By Barbara Merriman
What started at the Ocean Institute in 2007 as a small educational conference for girls interested in ocean science has since grown into a two-day event with a full waiting list of students eager to attend. This year’s event, held on March 16 and 17, was testament to how far the program has come.
The Girls in Ocean Science Teen Conference started when Harry Helling—then vice president of the Ocean Institute—had a vision to host a one-day event for girls in the area, with an expressed interest in the study of ocean science. The main mission of the conference would be to inspire young women to seek out degrees and careers in the field.
Harry put together a small committee of Institute instructors and handful of students, including his daughter Kim Helling. The first year, they invited women from area universities to lead discussion groups for local high school and junior high school students. The event was hugely successful and has grown so much since, that last year organizers found it necessary to divide participants by age groups.
The event is planned each year by the committee, now headed by Shanette Grieve, who leads volunteers, including Kim Helling, and students who have served since the inception of the program.
I was fortunate to be invited this year as an observer and was impressed at the high level of information provided to these students, and at their equally high caliber of questions for leaders.
Not a cell phone did I see all afternoon, and in a group of teens over the course of three hours, that is unheard of.
After a welcome breakfast and opening remarks, the participants went through three rotations, with one group at a time out exploring the ocean environment aboard the RV/Sea Explorer. At the end of the day there were evaluations, and of course, prizes.
Symposium leaders included Christine Nicholls, an astrophysicist from UC San Diego who encouraged the girls to explore a better understanding of science and the importance of critical thinking. Evolutionary biologist Abigail Curtis, Ph.D., talked about her knowledge of advanced imaging technology particularly focused on skull shapes of animals. Katy Sparrow, a chemical oceanographer from the University of Rochester, led a discussion about greenhouse gases. Kady Lyons a shark biologist, helped with understanding contaminant accumulation, while Rachel Kennison, Ph.D., a marine ecologist, showed those in her classes why distribution patterns of macroalgae is important in the relationship with nutrients.
It was delightful to see young women interested in and focused on science, particularly in ocean science. I came away from the experience—as I often do—wishing I were young enough to participate in something like this. These types of events were not available when I was growing up and it is comforting to know that passing on the desire and know-how to protect the planet, by understanding the oceans, will be a continuing project at the Ocean Institute.
To find out more about the Girls in Ocean Science conferences at the Ocean Institute, log on to www.ocean-institute.org.
Barbara Merriman grew up in Illinois but spent many years in Connecticut before relocating to California in 1994. She is a former public school music teacher with a love for outdoor sports, primarily sailing and golf. She keeps a sailboat at Dana Point Harbor, has a passion for protecting the environment and serves on the Board of Directors at the Ocean Institute. She often travels from her Dana Point home to Massachusetts to visit her daughter, Anne, her son-in-law and their two boys.
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