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03/01/02
The Marine Environmental Research Institute
is having a birthday. To celebrate the 13th year of
its founding, which it will mark on March 9, MERI is
launching its Ocean Programs Series for local families,
pre-schoolers, and elementary school students. “We’re
excited to be celebrating this benchmark for MERI,”
says Dr. Susan Shaw, MERI Director. “Through our
Ocean Programs Series, we hope to build stewardship
for the oceans of the earth and the life they hold.”
Area pre-schoolers are invited to explore the oceans
and learn about unusual ocean animals through the MERI
Ocean Story Hour, a special program featuring noted
wildlife writers and authors whose special focus is
children’s literature. Where do whales go in winter?
How did the hermit crab get his shell? Why is the ocean
salty? Come learn the surprising answers to these and
other fascinating questions through books, ocean crafts
and hands-on activities. There’s even a touch tank
filled with beautiful creatures from the sea waiting
to be discovered. The Ocean Story Hour will be held
every Friday at 10 a.m., and will continue through the
summer months
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Alex Speranza and his brother Logan of
Blue Hill visited MERI’s Ocean Room recently, where
they discovered live animals from the sea currently
in residence in the touch tank. Alex is holding a starfish
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For local elementary school students, MERI is offering its
Hands-On Ocean Science. This monthly program features
a wide variety of activities focusing on the marine environment,
including, but not limited to: studies of plankton under a
microscope; ocean habitats around the world; and beach combing
with field guides. For those who’ve ever wondered how
big a blue whale is, or what the humpback whale’s call
means, Hands-On will shed new light. Other topics include
fish – of course – lobsters, marine mammals, tide
pools, and the deep blue sea. Hands-On Ocean Science
is open to elementary school students the first Saturday of
every month beginning at 10 a.m. Each program will run for
approximately one hour.
“In the Company of Whales: Gentle Giants at the Watery
Realm” will launch MERI’s Ocean Video Night
on Friday, March 15th at 7 p.m. This special video series
for families – popcorn included – is open to those
who enjoy programs that explore the seas of our earth. Among
other offerings will be programs on sharks, whales, the Galapagos
Islands, and Polar Seas. Ocean Video Night is scheduled
to run the third Friday of every month at 7 p.m.
Rounding out the Ocean Programs Series will be MERI Presents,
special presentations and talks that begin in June offered
by noted ocean scientists and wildlife experts. Upcoming talks
are planned on Aquaculture Impacts, Seals and Pollutants,
and the Rescue and Treatment of Stranded Seals. Speakers and
presentation dates to be announced.
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