UGA Skidaway Institute Gives Teachers A Hands-On STEM Experience

On June 13, the UGA Skidaway Institute’s ocean-going research vessel, the R/V Savannah, hosted two half-day research cruises for K-12 teachers. The teachers are participants in Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education (i²STEMe) Summer Development Program.

Because of a surplus capacity, UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography was able to open up this opportunity to K-12 teachers as part of a multi-day professional development program organized by Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education. Teachers participated in field research activities on the cruises including trawls, water samples, and sediment sampling.

UGA Skidaway Institute microbiologist Dr. Marc Frischer served as the “guide,” and the cruise’s scientific research purpose was to collect samples and data for Dr. Frischer’s on-going research into black gill in Georgia shrimp.

The cruise was part of a research project, The Cryptic Diet of the Globally Significant Pelagic Tunicate Dolioletta Gegenbauri, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Biological Oceanography program. The grant includes two ship days per year to support broader impact goals of providing experiential learning opportunities for educators. The activities are part of the i²STEMe’s weeklong summer development program for K-12 teachers to promote, improve, and support STEM teaching. These cruises gave the involved teachers the opportunity to get a close-up look and actually participate in marine research activities. For more information about the project and how to get involved, click here.