Every teacher is going back to our classroom with a ton of new information and ideas on how to implement our summer learning into our lessons. From 4th grade through 10th, our students will all benefit from the week their teachers spent onboard the R/V Lake Guardian. Some will focus on the history, others on the creatures living in the water, and many will learn about the changes that have happened and are still happening in this wonderful ecosystem. The main thing, though, is that the students will be taught about an important part of the world around them. It was amazing to hear that the majority of the states we came from did not have specific standards addressing the Great Lakes when each of the represented states was touching at least one of the waterways. The group projects and concept maps for the week focused our attention on how we are going to incorporate our knowledge into classroom lessons this school year. Because of the COSEE Lake Huron Shipboard and Shoreline workshop, over 1000 students will be learning more about the Great Lakes than even their teachers might have known before the week-long journey on the Lake Guardian.

We pulled into Milwaukee this morning and said our goodbyes to each other, the crew, and the wonderful people that had made this adventure possible. Each one of us received a certificate acknowledging our participation in the COSEE Lake Huron Shipboard and Shoreline Workshop, and we took group pictures to help us remember the people we shared a week of our lives with learning about the Great Lakes system. Some stayed to go on a tour of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Great Lakes WATER Institute while others had planes, trains, or busses to catch for the trip home. A group of 5 of us took a ferry back to Michigan and a drive home. No matter what method we chose to return us to our families, we took with us a wealth of knowledge and memories that will last a lifetime.

COSEE LAKE GURADIAN PRESENTATIONS

One of the fringe benefits of being on a research vessel with educators is the opportunity to collaborate. Our group generated a list of questions to investigate during our week on board the Lake Guardian. Since quagga mussels were the latest invasive species to attack the Great Lakes, many of the teams focused on them. Why are they such a problem?

• Because they are extreme water/food filters, quagga mussels eat up the food source of fish and can change the food web in a lake.

• They take in lots of pollutants (at levels higher than the surrounding area), which can harm wildlife that eat them.

• Some researchers believe that Lake Erie’s dead zone may be that way because of quagga mussels’ non-stop feeding, ability to live in deep water (up to 130m in the Great Lakes) and the excretion of phosphorous with their waste.

• Quagga mussels, like zebra mussels, clog water intake pipes and underwater screens. This plugs up pumps at power and water treatment plants which is frustrating and costs money to fix!

• They build up in places where we go for summer fun - on boat docks, break walls, buoys, boats, and beaches - Ouch. Keep your sandals on

Teachers broke into teams, further defining the question, collecting and analyzing data. Tonight we had the chance to listen to what our colleagues learned, and the opportunity to generate further questions.

[insert photo of group]
I wonder what’s in the muck?
Four Detroit public school teachers, Jennifer Edwards (elementary school science), Ellen Hoyer (elementary ed), Kathleen Kennmon (middle school science) and Kimberly Stevenson (high school science) teamed to create an introduction to the sediment, food chains and food webs of the Great Lakes with extensions across the K-12 level. Combining hands on inquiry with data and cross curricular extensions, the unit could be adapted to use any local “muck.” Since we know that often a melody will help us remember the words, they developed a song that highlighted the concepts:

What’s in the muck that we’ll find today.
We’re looking for a predator and a prey.
COSEE Great Lakes was a lot of fun.
We did our work on Lake Guardian.

Follow the food web and you will find
Matter and energy over time
We start with plankton and you will see,
It’s eaten by bloodworms and the spiny water flea.

Blue-green algae can’t get away
Zebra mussels devour them as prey.
The Round Goby is the next in line.
But, the Walleye and the Bass will eat their spines.

Thankfully we are the last in line
And we hope that you have enjoyed our rhyme

[insert photo of group]
I wonder what size plankton near shore quagga mussels eat in Lake Huron? Stephanie Crook (high school science) and Patti Connor (middle school science) partnered with Laura Rainey (high school science) to collect water samples near the shores of Lake Huron. Laura looked at variables that affected the turbidity of the water and concluded that shorelines factors i.e. runoff, development influenced the clarity far greater than invasive species. Using three samples and a control, Patti and Stephanie chose plankton from a near shore site and surmised from their results that the quagga preferred plankton in the 220-500 micron size range. There was high quagga mortality rate in the water with larger plankton due to high fecal counts and low oxygen content. Problems arose with smaller plankton as the quagga fought for scarce resources. The question begs, will the quagga die off after it strips the Great Lakes of its food source? All three were excited to integrate their increased knowledge of the Great Lakes’ ecosystem into their curriculums.

[insert photo of group]
I wonder how abiotic factors affect biotic factors in Lake Huron?
Charlie Daniels (high school biology), John Taylor-Lehman (high school science), Ron Pilatowski (integrated high school science) introduced the outline of their curriculum by developing a base of knowledge and assessing prior knowledge of their students. They wanted to determine the gaps in learning and misconceptions and use that information to shoot for the teaching points. In order to investigate the concepts of abiotic and biotic factors through complex experiments, data collection and graphing and interpreting results, the three teachers knew that preparation would help the students succeed. They planned to use the data from the Lake Guardian surveys as the underpinning for their classroom curriculum.

[insert photo of group]
I wonder what impact water temperature will have on the oxygen consumption of quagga mussels harvested in Lake Huron?
Jennifer Roth (science educator Shedd Aquarium), Kristi Backe (science educator, Notebaert Museum) and , Susan Hobart (Grades 4/5 elementary)
work with young children so a goal of their experiment was to focus on scientific process and collegial nature of science research while considering the impact various water temps had on quagga. Using nine samples and controls, they collected quagga mussels between .5 and one inch and placed ten quagga in equal amounts of filtered water. They located them in three temperature zones: room temp. (24 C) bottles; cold bottles in the 4 C cooler and warm water at 44 C using a warm water bath. Their prediction was quagga mussels would consume the most oxygen in warm water, a smaller amount in room temperature water, and the least in cold water. Unfortunately, the quagga mussels all died within twenty minutes in the warm water bath. Based on percentage of oxygen used, there was a distinct pattern and significant difference showing increased oxygen in the warmest and room temperature water and the least in the cold. The three teachers felt they could use their power point to show students the steps of safe, engaged scientific inquiry, and apply the strategies to investigate questions generated by their students.

[insert photo of group]
I wonder how quickly the quagga mussel can change the turbidity of the water it inhabits?
Pat Trommater (4th grade science) and Dave Johnson (middle school science) began their presentation comparing the anatomy of a quagga mussel with other mollusks. They compared the reproduction capacity with other small creatures, which they knew would have an impact, due to the sheer numbers of sperm and eggs that are released by each quagga. Their experiment alone of ninety six quagga could have produced nearly 100 million offspring! They used nine containers with and a control and measured the turbidity of the water over a 24-48 hour time period. They plan to replicate the experiment with local water and specimens and compare their results and process with the students’.

Last Entry ~ Barfometer Design by John Taylor Lehman
Based on a modified PH scale.

Volcanic eruptions 8
Geyser 7
Fire hose 6
Garden hose 5
Sprinkler 4
Mouth full 3
Leaky faucet 2
Nausea 1
Calm 0

Where On the Lake Guardian Are Dave’s Sox?
&
Winners of the Barfometer Design Competition
Dave’s sox reappeared this evening as the grand prize in our barfometer competition. Since our cruise was calm with pleasant weather and talented crew, we did not have the chance to test our inventions, but the entrants are confident in the efficacy of their designs. While the winners did not get to keep Dave’s sox, they were able to have the final clue, locate them and be the heroes to return them to barefoot Dave. Congratulations to all the designers for their creativity in making our cruise fearless.

BLOG CONTRIBUTION John Taylor-Lehman
Tuesday
I replaced my “sea sickness” patch today just as a bit of “insurance”. I feel like I am used to the gentle rocking of the ship but I don’t want to take the chance of “chumming” the water before the end of the voyage. So far the most uneasy I felt was on land! And many other people had the same experience when we visited the NOAA Thunder Bay visitors’ center. Part of the tour involved walking into the hold of a full scale model of a schooner. The slanted floor, swaying light fixtures, and having been out on Lake Huron for 3 days combined to give me a feeling of being aboard a strongly rocking ship. I wonder how I am going to feel on Friday when I am back on shore for good.

Reflection on Spending a Week on a Moving Vessel on a Dramatic Body of Water
Susan Hobart,MSEd, Madison Metropolitan School District Grade 4/5

As I drove into the parking lot to meet my fellow educators, the pelting rain limited my visibility and increased my anxiety. What would I do on a boat if the rain continued, and we hit off shore storms? I was prepared with ginger tablets and sea bands, and yet, not knowing what to expect, fear mixed with my excitement of the unknown. By the time we were sitting down for one of Donna and Carl’s fabulous healthy heart dinners, my fears had been replaced by excitement as the sun came out and our week long agenda had been revealed. What a fantastic opportunity that I could never replicate in inland Wisconsin ~ a chance to work with educators and researchers passionate about the Great Lakes environment with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences. The collaborative nature of each day helped me learn from everyone, increasing my understanding of the geo/bio/cultural implications of our Great Lakes and developing questions to consider.

We are fortunate in the USA to have a wealth of researchers and inquiring minds that work in partnership to research and preserve our environment. On board our vessel alone, we had access to the resources of the University of Michigan, Michigan State, the University of Wisconsin, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Sanctuary Program, Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence, The Great Lake Sea Grant Network, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the Cetacean Marine Corporation.

In my class, my goal is to integrate science throughout our curriculum and everything I have learned and thought about on board, I will be able to infuse into my practice. One of the programs I use is the FOSS chemistry unit, Mixtures and Solutions, in our fifth grade science rotation, but I have not worked in a research laboratory since college. Partnering with two science educators from Chicago and benefitting from the support of an EPA researcher and two university professors, I was able to develop a question and the action steps to answer it and complete the experiment. In our classroom, I focus on science process, inquiry and collaboration; on the Lake Guardian, I was able to practice what I preach. I had my own moments of “oops” and “yikes” and “aha!” When we completed our experiment in the boat’s laboratory and presented our findings to the group, I had a chance to reflect on what I would do different next time, what affected our outcome and further questions I had. Being a student and developing my own thinking in concert with others gave me a chance to walk in my students’ shoes as I plan the integration of science for the upcoming school year. Thanks, COSEE, for the chance to learn while doing!

[insert photo of Bucky wrapped to go]
Bucky Badger, University of Wisconsin - Madison Mascot
Successfully Went Where No Man (or Woman) Has Gone Before

Along with the nets from the Lake Guardian, Bucky was sent to the deepest waters of Lake Michigan. Wrapped in plastic, the teachers and researchers predicted half and half that Bucky would stay dry in his plastic bag. Before his departure, we double wrapped him in plastic and removed as much of the air as possible from the bag. We knew from Physics 101, the pressure at the depth of 900 feet would push air out and possibly explode the bag. Or, the air inside the six inch stuffed Bucky would expand and cause his bag to open and lake water flood the bag.

We sat with bated breath as the bag containing Bucky and other research items was slowly dropped into the bottom of Lake Michigan. After a twenty minute wait, the net bag was pulled to the surface, and Bucky had a big smile on his very wet face. He quickly dried out from the brisk lake wind, but unfortunately, he lost his voice box from the pressure, and no longer sings On Wisconsin. He was a brave Bucky and added to our knowledge base of the incredibly deep Lake Michigan, and now, he is even more famous for taking this incredibly deep dive.
[insert photo of Bucky after return ]

After the talk about the walleye recovery, we went outside to Station 26 and collected more data—this was our time to shine in front of the camera! We did the secchi disk, plankton nets, PONAR, and rosette. The news crew suited up and followed us out onto the deck. They mostly stayed back to watch and film, but one adventurous anchor tried to participate and grabbed the PONAR. Sharing what we had learned from the Lake Guardian marine techs early in the workshop, we ever-so-politely told her not to touch that one, because “it can rip your fingers off.” She quickly switched over to a safer prop, the sediment pulled up in the PONAR, which we now lovingly call “Muck.” Her brief report of what we were doing with it was to be featured on the evening news. Even though our group missed the actual broadcast, we heard that it was great, and we also made the top headline of The Alpena News in print and on line.



We ate a wonderful meal of taco casserole and lasagna (Did we mention that we love our cooks, Carl and Donna?), and then headed back to the science lab for another great presentation. Jim Johnson, who is also a Michigan DNR fisheries biologist, made the trek to the ship to speak with us about the history of the Chinook Salmon in the Great Lakes. For the younger “students,” the salmon have not always been present in the lakes, but they were actually introduced into the lakes in the 1960’s to try and take care of an Alewife overabundance problem the Great Lakes was experiencing. (Tons of dead fish were washing ashore in Lake Michigan.) The outcome achieved was better than most had anticipated. The sport-fishing industry grew, and the alewife population dwindled.

After Jim was finished speaking the visitors took the boat back to Alpena, and we raised the anchor so that we could set off to our next sampling spot. Group A took charge like pros. They tested in record time, and we were off to our next stop. The afternoon was given to us to work on our research projects, do a group concept mapping of our journals, prepare our styrofoam cups and spheres for “the deep” on Thursday, or whatever else we needed to work on. Some groups worked up on deck while our ship glided along the blue waters of Lake Huron - it was cool seeing the remains of the shipwrecked Nordmeer, which sank in 1966 - while others congregated in the science labs of the ship. Evening came, and we made one more hunt for Mysids. Even though we did not find any, we did bring up a different zooplankton, Holopedium gibberum, that is relatively rare in this part of Lake Huron. Before we studied it under a microscope, it looked like clear fish eggs.

As our week is starting to near the end, we’ve learned so much about the Great Lakes ecosystem and each other. We have grown to be friends as well as colleagues. It’s not just the cooks we love, but all the crew and scientists on board. Each person has helped us somewhere along the way in this learning adventure, and they are all very much appreciated. With any group that is together for more than a few days, ours has developed inside jokes….like David’s traveling socks, Barfometers, Shaggy, and the Benthic Babes or Muck Girls. Even the word “pheromones” can make some of us smile. The blog team asked each person to write down one “aha” moment today. Some wrote cute things about the week, others were very deep and thoughtful, but each is one thing that will stick with us far beyond the sea legs and feeling perfectly still buildings sway under our feet.

My ‘aha moment’ was when I found out the vast amount of differences in depth and the overall bathymetry of the Great Lakes. It shows the importance of knowing this information for shipping, boating, research, etc.
An ‘aha moment’ is the realization that the Great Lakes have had more changes in 17 years than in the last 10,000 years!
I am so glad I am learning and participating in so much more than I anticipated.
There is more to the study of the Great Lakes than recording changes. There are still discoveries and connections (Guy Meadow’s amazing study of Lake Huron’s ridge as a hunting corridor of ice age people.
Where have all the walleye’s gone? Now I know!
I take for granted everything we’ve learned about our environment: This trip has given me a new appreciation for the experience, dedication, and knowledge of our scientists and researchers – a great field for my students to consider.
I’ve had more than one ‘aha moment;’ too many to possibly count probably. I’ve been very surprised by the complexity of the research going on in the Great Lakes, and I’m glad I had this opportunity to see how much I still have to learn.
There are an amazing number of ship wrecks in Lake Huron in the vicinity of Thunder Bay because of the unique topography.
Finding out that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of unmapped shipwrecks really brought out the curious, child-like, loves mysteries archeologist in me.
There are no boring invasive species! So much to learn, know and understand about them.
The research done with sea lamprey is really interesting. The idea of lamprey using pheromones to communicate is fascinating.
Our visit to the NOAA Maritime Shipwreck Museum in Alpena drove home the awesome power of the lakes in general and Lake Huron specifically. The Great Lakes should never be taken lightly and always be respected.
Golly, an ancient hunting ground was recently discovered in Lake Huron!!!
And for the best quote for today…When asked how he stays so thin with all he eats, a COSEE student responded with “I dunno, the more I eat, the more I poop.”

News Links
Don’t forget to check out the article in the July 25th Detroit Free Press Local news briefs: Teachers to travel around Lake Huron
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907250339
And another in the Fort Mill Times “Teachers to study Lake Huron aboard EPA vessel”(Published July 23, 2009)
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/670604.html?story_link=email_msg
The Alpena News
http://www.thealpenanews.com/page/content.detail/id/506147.html?nav=5004

The halls feel like a campus dorm. ‘Be quiet, everyone’s asleep!’ But you know it’s not true. Many are up working on projects or studying, but you stay quiet in the hall anyway.

These days are filled with lecture, lab, and dorm cafeteria meals that fill you up with meaningful conversation and plans for the future. This short visit back to college life is different from our last stay. This time we have no pressures of the outside world on our floating university. No sororities, dating woes, or parents calling. Just the opportunity to take in all that we can from each ‘class’ or ‘lab’.

We are grateful for the opportunity to be students again, a little wiser and a lot more willing. Thank you COSEE, EPA, NOAA, and everyone else involved with sharing the Lake Guardian and the talents of it’s staff with us on this odyssey for the love of learning. We cherish every step along the way.

At the Maritime Heritage Center we listened to Angie Bowen from the US Fish and Wildlife Service discuss aquatic invasive species. Many found the variety of aquatic invasive species surprising. A staggering average of 2 invasive species are introduced to the Great Lakes every year!! The preserved specimens that were handed around helped everyone understand distinguishing features for each. There was uncertainty about the differences between the tastes of leaches and lampreys until we learned that sea lampreys attach to cold blooded hosts while leeches only attach to warm blooded hosts. We also learned that they have teeth on their tongues!

Next Mike Wagner from MSU discussed the research that has been taking place in regard to sea lampreys and cleared up more questions about this complex creature. We learned that pheromones seem to be one of the major bases of decision making in the lives of sea lampreys (and other creatures).

Cathy Green led the group through the National Marine Sanctuary Museum for the next segment. Most of us were not aware of the shipwreck sanctuary or even the need for one. Cathy answered our many questions about the legal issues involved in protecting sunken ships and shared the history of several of the most interesting in the Thunder Bay area. One particularly interesting case involved a cargo ship that sank in the late shipping season presumably as a result of ice coverage over the ship itself. The ship can be found today with the mast still standing and hull without damage standing straight up at the bottom of Lake Huron.

Here we enjoyed a different view of the ship wreck simulation in the museum as we tunneled through the hull.

After the museum we were allowed free time in Alpena. Many of the group enjoyed dinner in a local Steak House then roamed around town until it was time to ride back to our home ship. Some activities enjoyed included a walk down the Maritime Heritage Trail, and a visit to the local Dairy Queen and Dollar General.

New high resolution bathymetry and progess in 3D modeling makes it possible for Dr. Meadows and his team to revisit this ancient community. Evidence of these early settlers is buried in the sediment and rocks covered with mussels and algae that line the lake. Using state of the art technology, surface towed side scan sonar and a remote operated vehicle (ROV), Dr. Meadows took us on a power point tour of the world below.

The waves were too high to set the ROV in, so our Lake Guardian techies set up the surface towed scanner.

After two attempts at using the scanner, our system went down, and we had to be satisfied with Professor Meadow’s photos. True to scientific inquiry, we were patient, disappointed and ready to look at this from another angle. We turned to the PONAR grab and abox core to investigate the ridge.

What a treat to find some fantastic samples of clay pieces in our sediment. The vertical samples were perfect and showed the layers found in this ancient ridge.

Log onto some of these websites to see more articles about Dr. Meadows’ work at the bottom of Lake Huron.

www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/science/230blake

www.jsonline.com/news/Ancient hunting site may rest under Lake Huron

www.freep.com/2009/07/05/Signs of Human Settlers

Pick your favorite quote for one of today’s photos.

a.]”I bleed for science…”
b.] “Science is in my blood…”
c.] “We eat, live, breathe, sleep and bleed science…”
d.] “Science never sleeps…”
e.] “We’re hurting to do science…” OR
f.] “I am a nerd…”

Eating - Thanks to Carl and Donna, we never are hungry!

Research Inquiry Aboard the Vessel

Even UW’s Bucky is deep into inquiry aboard the Lake Guardian.

Win A Free Flea-How Many Water Fleas in this Catch?

Will the Real Lobster Gumby Please Sit Down…

Quote of the Day: “Hunting caribou can be done with a baseball bat,” advised Professor Meadows.

Editor’s Note: In regards to the misspelling of the bathymetry in the first edition of this blog post, we have come up with the new technology of a Barfometer. As of today, it has yet to be used. We invite you to submit your owns designs for this device to the blog team. The winner will receive a well traveled pair of socks—courtesy of David.

It was a little later than we had planned, but we finally got to do scientific sampling today. Group A started at Station 1 and did a Secchi disk measurement, sent down nets to collect phytoplankton and zooplankton, collected water samples in the Rosette, and tried to collect sediment from the bottom of the lake using a PONAR. They were only able to pick up sand and rocks, but they did find a few cute Quagga Mussels we could use as examples of invasive species in the Great Lakes. Group B meanwhile was hanging out on the O2 deck and making bets on how far down the Secchi measurement would be. Most thought it was less than 5 m, but Chuck was closest to the 8.3 with his guess of 7 meters.

When the sampling was over, we set sail for our next sampling area—Station 9. While we waited for the ship to make its destination, Jim Lubner gave an excellent presentation on the limnology of the Great Lakes. He gave us a brief glimpse of the geology, physics, chemistry, biology, and ecology of the lakes.

Dr. Greg Boyer walked through some of the cool creatures we’ll be finding under our microscopes. I think even with the handouts he gave, we’ll still be calling him over every time we see something new and exciting through the lens.

By now it was time for Group B to suit up and get their hands muddy. They collected the same samples as the first group, but at Station 9 they brought up some very cool mud from the lake bottom instead of rocks and sand. While this half played field scientist, the others worked in the laboratory analyzing water data and hunting for phytoplankton and zooplankton under the microscopes.

We took some time between samples to hear about the contaminants that are threatening our lakes system from Todd Nettesheim. He was very knowledgeable about the effects these pollutants have on the waterways. It was interesting to find out that chemicals such as DDT that have been banned for decades are still found and affect our water life. Beth Hinchey-Malloy, a Marine Biologist, delved deeper into the effects of these chemicals and other factors such as invasive species and cited how the marine organisms have changed over the years. The place of the most common creatures in the Great Lakes ecosystem twenty years ago have been replaced by others.

Dr. Boyer spoke on toxic cyanobacteria blooms. It was interesting to see the different factors that lead to these blooms. Even though most of the blooms are not dangerous to humans, Dr. Boyer mentioned a food chain that will make most of us think twice about seafood for a while. It was along the lines of “mussels eat the algae, the people eat the mussels, the people die.” Seems pretty concise and definitely an eye opener as far as how people are treating these blooms. Global warming was touched on in the lecture, but I think that the best tongue-in-cheek quote from the lecture was “The climate change is going to give us bigger pumpkins.”