On 16 July, the Integration and Application Network staff met in Solomons, Maryland for a three hour cruise aboard the R/V Rachel Carson followed by a tour of the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. The R/V Rachel Carson, skippered by Michael Hulme and crewed by Rob Nilsen, took us out to the center of the Bay for a hydrocast in 33 meters of water. Dave Loewensteiner helped out with the various scientific samplings and Jeremy Testa helped with the interpretation of the data.

Read more

Robert Twilley, Director of Louisiana Sea Grant, has initiated a nine month fellowship program called LA DIA, which is an acronym that stands for Louisiana Discovery Integration and Application. Conveniently, this also translates in French and Spanish to "The Day". Bill Nuttle and I from the Integration and Application Network (note the similar name) traveled to Baton Rouge for a 14 July 2014 meeting--an appropriate day for the kick off event, Bastille Day.

Read more

On July 8, I attended a meeting organized by the Chesapeake Bay Program office and chaired by Joe Gill, Chair of the Principal Staff Committee and Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources. It was held on Wye Island on Maryland's Eastern Shore at a DNR conference center. The chairs of the six Goal Implementation teams, the leadership of the Chesapeake Bay Program were invited and the coordinators of the goal teams joined at lunch.

Read more

At the Integration and Application Network, we have been developing video techniques for science communication. Most of our science communication has focused on print and web media, and we have recently begun developing video products. In the course of developing video products, we have been developing a variety of techniques which will be outlined here. Seminars:

Read more

Over the past several weeks, I encountered various tributes to Rachel Carson (1907-1964), the environmental champion and author. It began in Pittsburgh, PA near where Rachel was born in 1927 and where she attended what is now Chatham University. I attended the River Rally, where Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke about how courageous Rachel was to draw attention to the dangers of DDT and the vicious attacks that she received as a result.

Read more

I attended the annual trustees and overseers meeting of the Sea Education Association in Woods Hole, MA on 22-23 June. This was my first meeting in some time, so it was good to see everyone again and get an update on the progress of S.E.A. in transforming their program to accommodate the changing market for study abroad college students. The new S.E.A. President is Peg Brandon and the Chair of the Trustees is Susan Humphris.

Read more

For the past 33 years, one of the seven wonders of the UMCES world has been the Colossus of Rhoades. The iconic Phyllis Rhoades has been a pillar of support for each and every faculty member submitting a proposal, obtaining the necessary support to build this institution, and managing their projects. Phyllis found no deadline too daunting, no agency too difficult, and no faculty too difficult to work with. The ancient Colossus of Rhodes is a statute of Helios, the Greek god of sun.

Read more

The Integration and Application Network held a retreat at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center on the shores of Chesapeake Bay's Eastern Shore. The venue was spectacular, with views across marshes and open water in a sustainable building that included bamboo flooring, solar power, and skylights. Front row (L to R): Madeline Kelsey, Richard Tian, Rebecca Murphy, Jane Thomas, Zach Friedman, Caroline Wicks; Middle row (L to R):

Read more

As an experiment in producing short videos describing Integration and Application Network products, we developed a video for the first eBook produced by IAN. The book is titled 'Dancing with Dugongs: Having fun and developing a practical philosophy for environmental teaching and research'. We shot this video on a chilly spring day on the Choptank River and Ali Schwaab, our Science a communication intern, edited the video to include various graphics from the book to appear as I was talking.

Read more

I attended the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council meeting at the Maryland State House on 16 June 2014, followed by the press conference event for the signing of the new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement on City Dock, Annapolis. Chesapeake Bay Executive Council meeting in Maryland State House … Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement event at City Dock, Annapolis.

Read more