{"id":723,"date":"2023-03-17T20:05:56","date_gmt":"2023-03-18T03:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bisc\/?p=723"},"modified":"2023-03-30T20:18:50","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T03:18:50","slug":"dr-sergey-nuzhdin-the-usc-aquaculture-lab-wows-local-area-high-school-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bisc\/2023\/03\/17\/dr-sergey-nuzhdin-the-usc-aquaculture-lab-wows-local-area-high-school-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Sergey Nuzhdin & the USC Aquaculture Lab wows local area high school students."},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Learning about the blue economy and aquatic farming enables students from King\/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, some of whom have never visited the ocean or a lab, to see science career possibilities.<\/p>\n

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Professor Sergey Nuzhdin shares a sea urchin with students from King\/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science during their visit to Nuzhdin\u2019s marine science lab. (Photos: Mike Glier.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Students from King\/Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science in South Los Angeles recently gained firsthand knowledge of aquaculture and the \u201cblue economy\u201d in a state-of-the-art USC lab.<\/p>\n

What happened<\/strong>: 45 King\/Drew High School students visited the Nuzhdin Aquaculture Lab \u2014 a 6,000-square-foot facility in nearby San Pedro \u2014 on Feb. 9.<\/p>\n

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  • Sergey Nuzhdin, professor of biological sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, heads the lab.<\/li>\n
  • Nuzhdin and the nonprofit AltaSea, where the lab resides, hosted the students.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Why it matters<\/strong>: Nuzhdin says visiting his lab provides high school and community college students a valuable opportunity to get an up-close view and hands-on experience of research and experiments in aquaculture.<\/p>\n

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    • \u201cThe blue economy means jobs for these students. It\u2019s important to expose them to biology and ensure they see the potential of a career in this field.\u201d<\/li>\n
    • The blue economy centers on using ocean resources for economic growth and job creation by producing biofuels, sustainable food sources and biotechnology products.<\/li>\n
    • Aquaculture \u2014 farming of aquatic organisms such as shellfish and seaweed \u2014 is a significant component of the blue economy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Further<\/strong>: \u201cThe blue economy is a way of changing how we look at using resources and shifting into using the ocean in a more beneficial way,\u201d said Justin Gaffney, PhD candidate in marine and environmental biology at USC Dornsife.<\/p>\n

      Scott Applebaum, associate professor (teaching) of environmental studies at USC Dornsife, emphasized the importance of the hands-on learning experience students get when visiting the lab.<\/p>\n

      \u201cIt\u2019s important for students to put their hands in the tanks, learn how to do advanced genomics, learn how to do physiology, and how to work with producers,\u201d he said.
      \nAlta Sea\u2019s Education Program Manager Allan Hill explained, \u201cIf we want to achieve some of the climate goals by 2030, we need to educate high school students about what we\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

      Their view<\/strong>: The King\/Drew students, most of whom have had little opportunity to visit the ocean or a scientific lab, expressed their excitement at what they saw.<\/p>\n

      Senior Lizette Nsilu was surprised by how much kelp is used in our day-to-day lives: \u201cIt\u2019s in toothpaste, skincare products, toothbrushes. \u2026 This changed my view of why sustainability is important.\u201d
      \nStudent Ernest Ekejiuba said that seeing how we can regrow our ecosystem and prevent more damage from happening changed his view on sustainability, as well.<\/p>\n