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New York State Marine Education Association Newsletter
| November 2010
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Dear friends of NYSMEA,
 | | Rehabilitating sick marine animals is no easy task. Learn more at our November 10th live webcast! Credit: NOAA |
Your NYSMEA executive board is always working to meet your needs. Thanks to so many of you for completing our survey, and telling us what you want to see! In the coming months, we will be scheduling several activities in response to your ideas and requests. Please also know that you are always invited to our board meetings, held monthly--the next one is November 14th at the American Museum of Natural History.
In addition, I hope that many of you will take advantage of our first free webcast for NYSMEA members. Julika Wocial, scientist at the Riverhead Foundation will discuss rehabilitation of sea turtles and marine mammals, including work that she did in the Gulf after last spring's oil spill. The 45-minute Webcast will take place at 8:00 PM on next Wednesday, November 10th. If you have not registered already, go here to the registration form.
Sincerely,
Meg
Meghan Marrero, Ed.D.
President
New York State Marine Education Association
president@nysmea.org
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NYSMEA Notes:
Find out what our members are up to!
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Sunken Meadow State Park
Habitat Restoration Pre-monitoring
The Open Space Stewardship Program (OSSP) teaches teachers and students to conduct much needed environmental monitoring and stewardship projects. In addition to providing valuable data, another goal of the program is to enable students to
 | | NYSDEC staff help students identify fish in Sunken Meadow Creek |
become stewards of public land and increase their appreciation of the environment around them.
In 2008, NYS Parks partnered with Hauppauge High School's A.P. Environmental Science classes (APES), NY Sea Grant, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and OSSP to develop a long-term habitat monitoring program along a tidal creek at Sunken Meadow State Park.
A habitat restoration project along Sunken Meadow Creek is currently being planned to increase the tidal exchange of the creek in order to restore a degraded salt marsh and re-establish diadromous fish runs. This is the third year that students from Hauppauge's APES program have collected pre-project monitoring data. They collect data on water quality, macro-invertebrates, fish, wildlife and plants each month during the fall and spring of the school year to gather pre-restoration data which will be useful to NYS Parks and other agencies.
Students present their findings at OSSP's year end celebration every June and have been awarded for their effort. As the restoration project progresses, continued monitoring will be needed to gauge its success. We hope the students will continue to gather data for us for years to come. But from the excitement we see from the students every time they go in the field, I'd say the project is already a success!
Submitted by Ariana Newell, NYS Parks Natural Resource Steward-Biologist
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Strandline (n): the high water mark; the area at the top of a beach where debris is
deposited.
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Upcoming Events
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Visit our Calendar
for more information on these and other events! NYSMEA Nov Meeting and "Race to the End of the Earth" Exhibit Tour Sun, Nov 14th at 11AM American Museum of Natural History, NYC More info...
NYSMEA Webcast:
Sea turtle and marine mammal rehabilitation
Weds, Nov 10th at 8pm
Sign up today!
All you need is a phone and an a computer!
BOCES Workshop: Glacial GeologyNov 19th Caumsett State Park, Huntington, NY More info...NYSMEA Holiday Party
with Sid Horenstein discussing NYC Geology Sat, Dec 4th, 6PM
Alley Pond Environmental Center, Douglaston, NY
More info....
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Submit a story!
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We're always looking for new stories to include in The Strandline. If you are interested in writing a story, just email us at Website@nysmea.org We'd love to hear about all the great work our members are doing! Not a member? Not a problem: Join today!
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Join our online
social networks:
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Job and Internship Announcements
Looking for employment? Here are some great opportunities!
| We update our Jobs and Internships Web pages monthly, so be sure to visit our Web site often to look for new postings. Here are some of our recent posts:
Oyster Bay East Norwich School District
Oyster Bay, New York
Science teacher, grade 7 (General Science and Marine Biology). Position begins Nov 2010 and ends April 2011 (leave replacement). More info...
Assistant Professor, Tenure track position
Human Ecology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJThe Department of Human Ecology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) at Rutgers University seeks a tenure track assistant professor in the social science of environmental law and policy. More info... Marine Science Educator II
Center for School and Public Programs, Mote Marine Laboratory
Sarasota, Florida
The Marine Science Educator will work closely with the School and Public Programs Coordinators, under the supervision of the Center Director, to teach and assist in the development of on-site and outreach educational programs based at Mote field stations around Florida. More info...
Instructor, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Florida Keys, Florida
MarineLab is seeking seasonal marine science instructors for the spring and summer of 2011. With a waterfront facility that provides quick access to the marine ecosystem, instructors will lead student groups from the 5th grade through college in discovery adventures via a blend of ecology discussions, hands-on investigations and snorkeling field observation. More info...
SAGA, Member Development Coordinators
Juneau, Alaska
Member Development Coordinators is currently recruiting for Member Development Coordinators (MDC) for our Service Corps. These positions will oversee the educational and community service activities of all Corps' Members in collaboration with each crew's Team Leaders. More info... Sustainability Internships, New York City Parks & Recreation NYC, New York The New York City Parks Department is known as the City's "Greenest" agency. Parks has made significant progress in using alternative energy for its fleet and heat, greening the cityscape, and capturing stormwater. More info...
Biological Internship, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Oceanville, NJ One full time intern needed primarily to assist with invasive plant species inventory, mapping and eradication. Interns will mechanically, biologically, and chemically control invasive plant species within the refuge boundary and monitor areas treated. More info... Coastal Nesting Birds Internship, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Oceanville, NJ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Two full time interns needed to assist with monitoring coastal nesting birds (federally listed piping plover, least tern, black skimmer, and American oystercatcher), salt marsh restoration, and reforestation management at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. More info...
Outreach Intern, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Oceanville, NJ Intern will be stationed on the beach at the edge of a designated Wilderness area on Long Beach Island, NJ to greet visitors and promote a greater understanding of the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and the importance of its Holgate Unit. More info...
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| "Dive" into our Web site and click around!
Below are just some highlights of our new Web content!
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The Creature Corner: Oyster toadfish
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The oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau) is a bottom-dwelling fish, found throughout the Western Atlantic Ocean. These fish have dark blotches or bars covering the body, fleshy flaps on the cheeks and jaws, bulging eyes on the top of a large, flat head, and a broad mouth filled with strong, rounded teeth.
 | | Oyster toadfish, credit: NASA |
Oyster toadfish live among wrecks, debris, vegetation, and rocky or muddy bottoms. They feed aggressively on American oysters, worms, shrimp, amphipods, crabs, hermit crabs, mollusks, squid, and small fish. The strong teeth and jaws of the oyster toadfish are capable of crushing the hard shells of mollusks and are often used to fight with other oyster toadfish.
These fish are also quite vocal. Oyster toadfish grunt when taken out of the water. During spawning season, the male emits a loud foghorn-like call to attract a female. This call can be heard underwater for great distances.
Oyster toadfish appear to be well adapted to living among pollution and litter, and have been found inside tires or cans submerged in the water. This species is also an important animal for marine research.
Check out this video of an oyster toadfish!
Want to learn more about the fishes and other animals in New York waters? Join us on Facebook and play our weekly "Name that marine creature" game!
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Only
$20!
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For $20.00, you can become a member of the New York State Marine Education Association (NYSMEA). NYSMEA holds an annual conference, periodic meetings,
lectures, workshops,
field trips, and boat trips. Our Web site also includes lesson plans, job postings,
research opportunities,
field trip destinations, and marine-related links. Members are
available
to assist new teachers or old interested in developing
laboratory, lecture
and field work. Still not convinced? Read our TOP FIVE REASONS TO JOIN! |
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Be a part of NYSMEA: CLICK HERE and join today!
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| The New York State Marine Education Association (NYSMEA) is
a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit
organization that exists
to promote marine awareness and encourage the growth and
exchange of
instructional resources. |
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