Author Archives: kightp

About kightp

Pat Kight is the web and digital media specialist for Oregon Sea Grant at Oregon State University.

Hatfield Center celebrates 50th anniversary next week

Posted on by

Hatfield Marine Science CenterNEWPORT, Ore. – Fifty years ago this summer, Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center opened its doors as a fledgling research and education facility envisioned to help the depressed central Oregon coast economy revive.

Today it stands as one of the most important and unique marine science facilities in the country, bringing together a plethora of scientists from different agencies to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing the world’s oceans, educating a new generation of students about these issues, and reaching out to inform the public about their impacts.

Oregon Sea Grant has been part of the HMSC since the beginning. The program’s first marine Extension agent, Bob Jacobson, was stationed there, providing service and consultation to the commercial fishing fleet. Sea Grant marine educators Don Giles and Vicki Osis laid the groundwork for what would become an exemplary k-12 and public education program which now leads STEM education efforts on the Oregon coast. And we manage the HMSC Visitor Center, popular with tourists – and now serving as a living laboratory for studying how people learn in informal settings such as aquariums and museums.

OSU and the HMSC will commemorate their half century of success with a celebration and reception on Friday, Aug. 7, at the center. The public is invited.

“This is an opportunity to look at the past and honor the people and events that have made the Hatfield Marine Science Center such a special place,” said Bob Cowen, director of the center. “It’s also a time to celebrate the future, as OSU is launching its Marine Studies Initiative and working on plans to expand the center and its capacity.”

The 50th anniversary celebration will begin at 4:30 p.m. just outside the Hatfield Marine Science Center, located south of the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport. The celebration will feature speakers, displays, a historical slide show, and a video featuring faculty, student and community perspectives on the center’s future plans. A reception will follow from 5:30 to 7 p.m.; the events are free and open to the public.

Earlier in the day, a special presentation by Rick Spinrad, chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and former OSU Vice President for Research, will be held in the Visitor Center Auditorium. His talk, “How Oceanography Saved the World,” which begins at 3 p.m., is part of the 50th Anniversary Alumni Speaker Series.

Other speakers include former Oregon State President John Byrne, a former NOAA administrator.

Event information and links to HMSC archives, historic photos, video and a timeline of landmarks for the Hatfield Marine Science Center can be found at: http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/50th.

 

Cascadia earthquake: Finding the sweet spot between fear and action

Posted on by

A recent national news article suggesting that everything in Oregon west of Interstate-5 “would be toast” in a major Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake certainly drew attention to the seismic reality facing the Pacific Northwest.

The concern, though, is that people are focusing on the most draconian or extreme scenarios, experts say, which can lead to a sense of fatalism. The reaction illustrates the state of earthquake and tsunami preparedness – or lack thereof – in the United States, said Patrick Corcoran, Oregon Sea Grant’s Astoria-based coastal hazards specialist, who works with coastal communities on disaster preparedness.

It’s a matter of feast or famine.

“The Cascadia Subduction Zone has shifted from a science project to a social studies project,” Corcoran said. “We need to find a sweet spot between fear and action. What I try to do is temper the tendency of people to toggle between the poles of ‘it won’t happen here’ and ‘it will be so bad that there’s no use worrying about it.’”

(Read the entire story from OSU News & Research Communication to learn how Corcoran and other OSU faculty are working with the state and coastal communities to prepare people, communities and infrastructure for a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami).

Learn more

Earthquake and tsunami preparedness material from Oregon Sea Grant:

HMSC Visitor Center seeks a new octopus

Posted on by

Giant Pacific octopusNEWPORT – The Visitor Center at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center is looking for a new giant Pacific Octopus to occupy its central public tank, empty since the demise of its previous octopus, Patriot, a few months ago.

The octopus tank is one of the center’s most popular exhibits, and helps teach thousands of visitors young and old about cephalopod behavior and biology during three-times-a-week public feedings. It’s also the star of the OctoCam, a live, streaming, 24-hour Web cam that gives Internet users a glimpse of how the animals live in a simulated ocean environment.

The center’s animal husbandry staff typically receive young octopuses as donations from commercial or recreational fishermen who bring the curious, intelligent animals up in crab pots and other fishing gear, but none have been offered, so aquarists are trying to get the word out.

Donors get to choose the new octopus’s name, and know that they are helping teach the public about marine animals and conservation.

For more information, or to donate an octopus, call (541) 867-0215 or (410) 991-9753.

The HMSC Visitor Center is open from 10 am to 5 p.m. daily through Labor Day weekend. Admission is by donation.

Free overnight STEM camp for 7th-8th grade girls

Posted on by

NEWPORT – Seventh and eighth grade girls on the Oregon Coast can get a taste of what it’s like to be an engineer or marine scientist at a free overnight camp Aug. 17-18 at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center and the neighboring Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Sponsored by the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, the camp will give girls a chance to work with researchers at Hatfield Marine Science Center in the labs and in the field, and enjoy behind-the-scenes tours with women in aquarium careers. They’ll also get to spend the night in the Shark Tunnel at the Oregon Coast Aquarium! Meals are provided.

Registration is limited; learn more and sign up at  http://ow.ly/PrC5W.

Summer 2015 “Dock Shop” walks take the mystery out of buying fresh seafood

Posted on by

NEWPORT – Want to learn more about the seafood caught off the Oregon coast – and have a chance to buy some while you’re at it? Join Oregon Sea Grant for a series of “Dock Shop” guided tours on July 10, 16, 22 and 28, 2015, at Newport’s commercial fishing port.

Led by Ruby Moon,  Oregon Sea Grant Extension fisheries specialist, the walks start at the entrance of Port Dock 5, across SE Bay Boulevard from Local Ocean restaurant at noon each date. They last from 1-2 hours, depending on what vessels are in port and who’s selling what.

Moon will lead the walks while talking about what seafood is in season, what local boats fish for and how, vessel types, fishing practices and sustainability.

Those interested in buying seafood should bring cash and a cooler with ice. Comfortable shoes with good traction are a must! There is no charge for taking part in the walk.

Learn more:

Beyond the Shore: Oregon’s Plan for Thriving Oceans

Posted on by

(This post was co-written by Kelsey Adkisson, Oregon Sea Grant Marine Policy Fellow and Ivan Kuletz, Oregon Sea Grant Marine Policy Intern. )
Oregon doesn’t stop at the beach. In fact, the shoreline is just the beginning of an incredibly complex and thriving marine environment full of colorful rockfish, towering kelp forests, expansive sandy flats, jagged rocky reefs, and a diversity of unique invertebrates.

Red sea urchinsTo ensure this environment remains healthy and vibrant, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Oregon Sea Grant (OSG) teamed up and developed a successful partnership that focuses on enhancing the intersection of science and management. This partnership has fostered fellowships and scholarships that support science-based resource management issues. As part of this collaboration, two OSG Fellows, Kelsey Adkisson and Ivan Kuletz, worked with ODFW on a great example of Oregon’s support for science-based ocean resource management- the Oregon Nearshore Strategy.

The Oregon Nearshore Strategy is a set of prioritized recommendations for conservation, management, and research of species and habitats that occur within state waters. Oregon’s nearshore environment is home to a vast array of species and habitats. All of which are integral components of a complex nearshore ecosystem. This ecosystem is interconnected through food webs, ocean currents, and a multitude of other biological, physical, chemical, geological and human use factors.

Yelloweye RockfishOriginally developed in 2005, and currently undergoing a ten year revision, the Nearshore Strategy was created via a collaborative process led by ODFW. Members of the public, ocean-related businesses, recreational interests, conservation groups, government agencies, tribes, universities, and many other sectors helped contribute to the Strategy.

“At its core, the Nearshore Strategy is intended to contribute to the larger domain of marine resources management and focus actions towards priority issues and areas that have not already received the attention they deserve,” explained Caren Braby, the ODFW Marine Resources Program Manager. “Ultimately, the Strategy’s effectiveness hinges on public input, which helps shape the document, and also ensures that diverse perspectives, values, visions and concerns for the nearshore environment are represented.”

As part of the 2015 revision process, Kelsey and Ivan worked with ODFW Project Leader, Greg Krutzikowsky, to review and update the enormous body of scientific knowledge that underpins the document. This information was used to develop recommendations that support Oregon’s diversity of marine life. As Sea Grant Scholars, it was a unique experience to be part of something that is used by such a broad variety of interest groups, including federal agencies, policy makers, citizen groups, fishermen, conservation organizations, and researchers.
The Nearshore Strategy is currently undergoing public review and the update is due to be completed by October 1, 2015. Public input is essential to shaping and prioritizing resource needs for the next ten years and ODFW is seeking input on the Strategy. To review the Oregon Nearshore Strategy, provide input, or find out more about the revision process please visit the ODFW Oregon Nearshore Strategy website: (http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/nearshore/index.asp).

Learn more:

(Photo credits: Janna Nichols)

Malouf Scholarship: Applicants sought

Posted on by

Oregon Sea Grant is soliciting applications for the 2015-2016 Robert E. Malouf Marine Studies Scholarship, awarded to support  graduate students who combine societally relevant research with education or public engagement.

The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday, July 20. 2015.

Applicants must be graduate students at any college or university in Oregon, working toward a degree in a field compatible with Oregon Sea Grant’s mandate and areas of interest. Disciplines may include, but are not limited to biological, geological, physical and chemical sciences; marine resource management and policy; marine resource economics; social sciences; engineering; geology; education or public health.

The scholarship’s purpose is to provide a significant contribution to students seeking advanced degrees and to contribute to building the nation’s future capacity in the marine sciences. Oregon Sea Grant plans to award two Malouf Scholarships in 2015: one to a Master’s student and one to a Ph.D. student. If funding permits, more than two scholarships may be granted.

The scholarship is named for Dr. Robert E. Malouf, Oregon Sea Grant director from 1991-2008.

For full details and to apply, visit the Oregon Sea Grant Website.

Research/Scholars Coordinator position open

Posted on by

Application deadline June 25, 2015. Visit OSU Jobs for details and to apply

Oregon Sea Grant is seeking to fill a full-time, 12-month, fixed term professional faculty position to support development and execution of Oregon Sea Grant’s competitive research process, manage our program development grants, coordinate the student scholars program, and prepare various proposal and project budgets, reports and other documents required by the National Sea Grant office and other funders.  

At minimum, candidates should have a Master’s degree in marine or environmental sciences, resource management, public policy, public administration, resource economics or a related field that gives the candidate a firm basis in the physical and social sciences, or with policy/ administration. In addition, we require two years of experience with responsibility for program or project management, monitoring and coordination.

For details, and to apply, visit OSU Jobs.

Oregon Sea Grant seeks grants/contracts technician

Posted on by

Oregon Sea Grant is seeking applicants with training and experience in accounting for a full-time classified staff position as a grants/contracts technician. Responsibilities include managing awarded grants and contracts, bookkeeping and associated tasks (Reviewing/verifying accounts for accuracy, meeting audit trail requirements, reconciling transactions, etc), budget tracking and preparation, and preparing outside grant proposals.

Minimum requirements include 12 quarter hours (8 semester hours) of accounting courses AND two years of experience, an Associate’s degree in accounting or equivalent education and experience. Preferred qualifications include experience with grant proposal development and with FIS Banner, Data Warehouse, GRRS, and Cayuse information systems.

Application deadline June 12, 2015. Visit OSU Jobs for details and to apply.

STEM Hub sends teachers to sea

Posted on by

Newport, OR — Two Oregon educators head out to sea this weekend to take part in a research buoy deployment aimed at learning how changing ocean conditions affect sea life in Pacific Northwest waters.

The deployment, aboard the University of Washington’s R/V Thomas Thompson, takes place over Memorial Day weekend in  NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Ben Ewing of Lincoln County School District’s Toledo High School and Cindy Bryden from the Haystack Rock Awareness Program are joining others from from Washington state to learn more about oceanographic research addressing critical issues affecting the region’s coastal and inland waters. The teachers plan to incorporate the research and their cruise experiences into their classroom and education programs.

This cruise will deploy a moored buoy system with sensors to monitor ocean and weather conditions off the coast. A Seaglider, an autonomous underwater vehicle, is part of the observing array and will be deployed as well. These instruments are part of a larger observing system known as NEMO (Northwest Enhanced Moored Observatory). While at sea, the team will conduct water and plankton sampling as part of Washington Ocean Acidification Center monitoring for ocean acidification.

Toledo High School teacher Ben Ewing with the SS DolphinEwing will also be deploying the SS Dolphin, a five foot unmanned sailboat built by Sunset Middle School students in Coos Bay. This student-built sailboat is equipped with a GPS unit (Global Positioning System) so Oregon students and the public can track its journey as it rides the wind and currants across Pacific waters.  Funded by the Oregon Coast Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Hub, the SS Dolphin is the second student-built boat to be deployed in the Pacific by research vessels this school year. Plans are underway for Hatfield Marine Science Center researchers to deploy a third student-built boat at the Marianas Trench near Guam in June.

Based at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub is one of six regional STEM Hubs funded by the Oregon Department of Education. With more than 50 active partners, including Oregon Sea Grant, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub serves coastal teachers, students and communities along the Oregon coast, connecting them with regional resources and providing world-class STEM experiences.

For more information contact Tracy Crews at OregonCoastSTEM@oregonstate.edu.

Learn more: