www.DaytonaState.edu/shore
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 16, 2015) - It's a typical day for Daytona State College marine science professor Dr. Debra Woodall, as she anchors her 21-foot skiff beside a spoil island on the Halifax River and motions to her students to begin collecting data. One uses a seine net to collect biological specimens from the waterway, while another takes water temperature and salinity measurements.
At other locations, students in DSC's Institute of Marine and Environmental Studies (IMES) are conducting more advanced field work. Take Robin Kelly, for example, who's experimenting with cement-based oyster seeding mats as an alternative to the more commonly used plastic ones to see if they can better recruit the bivalve mollusks. Or Brent Meister, who developed a hydrophone to catalog the sounds of the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), such as dolphins and manatees, as well as anthropogenic sounds like boat motors and cars crossing area bridges.
Their research-based field experiences are rare among two-year college students interested in preparing for careers or pursuing advanced degrees in the marine sciences. But they're a standard part of the curriculum for students in Woodall's IMES programs at Daytona State.
On Nov. 6, these and other undergraduate and high school students will join with professional researchers to share what they've learned about the IRL, upcoming projects and ways the community can become involved during SHORE 2015, a research symposium for students, scientists and the community. The all-day event, hosted in partnership among DSC, the Marine Discovery Center and the American Water Resources Association, will take place at Daytona State's News-Journal Center, 221 N. Beach St. in Daytona Beach, and is free and open to the public.
"SHORE 2015 will provide a forum for scientists to share their recent findings and management strategies for the IRL corridor to create a greater public awareness about the waterway and how the community can contribute to a healthy ecosystem," Woodall said. "We also have invited high school and undergraduate students from up and down the IRL corridor to present their research findings and proposals in a collaborative setting."
The event will be highlighted by keynote speaker John Haynes, program manager for health and air quality applications in the Applied Sciences Program of the NASA Earth Science Division.
Woodall added that commercial anglers and sport fishermen also are welcome to attend the symposium. "The IRL is their lagoon, too, and we are all trying to work together to better its health and sustainability," she said. "We want anglers to come and learn about it, engage with some of these students and mentor them with regard to their projects. They are out on the front lines all the time and they can come and learn about the latest research as well as teach us a few things."
Although the event is free to the public, registration is required. More information can be found at www.DaytonaState.edu/shore.
Daytona State's Institute of Marine and Environmental Studies offers a two-year associate of science (AS) degree in environmental science technology, which prepares students for jobs paying an average $41,000 annually in a field the U.S. Department of Labor expects to expand nationwide by nearly 25 percent through 2020. And for those aiming for a bachelor's degree, the program has associate of arts (AA) university transfer tracks in marine science, marine biology, environmental science and ocean engineering.
With the area situated at the front door of the IRL and the back door of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as myriad freshwater bodies throughout the region, a wonderful diversity of marine ecosystems exists here, rich with opportunity for students interested in marine sciences, Woodall noted.
She added that the Institute's field course offerings are valued by a growing list of universities that allow her AA graduates to seamlessly transfer as juniors into baccalaureate-level studies. Meanwhile, the two-year AS degree program has become a model for other colleges interested in establishing similar degree offerings.
For more information about IMES and the SHORE 2015 Symposium, call (386) 506-3765 or email WoodalD@DaytonaState.edu.
