Researcher and graduate student, Victoria Congdon (in orange), teaches girls about seaweed and the animals that depend upon it. Photo credit: Amanda Taylor.Zooplankton bingo was just one of the exciting brain teasers that was offered at last weekend’s Women in Marine Science event hosted at The University of Texas Marine Science Institute. Fifty-eight girls from 6th–8th grade came to learn more about marine science from women researchers. The event featured ten different activities that the girls could choose from and ranged from learning about injured sea turtles to how seaweed move underwater. This the third annual Women in Marine Science event hosted at the Institute and it helped to spark enthusiasm for marine science and teach how science can be fun, enlightening and maybe even a little messy.
The following are some of the comments from the girls:
- “I loved getting to interact with the seaweed, seagrass, and other animals.”
- “The turtle station was my favorite because we got to see what they eat, how they process and what’s wrong with them.”
- “Dissections fascinate me. I love cutting things up, taking them apart and figuring out how they work.”
- “The fish sounds and senses was my favorite activity because I learned a lot and the things I learned were surprising.”
Educator, Sara Pelleteri (in orange), shows girls the impact of marine trash and explains the research being done to track the trash that washes up on Texas beaches. Photo credit: Amanda Taylor.This event was organized by the Mission-Aransas Reserve with participants from The University of Texas Marine Science Institute and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.