Dove Marine Laboratory News (March 2002)
Shore Time !.....The weekend of the 2nd and 3rd March had particularly low tides and staff at the Dove Marine Lab were busy on the shore. Saturday Morning saw them accompanying 20 children (aged 7 - 8) on a shore expedition, as part of the second marine biology course of its kind funded by the New Opportunities Fund.
On Sunday, it was the turn of the adults - the field course outing for the adult evening course in marine biology " Life Beneath The Waves ". We all had a thoroughly enjoyable time, rooting under rocks and in pools. Among the animals found were juvenile lobsters, a whole range of colourful sponge species, large green King Rag Worms and marine snails. This course is open to all who are interested. Please contact Dr. Jane Delany.
New Staff at the Dove !......Two new staff members have joined our team this month. Dr. Catherine Scott and Dr. Odette Paramor will be working with Dr. Chris Frid on an exciting new project funded by the European Union. Catherine and Odette will be finding out from fishermen what aspects of the marine ecosystem need particular focus for study. Their findings will hopefully help in developing new management strategies that will conserve our rapidly depleteing fish stocks. The project will last three years.
Excellence in Cities..... The Dove Marine Lab was one of the venues this month for the Excellance in Cities Masterclasses. These sessions organised by Local Education Authorities, provide extra tuition for bright pupils who want to push themselves that little bit further. In the three Marine Biology Masterclasses, pupils to identify a range of of living and preserved marine animals and put them into categories, before heading down to the Dove's aquarium to study behaviour in marine invertebrates (animals with no backbone).