Project collaboration: NSF ATE & team of 50 field sites

Thousands of internships and over 900 field stations around the world are having to rethink and redesign hands-on research opportunities for students due to the safety issues around the Covid-19 pandemic. A team of marine scientists across 26 US states and 6 countries were awarded a National Science Foundation RAPID-grant to address this situation virtually. The mission is to produce ecosystem exploration videos to teach undergraduate students to find and observe evidence and understand ecological concepts. Two folks from our NSF ATE grant project decided to get involved, Ms. Lauren Wetzell (Educational Specialist, University of Hawaii) and Alena Duenas (graduate from the Northern Marianas College). They will be producing a 3-minute video of a coral reef ecosystem in Palau combined with research elements. The video clips were provided from Dr. Robert Dunbar (Stanford University) and Melissa Mahoney Saville (@mahoneysavilleimages). Ms. Wetzell will provide the video editing and Ms. Duenas will work with her mentor from the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality (BECQ, Saipan) David Benavente, to populate the intensive data sheet and video narration.

This collaboration has grown into providing additional opportunities for 5 NSF ATE student interns and faculty. Please contact Ms. Wetzell for more details: lwetzell@hawaii.edu.