NSU Currents Spring 2014 Newsletter - Volume XXIV, Issue 1

5 Guy Harvey Research Institute Launches STAAR Outreach Program In 2014, the Oceanographic Center’s Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) launched its Shark Tagging, Awareness, and Research (STAAR) program. The primary goal of this program is to bring shark research and conservation education into kindergarten through grade 12 classrooms. To reach students, the program uses outreach visits for students in Broward County and Skype technology for students around the world. To date, STAAR program staff members have interacted with students from 18 states and 4 countries and have spoken to nearly 3,000 students. Derek Burkholder, Ph.D. (center), OC research scientist, and volunteers are shown on a shark tagging survey. Ph.D. candidate Matt Johnston tags a lemon shark. Oceanographic Center Outreach Programs Continue to Grow Part of the Oceanographic Center’s mission is to serve as a community resource for information, research, and education on oceanographic and environmental issues. The OC goes on the road to introduce members of the public from all ages to marine life, marine ecosystems, and current research projects. For more information about the OC’s various community outreach programs, contact Melissa Dore at missy@nova.edu . M.S. student Ben Barker provides an overview of the lionfish holding tanks to members of the Rainberry Traveler’s Club. While the primary focus is with students in kindergarten through grade 12, the general public will also have the opportunity to join researchers in the field. Student and public volunteers will have the chance to join marine biologists on research expeditions to learn about shark conservation and the shark communities in South Florida. These expeditions will allow all participants to have a safe, hands-on experience measuring and tagging sharks of many species, as well as collecting tissue samples for DNA research. Participants in these expeditions will have a chance to see nurse sharks, lemon sharks, bull sharks, blacktip sharks, spinner sharks, Atlantic sharpnose sharks, tiger sharks, blacknose sharks, and hammerhead sharks. All of these sharks can be found in South Florida’s coastal waters. The public and students can monitor other sharks that have been tagged by GHRI and its global collaborators through the interactive Web site at www.nova.edu/ocean/ghri/tracking .