2016 High School Marine Lab on Catalina Island

Welcome to summer! From July 7 – 13, 2016, USC Sea Grant, in partnership with the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations and Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, is hosting 20 high school students from across the country at the USC Phillip K. Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on Catalina Island. Over the course of the week, students will work with local researchers, conduct their own research projects, learn about careers in marine science, build their own ROVs, snorkel, kayak, and explore the marine protected areas around the island.

Check out a video slide show of the trip here.

Check out a blog post by Jeremy Bellman about his experience as a counselor this summer and former student participant: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/the-next-generation-scientists

Thursday, July 7

Today was the first day for the High School Marine Lab Experience! In the morning, the early arrival students walked over to the Museum of Natural History to get an exclusive tour by museum collections manager for Crustacea Adam Wall. The tour consisted of current and historical research of species around the globe. Researchers are developing genetic bar codes for species that will aid species management efforts, and endangered species law enforcement. By noon, more students arrived on campus at USC and got the opportunity to tour the biology and environmental labs with Dr. Steve Finkle. Students then walked over to the California Science Center to visit the hall of ecology and learn more about the marine environment and the species that live in it. After the first day of lots of learning and meeting new people, students finally retreated back to their residence halls to learn which
microbe they were and then off to bed for an early start to
their voyage to Catalina Island.

Students Amari Turner, Demmetrius Knowles, Niko Figueroa, and Sara Pope had this to say about their first day in the program:

Amari Turner “Today I was excited and looking forward to being able to snorkel, kayak, and all the fun activities that were planned. At first I was nervous on making friends but it turns out everyone here is friendly and open. I felt totally welcomed here.”

Demmetrius Knowles “I felt really nervous and excited to be here but I am definitely looking forward to kayaking and learning more about marine life.”

Niko Figueroa “I felt really excited to be here because I missed this opportunity last time and I was not going to miss it this time! Overall, I’m really happy to be here and looking forward to participating in  the activities.”

Sara Pope “Arriving here, I was stressed about getting lost or getting on the wrong flight to get here but since I arrived, I felt really comfortable and welcome here. I really look forward to snorkeling the most in my time here!”

Friday, July 8

Students woke up bright and early to head over to Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI) and catch their boat to Catalina Island. After the boat ride, students arrived at the USC Wrigley Institute for their welcome and orientation. Shortly, students divided up in groups to talk to the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs) to learn about the research and projects they are conducting in their time on the Wrigley Institute.

After grabbing a bite to eat, students take a quick ridge walk and head to the library to have a video conference wtih DJ Kast to learn about her experience in Arctic Studies. Further on in the day, students finally got a chance to get wet and try out their wet suits by jumping off the dock and into the water. The day ends with a plankton lab where students got to learn about the millions of microbes and plankton that live in the water and what an impact they have on ocean species and marine ecosystems.

Students Angel Rodriguez, Lizzy Amerman-Miller, Talia Korobkin, and Andrew Bustos had this to say about today’s experience:

Angel Rodriguez “When I first arrived to Catalina Island it was different than what I expected. I expected kind of a beach setting with sand but it was more rocky than I expected. Overall it was beautiful and full of scenery! I enjoyed swimming in the water today because I was scared of going in at first but after I got in with my wet suit, I felt relaxed and comfortable which helped me a lot!”

Lizzie Amerman-Miller “Arriving to Catalina, I noticed I can see through the water and observe all the fish and organisms that live in it. It opened up my eyes! I definitely enjoyed because it was refreshing. Getting the wet suit on was stressful and difficult but worth it in the end!”

Saturday, July 9

Day three of the High School Marine Experience begins with an early snorkeling session where students finally got to journey beneath the water and see the many incredible species that inhabit it. After snorkeling and grabbing a bite to eat, students got to construct their own ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) and test them out in tanks and learn about their functions. Later on, students boarded shuttles and traveled to Shark Harbor for a relaxing cook out, enjoy s’mores, create their own soap stone designs, and learn more about Catalina’s ecology through a nice hike around the harbor. The day ends with students returning to their dorms to get sleep but anxious for tomorrow’s activities!

Students Allyson Jimenez, Darrio Herrea, Laura Cabrera, Khai Coleman had this to say about today’s experience:

Allyson Jimenez “I thought starting today with an early morning snorkel was cool because it was light out but not too sunny so we could see all the fish in the water. I saw tiger sharks, bat rays, and many other types of fish. Shark Harbor was really nice and beautiful. I expected to see many sharks because of its name but I didn’t see any!”

Dario Herrera “Snorkeling this morning was amazing and nice and had a good start to the day. Shark Harbor was awesome, cool, and secluded so not a lot of people were there which was good. Everything we’re currently learning was all at Shark Harbor.”

Laura Cabrera “Snorkeling took all the words out of my mouth. It was refreshing to start out the day like that. Shark Harbor had an amazing view and a lot of diversity in species life.”

Khai Coleman “It was cold snorkeling so early in the morning but afterwards I loved it because I saw so many details and species that I’ve never seen before in my life. It was a memorable experience and I regret not having an underwater camera to record everything I saw. Shark Harbor was pretty interesting and I learned so much while I was there. It was truly an experience! I would recommend this program to anyone who wishes to gain an amazing experience!”

Sunday, July 10

The day began with another bright morning at the Wrigley Institute with students eager to start their first kayaking trip around the Catalina Bay. Students got to kayak around the grove and through a sea cave while learning more about Catalina’s geology and the species that inhabit different parts of the island. Afterwards, students each received a kit to build their own, personal ROVs to take home and use to conduct underwater research. Further on, students began to develop their research questions and form an experiment and procedure to conduct in their time here. During a short break from their hard work, students played an exciting and fun round of volleyball as the sun went down. The day ended with a session of stargazing under the clear, starry, Catalina sky and every student sharing their wishes and dreams to wish upon a star.

Students Aeja Rosette, Diego Knowlton, Princelawerenz Hamlin, and Alaina Sanders had this to say about the day:

Aeja Rosette “Kayaking this morning was exciting and great because I got to go around the grove, learn about the different areas of the island, and go through a sea cave! One highlight of the day was getting a tour from the interns of the aquaponics and learning about aqua farming.”

Diego Knowlton “I liked going on the kayaks today because you can get to new places on a kayak that you can’t with a boat. I loved working on my own ROV and learning the importance of it to the marine community. Additionally, I loved stargazing at night.”

Princelawernz Hamlin “Kayaking today was so fun like it was a big adventure and experience I will never forget. Stargazing was amazing because I got to see the constellations and the zodiac signs in the sky.”

Alaina Sanders “Kayaking for me was thrilling and good! I liked working on ROVs and my highlight of the day was stargazing, hearing everyone’s goals in life and getting to make our wishes.”

Monday, July 11

Day five of the Marine Lab experience began with students getting to work right away to finish their ROVs and work on their research projects by carrying out their experiments and procedures both in the lab and on water. Some students took kayaks out again to collect bacteria samples and algae. Later on, students got the opportunity to visit and tour the Hyerbaric Chamber and learn about the emergency and medical use of it for underwater scuba divers. Afterwards, students got a bite to eat and set out on an amazing hike to Deer Valley and then visited the mudflats to observe the species that live in that habitat. The highlight of the day however, as many students would agree on, was the night snorkeling session. During that session, students dove under water and observed the nocturnal creatures that swim around at night and the bioluminescent plankton that make the dark waters light up with amazement and wonder.

Students Seraphina Lorenz and Khai Coleman had this to say about today’s exciting experiences:

Serephina Lorenz “Snorkeling at night was a huge thumbs up for me! I liked going to the mudflats because we got to see sand crabs in the water and the hyperbaric chamber was like going in an airplane so that was truly interesting!”

Khai Coleman “Night snorkeling took a lot of energy but it was totally worth it because of all the amazing species we saw in the water at night! The Deer Valley hike was nice as well because of the amazing scenery we saw on our way up the hill.”

Tuesday, July 12

As the Marine Lab experience sadly comes close to an end, the students started the day off by working hard to finish their ROVs and research projects which they will present tomorrow in front of their fellow campers and staff. After working for many hours, students got a break and participated in one of the end of the program week traditions known as dock jumping together. Soon, students grabbed a bite to eat and returned back to work and finished as much as they possibly could before the amazing nightly activities. Later, after wrapping up their work, students all gathered together to decorate MPA bags and then watched a wonderful picture slideshow of the entire week made by amazing counselor, Xana. Although today was the students’ final night together, they all still have an amazing day planned tomorrow to end the program out with a bang!

Program counselors Jeremy Bellman, Chris Alvarez, Katherine Cheng, and Kenia Gomez shared their thoughts on the week and the program:

Jeremy Bellman “Being a counselor for the High School Marine Lab was truly an honor and privilege to work with such gifted students and being back at the amazing Catalina Island. My favorite part was definitely leading the stargazing activity because looking at the stars under a clear sky is very rare where I live. Gazing at the stars with these amazing students was truly unbelievable and inspiring when I heard their dreams and aspirations for the future. Having the opportunity to participate in this program both as a participant and now a counselor has impacted my academic life and personal growth in many ways. Currently I am majoring in Biology: Pre-Medical, but I am still not sure on what I want to do with that degree yet. Being here these last few days has helped me start down a path though I will try to follow through with in the academic year to come. Meeting with the interns on the island and learning about the amazing projects and research they conduct around the island and labs has made me very interested in working in a lab and conducting research of my own in the future. Additionally, this program has made me even more interested in marine science and I will join the marine bio club on my campus and learn about the marine life on the east coast and how it compares to the west coast. Doing this program has also strengthened my leadership skills, confidence, and critical thinking, as it has for many for the campers as well. I had an amazing experience when I came to this program three years ago as a participant and I wanted to give new participants the same great experience I had which is why I chose to return again as a counselor. Not only did I get the opportunity to give back and help the new campers have an enjoyable and educational trip, I got to relive the outstanding experience once again.”

Chris Alvarez “Helping out at the High School Marine Lab 2016 as a counselor was a great experience. Helping all these amazing and extraordinary students was a great pleasure and honor. I have helped in other summer camps, but nothing like this. Being here at Catalina Island is a memory I will treasure forever. My favorite part of the trip was when we went night snorkeling with the students and saw bioluminescent organisms float around us; it was like looking at the stars underwater! I am so glad I got to help out and enjoy an amazing week with these talented students knowing that these kids will become future scientists.”

Katherine Cheng “It was an honor to be a counselor for the 2016 HSML and a privilege to be in a position to inspire the next generation.   The students are among the brightest and most capable that I’ve worked with, and I hope that they’ll never settle, but instead, always keep reaching for more.  My favorite memories from the week were helping the students build their ROVs and seeing them rise to the challenge, as well as sea kayaking.  FIGHT ON.”

Kenia Gomez “This week has been inspirational and motivating. I knew I would enjoy being a counselor for this program, but I never thought it would be transformational. This week I watched the students be placed out of their element, and grow as a community and as individuals. This was one of the few traits that makes this program so unique and effective. The students allowed themselves to be fully immersed into Catalina and all of the excitement the island has to offer. So often students read about oceans, marine life, geology, and other topics which we learned about, but they rarely get to experience these things. Thanks to this program we were able to learn about animal biology and behavior while witnessing these feats in front of them, and in certain cases even feeling them. There are no substitutions for these experiences, and in truth this is what learning should feel like for all students. The highlight of my week was watching one of the students complete his R.O.V circuit after several complications, I will never forget the smile on his face as he watched the propellers of his R.O.V. in motion.”

Wednesday, July 13

The final day of the Marine Lab program finally came and students are just begging to stay on the island and stick with their new friends for a little longer. They started off the day with a hearty breakfast and set out to finalize and wrap up their research projects and their ROVs. Soon after, students got to test out their ROVs in the tanks and most successfully operated their own ROV and can now take it home to share with their community. Students also got the chance to thank the staff and interns who worked on the island and helped them with their research projects. Afterwards, the students finally finished their research projects and presented them in front of their fellow peers and staff. After a quick trip to the gift shop and some final pictures, students boarded Miss Christi to head on home. Students who flew out the next day stayed another night on the USC campus and got to tour the campus with counselors Kenia Gomez, Katherine Cheng, and Jeremy Bellman.

This past week was truly an experience to remember and will stay with everyone for a long time. Students learned so much from the program and from each other. The High School Marine Lab Experience program is like no other and all the memories made here is something priceless that everyone will cherish for years to come.

Students Jake Guthrie and Sara Pope had this to say about the program:

Jake Guthrie “I like the program because I got to meet new friends that I will know for the rest of my life.  Night snorkeling was pretty much the coolest thing I’ve done mostly because I learned what was in the water.  I’m going to share what I learned with my school.  Mostly my middle/high school.  I really liked the bioluminescent.  It was like nothing I’ve seen before.”

Sara Pope  “I really enjoyed this program. It opened so many doors for me! I strongly enjoyed snorkeling, it was definitely my favorite part. I learned so much such as how important bacteria is, and the types of fish in the protected areas.  I am going to give presentations at my school to share the information, and do a follow up newspaper article. One thing I will never forget from this week was seeing the Pacific Ocean for the first time in my life.”