Last weekend, EcoHousers (and SV Farmers) Jenn Silverstein, Andrew Brown and Tanya Lama accompanied EcoHouse Coordinator Brigid Belko to the
Project Oceanology program at UConn's Avery Point Campus.
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| Andrew Brown wrestles a spider crab out of the lobster pot, a form of "passive fishing" demonstrated by the staff at Project O. Students pulled in the pot and examined the catch in saltwater basins on deck. |
Project O aims to nurture interest and enthusiasm for marine science and environmental appreciation through hands-on learning geared toward a grade-school audience. Formed in 1972 by a group of public school educators and administrators from SE CT, and armed with a $50K grant, they obtained a vessel and retrofitted it into a marine science classroom. Over the years, Project O has grown into a comprehensive marine science and environmental education program, with various classroom spaces, state of the art oceanographic equipment and a fleet of vessels. Approximately 25,000 people each year participate in Project O, which remains a non-profit organization supported by public school districts, colleges, universities and educational institutions. Read more about Project O's history
here
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| Jenn Silverstein examines the contents of the plankton net; some phytoplankton, zooplankton, and larval marine organisms. We later had the pleasure of examining the specimens more closely under a dissection microscope. |
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| A squid! |
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| A red sea robin, named for its extravagant red lateral fins, was amongst the catch hauled in by the otter net. |
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A friendly hermit crab emerges to say, "Hello!"
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