ANGARI Brings Marine Scientists (& their science!) into Homes
Amanda Waite
Director of Science Education & Advancement
ANGARI Foundation
West Palm Beach, Florida
When COVID-19 hit this spring, it reshaped how we all live, work, and learn. At ANGARI Foundation, a West Palm Beach, FL based non-profit supporting marine science research and education, we immediately pivoted from our usual hands-on programming to help meet the need for flexible yet engaging distance learning opportunities for teachers and students. Our initial marine science offerings to teachers were by request with scientists with whom we were working, and ultimately blossomed into a formalized program in conjunction with our partners.
ANGARI Foundation partnered with the Scientist in Every Florida School program to bring a series of live Ocean Expert Exchange webinar events to students, teachers, and the public.
In April, we joined forces with the University of Florida Thompson Earth Systems Institute’s Scientist in Every Florida School program to bring a series of free webinar events with marine scientists to students, teachers, and the public. Branded Ocean Expert Exchange (OEE), the series included 30-minute live events featuring scientists who have participated in expeditions onboard the Foundation’s 65-foot research vessel, R/V ANGARI. OEE livestream events were available via Zoom and Facebook Live, and recordings are now available on YouTube. Each segment included a brief presentation on the scientist’s area of expertise followed by a moderated question and answer session with participants.
For teachers planning to integrate the OEE webinars into their instruction, we have worked with our collaborators to curate and share complementary web-based educational resources for each presenter’s focus area. These resources include video shorts, readings, activities, and career profiles that enable teachers, students, and even curious lifelong learners to dig deeper into the subject matter from the comfort of their homes. After each live OEE event, a recording of the segment is made available via YouTube, along with a link to the associated educational resources. To further supplement these resources, ANGARI Foundation’s website also hosts detailed information about the research expeditions aboard R/V ANGARI.
Ocean Expert Exchange events are livestreamed via Zoom and Facebook Live and recordings are made available on YouTube after the event.
OEE has drawn diverse international audiences, with participants ranging from school age children to science-curious adults. The first event held in mid-April featured Meteorologist Joe Merchant from the National Weather Service who spoke about hurricane formation and how best to prepare for impending storms. A couple weeks later, Dr. Stephen Kajiura, a shark expert from Florida Atlantic University, shared his research and techniques for studying the blacktip shark migration along the east coast of Florida every winter. Most recently, Angela Rosenberg, ANGARI Foundation’s President and Captain of R/V ANGARI shared insider information on operating a research vessel to support fieldwork ranging from sea turtle and shark studies to coral reef research and manned submersible dives.
Although the spring 2020 OEE series has finished, its popularity points to continuing the collaborative program this fall. On May 28, Dr. Krista Sherman, Senior Scientist at the Perry Institute for Marine Science, talked about her work to conserve key fish species, like grouper, in The Bahamas. On June 15, Roxane Boonstra, Dive and Volunteer Coordinator for the largest coral reef restoration organization in the world, Coral Restoration Foundation™, joined the OEE lineup and spoke about reef degradation and restoration efforts in the Florida Keys.
ANGARI Foundation’s “Generation Ocean: Coral Reefs” 360/virtual reality film allows viewers to join a research expedition alongside scientists from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
In addition to OEE, we have also been widely sharing and assisting educators in the use of ANGARI Foundation’s 360 virtual reality (VR) film, “Generation Ocean: Coral Reefs” and complementary educational activities and lessons. The Coral Reefs film is the first in the Foundation’s Generation Ocean 360/VR series and enables us to use innovative technology to bring viewers along on a research expedition aboard R/V ANGARI to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and experience a variety of methods used by scientists to study coral reefs. While we would typically share this ~7 minute film via virtual reality headset in the classroom or at outreach events, it is also accessible via YouTube on a smart phone, tablet, or computer and thus makes an excellent virtual fieldtrip for remote learning scenarios. “Generation Ocean: Coral Reefs” has been used by middle and high school teachers for this purpose and was also featured in virtual Earth Day programs. ANGARI Foundation recently filmed the second episode in the 360/VR series, “Generation Ocean: Sharks,” which is slated to be released during the 2020-2021 academic year.
While we at ANGARI Foundation can’t wait to return to the water and get back into sharing more hands-on and immersive marine science experiences, we continue to stay connected with educators and our affiliated scientists in an effort to assist with the ever-evolving needs of the education community. We encourage you to reach out if there is particular marine science content or expertise we can help you with or if you would like to explore opportunities for future collaborations. To be kept up to date on ANGARI’s marine science education initiatives and get VIP access to all of ANGARI Foundation’s educational opportunities and resources, formal and informal educators alike are urged to register on the ANGARI website.
Teachers deploy a GPS-enabled drifter into the Gulf Stream during a PD expedition on ocean currents aboard R/V ANGARI. The teachers and their students have been able to continue to track this drifter in real time on its journey around the Atlantic over the last 2 years.
Working with participants from the University of South Florida’s Oceanography Camp for Girls to collect a sediment sample using a Shipek Grab sampler while on expedition aboard R/V ANGARI.
About Amanda
Dr. Amanda Waite is an earth and marine scientist and educator who has worked in academic, industry, and museum settings. She has served as Director of Science Education & Advancement for ANGARI Foundation since 2016, developing and implementing all of the Foundation’s education programs for K-12 students, teacher professional development, and public outreach. The Foundation’s diverse educational offerings feature hands-on at-sea opportunities for youth and teachers to learn from and work alongside marine scientists aboard the Foundation’s 65-foot research vessel, R/V ANGARI, as well as shore-based programming including school/club visits, 360 virtual reality film expeditions, and citizen science experiments. These programs work to break down barriers between scientists and the public, while encouraging ocean literacy and active engagement in marine science.
