University of Southern Mississippi to Participate in Audubons OCEARCH Shark Week
Thu, 12/03/2015 - 11:36am | By: Pam Moeller
The University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) is participating in the Audubon Nature Institute's OCEARCH Shark Week Nov. 30 through Dec. 6 in New Orleans, La.
OCEARCH Shark Week incorporates educational programming in conjunction with a temporary visit by the OCEARCH shark research vessel, the M/V OCEARCH, which will be docked outside the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas through Dec. 6, 2015.
The special Shark Research Exhibit will be on display in the Pisces Room within the Audubon Aquarium and will feature a life size great white shark, tracking screens to view tagged sharks by OCEARCH, shark dissection stations, education stations and OCEARCH tagging videos.
Faculty and staff from GCRL will be on hand throughout the week to provide activities and information on sharks in our region and the current research being conducted. The lab's booth features a large shark handling activity, shark blood analysis, photo booth, trawl sorting activity, artifacts and models. Guests can also obtain information on popular field camp opportunities available through GCRL such as Shark Fest, Angler Camp, Sea Camp and the Summer Field Program.
GCRL will be represented at the event by Dr. Jessica Kastler, research associate and coordinator of program development for the Marine Education Center; Jill Hendon, research scientist for the Center for Fisheries Research and Development and manager of the Shark Research Program; Dr. Andy Evans, assistant professor for the Department of Coastal Sciences and manager of the Shark Research Program; and additional members of their staff.
OCEARCH is a non-profit organization with a global reach for unprecedented ocean-based research on apex predators, which include great white and tiger sharks. The M/V OCEARCH is a 126' Cat powered vessel equipped with a 75,000 lb. hydraulic research platform which serves as both mothership and at-sea laboratory.
For more information, contact Pam Moeller at 228.818.8847.