Virtual Marine ScienceVirtual Marine ScienceDr. Sally BechtDr. Sally Becht

Gateway High SchoolGateway High SchoolKissimmee, FloridaKissimmee, Florida

bechts@osceola.k12.fl.usbechts@osceola.k12.fl.us

FETC 2007

IntroductionIntroductiontoto

Virtual Marine Virtual Marine ScienceScience

Virtual Marine Virtual Marine ScienceScience

The following slides keynote the general The following slides keynote the general topics covered virtually (using multimedia topics covered virtually (using multimedia virtual labs and presentations keyed to the virtual labs and presentations keyed to the textbook and the Sunshine State Standards) textbook and the Sunshine State Standards) integrated with short videos and vodcasts integrated with short videos and vodcasts incorporated with worksheets designed to incorporated with worksheets designed to motivate students in a science course with motivate students in a science course with a classroom void of lab resources!a classroom void of lab resources!

Key ConceptsKey Concepts

• Marine and terrestrial environments are Marine and terrestrial environments are interrelated, interactive, and interrelated, interactive, and interdependent.interdependent.

• The ocean is an important source of food The ocean is an important source of food and other resources for humans.and other resources for humans.

• Marine biology is the study of the sea’s Marine biology is the study of the sea’s diverse inhabitants and their diverse inhabitants and their relationships to each other and their relationships to each other and their environment.environment.

Importance of the Oceans Importance of the Oceans and Marine Organismsand Marine Organisms

• Principal physical Principal physical feature of the planetfeature of the planet

• Drive weather Drive weather patternspatterns

Importance of the Oceans Importance of the Oceans and Marine Organismsand Marine Organisms

• Productive—provides Productive—provides substantial part of substantial part of the human food the human food supplysupply

• Marine organisms are Marine organisms are useful as subjects of useful as subjects of scientific study for scientific study for many areas of many areas of researchresearch

Marine ScienceMarine ScienceStudy of the Sea and Its Study of the Sea and Its

InhabitantsInhabitants• OceanographyOceanography

– study of the oceans and their phenomena, study of the oceans and their phenomena, such as waves, currents and tidessuch as waves, currents and tides

• Marine biologyMarine biology– study of the living organisms that inhabit study of the living organisms that inhabit

the seas and their interactions with each the seas and their interactions with each other and their environmentother and their environment

• Ecology of the marine environmentEcology of the marine environment– study of the balance of nature in the oceansstudy of the balance of nature in the oceans

Rangiroa Atoll

Hammerhead Shark

Marine Science: A History of Marine Science: A History of Changing PerspectivesChanging Perspectives• Early studies of marine organismsEarly studies of marine organisms

– Aristotle and the “ladder of life”Aristotle and the “ladder of life”– Pliny the Elder’s Pliny the Elder’s Natural HistoryNatural History

• Renewed interest in marine organismsRenewed interest in marine organisms– voyage of the HMS voyage of the HMS BeagleBeagle and Charles and Charles

Darwin’s Darwin’s On the Origin of SpeciesOn the Origin of Species – discovery of organisms on retrieved discovery of organisms on retrieved

transatlantic telegraph cabletransatlantic telegraph cable

Darwin studied barnacles, adaptations of animals, andthe formation of atolls. Hereturned to England withanimals from around the world.

•He was the naturalist on the HMS Beagle. During this five year voyage, he was sea-sick much of the time.•His thoughts on evolution were so controversial, he waited years to publish his work.

Marine Science: A History of Marine Science: A History of Changing PerspectivesChanging Perspectives• Beginnings of modern marine scienceBeginnings of modern marine science

– Challenger Challenger expeditionexpedition•4,700 new species collected and described4,700 new species collected and described

•Charles Wyville Thomson collected planktonCharles Wyville Thomson collected plankton

– marine studies in the United Statesmarine studies in the United States•expeditions of Alexander Agassizexpeditions of Alexander Agassiz

•funding of the first marine biology laboratory: funding of the first marine biology laboratory: Anderson Summer School of Natural History, Anderson Summer School of Natural History, predecessor of the Marine Biological Laboratory at predecessor of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods HoleWoods Hole

•other U.S. marine laboratoriesother U.S. marine laboratories

AlexanderAgassiz

Marine Science: A History of Marine Science: A History of Changing PerspectivesChanging Perspectives

• Marine science in the twentieth Marine science in the twentieth centurycentury– Fridtjof Nansen’s Arctic expeditionFridtjof Nansen’s Arctic expedition– Sir Alistair Hardy’s Antarctic expeditionSir Alistair Hardy’s Antarctic expedition

• Marine science todayMarine science today– Deep-sea submersiblesDeep-sea submersibles– Information sharing via the InternetInformation sharing via the Internet

Key ConceptsKey Concepts

• Marine laboratories play an Marine laboratories play an important role in education, important role in education, conservation, and biological conservation, and biological research.research.

Mote Marine Laboratory

Sarasota, Florida

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Mass.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Research Institute, Fort Pierce, Florida

Rosenstiel School of Marine ScienceUniversity of Miami, Miami, Florida

                

Scripps Oceanographic Research Institute

La Jolla, California

FLIPFloating Instrument Platform

Hubbs – Sea World Research InstituteSan Diego, California

Orlando, FloridaSoon to be in Melbourne, Florida

Important Marine Science Researchers THESE ARE SOME OF MY PERSONAL FAVORITES!

Jacques Yves Cousteau

Co-inventor of the Aqua-Lung, the first modern SCUBA gear.Changed the way people view the ocean though countless books, films and TV series. Inspiration for many of today’s marine scientists. His research vessel, the “Calypso” is still used today.Work is continued by his son, Jean-Michael Cousteau

Dr. Sylvia Earle

Dubbed ”Her Deepness” Ambassador for the world’s oceanHolds diving records Walked on seafloor deeper than anyone

Dr. Robert Ballard

•Most known for his discovery of the Titanic, 1985•Revolutionized undersea exploration through the use of ROVs•Discovered hydrothermal vents in 1977•Mission is to explore the deep sea and educate students•Jason Foundation for education and Immersion

Dr. Peter Auster

•Ecologist and conservation biologist•Research focus is marine fishes•Participated in hundreds of dives using occupied submersibles and ROVs = Remote Operated Vehicles•Studies conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.•NOAA named him an Environmental Hero for the year 2000

Dr. Eugene Clark

World known ichthyologistKnown as “The Shark Lady”Founder and senior researcher at

Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota

Some very well known submersibles:

Alvin based at WHOI

Johnson Sea Link based at HBOI

Mir I and II, Russia

Key ConceptsKey Concepts

• It is important to study marine It is important to study marine science in order to make informed science in order to make informed decisions about how the oceans and decisions about how the oceans and their resources should be used and their resources should be used and managed.managed.

•Scientists use an organized approach Scientists use an organized approach called the scientific method to called the scientific method to investigate natural phenomena.investigate natural phenomena.

Steps in the Scientific Steps in the Scientific MethodMethod•Making observationsMaking observations

•Using inductive reasoning to form a Using inductive reasoning to form a hypothesishypothesis

•Using deductive reasoning to design Using deductive reasoning to design experimentsexperiments– experimental variableexperimental variable– experimental setexperimental set– control setcontrol set

Steps in the Scientific Steps in the Scientific MethodMethod•Gathering resultsGathering results

•Drawing conclusionsDrawing conclusions– theory versus hypothesistheory versus hypothesis

•Plant growth in a salt marsh: a case study of the Plant growth in a salt marsh: a case study of the scientific methodscientific method– observation of growth patterns and analysis of observation of growth patterns and analysis of

soil samplessoil samples– experiment to test hypothesisexperiment to test hypothesis– analysis of results of the experimentanalysis of results of the experiment

Process of ScienceProcess of Science

•Alternative methods of scienceAlternative methods of science– experimentation is not always experimentation is not always

possiblepossible– observational science – observational science –

observation alone must be used observation alone must be used to support or deny the hypothesisto support or deny the hypothesis