Skidaway Island, Ga. (April 7, 2008) — Join marine educators and researchers for Coastlines 2008: Current Topics in Ocean Health and Fisheries, a 14-day intensive field and laboratory experience that will prepare teachers for identifying coastal land use, water quality, and fishery issues to create GPS-relevant curriculum for their own schools and communities. The workshop will be held June 13-26, 2008, at the Marine Extension Service’s Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island.

Literature related to fisheries will serve as a springboard for this course, as participants engage in estuarine studies, barrier island explorations, and oceanographic assays along the Georgia coast from the Savannah River to Sapelo Sound. Up to 18 elementary, middle and high school teachers will work alongside scientists in the field conducting research, collecting data and analyzing results.

Field studies will include sampling trips aboard the R/V Sea Dawg, small boats, and an offshore survey aboard the (NSF certified) Research Vessel Savannah to Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Instructors for the class will include education faculty from MECA and the UGA College of Education, scientists from the UGA Marine Advisory Services, the Shellfish Research Lab, research faculty from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, and personnel from the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA) office. Housing will be at MECA’s air-conditioned dormitory. The course also includes three days on Sapelo Island to explore the marine-island interface and to examine land use issues as they apply to water quality.

This class is available for up to 6 graduate credits through the University of Georgia’s College of Education, or 10 professional learning unit (PLU) credits through participants’ school district offices. Funding for this course is provided by the Georgia Teacher Quality Higher Education Program.

Potential graduate credit applicants should also contact Dr. Norm Thomson (706) 542-4645 ().

For more information and an application, go to http://www.marex.uga.edu/aquarium/wksps1.html.

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This article was posted on Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 9:27 am and is filed under News.