WAVELENGTHS. The Newsletter of the Southern Association of Marine Educators. in Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Louisiana, and Mississippi

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1 WAVELENGTHS The Newsletter of the Southern Association of Marine Educators in Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Louisiana, and Mississippi Making known the world of water, both fresh & salt April 2014 President s Letter: Dear SAME Members, Greetings! I hope you all had a great Mardi Gras and are enjoying a fantastic spring! This time of year is always a busy time for all of us, with workshops, summer camps, and other programs all ramping up for the season, and there are some great programs being advertised in this issue for you to check out. I also wanted to thank everyone who participated in our post-conference get-together in November. We had a great time at the beautiful Grand Bay NERRS facility, thanks to Jen Buchanan and the Grand Bay staff. Due to the annual conference, this was not an official annual chapter meeting, but we did want to get as many SAME members together as possible to celebrate all the hard work and success we experienced together in putting together an extremely well-received annual conference for the national organization. I am always so grateful and amazed to be part of such a wonderful team! At our get-together in November we officially welcomed Jessie Kastler as our new President-Elect! With Chris Breazeale s departure to California, we were left with a gap in the president s chain, and needed to fill the President-Elect position. Jessie cares very much about SAME, and will make a great addition to the president s chain. Chris Verlinde and I will continue in our roles as Past-President and President until the next election cycle. Please congratulate Jessie when you see her! And finally, save the date for our 2014 annual chapter meeting, which will take place November 7-9. We haven t determined the location specifically yet, but we do know it will be somewhere along the Florida panhandle. Details will be ed out as soon as we have them. Start collecting those auction items and mark your calendars now we look forward to seeing ya ll there! Sincerely, Tricia LeBlanc

2 Outstanding Marine Educator Awardee Summer Rohe Dorcik, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory The SAME award for outstanding marine science educator has been awarded to six educators since The seventh individual to earn this honor is Ms. Summer Rohe Dorcik, marine education specialist with the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (University of Southern Mississippi) in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Summer holds a B.S. in Marine Biology with a minor in Education from Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. While an undergraduate, she took three classes in GCRL s summer field program that inspired her to return to the Mississippi Gulf Coast: marine biology, marine invertebrate biology and marine mammals. In 2009 she instructed Sea Camp, Big Pine Key, at Newfound Harbor Marine institute. In 2010 she instructed Sea Camp at the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi. She finally found her way back to GCRL in 2011, where she is now director of the Sea Camp program for which she develops curriculum, hires and manages staff, and serves approximately 1000 students each summer. During the rest of the year, she introduces young people (K-12) to the coastal and marine environments in programs designed to get students out in the environment and gain a hands-on and in the field learning experience through Coastal Science Camps and the Ms. Peetsy B program. Summer has been a member of NMEA for more than three years and presented at the NMEA conference in Anchorage Alaska in Ordinarily this award would be presented at the annual SAME meeting held each fall. This year, as host of the annual NMEA conference in Mobile, SAME did not hold its meeting. It was my privilege, as newly elected President-Elect, to present this award to my colleague, Summer, at the annual USM Founder Day ceremony held March 27 at GCRL, during which other campus awards were presented. If you know someone else deserving of this award or the Outstanding Resource Provider award, look for the nomination package that will be distributed prior to the next meeting. NOAA announces a search for a professional to serve as Program Director for the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program to be based in the Gulf of Mexico. Interested parties should submit their application materials no later than April 23, The full announcement can be found here. In the fall of 2013, NOAA advertised this position in USA Jobs. The continued development of the Program combined with the continued development of other Deepwater Horizon oil spill-related science and restoration programs has allowed NOAA to better assess and refine the RESTORE Act Science Program and its requirements for the Director position. As a result, NOAA is amending the position description and recruiting under this alternative announcement. For additional information about the NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program, please visit the Program s website.

3 Southern Association of Marine Educators Awards Application Deadline: October 17, 2014 Please complete this form and mail to: Jean May-Brett 1627 Taylor St Kenner, LA Or, attach to and send to If you have questions, please call Jean May-Brett at: Please check one: Nomination for: Outstanding Marine Educator Outstanding Service to SAME ***SAME awards are presented to individuals. Nominee s Information: Name: Address: City, state, and zip code: Day phone: Evening phone: Occupation: Place of work: List his/her contributions to SAME:

4 Give examples of his/her service to the fields of marine or aquatic science/education. Unique or extraordinary accomplishments in the fields of marine or aquatic science/education. If this is a nomination for the Outstanding Service Award to SAME provide evidence to indicate why this candidate is deserving of this award, such as offices held and information on the length of membership in the Association. Your contact information: Name: Phone:

5 2014 FMSEA Conference April 24-27, 2014 Panama City Beach PCSI: Panama City, Science and Investigation Mark your calendars and start making your travel plans! #FMSEA14 in Panama City Beach is on the books! We look forward to seeing you at our annual conference scheduled for April 24-27, 2014 in Panama City Beach. Our theme this year, CSI: Panama City Science and Investigation, will highlight Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs and curriculum, both in research and education. The conference will include learning about the FSU Underwater Crime Scene Investigation Program, local STEM initiatives and sharing successes by researchers and educators from around the state. These efforts are essential to preparing future scientists and educators for our ever-changing natural, academic and economic environments. More info available at Please direct all questions to fmsea.org. Middle School Teachers Wanted for Watershed Education Program Calling all Alabama Science Teachers, Discovery Hall Programs, the K-12 education group at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, is currently recruiting teachers and their students for our Bay Watershed Education and Training: Watershed Education Using Bivalves (B-WET:WEB) program. WEB is a hands-on education program focused on teaching students about watersheds, water quality, bivalves (oysters & mussels), and Alabama's unique biodiversity. Students will apply what they learn in the classroom to hands-on activities at a local water body (stream, river, lake, pond, etc.) and at Mobile Bay. Students will have an opportunity to share their experiences with other students through a dedicated program website and video conferencing. The program includes professional development for teachers. The 1 st workshop for teachers will be held at the Sea Lab November 1 st -3 rd. Three additional virtual/on-site professional development webinars will take place throughout the school year. Benefits to teachers and their students include: Two field trips - one local and one to the Sea Lab - per year (most expenses covered) Water-quality testing equipment and electronic journaling supplies for each classroom--yours to keep! Teacher stipend provided CEUs available Enrollment is now open! Visit for complete program details.

6 Audubon Louisiana Nature Center s Big Return We are excited to announce Audubon Louisiana Nature Center is on its way back. It has been a long recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The majority of the old damaged buildings were demolished recently and by 2016 we hope to open and offering the same high quality Environmental Education programming as we did Pre-Katrina. The new building will be located slightly North of the old Credit: Patrick Kraft, Billes Architects ones and will include an Interpretive Center, a Planetarium, both indoor & outdoor classrooms, a teaching greenhouse and 3 miles of walking trails. We have also cleared 20 acres of our Bottomland Hardwood Wetland of highly invasive Chinese Tallow tree which took over our 86 acres after the storm and replanted it with maples, hackberries, oaks, cypress, sycamores, pecans, persimmons and more. Thousands of volunteers from middle school, high school, universities, faith based groups, and AmeriCorps programs have volunteered and assisted us in this effort. Holy Cross High School Environmental Science students have been killing tallow and planting trees for a few years now. Credit: Sue Ellen Lyons Upcoming Events at LPBF Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation has a very busy season planned. Join us for our two NEW Spring Events. On Saturday, April 5th, LPBF will host the PontchARTrain CRAFT Fair and Summer Water Safety Day at the New Canal Lighthouse from 10am-4pm. With 30 vendors, food, drink and summer water safety activities for the kids it will certainly be a fun day on the lake. LPBF's first annual festival, Lake Fest, replaces the Back to the Beach Festival and will have a new look, new date and new venue. It will be a one day festival on Saturday, May 10th from noon to 10pm at the Bucktown Marina in Metairie. With the Back to the Beach Car show, a brand new band lineup, craft vendors, and a kids activity area, it is sure to be a great way to start LPBF's next 25 years of saving our lake and coast. Please go to the LPBF website, for more information on these events as well as LPBF projects and educational opportunities or call

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8 Second Annual Deep-C ROV Competition at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab The Dauphin Island Sea Lab is once again preparing to host the Deep-C ROV competition. In conjunction with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab s Discovery Hall Programs, Deep-C is educating teachers about ROVs and their uses. Teachers, in turn, are returning to their classrooms to educate students. Teams of high school students, along with their teachers, will return to the lab this April to put their skills to the test in our second annual competition! In addition to Deep-C support, DISL is also a regional MATE competition center as of this year. Last year s team from Santa Rosa Christian School. In addition to the five teams participating after the summer 2013 workshop, teams from the competition year will also be returning. Ten teams are expected to compete, with ROVs of their own design. Many schools are hosting mini-competitions of their own, narrowing down multiple teams at each location and bringing the winning team to represent their school. While designs are sure to vary greatly, all teams must have a camera for viewing underwater challenges, as well as ways to pick up or move items. The competition will take place April 26 & 27 at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and at Bishop State Community College in Mobile. In addition to the competition itself, there will be team-building and other fun ROV-related activities, as well as presentations and information about the uses of ROVs in marine science and research. Discovery Hall faculty and teams alike are hard at work preparing, and it s sure to be a weekend the students won t soon forget. Summer Deep-C ROV Workshop at DISL! If the ROV competition sounds exciting, be sure to attend the summer workshop! Enrollment is now open for the Summer 2014 Deep-C ROV workshop, including a return trip for the Spring 2015 Competition! If you are a middle or high school teacher in the Florida panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, or Louisiana, and teach environmental science, marine science, engineering, physics, or physical science, or have a robotics club, enroll now to secure your space in this technology-driven, week-long workshop experience. Teachers will learn about ROVs and how they are Teacher teams from the 2013 workshop. used to explore, research, and work in ocean waters too deep or dangerous for humans. Fun field experiences include a trip aboard the R/V Alabama-Discovery and seeing a fully functional ROV at work. Teachers will be provided with ROV materials to take back to their school, where they will assemble a team of students to build and improve a basic ROV. Teams will return to the Sea Lab in the spring for an ROV competition! Two teachers per school required, and must have administrative support for team component. For more information, visit

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12 Southern Association of Marine Educators K-12 Teacher Scholarship Application for the NMEA Annual Conference 2014 Deadline: must be received by April 18, 2014 Please complete this form and along with any supporting material to: Jean May-Brett If you have questions, please call Jean May-Brett at Please type: Name: School: Address: City, state, and zip code: Day phone: Evening phone: address: Occupation: Member of SAME since: Member of NMEA since: Membership type (active, family, life, etc.): Have you served as an officer or committee member within SAME (please explain)? In what other ways have you been involved with SAME?

13 In the last five (5) years: How many SAME annual meetings have you attended? How many NMEA conferences have you attended? How are you involved in marine or aquatic education? What specific information, skills, or contacts will you be seeking at the NMEA annual conference in Annapolis, Maryland? What financial circumstances require you to seek a scholarship to attend the conference? How will you use the resources that you receive at the conference with your class or group? I certify that all of the statements made above are true and complete. Signature: Date:

14 Southern Association of Marine Educators (SAME) Membership Application Making known the world of water, both fresh and salt. Membership includes the WAVES Newsletter and annual educational workshops. The organization offers you the chance to meet, learn, and network in an aquatic setting. Annual dues are $8.00. If you decide to join the National Association of Marine Educators (NMEA), your NMEA dues will be reduced by $8.00. To become a member, print this page, complete the information requested, and send it with your membership dues to the SAME treasurer (address below). Name Address City, State, Zip Tel: home ( ) work ( ) Fax: ( ) School/Employer Do you presently belong to NMEA? Yes No $8.00 per year, payable to the Secretary/Treasurer of SAME Dianne Lindstedt Louisiana Sea Grant College Program 201 Sea Grant Building, LSU Baton Rouge, LA dlindst@lsu.edu Deadline for submissions to the Fall SAME Bi-Annual Newsletter is Friday, August 29, Activities, events, websites and other news should be directed to: Sara Johnson, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL Fax number: (251) sejohnson@disl.org