Wrist
Band
Help support our cause and purchase a Save Our
Seas wrist band.
Visit our website for more
information.
Thanks!
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 SOS
Receives Funding Grant from NOAA!
The Society
for Ocean Sciences, in partnership with Morgan State University, has
recently received word that funding for our proposed educational
program has been recommended. The program entitled "PLankton And
Nutrient Studies (PLANS) for the Chesapeake Bay is an exemplary
program to be funded by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration. Our program is designed to provide hands-on experiences
for students by investigating nutrient enrichment and phytoplankton
dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay. Through classroom, field and web-based
activities, students conduct scientific inquiries on the causes of
phytoplankton blooms and come to understand the role they can play in
helping to improve the water quality of the Bay.
"Receiving a grant of this size is a major milestone in the
development of the Society", said Claire Hudson, Executive Director of
SOS. "These funds will allow us to engage large numbers of high school
students in the study and appreciation of Chesapeake Bay and its
watershed. Our partnership with MSU will provide participants with
hands-on learning both in the lab, as well as on research cruises on
the R/V Joesph Leidy."
To read more about this program please visit: the PLANS website.
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 Natural
History of Cownose Rays
The
Society for Ocean Sciences, in partnership with Sweet Briar College
will begin research on the Cownose Ray June 15th. Partial funding is
provided by Hood College.
The six-week
expedition will be headed by Dr. John Morrissey, a recognized
elasmobranch expert and author. During this first year of the
investigation, we will aim to learn more about the rays' food habits
and movements in the mid-salinity portion of the Chesapeake
Estuary. Research will be based out of the Chesapeake Field
Laboratory's facilities on St. George's Island near the mouth of the
Potomac River.
This initial
summer of work will hopefully lay the foundation for a multi-year study
of the rays. In future years, we intend to engage students,
teachers, and the general public in our investigation.
To read more
about this research, please visit our research website.
Fund Raising Event
Tuesday July 13th, 11am-11pm
Dogfish
Head, 800 West Diamond Ave., Gaithersburg, MD, 20878
Join us to
raise vital funds for our research! There will be a raffle with some
great prizes such as: Scuba
diving lessons, a nights stay for two at the Intercontinental Hotel in
NY and more! Come for lunch, dinner or a drink and 15% of your check will be
donated to our research!
Show your support - Buy a t-shirt!
By
purchasing a Save the Rays t-shirt you will be supporting our important
research and conservation efforts. All sizes are available.
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 Poolesville High School Students visit the
Virginia Coast with SOS
For the second year, SOS organized and
led a 3-day marine field experience for the Global Ecology students of
Poolesville High School. Students participated in a field trip to the
Marine Science Consortium on Wallops Island in Virginia. As part of the
field experience, students went out on the R/V Flatfish to
sample marine organisms ranging from plankton to sting rays. The
students had the opportunity to use scientific equipment while on board
and record oceanographic data such as temperature and salinity.
Evenings were spent in the lab identifying organisms trawled from
Cockle Creek or plankton sampled from Chincoteague Bay. Part of the
field trip was dedicated to learning about nearshore habitats such as
sandy beaches and mudflats. Students explored the natural history of
the area and were able to beachcomb a restricted portion of Assateague
Island. The isolated stretch of beach was ideal for capturing their
imagination! Both lab and field components of the trip kept the
students engaged and really sparked their interest in marine science.
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Bringing the Ocean to a Classroom in Oxon Hill
SOS was happy to offer an indoor program
for middle and high school students at the Assembly of Jesus Christ
Academy in Oxon Hill, MD. Students were introduced to a variety of
marine invertebrates. With the aid of our mobile touch tank, the kids
really became engaged and were excited to learn more about the live
animals brought into the school. Our program was custom designed to
compliment the on-going curriculum at the Academy. It is
always a pleasure to see children and young adults get so interested
about the marine organisms.
"We hope these kinds of experiences encourage the students to become
more involved in science and the environment", said Claire Hudson.
"Perhaps even a few will be inclined to pursue science as a career."
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