Biofilms / The VIRTUE Project / Educator "Up Close" / Program "Up Close"
Professional Calendar / Professional Development / Professional Update

For a second year the East Coast Commercial Fisherman's and Aquaculture Expo offered programs for all ages and backgrounds. The Jr. Watermen's Program was a four hour hands-on outreach activity designed to expose it's participants to the fields of fishing and marine science. Five organizations helped give kids the opportunity to participate in everything from a casting contest to observing the organisms of an oyster bar community. The successful participation of NOAA/Chesapeake Bay Office, Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources, Virginia Sea Grant, and the Cast-A-Ways Jr. BASS club is coordinated by the Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program and lead by Jackie Takacs.

Throughout the course of the Program, kids (and adults) participated in the various stations that were set-up. A highlight of the program was the opportunity for all to design their own T-shirt once they successfully completed each station.

Stephanie Tobash, Research Assistant at Horn Point Lab, shows some budding marine scientists the finer points of the oyster bar community.

Hands-on experiences with live animals like horseshoe crabs and diamondback terrapin turtles were a available at the "touch-tank" supplied by the MD Dept of Natural Resources.

Stripers being acclimated to the aquaculture system at North County High School.

On December 4, 1998, 120 striped bass made their way across Maryland to five schools. The morning started at about 5:30am for two Maryland Sea Grant educators - Adam Frederick and Jackie Takacs. After meeting for bagels and coffee, they headed to Horn Point Laboratory to pick up striped bass fingerlings from Dr. Reggie Harrell, Finfish Aquaculture Specialist for Maryland Sea Grant. Despite any and all doubts about the "fish truck" being able to handle it's impending task - it rolled into North County High School (Anne Arundel County) at 9:45am for the first delivery to Valerie Wesner's class. From there the three (Adam, Jackie and the Truck), ventured into Carroll County for two stops - The Gateway School (Steve Luette) and Francis Scott Key High School (Bob Cole). The final deliveries required traveling across the piedmont into Frederick County. Striped bass found their way into the aquaculture systems of Ron Albaugh (Middletown High School) and Dale Peters (Urbana High School). After a side detour to recover a salinity meter that was left behind in Carroll County, the truck made it home at 7:00pm!

The striped bass are part of the Aquaculture in Action project that focuses on the raise and release of local species in Maryland. The hope is that the use of aquaculture will help improve science education in the classroom. At the end of the school year there will be a striper "release day" involving each of the classes within the Aquaculture in Action network.

Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program
University of Maryland
College Park, MD  20742

Last modified September 04, 2003

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This Issue: Biofilms / The VIRTUE Project
Educator "Up Close" / Program "Up Close"
Professional Calendar / Professional Development

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MSGSNN Editors:   
J. Adam Frederick, Education Specialist
Jacqueline U. Takacs, Regional Marine Specialist