Keynote Presentation 9:00-9:45 AM
Mixoplankton in the Ocean: It’s not just little plants and little animals
George McManus
Professor Emeritus of Marine Sciences
University of Connecticut
For more than a century, students of plankton have analogized pigmented plankton with plants and non-pigmented forms with animals, resulting in the familiar phytoplankton/zooplankton dichotomy. However, studies since the 1980s have revealed that many, likely most, single-celled plankton (Protists) are capable of both photosynthesis and phagotrophy. In response to this, a new paradigm has emerged in which food webs are often dominated by ‘mixoplankton’, and pathways from producers to higher consumers are more complex. In this presentation, I will review information about mixoplankton, describe my own research on these ‘hybrid’ forms, and speculate on how they fit into traditional conceptions of the marine food web.
George McManus is a biological oceanographer, recently retired from the University of Connecticut. He received his PhD from Stony Brook University and worked at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, the University of Maryland, and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab before coming to UConn, where he taught for 28 years. His research is focused on microbial plankton, including bacteria, phytoplankton, and ciliated protozoa, documenting their diversity and distributions in the coastal ocean. He served as the Interim Reserve Manager and Center Director of the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve until 2023/2024 and now has the honorary title of Director Emeritus for his work getting the Reserve up and running.
Session A 10:00-10:45 AM
Why Do My Fish Always Die? Or What’s In My Tank?
Lorrie Martin
Block Island Maritime Institute
This workshop will focus on keeping a healthy saltwater aquarium in your classroom (or home). As an Outdoor Education teacher in a formal school setting, I assisted classroom teachers for years with basic equipment, guiding the collecting expeditions, choosing ideal creatures for the tank, day-to-day maintenance, water chemistry & testing and "potential problems." I will follow up with student activities and resources to enhance the educational experience. (ES, MS, HS)
Navigating Resources: Using Illustrated Children’s Books as Classroom Texts on Climate Change
Lauren Rader and Rochelle Strauss
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
In this session, presenters will introduce an approach to teaching elementary science learners about the intricate relationship between climate change, the global ocean, and the New England coast using non-fiction children’s illustrated books as textbooks. By combining the expertise of a classroom educator and an accomplished children's book author, we present a collaborative model that empowers educators to adapt and create resources when traditional materials fall short. Showcasing a selection of non-fiction illustrated books as effective educational tools for conveying climate concepts in an engaging and hopeful manner, this session will provide practical tips for educators on modifying and supplementing existing resources to address gaps in climate change education materials. Our session aims to empower educators to overcome resource limitations by harnessing the untapped potential of non-fiction children's illustrated books. By fostering collaboration, creativity, and adaptability, participants will leave with practical strategies to enhance their climate change curriculum and inspire a new generation of environmentally conscious citizens. (ES, MS)
From New England to the Deep Sea In Seconds Onboard E/V Nautilus
Kelly Guarino
Ocean Exploration Trust
How do you bring the deep sea to your learners without actually going yourself? By streaming it live 24/7 with Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus. Ocean Exploration Trust brings the excitement of ocean exploration to learners all over the world through live streams from the ship, interactive videos, educational materials, and one on one connections to your learning space. All for FREE! Learn what resources OET offers, where to find them, the different careers showcased on the ship, and how your learners can become ocean explorers with our team. (All)
Session B 11:00-11:45 AM
Connecticut Sea Grant Mobile Seaweed Lab
Clayton McGoldrick
Connecticut Sea Grant
CTSG was awarded grant funding in the winter of 2023 to purchase and outfit a trailer for use as a mobile lab. The purpose of the lab is to conduct industry applicable research and serve as a training tool for New England’s seaweed farming industry. This session will cover a general overview of the mobile lab including current progress and highlights as well as future plans for using the lab. (All)
In The Zone- Climate vs Weather
Susan Quincy
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Is it Weather or is it Climate? Understanding the difference is sometimes hard but important. Take part in a whole body and map reading lesson introducing students to climate zones, data tracking, and critical thinking, from Project WET's newest resource Earth's Water Systems. For grades 3-9 and nonformal looking for outreach ideas. This activity will be provided to you.
(ES, MS)
Urban Waters: Raising Awareness Through Student Engagement
Chuck Mulligan and Nick Bergeron
The Sound School
The Urban Waters Program engages students on real-world topics in their own backyards. The goals are to increase environmental awareness and ignite environmental stewardship. This happens through classroom inquiry labs which arm students with the tools and confidence to conduct human-impact research at multiple field sites. The academic content, combined with the field research better enable students to host regional school and civic youth groups and teach them about the work that they do, and more importantly what they’ve found.
(ES, MS, HS)
Session C 1:00-1:45 PM
OySTARS in the NESS Mobile Classroom
Megan Strand
New England Science & Sailing
Designed to reach students and families where they are, the NESS Mobile Classroom delivers hands-on learning in marine science, adventure education, and environmental stewardship removing geographic and socioeconomic barriers to STEM education. Join us in the NESS Mobile Classroom for a session on oysters, the oySTARS of the sea! Explore how oysters help keep our water and coastal habitats clean by examining live oysters and building a model filter.
(ES, MS, HS)
Marine Debris Removal through the Lobster Trap Recovery and Assessment Partnership
Callie Scheetz and Haylie Schwarzenbach
Project Oceanology
Discover how the Lobster Trap Recovery and Assessment Partnership (L-TRAP) is tackling marine debris in Long Island Sound. This collaborative CT-NY effort removes derelict lobster traps left behind after the industry collapse of 1999, as well as those lost during active fishing. While NY has led removal efforts for over a decade, CT began in 2022. Explore data on recovered traps and uncover surprising findings revealed through this important initiative.
(All)
Engaging Students in Stewardship: Regional Networks of USA Blue Schools
Ashley Morrell, Chuck Mulligan, Holly Turner- Moore, Denise Aikens, Carmelia Rodriguez
Northeastern USA Blue Schools
Want to learn how regional networks of the USA Blue Schools (Long Island Sound and Tri-State Blue Schools) work and how it might be replicated in your school? Teachers from these networks will share their success in integrating ocean and watershed science into their curriculum while engaging students in interdisciplinary, hands-on, stewardship and social action projects. Students and teachers learn about the Ocean Literacy principles and how to advocate for our one global ocean. Come see how participants leveraged school and community partnerships, worked with families, and made their watersheds healthier places. (ES, MS, HS)
Field Trip or Aquaculture Tour
Tour the Marine Science Magnet High School
2:00 - 2:45 PM
Amy Ferland and MSMHS Students
Visit the state-of-the-art freshwater and saltwater aquaculture labs and learn why MSMHS has been nationally recognized as one of the best high schools in Connecticut and the nation. See a variety of fish, coral and other invertebrates grown and maintained by MSMHS students. The Marine Science Magnet High School, established in 2011, is a public, interdistrict magnet high school serving Connecticut students in grades 9-12. MSMHS offers an extensive array of marine science themed programs and opportunities, as well as academically rigorous college preparatory opportunities that meet the needs of all students. (MS, HS)
Or
UConn Avery Point Plankton Lab Tour & Project Oceanology Plankton Sampling
2:15 - 3:45 PM
Join keynote presenter Professor George McManus for a tour of his lab in the UConn Marine Sciences Building at Avery Point, then walk next door to sample and examine plankton with Project Oceanology staff. The Avery Point campus at 1080 Shennecossett Road, is a 5-minute drive from Marine Science Magnet High School.
SENEME Fall Conference 2025 Schedule.pdf
2025 Fall Conference Workshop Descriptions.pdf
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