Students Present Marine Science Research at Salish Sea Student Science Symposium
For Immediate Release
Seattle, WA — On Monday, June 12, student scientists will present original marine research on Puget Sound during the ninth annual Salish Sea Student Science Symposium at the UW Center for Urban Horticulture.
“Every student should have the chance to feel what it’s like to discover something about our natural world,” said Salish Sea Expeditions Executive Director Seth Muir. “This event is the culmination of student-led exploration of Puget Sound, and showcases the science these students have used to answer real questions they have about our marine environment.”
The Symposium is presented by Salish Sea Expeditions in partnership with Seattle Aquarium’s Citizen Science program. Both Salish and the Aquarium’s Citizen Science programs are focused on getting students excited about science by engaging in meaningful marine-focused science research. Puget Sound and the greater Salish Sea provide a living laboratory for ongoing research by students involved with both organizations.
This year’s Symposium will showcase 17 student oral presentations and numerous science posters representing seven schools from the Puget Sound region. The event will open with a keynote address by Dr. Thomas Poole, an aquatic community ecologist and UW professor of ecology.
The Symposium runs from 10 am to 2 pm. The public is encouraged to attend in support of student science on Puget Sound. Learn more: https://www.salish.org/symposium.
About Salish Sea Expeditions
Salish Sea Expeditions serves students in grades 5-12 by inspiring a passion for learning through hands-on marine science exploration, maritime skills training and leadership development aboard a 61 foot sailing research vessel on the waters of Puget Sound. Students design and conduct real experiments, deploy oceanographic equipment, gather and analyze data, plot a course for data collection, handle sails and boat navigation, and work as a team to better understand the environmental health of the Salish Sea and its connected waterways.
About Seattle Aquarium Citizen Science Program
Citizen Science is a hands-on, inquiry-based marine science education program designed to stimulate science inquiry in historically underrepresented high school students in the Puget Sound area. It trains its student-scientist participants to collect and analyze data while educating them about marine science concepts, plant and animal identification, and field-based research techniques. As participants monitor the health of local beaches to add to a research database housed at the Seattle Aquarium, they also have the opportunity to develop strong connections to the marine environment; engage in real-world problem solving; and see science as a possible career path.
# # #
Media inquiries:
Seth Muir, Executive Director
(206) 780-7848 ext. 1
seth@salish.org
