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DISPATCH 4: - 9.15.2006 | Gordon Phail & Kelly Mazako Gordon Phail - Before one can teach, one must learn. The opportunity to experience research first hand reminds one of the countless hours needed to learn even small nuggets of information that later can be used to teach others. For a facilitator of instruction, the more experience one has, the more one can pass on to others. For this reason, the opportunity to be a part of the HBOI research cruise is priceless. 
After teaching marine science for several years, I realized that the more I learned the more
questions I had. I would read as many books, articles, and periodicals as I could and
I would know more, but never feel satisfied. Always, a question from a student would make
me wonder if my answer was complete enough. Book learning is fine, but to experience the
real organisms in their habitat would really provide the information I wanted. My experiences
as a scuba diver allowed me to enter the marine world and observe the interaction of organisms
with each other and their environment. I had spent countless hours hovering over coral reefs
watching, learning, and always wondering what lay beyond. Now I have the opportunity to
experience a world that lies far beyond my simple scuba world and answer many of those questions.
When we boarded the Wecoma in San Diego, I could tell that we were in for a treat. The scientists were very pleasant, but we could sense their dedication to their work. They were busy setting up and calibrating their equipment, preparing the dark room and cold labs they would need for their organisms. We all pitched in and soon the place was taking shape. As we performed tasks the scientists would explain why we were preparing the way we were. By the time we set off the next day we were ready. Though some initial "bugs" had to be worked out, everyone was assigned a task to facilitate the deployment and monitoring of the collection nets. By afternoon, we reached San Clemente Basin and we were ready to deploy. The excitement and anticipation of all involved was obvious. What were we to find? Would any organisms be new? Would the scientists obtain the samples they needed to further their research? Only time would tell as we deployed for the first time. As we retrieved the sample nets and collection device (cod-end), we could tell we had been successful. We examined the organisms collected and we saw creatures that lived in the perpetual world of twilight. Fish with small bodies, but large mouths and teeth, every size of shrimps, jelly fish, and organisms I had no clue even existed. Snap, snap went our cameras as we viewed and discussed what we were seeing. I had seen some in pictures, but here they were in person. Some were very unhappy and showed their teeth and agitation at all of us. As we removed them from the collection baskets, we knew their time was limited because the organisms were now in a foreign environment, but still they struggled to eat and survive. Here I was, experiencing organisms I could only have hoped to see, but there they were. As we learned more, we teachers (educators at sea) soon became very active in not only the deployment and collection of organisms, but with identification of these foreign creatures, also. We shared our pictures and collected and preserved organisms to take back for our students. We excitedly talked about what we were finding and learning. We were involved in all aspects of the learning process, from the mundane of carrying water jugs to the excitement of looking for new organisms in the collection containers. The teachers were learners and having a great time doing so. Other scientists were also on the cruise and we observed their activities as well. We assisted them whenever possible and talked about their projects with them. One was studying pigments (melatonin) in brains of "twilight zone" fish while two others were researching particles in the ocean and how carbon is deposited in various compounds in the ocean. This reminds me of my college days assisting graduate students and spending hours doing whatever was necessary to help the cause of science. This was especially evident at five this morning while helping recover one of the particle collection and analysis instruments after being up till after midnight looking at organisms from the last trawl. The excitement of discovery exceeds the need for sleep. 
Kelly Mazako - As a second year teacher,
I have attended many workshops, seminars and forums that focus on teaching strategies, reading
strategies, and classroom management. With this being fresh in my head, I can not help but relate
this research cruise to what we call a, WOW (working on the work) activity. This type of activity
gets your students involved with hands on activity that provides an engaging environment. These
activities can focus on real world situations and usually require students to use their previous
knowledge base, with their new knowledge base to come up with a solution to a problem. Many times
these activities require skills such as abstract thinking, communication skills and a new way to
complete or look at a situation. This research cruise has provided all of the pieces mentioned above
for not only my sake and a teacher/student but for activities I can bring back to my classroom.
For instance, from reading above you can tell that every moment we have been on this boat we have been involved in some kind of hands-on, engaging activity. From letting in and out the Tucker trawl net, to recording data, to learning the different types of creatures from a fang tooth fish to a vampire squid. As science teachers on this cruise we are learning by doing, just as we expect our students to in a lab setting, or a wow activity. These scientists are answering real world questions about creatures that most people do not know exist. Some of the tasks that we have encountered require team work and abstract thinking to complete, such as getting the 11 foot net out of a 8 foot port, or how to take a picture of a clear sea snail with out a flash reflection, or how do you get baby Gnathophausia out of the clutches of "big mamma" Gnathophausia. One of the major skills that allowed us to solve these problems and live comfortably on this ship is the ability of everyone to communicate with each other. Everyone from the Chief scientist Tammy Frank, to the cook, Doug, to the Captain Dan have to be able to communicate to complete their individual jobs. This is a skill that is crucial in every walk of life and it is only magnified by the way we must live as a small community of 24 on a 190 ft ship. I am very excited to share my hands on experience, pictures and specimens with my students. I also hope that my students will be able to understand how much planning, work, dedication, and responsibility is involved to get a program like this off of the ground. They are lucky to have a research center like Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, which wants to be involved with and support the school system. 
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