Charles M. Breder, Jr.: Hypothetical considerations, 1931-1937

Charles M. Breder Jr. “hypothesis” diary is a deviation from the field diaries that form part of the Breder collection housed at the Arthur Vining Davis Library, Mote Marine Laboratory. There are no notes or observations from specific scientific expeditions in the document. Instead, the contents provide an insight into the early meticulous scientific thoughts of this biologist, and how he examines and develops these ideas. It is apparent that among Dr. Breder’s passions was his continual search for knowledge about questions that still besieged many scientists. Topics discussed include symmetry, origin of the atmosphere, origin of life, mechanical analogies of organisms, aquaria as an organism, astrobiology, entropy, evolution of species, and other topics. The diary was transcribed as part of the Coastal Estuarine Data/Document Rescue and Archeology effort for South Florida. (PDF contains 33 pages

How One California Aquarium is Developing an Ocean Conservation Strategy with Global Impact

This article discusses the ways in which the Monterey Bay Aquarium is pursuing its mission “to inspire conservation of the ocean”—including and beyond its visitor programs and education initiatives. The Aquarium is reshaping the global seafood supply chain by integrating its scientific research with the Aquarium’s growing influence in ocean policy. With the world’s life-sustaining aquatic ecosystems in decline, there is no time to lose

Mapping the Canyon

In this activity, students will learn about the bathymetry of Hudson Canyon, a submarine canyon on the Atlantic coast of North America. As they study Hudson Canyon, they will compare and contrast topographic maps and bathymetric maps, investigate the various ways in which bathymetric maps are made, and learn how to interpret bathymetric maps. Educational levels: High school

All the Water in the World

This teacher demonstration and student response lesson is designed to help students recognize that there is a lot of water in the world, but that not very much of it can be used for drinking and other water supply needs. By observing a demonstration using water in an aquarium students will learn that ground water is a very small percentage of the Earth's water. It will also help them understand how important it is that we take care of our ground water. Educational levels: High school, Middle school

Let's Bet on Sediments

In their investigation of Hudson Canyon sediments, students will discover how sediment size is related to the amount of time the sediment is suspended in water. During this activity, students will investigate and analyze the patterns of sedimentation in the Hudson Canyon off the Atlantic coast of North America. They will observe how heavier particles sink faster than finer particles, learn that submarine landslides (trench slope failures) are sediment "avalanches" that occur in deep-ocean canyons, and infer that the passive side of a continental margin is not as geologically static as scientists previously believed. Students will also discover that when sediments such as sand, dirt, silt, and other fine particles become suspended in water by currents, the water becomes murky, or turbid and then may become a turbidity current, which is a down-slope movements of sediment-laden water that continuously erodes many submarine canyons such as the Hudson Canyon. Educational levels: High school

Effects of Salinity on Reproduction and Survival of the Calanoid Copepod Pseudodiaptomus Pelagicus

Four experiments were conducted on the calanoid copepod, Pseudodiaptomus pelagicus, to determine the effects of salinity on survival, development time, reproductive output, and population growth in order to define the optimal salinity for culture. To determine the appropriate experimental salinity range we exposed nauplii and adults to abrupt salinity changes from 35 g/L to 5, 10, 15, 35, 42, and 48 g/L at 30 °C and determined survival after 24 hours. The second experiment stocked early stage nauplii into 1 L beakers after which they were cultured using standard procedures for 10 days at six salinities (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 g/L); from this survival, sex ratio, time to maturation, and fecundity were measured. The third experiment evaluated the effects of salinity on brood size, brood interval, and nauplii production by stocking individual adult pairs and monitoring nauplii production daily for 10 days. The fourth experiment determined the effects of salinity on population growth and composition of the population produced by stocking 10 adult pairs and culturing them until five days after the first mature adults were observed. Results from the abrupt salinity change experiment showed nauplii survival decreased following abrupt changes in salinity from 35 g/L to \u3c 15 g/L and \u3e 35 g/L. Additionally, adults do not tolerate rapid changes in salinity from 35 g/L to \u3c 15 g/L but are rather tolerant of changes in salinity up to 48 g/L. Survival from early nauplii to adult was not significantly affected by salinity but survival declined at 35 g/L. Time to first maturation and maturation of the entire population was significantly influenced by salinity and took from 6.3 to 9.5 days. In the individual paired adults experiment, salinity significantly affected nauplii production by affecting brood interval and brood size. The percentage of ovigerous females peaked at 20 g/L and declined at salinities above and below this value. When developing production objectives, aquaculturists must consider salinity because of its numerous effects on the culture of P. pelagicus. The optimal salinity range to achieve high survival and the greatest nauplii production is 15–25 g/L

How U.S. Ocean Policy and Market Power Can Reform the Coral Reef Wildlife Trade

As the world’s largest importer of marine ornamental species for the aquaria, curio, home décor, and jewelry industries, the United States has an opportunity to leverage its considerable market power to promote more sustainable trade and reduce the effects of ornamental trade stress on coral reefs worldwide. Evidence indicates that collection of some coral reef animals for these trades has caused virtual elimination of local populations, major changes in age structure, and promotion of collection practices that destroy reef habitats. Management and enforcement of collection activities in major source countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines remain weak. Strengthening US trade laws and enforcement capabilities combined with increasing consumer and industry demand for responsible conservation can create strong incentives for improving management in source countries. This is particularly important in light of the March 2010 failure of the parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to take action on key groups of corals

Using Ocean Observing Systems Data in K-12 Classrooms: Proceedings from a Workshop Exploring the Merit and Feasibility of Developing a National Ocean Observing Systems (NOOS) Education Product

Ocean engineers and scientists are transforming the way we experience and understand the ocean through Integrated Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS). For the first time, there will be continuous, sustained, near-realtime, multi-dimensional data available from the oceans, collected both from within the oceans using sensors systems and above using remote sensing methodologies. These data make possible inquiry-driven questions concerning the dynamic nature of the ocean's physical, biological and chemical characteristics in both time and space. These data provide unique and meaningful access to the ocean for a broad range of users. One major expected user group is K-12 educators and their students, who will be able to explore and utilize data and information from coastal observing systems in real time from the classroom. This workshop, held in July of 2005, explored the feasability of developing a collection of resources, tools, and/or classroom applications that use National Ocean Observing Systems (NOOS) data and resources to promote ocean literacy and supplement classroom learning and understanding of the ocean environment. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Suited for spacewalking: A teacher's guide with activities

This publication is an activity guide for teachers on spacesuits and spacewalking. It uses the intensive interest many children have in space exploration as a launching point for hands-on-opportunities. The guide begins with brief discussions of the space environment, the history of space walking, the Space Shuttle spacesuit, and working in space. These are followed by a series of activities that enable children to explore the space environment as well as the science and technology behind the functions of spacesuits. The activities are not rated for specific grade levels because they can be adapted for students of many ages. The guide concludes with a brief glossary as well as references and resources