Blinded Me With Science...

Benthic Beth demonstrates how to sieve the ponar grabs to collect benthic macroinvertebrates.

Quagga mussels, midge larvae, oligochaetes, and leeches were found in addition to others.





All participants were able to get their hands right in there to find out how the sampling and research are conducted.
"This is a type of immersion workshop (professional development) where teachers come away from it having had the experience instead of just reading about it." - Alysia, Ohio teacher


Dr. Greg Boyer assists the teachers with identifying phytoplankton and zooplankton from the water samples collected. Zooplankton included rotifers, cladocerans, and copepods. Phytoplankton included diatoms, dinoflagellates, and chrysophyte. One of the locations that samples were taken from was the NOAA IFYLE (International Field Years on Lake Erie) station 1192 RTM. For more info on IFYLE, go to:
http://www.ifyle.org/stations_map.html


Helen Domske led a lecture on Invasive Species. Preserved samples including: River Ruffe, Round Goby, Sea Lamprey, Spiny Waterflea, Zebra Mussels, and Quagga Mussels were passed around for closer inspection. Participants also took part in an Aquatic WILD workshop and received a curriculum book to take back to their classrooms.


We arrived in Presque Isle around 5:00pm. After dinner we toured the new LEED certified Tom Ridge Environmental Education Center where everyone watched the IMAX movie The Living Sea.