High School Bay Club - now taking applications for the 2008-2009 school year!!! We are looking for local high school students in grades 9-12 who are interested in a career in marine science or related field. Check here for more information and application!  Applications are due August 1, 2008.

Discovery Labs 6-8pm (FREE, open to the public and for all ages!)

Registration required!!  Visit http://tethys.vims.edu/events/registration.cfm to sign up.

CBNERRVA will continue its series of Discovery Labs in the Catlett-Burress Research and Education Teaching lab this winter. Each Discovery Lab will focus on a specific topic of interest and will include both research, displays, and hands-on activities for kids and adults of all ages. Discovery Labs are free and appropriate for all ages. Contact Sarah McGuire, 804-684-7878 for more information.

Topics:

• May 17, 2008: Penguins at VIMS Marine Science Day - Penguins are the official mascot for the 2008 VIMS Marine Science Day, so come to the VIMS beach where you can learn all about these critters and the polar regions where they live.  Test your knowledge of polar myths and compare your size to different penguin species.  Right next door to the discovery lab, CBNERRVA will also be hosting a beach seining station where kids (and adults) can get in the water and see what critters are local residents of the York River.  **This event is on a Saturday from 10am-3pm.
• June 17, 2008: Stories in the Sand - Learn how to see the world in a grain of sand before your next trip to the beach this summer.  Compare and contrast samples of sand from across the nation and all around the world.  You'll examine sands by eye and under the microscope to investigate where you sample is from, what type of sand it is, and how old it is.  Kids' activities include making sand jewelry and your own model beach in a bottle!  Virginia Sea Grant educator, Carol Hopper Brill will share her sand collection and also her knowledge of sands from around the world in a short presentation.
• July 22, 2008: Turtles of the Chesapeake Bay - The Chesapeake Bay is home to many species of turtles, including both fresh and saltwater species.  Several species of sea turtles are common or occasional visitors of the Bay including the Leatherback, Green, Atlantic Ridley and the Loggerhead.  Join us for a fun filled night of children's activities, specimens and information on research involving all types of turtles common to the area.  Amber Knowles from the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Research will give a short presentation on sea turtles and her previous work with the turtle stranding network.  **This event is on the 4th Tuesday of the month.
• August 19, 2008: Plankton - Plankton are free-floating, generally microscopic plants, animals and bacteria that are part of the Chesapeake Bay's lower food web.  Plankton communities serve as the base of the Bay's food web, supporting fish, shellfish and other organisms.  A plankton expert from VIMS' scientist Dr. Debbie Steinberg's lab will elaborate on the importance of plankton in the Chesapeake Bay, different types common to our area, and current issues surrounding them.  Kids and adults can play and learn about the various types of plankton and use the microscopes to identify as many species as they can.