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The Island View
Monthly Newsletter
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Dear Shoals Community,
The view from the Kingsbury House on Appledore Island is filled with young scientists in every direction! Off to the north on neighboring Duck Island, Jess and Juliana from the University of Massachusetts Amherst are aboard the R/V
Heiser
making observations and collecting data about the seal colony. Over in the intertidal zone, Hyejoo from the University of Washington is looking for changes in crab behavior due to parasite infection. Back in the lab under Kiggins Commons, Aliya from Rutgers University and Grace from Dartmouth College are looking for ocean plastics in their samples from the field. Out on the rocky ledges, Brett from Northern Essex Community College is tracking gull chick survival. Gabby from Cornell and Tak from the Colorado School of Mines are calculating the efficiency of new solar panels installed on the K House roof right above me… and so much more!
The variety of undergraduate marine biology, environmental science, and sustainable engineering research happening across Appledore Island is impressive and exciting. At SML, we are following some of the hottest issues in ocean science and sustainability, and these students are quite literally at the forefront with us, supported by an amazing team of research mentors. THIS is the summer in which many of these talented and passionate students will solidify their decisions to become scientists, engineers, and future leaders. All of us at SML are incredibly proud to help facilitate this transformation. The future of science is being cultivated right now, six miles out on an island in the beautiful Gulf of Maine!
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With deep appreciation and warm wishes,
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Jennifer Seavey, Ph.D.
Kingsbury Executive Director
Shoals Marine Laboratory
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Coincidentally overlapping with Shark Week on TV, SML's
"Shark Biology & Conservation"
course is underway on Appledore Island! Taught by Dr. Heather Marshall (Atlantic White Shark Conservancy) with gu
est lectures from Dr. James Sulikowski (University of New England), the intrepid undergraduates in our Sharks course have been immersing themselves in the world of shark science — from lectures and discussions about shark conservation and management, to laboratory observations of shark specimens, to shark fishing 11 miles offshore. No live sharks yet, but there's still time!
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Class photo for "Shark Biology & Conservation" 2018, as they prepare to set out on the R/V Kingsbury in search of sharks!
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Thaxter Piazza Dedication
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On Friday, July 20th, we gathered at Celia Thaxter's Island Garden to cut the ribbon and celebrate the inauguration of the piazza that was constructed last summer behind the garden plot. At the dedication ceremony, we were joined by participants and UNH Marine Docents from one of our
Garden Tours,
as well as an honored group of SML volunteers, friends, and supporters who contributed to the archaeological research, design, construction, interpretation, or funding of this exciting project.
In addition to the piazza, a new interpretive sign was also unveiled.
The weather was outstanding and the company was excellent!
The reconstructed piazza will enhance SML’s ability to interpret and highlight the historical significance of Celia Thaxter, her garden, and the artists’ colony that thrived on Appledore. It will also inspire interdisciplinary approaches to tackling the challenges of marine conservation in the Gulf of Maine and beyond.
Thank you to all who have been a part of this process! It was a true Shoals community effort.
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On Saturday, July 14th, SML hosted its 13th Annual Sustainability Symposium, featuring the research results from this year's Sustainable Engineering Internship (SEI) as well as the media products from our first-ever Sustainability Communications Internship.
From solar energy and microgrid installation, to aquifer studies and water conservation, to appliance efficiency and transportation analysis, the 2018 SEI's spent four weeks learning all about SML's complex, sustainable infrastructure. Congrats to Laurel, Tak, Gabby, and Jake for all of your hard work during this internship, and many thanks to the SML staff and mentors who worked with the interns to take their understanding to the next level.
Joining the engineers and documenting their efforts, our Sustainability Communications Intern, Katie Gillis, generated an astounding amount of content that will help SML share our innovative work with the wider community. Katie created a beautiful and informative blog, called '
Sustainable Shoals
.' It's a must read!
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Thank you to Unitil Corporation for supporting the the
"2018 Shoals Sustainability Program Powered by Unitil"!
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Dartmouth College & Shoals Research Connection
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Shoals Marine Laboratory has partnered up with Dartmouth College to promote and advance undergraduate marine science studies and research. This summer will be our first in a four-year program that has been generously funded by Dartmouth alum, Bill Kneisel, to support up to four Dartmouth undergraduates during 10-week research internships at SML mentored by Dartmouth faculty. On the island right now, we have three Dartmouth students working in the areas of behavioral ecology and ecotoxicology. We asked two of them to reflect on their Shoals experiences so far:
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"Having the opportunity to work on a longer term project is something that I hope will help me determine whether I enjoy research and wish to pursue these kinds of projects in the future. One of the best parts of being at SML is that it’s impossible
not
to learn about things outside of your own work. Because of the incredible staff and students here, I’ve learned about toxin production by cyanobacteria. I’ve learned how parasites change their hosts’ behaviors. I’ve gotten lessons on how to efficiently tie a bowline. I’ve helped with seal necropsies. I’ve admired plankton on a big screen monitor connected to a microscope at 10 pm with people just as in awe of them as I am. Shoals is a place perfectly suited to pursuing research of all kinds, but beyond that, it’s a dedicated and enthusiastic community I’ve been inspired by and have learned so much from."
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"Having graduated from Dartmouth this spring, I chose to come to Shoals to continue my research in mercury pollution as part of Dr. Celia Chen's lab, while using the opportunity to learn from students and researchers across fields in the marine sciences. Coming from a school where the breadth of marine research was limited to only a few labs, it has been wonderful to immerse myself in projects with a whole community of students and experts who all share a contagious passion for the ocean and its mysteries.
Shoals has given me an excellent way to discuss academic and career choices with a wide variety of mentors, and their advice and guidance will be instrumental in my decisions to continue research after this summer. Since I intend to pursue a career along the interface of scientific research and pollution policy, I have especially enjoyed the weekly 'Rock Talks' [special seminars] featuring experts in policy-oriented research. The discussions around such issues as climate change and conservation will be integral to my understanding and practice of science communication down the road."
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Join us on Appledore this August & September
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There is still time for you to join us on Appledore Island this summer! Each of our
public programs
is
all-inclusive
, and their unique themes
reflect SML's mission to educate visitors about the island environment and sustainability. We still have openings for:
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August 20-24.
Rock, Paper, Water:
Writing in the Space between Land and Sea
, with Rowan Jacobsen and Mary Elder Jacobsen. Explore place-based writing on Appledore Island. Come read, listen, and write with us! There is a vignette waiting to be written around every island bend.
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September 1-3.
Foodies rejoice! Escape the Labor Day Weekend crowds and join us for exceptional food & drink, ecological knowledge, and good company. Forage, fish, and enjoy Appledore's edible bounty in this eco-culinary experience that celebrates a strong sense of place.
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August 27-31.
Join local visual artists Wendy Turner and Barbara Houston for a week of drawing, painting, and printmaking. Use the rugged seascapes and landscapes and expert ecological knowledge of the Isles of Shoals as your palette. Work in your preferred medium, or try out a new technique.
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August 20-22.
An island adventure for the whole family! Trek across the rocks, wade through tidepools, use microscopes in the lab, visit the seal colony, play games, make arts and crafts, and more! Best for ages 7-14, accompanied by adult(s).
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August 29-31.
A sampling of Shoals science! Dive head first into marine lab life and island exploration, from seabird observations to marine mammal sightings, intertidal collections, and laboratory work. Plus plenty of time to sit back, relax, and take in the amazing island scenery.
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Reunite on Appledore during
Alumni & Friends Weekend!
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Our annual SML Alumni & Friends Weekend will take place
Friday, August 24 - Sunday, August 26, 2018
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Join Shoalers across all five decades of SML courses and programs, including alumni, faculty, staff, researchers, community supporters, and friends. Enjoy a low-key weekend to relax and connect (or reconnect!) with others who care about SML as much as you do. Family members are welcome! Introduce your loved ones to the magic of Appledore, and show them the island and laboratories that have generated so many wonderful memories.
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Follow us on social media:
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Shoals Marine Laboratory is a joint partnership between
Cornell University and the University of New Hampshire.
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