February 2001 
EHS student studies marine life in Bahamas By Cortnee Burgess, School and Community Relations Intern
|
W hile getting up close and personal with coral, tropical fish, and other sea creatures, a Eureka High School student was able to get a hands-on education this summer in the field of marine biology. Alyssa Atwood recently took part in a program offered by Boston University, which provides an opportunity for high school seniors and college students to learn about science in new and different ways and places. Atwood participated in one of their marine biology programs and spent a month in beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands situated 575 miles southeast of Miami and covering 193 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean. While the location sounds idyllic, Atwood was far from being on a vacation. The first two weeks of class focused on studying the ecology of the islands and the local environment. She and her other 21 classmates were also taught skills for scuba and diving for the second portion of the fieldwork. One of the tasks required of the students was to memorize and be able to identify the coral surrounding the Islands. Atwood said they would have to dive and point out to the instructor the different kinds of coral as well as knowing the Latin name for the coral. "We became really familiar with everything around the Islands. We were working towards getting ready to prepare a research question," said Atwood. During the second part of the program, Atwood and her classmates applied what they had been learning by taking part in an ongoing research study. Her class was assigned a research question that would become part of the larger project. They specifically took a look at the marine-protected areas surrounding the islands to see how well the protection was working. "We spent most of the last week in the water doing research," said Atwood. They gathered samples, measured, and counted some of the sea life. 
Atwood said she learned a lot during her time on the islands, "It was so cool to go underwater and think 'I know that fish, I know that fish.'" This experience also provided her with a better idea of what this field of study has to offer. She now plans to continue on and study environmental science in college. Atwood was able to earn college credit while taking this class that can be applied towards her degree.Atwood said her favorite thing about the experience was "just being there." She said the place provided her with many new experiences that she would have never had anywhere else. She also said it gave her the opportunity to explore underwater where she found "a whole different world." Atwood encourages anyone interested to find out more information on programs offered. She suggests talking with a science teacher or checking out the Web site www.sciserv.org. Atwood first heard of the different kinds of science programs offered from Weldon Benzinger, her Eureka High School chemistry teacher. She found that there were many different topics to study and just as many exciting places to explore all over the world. "There were so many programs out there, it's amazing," said Atwood.
|
