VIMS

Marine Science Day News!

Editor's Note: This year we gave our guests an opportunity to be reporters. We then gathered their stories for the inaugural issue of the Marine Science Day News. Here are the stories filed by our intrepid journalists, which give a wonderful description of all the fun and learning that takes place during our annual open house!
Dr. Kirk Havens

This VIMS scientist has a very responsible job.

Bioluminescence
How bioluminescence works

When a special cell bumps up against something the cytoplasm and nucleus light up.

Joe Cope
Joe Cope

This VIMS scientist goes to Antarctica and uses nets and microscopes to study plankton.

An adventure at VIMS

I hope you enjoy my story, but when you go to VIMS, you’ll enjoy it better….

Ocean animals

My favorite thing about Marine Science Day is I got to see all of the animals and a laboratory.

Molting crabs

Crabs grow by molting until they mature and are ready to mate.

Bioluminescence
I touched a crab!

The crab felt weird and I thought it would bite me. But...

La
Seining in the estuary

I put the big net in the water and dragged it on the river floor. Crabs, flounder, fish, seaweed, and shrimp all were in my net.

Moray Eel
Eels

Did you know that some eels look like rocks?

Pair of Blue Crabs
Sook or Jimmie?

I learned how to tell if a crab is a female or a male.

Oysters—how much do we actually know?

“The world is your oyster, and you are the pearl.” People say it all the time, but do they truly know what an oyster is?

Blue Crab
Male and female crabs

I learned that female crabs have a circular triangle, and that males have a long triangular shape.