Are you a sucker for science?
The doors to the Hatfield Marine Science Center have been closed to the public since last year, but there’s still been plenty going on behind the scenes. Find out what when they virtually throw open their doors for Marine Science Day, from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, April 10.
The all-online event includes speakers, facility tours and marine related activities for kids, all roughly following the theme, “The beauty of science.”
Participants will get to check out the Marine Studies building, hear about exciting offshore research, and view an art gallery where everyone was invited to contribute.
The free event is ideal for families, students and life-long adult learners.
The five “rooms” to explore are:
● Main Stage: listen and ask questions of researchers via Zoom while they share their work.
● Exhibit hall: explore dozens of interactive displays on research happening at Hatfield.
● Kid zone: investigate intertidal animals with an educator, check out live animal interactions, interview an aquarist, learn to draw like an octopus, learn about marine science careers and enjoy hands-on activities.
● Tours: Take a virtual tour of Hatfield’s world-class facility for research and learning. Peek inside the seawater system, dive beneath the waves without getting wet, explore an eelgrass bed and look inside the new vertical evacuation building.
● Community art gallery: Enjoy the art created by people of all ages using this year's Marine Science Day theme.
The keynote speaker, beginning at 10 am, is Northwest artist Janet Essley, who asked scientists from a variety of fields the question, “What is the beauty of science?”
The responses were surprisingly similar, which led Essley to conclude that beauty is essential in, to and for the practice of science. Simple enough for a child to understand yet complex enough to interest philosophers for centuries.
Essley will articulate her perspective using her own paintings of the red knot shorebird, Calidris canutus. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions at the conclusion of the live webinar.
An artist, muralist and art educator, Essley has been recognized for excellence by the Washington State Arts Commission. She has led collaborative murals with kids and community groups for the past 30 years in the US, Mexico and Central America. Her personal work, including “A cultural cartography of red knots” focuses on environmental issues and has been exhibited nationally and abroad.
As a lay naturalist and citizen scientist, she has participated as technical support in field studies and education advocacy for a variety of marine biology projects. Best known in the scientific and conservation community for her work on red knots, though not a “real” doctor, she is known by some as “Dr. Knot.”
The speaker schedule continues with:
● Going, Going.... Gone? Conservation outlook for the Sunflower Star, at 11:15 am.
When Sea Star Wasting Syndrome hit the Pacific Northwest the sunflower sea star was one of the most impacted species. Sara Hamilton will present research being done to find ways to help it recover.
● Looking for a tsunami in the forest, at 12:15 pm.
Researcher Bob Dziak, will present his work assessing the impacts of the 18th Century Cascadia earthquake and tsunami using Douglas fir growth histories at Mike Miller State Park in South Beach.
● Do gray whales count calories, at 12:50 pm.
Learn about Lisa Hildebrand’s work comparing the energetic values of Gray whale prey across two different feeding grounds in the eastern North Pacific.
● Sharks of the Oregon Coast, at 1:35 pm.
Shark researcher Taylor Chapple will present how his research team studies sharks, what they have learned about them along the West Coast and the future of shark research in Oregon.
For more information, go to hmsc.oregonstate.edu/marine-science-day.