1. Teaching Oceanography at a Liberal Arts College
Ed Laine
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
Citizens Science Guide to
Earth Observations
August 12, 2008

2. Main Topics Service Learning Friends of Casco Bay Oceanographic Buoy
Use of GIOVANNI

3. Underlying Themes Problem based learning Process of science
Engaging students
Real, not cookbook

6. Marine Environmental Geology Service Learning Course
Environmental Studies
Introductory science requirement
Inquiry in the Natural Sciences
Bowdoin distribution
Geo major
Must have 101 (Physical)

7. Numbers 36 students Mainly non-science 60-75% women
2 lab sections of 18
Mainly non-science
60-75% women

8. Fall semester Fall diatom bloom Fading hypoxia
Episodes of reverse estuarine circulation
Breakdown of stratification of water column

9. Community partners Friends of Casco Bay Town of Harpswell
Bowdoin Buoy Facility
Harpswell Heritage Land Trust

10. Projects Documenting dissolved oxygen changes
Studying estuarine circulation patterns
Studying the evolution of plankton blooms
Groundtruthing backscatter texture maps
Groundtruthing instrumental chlorophyll

11. Why as an educator might you choose SL?
Process of science
Engagement
Problem solving
Quantitative
Writing
Learning community

12. Friends of Casco Bay (FOCB)
Non-profit
1989
Data driven
Pro-active

17. FOCB Volunteer Program
450 trained
5 hour training(DeMotte kits)
Temperature,
Dissolved oxygen pH
Salinity
Water clarity

18. Sampling Spring Through Fall
Monthly
April through October
7AM and 3PM

20. An Oceanographic Buoy NSF Funding December 14, 2006 RT/24/7
Harmful Algal Blooms
Harpswell Sound
Coastal Studies Center
Bowdoin, Bigelow(Roesler), Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (Teagarden)

23. Meteorology Suite

24. Meteorology Suite
Current Meters,
Temp,
Salinity DO

25. Meteorology Suite
Current Meters,
Temp,
Salinity DO
Optical Oceanography
Chlorophyll
Transmission
CDOM
Nutrients
Sunlight
Backscatter

27. Hourly Data Available RT
University of Maine
GoMOOS
Bowdoin College

28. Student Research Reverse estuarine circulation
Succession of phytoplankton species
Evolution of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

29. Using Giovanni Exploring early paper on Gulf of Maine Productivity
Used Giovanni
2003 to present
Also examined temperature and salinity variations at GoMOOS buoys

31. First 4 years of SeaWIFS Ocean Color Data
Monthly means

33. North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)
Low concentrations linked to NAO
Intrusion Labrador Sea water
Colder
Fresher
Lower nutrients

34.  Positive NAO, warm salty, Slope water enters GOM
Negative NAO, cold, fresh, Labrador Sea Water enters GOM

35. Class Project & Mid Term
Generate panels of monthly chlorophyll
2003 to 2008
Find monthly NAO indexes over the period
Examine GoMOOS buoys
What do you think about speculations about NAO influence on chlorophyll concentrations?

36. May 2005
Low Temperature and Salinity
NAO Index: -0.13
Relatively greater chlorophyll production

38. Class conclusions and my reservations
A negative NAO index did not reliably predict lower productivity
(SST not considered)
(Stratification not investigated)
(Eyeball, not statistically based)
(Giovanni only displayed colors using a linear scale)

39. Problem based learning
Service learning
FOCB
Buoy
Giovanni and GoMOOS