People can only care about what they know about. The majority
of traditional education stops at the seashore. On a planet that
is 3/4 water the Open Water Lab and the Marine Centre provide a unique
opportunity to the urban public to see the sea life of the inlet, large
marine mammals and science in action. Therefore, a part of our mission
at the Open Water facility is to educate the public about the ecology
and biology of Steller sea lions. Steller sea lions are one of many
species of special concern in the ocean. The future health of our environment
depends on the knowledge we can gather and pass on to our children.
Therefore, an important part of our job is to communicate our knowledge
to students and visitors that come to our research laboratory. Transmitting
knowledge alone is not enough. With these charismatic, engaging
wild creatures we can provide direct experiences for children that
are transformational.
We have frequent visits at Open Water from classes that are on field
trips to the Reed Point Marine Education Center, run by Mr. Rod MacVicar.
A session at the centre gives students a broad glimpse into the life
in the ocean. The students often get to perform a plankton tow where
almost invisibly small organisms are caught in a net being pulled behind
the boat. In the net a large number of different animals are caught,
including plankton, larvae of barnacles, shrimp and fish. The student
brings the sample back to the floating lab at Centre (Fuel Dock float).
Here they have the opportunity to study the animals using microscopes. Students
realize that this is ‘a living sea’.
Often students from the Marine Centre get to visit the Open Water
Research lab. The mammal trainers, technicians or researcher
will give them a guided tour and a chance to meet the animals close
up. This also is an opportunity to educate the students about our continuously
increasing knowledge of Steller biology and how that knowledge is obtained.
People can only care about what they know about. The majority
of traditional education stops at the seashore. On a planet that
is 3/4 water the Open Water Lab and the Marine Centre provide a unique
opportunity to the urban public to see the sea life of the inlet, large
marine mammals and science in action. Therefore, a part of our mission
at the Open Water facility is to educate the public about the ecology
and biology of Steller sea lions. Steller sea lions are one of many
species of special concern in the ocean. The future health of our environment
depends on the knowledge we can gather and pass on to our children.
Therefore, an important part of our job is to communicate our knowledge
to students and visitors that come to our research laboratory. Transmitting
knowledge alone is not enough. With these charismatic, engaging
wild creatures we can provide direct experiences for children that
are transformational. 
Often students from the Marine Centre get to visit the Open Water
Research lab. The mammal trainers, technicians or researcher
will give them a guided tour and a chance to meet the animals close
up. This also is an opportunity to educate the students about our continuously
increasing knowledge of Steller biology and how that knowledge is obtained.