests whatever is remaining.

Sea stars are famous for their ability to regrow limbs and entire bodies. This feat is possible by housing most or all of their vital organs in their arms. Rarely, the “central body disc must be intact to regenerate, but a few species can grow an entirely new sea star just from a portion of a severed limb” (National Geographic, 2016). Sea stars can willingly detach an arm to distract a predator to get away, or in a method of reproduction. There is a spreading epidemic of arms shedding and sea stars dying due to disease (National Geographic, 2016).

What factors cause these arms to shed unwillingly? Sea stars have been known to suffer from desiccation, or drying out, resulting in lost limbs. However, even healthy sea stars can suffer from sea star wasting disease. This disease causes rapid tissue degradation in sea stars, resulting in lesions on the arms and the body deflating (referred to as a loss in turgor pressure), giving the sea star a melted appearance. The process happens quickly, fully enveloping a sea star within three days, usually ending in death. The disease can spread between individuals, and has resulted in devastating losses, not only in natural habitats, but in aquariums as well. A few weeks ago, I watched as PTMSC lost its last mottled star to sea star wasting. Over the past few years, over 50% of the sea stars in the Marine Exhibit have succumbed to wasting.  

Top: An infected arm of a mottle star (Evasterias troscheli)
losing water pressure. Photo: PTMSC
Bottom: A mottled star succumbing to sea star 
wasting disease

PTMSC is taking part in monitoring this devastating process. Sea star wasting can cause large die-offs of these important animals, and although sea stars are slow moving, they are instrumental in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. The health of the ecosystem would crumble without sea stars, making them what is known as a keystone species. Sea stars help keep their tide pool and coastal ecosystems in check. PTMSC citizen science volunteers participate in a quarterly survey on Indian Island, where they monitor plots designed to observe the health of local sea star populations. This year, November survey team, led by fellow AmeriCorps Juhi LaFuente, observed numerous healthy ochre (Pisaster ochraceus), sunflower (Pycnopodia helianthoides), and mottled stars (Evasterias troscheli); these species tend to be the first affected by the virus. This is good news for our scaly friends, as it indicates there may be a shift towards reduced die-offs and a slowly recovering ecosystem.

Sun Star discovered in this year’s monitoring program. Photo: Betsy Carlton

The ecosystem recovery process will take a long time. Activists and citizen scientists are working hard on improving the overall health of the ocean, as even the slightest increase in temperature can wreak havoc on an ecosystem. The Marine Exhibit and Natural History Exhibit have taught me several ways that I can individually reduce my impact and waste output. Living in Port Townsend has illuminated healthier living practices for me, and I have been embraced by an environmentally conscious town. The more I learn about sea star wasting, the more pressing environmental stewardship becomes.

Please consider donating today. https://ptmsc.org/get-involved/donate

- Mattie Stephens is the Marine Mammal Stranding Network Coordinator/Educator and AmeriCorps member serving at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Gray Whale Project

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is trying to raise $10,000 for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network by August 31 to ensure that we can continue to help stranded seal pups and other marine mammals. Donate to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network today to see your donation matched dollar for dollar by a generous donor! 

Last week we raised the dead, guiding a seine net full of gray whale bones to shore with the help of a pile of barrels, hardy swimmers, some borrowed boats, and a gaggle of great volunteers. Collectively we breathed a sigh of relief knowing that all our work and worry had paid off and this young whale could become part of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s educational programs and exhibits.

This is the story of how this gray whale got from here:

To here:

Just two and a half months ago, on May 12, 2016, a young, female gray whale (officially identified as CRC-1524) died after floating for several days in Elliot Bay, watched closely by scientists, NOAA, Marine Mammal Stranding Network observers, and even ferry boat captains. Her body was towed to Indian Island where the Navy pulled her to shore and Cascadia Research Collective conducted a necropsy.

As the Port Townsend Marine Science Center covers response for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network in eastern Jefferson County, Executive Director Janine Boire was contacted to see if we wanted to collect the whale for its skeleton. She said, “Yes!”

In six days, we planned and equipped a team to wrap and sink the 29-foot, 13,000-plus-pound whale. On May 18, the entire Marine Science Center staff, AmeriCorps members, and volunteers prepped and wrapped the whale in re-purposed Spectra salmon netting donated by a local fisherman. The whale's pectoral fins and baleen were removed before wrapping. She was then towed off shore where her body would be naturally decomposed by benthic organisms, keeping the nutrients in the Salish Sea.

It took only 11 weeks underwater for most of the blubber and other soft tissue to be eaten — much faster than we'd imagined! Every two weeks we visited and filmed the “burrito” as she was fondly referred to during the net-wrapping process. Our collection of muddy water videos allowed us to monitor the decomposition rate and check on lines and anchors.

By the end of July, the bones were ready to pull. There is a fine time balance between removing the tissue and keeping the bones. We had to to get the bones out of the water before the polychaete worms and organisms started to dissolve the bones themselves. Now we just needed to lift a few tons of bones up off the bay floor and onto dry land without a crane or lift!

Gray whale bone retrieval took two days — one day to float the whale by adding flotation at a morning low tide, then towing it to shore on the evening high tide, and one day to scrub, label, and move the bones to a greenhouse to dry.

Using the tides to our advantage, an ingenious volunteer built sufficient flotation to lift the bones using plastic barrels and a surplus helicopter cargo net. We swam the barrels out at a minus tide with assistance from a volunteer boat pilot. Our swimmers tied them on underwater, mostly to the head — the heaviest part. Then we waited for the evening high tide. It worked!

Once ashore, the water subsided leaving a pile of netting, seaweed, crabs, and what was left of a graceful gray whale. Most of the lumbar and caudal (tail) vertebrae were still together, which made identification and inventory easier, but the middle was a jumble of ribs and thoracic and cervical vertebra all covered with a fine layer of barnacles.

The bone-recovery team took over, setting up a trash pump for washing bones and cutting away the lines and netting. Several crabs tangled in the net were rescued as well. Bones were numbered and identified by marine veterinarian Dr. Pete Schroeder along with other experienced volunteers. Scraping barnacles off the surface of the bones took the most time, but the bones cleaned up well.

Clean bones were loaded into empty flotation barrels and pick-up trucks. Since we were on Indian Island Naval Magazine property, Navy security required that all of our whale crew and vehicles pass security screening. We had an escort with us at all times and needed to come and go as a big group.

Bones packed, boat ramp washed, and all volunteers accounted for, we headed over to Marrowstone Island and the backyard greenhouse of a dear friend who graciously lent us the space to dry the bones.

This was truly a team effort from necropsy to drying the bones. There will be more opportunities to get involved as we clean, repair, number, and articulate the bones to display the skeleton. Thanks to everyone involved.

Photos 1 courtesy of NOAA | Photo 2 & 4-9 by Marine Science Center | Photo 3 & 10-12 by Wendy Feltham

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BETSY CARLSON is the Citizen Science Coordinator at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. Check out our citizen science projects and learn how to get involved.

In the past, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network Hotline and training for the team of Marine Science Center volunteer responders has been funded by a highly competitive grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Unfortunately, funds are very limited and this year our grant was not renewed. We urgently need your help to protect the future of our marine mammals in the Salish Sea. Please donate today to help us raise $10,000 for the Marine Mammal Stranding Network by August 31.

Ocean Acidification and Systems-Based Education: A Story of Service

The ocean absorbs a quarter of the annual carbon dioxide (CO₂) humans release into the atmosphere through wave action (NOAA). Chemically, this forms carbonic acid, which ultimately dissociates into hydrogen (H⁺) and carbonate ions (CO₃^-2). Since the industrial revolution, the concentration of hydrogen ions in the ocean has increased 29%, lowering the pH of the ocean by a staggering 0.11 units (WHOI). This phenomena is called Ocean Acidification.

Ocean Acidification is a global problem that poses great threat to the future of the ocean; scientists estimate that without dramatic and collective change in human behavior and consumption, the ocean could drop another 0.3-0.4 pH units before the end of the century. To inspire such change, or collective action, communities must introspect and foster the education of their citizens — particularly youth.

Empowering communities with environmental education opportunities such as the NOAA Bay Watershed Education and Training program and citizen science can result in powerful learning outcomes that promote conservation and stewardship, informed advocacy, and science literacy. These learning outcomes formed the purpose of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center's Ocean Acidification Study through Systems and Inquiry Science (OASSIS) Project, which implemented a twelve-class, hands-on Ocean Acidification curriculum within a Chimacum High School AP Environmental Science classroom.

Curriculum

We adapted the curriculum for this project from the Baliga Lab at Institute of Systems Biology Ocean Acidification module (Systems Education Experiences). Unit lessons encompassed ecological networks, Ocean Acidification chemistry and sources of CO₂, the scientific method and experimental design, and citizen science.

Field Trips

Figure 1. An adult geoduck (Panopea generosa), the world’s 
largest burrowing clam, responds enthusiastically to being 
handled. Taylor Shellfish raises and sells geoduck and 
geoduck seed. 

Students visited the Taylor Shellfish Quilcene Hatchery (Figure 1), and observed how shellfish farmers are working to offset and mitigate the economic consequences of Ocean Acidification on the industry. Ocean Acidification hinders larval shellfishes’ ability to form a protective shell and can corrode the shells of adults. Later, we visited the North West Fisheries Science Center's Mukilteo Research Station, a hub for international Ocean Acidification research. There, students learned about careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers from NOAA researchers and educators. Finally, the students visited the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, where they studied plankton collected from each field site and local marine fauna.

Population Surveys

(B) After digging the hole, students sorted the
clams from the hole by species.

Figure 2 (A) Students learn about
measuring local water quality parameters.

At each of the three field sites, students towed plankton, measured water quality parameters (Figure 2A), and performed a clam population survey (Figure 2B). We adapted the protocol from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife management surveys, which are used to determine seasonal take limits. Every 20 m along a 100 m transect parallel to the water, students dug three 1 ft³ holes. The holes were increasing distances from the water line. Students combed through each hole’s contents, noting substrate and identifying each clam (and whether or not it met the legal harvest size of 1.25”). 

Planning, Executing, and Presenting Cohesive Experiments

Figure 3. Ethan and Orion observe their experiment under a
fume hood. The inspiration for their project was born from
another class they were taking — Materials Science —
showing their ability to draw connections between
ocean acidifcation and other disciplines.

At the end of the OASSIS unit, students further investigated a component of Ocean Acidification of interest to them through research experiments. Project topics ranged from testing the combustive effects of various carbon sources (coal, wood, paper) on the pH of water (Figure 3) to comparing the dissolution of shells at varied pH levels. Students used Vernier LabQuest2s, which allowed them to collect data in real-time. The OASSIS unit culminated with a summit, at which students presented a scientific-style poster on either their research project or another significant unit component (Figure 4). Preparation for the summit fostered critical-thinking and a formal reflection of experiences; presenting the posters enabled students to communicate and share their knowledge of Ocean Acidification with their peers and broader community.

Figure 4. At the summit, Sean and Feam shared their results of
their shell dissolution project. 

One of the greatest personal challenges of being an informal environmental educator is that I frequently have only one interface with my students. Thus, there exists a fine balance between time spent developing interpersonal bonds and teaching content; learning is not achieved if these practices are left mutually exclusive. As the lead Marine Science Center AmeriCorps member on the OASSIS project, I had the unique opportunity to interact with students 12 times over a period of three months. Through this experience, I truly came to understand these students as individuals and better meet their needs as an educator and mentor.

The most meaningful part of this experience, though, was not personal. Rather, it was hearing students’ personal accounts of knowledge gained and inspiration piqued. Some students did not know how the impacts of Ocean Acidification encompass their everyday lives, and others now have deep interest in pursuing environmental science as a major in college.

Seven years ago, I had my first field-based marine science experience, Ocean For Life (OFL) which was also sponsored by NOAA. Upon competing OFL, I distinctly remember feeling intellectually and emotionally enriched. I sincerely wish these students too are able to capture and culture this same eternal wonder for our ocean.

—

ZOFIA KNOREK is the Citizen Science Educator and an AmeriCorps Member at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Volunteer Spotlight: Frank Handler

It is my (Zofia's) honor to highlight Frank Handler, a former board member-turned-citizen scientist. Before serving at PTMSC, Frank was a board member at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, CA from 1992-2000. He holds a BA in Chemistry from College of the Holy Cross, an MBA from New York University, an MA in Marine Biology from Occidental College, and is a graduate of the Navy Officer Candidate School. I distinctly remember Frank's best piece of advice, which he conferred me during our first meeting last fall: "It's what you do, not when you do it." I hope this transcript of our conversation does his embodiment of this counsel justice.

Frank keenly observing the beach outside PTMSC during
January's Brown Bag Lunch on Nature Journaling

How long have you been a Marine Science Center volunteer?
I was a board member from 2002-2009 (Development Chair), and have been working as a citizen scientist on the SoundToxins project since September 2015.

Are you a member of the Marine Science Center?
Yes.

In what capacity do you volunteer here?
I do SoundToxins and I hope, since I retired in September, to get involved in some other Citizen Science efforts like the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. I like Citizen Science because it is more behind-the-scenes work, and provides opportunities for more one-on-one interactions. The interaction of scientific ideas through collaboration and communication is key — our curiosity connects us [scientists].

What aspect of the Marine Science Center’s work resonates with you?
PTMSC's focus on marine sustainability...[and], the [volunteers and staff] are exceptionally enthusiastic and dedicated. They really believe in what they're doing and want to make a difference.

What is your favorite day or memory of volunteering so far?
[Past]: As a board member aboard [get it??] the Adventuress, I had the opportunity to spend quality time with other people during a day sail. [Recently]: Also, discovering the Sound Toxins program. Formerly, I had a career as a chemist and for two years I was a marine biologist so getting back into the lab was quite fun.

What is your personal relationship/connection with the Salish Sea?
I feel connected to, and part of, the whole ocean — I've always lived on (in New York City, Rhode Island, Los Angeles, Seattle, and now Port Townsend), in (as an Active Duty Navy Officer for three years; Reserve for 10), or under the ocean (as a SCUBA diver). I can't live away from it. As an NYC native, and seeing how heavily populated Long Island Sound is, I realize the Salish Sea is a natural wonderland; I want to see it preserved and kept healthy.

What inspires you, personally?
My kids, Scott and Kate. They are the joy of my life.

Can you tell me about a particular experience or moment of awe you’ve had with the Salish Sea that’s stuck with you?
[Thinking of the Salish Sea as part of the world ocean]: Being in the middle of a typhoon in the South China Sea while I was in the Navy, and when I first got SCUBA certified in Belize in 1987.

Why do you feel the Marine Science Center’s work is important to the conservation of the Salish Sea?
PTMSC articulates the issues that are undermining the health of the Salish Sea in a science-based and science-focused manner, which makes it credible. [And], inspiring children through our education programs. Instilling that first sense of awe is so important — they are the future.

Thank you, Frank, for sharing your thoughts and wisdom, and for your service to PTMSC!

—

ZOFIA KNOREK is the Citizen Science Educator and an AmeriCorps Member at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center

Low Tide Walk at Night

As a marine educator who employs mostly inquiry-based curricula, I ask a lot of questions. Paired with my natural draw toward scientific reasoning, it turns out I spend the majority of my time wondering. The ocean is my greatest source of wonder, and therefore, inspiration.

What's going on down there, anyway?

Thankful for my fellow Bendy Bunch partners-in-adventure! 

During the first half of my service term, I've learned so much — from how to decipher the mood of invertebrates to how to most effectively nurture the curiosity of nine-year-old students. However, throughout my educational career, if there's one thing I've learned, it's that there is an arduous amount of information I don't know, and likely will never know simply because I don't have the capacity to know it. From this idea stems my inherent joy for teaching. Over the past five months, I've teamed up with Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) volunteers, partners, visitors, and staff in numerous capacities in an attempt to reveal a truth or two. My favorite way to go about answering this existential ecological question is to go out and explore!

Did you know that over half of the American population lives within 50 miles of the ocean? As Port Townsend residents, we are lucky enough to live directly on the coast. Much of our local peninsular coast is also relatively undeveloped, providing us with infinite opportunities to grow as naturalists by getting outside. It is easy to get caught up in the routine hustle and bustle of life and forget that we are continually surrounded by endless natural beauty; of this, I am sometimes certainly guilty. Every time I enter the wilderness, I am re-shocked by the sheer existence of it all. Regardless of whether or not I am physically or emotionally present, Nature steadfastly is (though in an increasingly industrialized world, this will soon be an even more distant reality, but that's for another blog post).

Lest we forget to treasure what lies below our flippers and boots.
Pictured: one of the two blood stars that were spotted during the walk.
We were thrilled to only see healthy sea stars!

Despite such a large proportion of our fellow humans living in such close proximity to the ocean, most don't often have the opportunity to directly interact with ocean inhabitants. To some extent, the ocean is intrinsically difficult and dangerous to access and explore. Other factors limit, though, propel the inaccessibility: socioeconomic standing, physical ability, culture, etc. At PTMSC, we use the Marine Exhibit as an vector for safe human-ocean interaction. For this ability, I consider us most fortunate. However, there's something exceedingly special about physically immersing ourselves in a marine habitat. The intertidal zone confers us with the ability to do just this — explore an exposed ocean. Throughout the year, PTMSC offers Low Tide Walks in an effort to foster this type of immersion. These programs are equitable — free and open to the public. By offering these types of hands-on learning experiences, we empower our neighbors and friends with the ability to be informed citizens, agents of change, and stewards of our shared natural world.

Needless to say, it was inspiring have 40 people brave a particularly chilly February evening in the pouring rain for PTMSC's first Low Tide Walk at Night of 2016 at North Beach.

Katie Conroy, our Marine Mammal Stranding Network AmeriCorps,
points out a sculpin to a low tide walker.

Why explore the intertidal zone at night?

When we see them at low tide, many organisms look drastically different than they do underwater. At night, though, we can see some animals that we wouldn't normally see during the day at all because they are nocturnal, or spend the daylight hours in deeper ocean zones. Moreover, some animals like crabs become more active during the night because they are less likely to be eaten by a predator. Thus, tide pooling at night allows people to see animals or behaviors they might literally never see otherwise.

There are few things as fitting to illustrate the importance of being physically present and always open to discovery as nighttime tidepooling. Something about stumbling around with flashlights in the dark makes every animal, from anemone to sculpin, a treasured find.

A beautiful sculpin. Sculpins belong to

the diverse Family Cottidae, which has 200 species in Puget Sound alone!

I spotted a bonus science angel(!): Rebeccca, our Marine Exhibit
AmeriCorps and naturalist extraordinaire, looks at a sample of seawater
swarming with zooplankton.

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ZOFIA KNOREK is the Citizen Science Educator and an AmeriCorps Member at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center