Juvenile of the Longfin inshore squid, Loligo pealei, stained with anti-acetylated tubulin (green), phalloidin (F-actin, red), and Hoechst (nuclei, blue). The F-actin staining (red) reveals the musculature of the mantle; and the acetylated-tubulin staining (green) reveals the tufts of cilia on the surface of the mantle and rest of the body.
Embryo of the dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis, stained with phalloidin (F-actin; green), DAPI (nuclei, blue), and anti Pax 3/7 (MAb DP312, red). The developing cuttlebone (purple) and eyes (yellow) were rendered using the DIC image collected during the confocal scan. The F-actin staining (green) reveals the developing musculature and brain, while Pax 3/7 (red) is expressed in a subset of neurons in the brain as well as two patches of epithelia in the mantle and portions of the arms and tentacles. The cuttlebone (purple) is a chambered, gas-filled internal shell made of aragonite that provides buoyancy control. Within each eye (yellow), the developing lens is seen as an internal sphere. Seven of the eight arms are visible along with the two tentacles that have sucker-covered ends.
Group photo at the bow of the R/V Robert G. Brownlee
A full day on the canoes!
Teambuilding skis
Sternwell silliness as campers wait to pull in the net
Dissecting squid and studying their anatomy
Big bat ray caught in the net!
The Underwater Investigator camp for entering 6th-8th graders is a week-long program that is sure to inspire curiosity about the various fields within marine science. This summer campers will explore a different marine science field each day, including marine ecology and conservation, biodiversity, physical and biological oceanography, biomimicry, and will even learn what it takes to be an aquarist. They will practice scientific data collection on land by using real scientific equipment and they will also create their own quadrat, a research tool used to collect data to survey the biodiversity and health of a habitat. Campers will also spend a fun day canoeing to nearby Bair Island where they will investigate mud-dwelling invertebrates, examine the hydrology of the slough, and check out native and non-native plants that make this wetland such a unique habitat.
Their camp week culminates in a fun 2-day-long trip aboard our research vessel, and campers and staff even sleep aboard the boat! Campers will board the boat at 9am on the Thursday of their camp week and participate in various marine science studies as they venture to Sausalito for field trip activities. They will then have free time playing games and exploring the area while we barbecue dinner. Campers will then board the boat and watch a movie as we head to the Marina Bay Yacht Harbor for the overnight portion. On Friday campers will use scientific equipment to sample fish from the Bay, examine invertebrates from the mud, and study plankton underneath a microscope. This fun-filled week is packed with action!
Currently all of the Underwater Investigator sessions are full but campers can still be registered for the waitlists.
Naturalists in 2015 dissected squid; this summer we are dissecting sea stars!
Habitat restoration
What’s in the bucket?!
Our Naturalist program is for entering 4th and 5th graders who have attended an Explorers camp. The Naturalist campers will dive deeper into life and processes of the San Francisco Bay and Pacific coast, learn research methods and discuss current issues in our world’s marine ecosystems. By learning how to be naturalists, these devoted marine scientists will become familiar with the skills and passion needed to be a life scientist during their fast-paced camp week.
Naturalists have an amazing and fun week ahead of them. Activities include:
Preserved sea star dissection to examine the water vascular system.
Creating a quadrat, a tool used to quantify the number of species and amount of new species within a designated area. This tool is essential for studying biodiversity and the health of an area. Campers will keep the quadrat they create!
Learning how to take fish data by identifying and taking measurements on the fish caught. This data goes into a database which other organizations have access to.
Examining Phyla and the features of different groups of animals which made scientists group them together.
… and much more!
All Naturalist camps (except for the shortened July 5th camp week) have:
2 days at our site to study live animals from our aquarium and to engage in other science projects both indoors and outside
2 field trips (reached by school bus) that feature different habitats (shortened July 5th week has 1 field trip)
1 day aboard our ship that includes fishing, studying plankton, sampling mud, and learning about nautical navigation
2 staff plus a volunteer for every 15 campers
Flexible curriculum that engages multiple learning styles
Naturalist campers will be visiting two field trip sites: the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center and the Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve. On both of these excursions campers will learn about the habitats, perform experiments to better understand the conditions of each location, and examine animal life.
There are 4 weeks of Naturalist camp available during the summer. If your entering 4th or 5th grade camper has attended an Explorer camp during a previous summer we encourage them to join this fast-paced program. Campers also have the option of being in an Explorer camp earlier in the summer and signing up for Naturalists later on to compound the information and dive deeper into marine science.
Join us for this awesome experience as campers dive into marine science and explore our local marine habitats. Camps run Monday through Friday, 8:30am-3pm with extended care available until 5:30pm.
NATURALIST SCHEDULE:
July 5-8 *special overnight opportunity available
July 18-22
August 1-5
August 8-12
*We have a special option for the shortened 4th of July camp week of Naturalists: an optional overnight is available on the Thursday (July 7th) of camp for an additional $50. Campers will bring their overnight materials (clothes, sleeping bags, etc) and we will camp in the MSC. Food will be provided. Campers will watch a marine science themed video TBD, tow for night plankton and examine under a microscope, learn how scientists navigated using the stars, and more!
Marine Camp 2016: Naturalist Sneak Peak. Returning campers dive deeper into marine science. Our Naturalist program is for entering 4th and 5th graders who have attended an Explorers camp. The Naturalist campers will dive deeper into life and processes of the San Francisco Bay and Pacific coast, learn research methods and discuss current issues in our world’s marine ecosystems.
Beluga whales are born to stand out—with their unusual white color, they are easy to spot and recognize. They aren’t always this color though. Baby Belugas are born gray or brown, and then fade to white as they mature sexually.
Compared to most whales, Belugas are small, ranging from 13-20 feet in length. They are also unique because they lack a dorsal fin, something most fish and marine mammals have. There are several other things that make Belugas special. They have a more complex way of communicating with one another, utilizing clicks, whistles and clangs, along with other sounds that they sometimes mimic.
Beluga whales can be found in the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean, and in subarctic waters as well. Belugas almost always live and travel in small groups call Pods. They migrate south when the ocean begins to freeze over and have to move quickly, otherwise they could be trapped under the ice and suffocate—or become an easy target for predators, like Polar Bears.
You might wonder why Beluga whales live in such a frigid environment. They have a thick layer of blubber (which can be as thick as 5 inches!) to help keep them insulated and warm. They also have a hard dorsal ridge along their back and a tough forehead, which helps them to swim through the icy sea water.
Beluga whales are truly amazing and beautiful creatures. Should you ever be near arctic waters, take some time and see if you can spot these fantastic white whales! They are worth the wait.
Most of us are familiar with dolphins—the fun and playful porpoises that can often be seen leaping out of the water to socialize with each other and with humans. One type of dolphin that you may not be as familiar with is the Spinner Dolphin.
Spinner dolphins are named after their above the water theatrics—they love to leap out of the water and spin a few times on their body axis while doing so. Some can spin as many as four times around in one leap.
These dolphins love to stay together and are usually found in huge groups. They do their hunting at night, feeding mainly on mid-water fishes and deep-water squid, and then they rest during the day time.
Spinner dolphins can been found all over the world, mainly in tropical and subtropical oceans. For some reason, Spinners tend to follow groups of Yellowfin Tuna around. Because of this, fishermen seeking Tuna will often track the dolphins in order to get to them. Oftentimes, the dolphins are caught in the nets with the tuna, and because of this, their population is decreasing.
Thankfully, “Fishing methods for tuna imported into the U.S. under the Dophin-Safe program do not allow fishing practices, such as setting on dolphins.” The Spinner Dolphin population is at a stable number right now.
So if you are ever in a warm and tropical area, close to the ocean, stay alert to see if you can see any Spinner Dolphins. If you do, you are in for a show!
