Volume 3 Number 4

An essential part of learning science is doing science - at all levels. The skills that young students acquire as they plan and run their first experiments can lay the foundation for the sophisticated techniques and hypotheses that, for some, build a Ph.D. dissertation. At the same time, developing an understanding of the scientific method helps build the knowledge base and confidence necessary to interpret the information all of us must process on a daily basis. In no small part, science literacy and education are key in our ability to make informed decisions about the stewardship of coastal resources like Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writers, Erica Goldman and Jessica Smits. more . . . about Video Spotlights

The Aquaculture in Action program first began recruiting and training teachers in the summer of 1998. From the start, the basic pitch went like this: an aquaculture project is one of the best ways to get American students to plug into serious science. It brings fish into the classroom, it creates a focus for teaching all kinds of research-based, problem-solving science, and it applies science to real-world issues in ecological restoration when students release their school-raised fish back into the wild. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about In Their Own Words - Aqauculture in Action

Comprised of educators working around the state with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), the Partnership is creating opportunities for teachers and students throughout the K-12 system to do science - not just study it. In ESEP programs, teachers, students and local citizens work side-by-side with scientists, exploring authentic scientific datasets and using state-of-the-science research tools and techniques. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Partners in Science

As part of the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), a Maryland Sea Grant program funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, fourteen students paired with faculty mentors at Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) in Cambridge and Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) in Solomons for a 12-week taste of academic research. Over the summer, students worked with advisors to complete projects in fields ranging from fisheries to physical oceanography. At the end, they presented their results in a symposium and wrote papers that synthesized their findings. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Summer Students on the Chesapeake - Undergrads Sample Scientific Waters

'Anyone can play with mud,' says doctoral student and former Sea Grant fellow Becky Holyoke. But to go from mud core collections to a career in science, it takes commitment, curiosity and a drive to ask the next question. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about A Profile of an Emerging Researcher

Blue crab stock assessment methods used to inform management regulations rely on accurate estimates of age to determine growth rates, recruitment rates (age at legal harvestable size), longevity, and natural mortality rates (including predation). Now able to determine blue crab age using lipofuscin, a fluorescing age pigment (also present in humans) that accumulates in neural tissue as a byproduct of metabolism. Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about How Old Is That Crab?

Chesapeake Quarterly, Maryland Sea Grant's quarterly magazine, reports on research, extension, education and other Chesapeake Bay issues and activities of interest to the marine community. It is produced and funded by this program, which receives support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Managing Editor, Sandy Rodgers; Contributing Editors, Jack Greer and Michael Fincham; Science Writer, Erica Goldman. more . . . about Et Cetera