The 50th season of Shoals Marine Laboratory is off to an amazing start. Field Ornithology, Field Marine Invertebrate Biology, and Field Oceanography opened the labs and made excellent use early season bird migration and plankton blooms. Now, Sustainable Fisheries, Marine Mammal Biology, and Marine Environmental Science & Conservation are all in full swing, and the weather has been wonderful! Celia Thaxter's garden is planted, undergraduate interns are filling data sheets, and the Tern Program is actively following the nesting of all three tern species over on Seavey Island. I t is summer on Appledore! 

 

Earlier this month, we had our first rock talk by Kevin Jerram, who kicked off our series of ten speakers throughout the summer. Kevin first came to SML as a UNH undergraduate in the Sustainable Engineering Internship program. He has returned every year since 2007 to work as an island engineer or volunteer. In-between his Shoals time, he earned a Master's degree in Ocean Engineering from UNH and now travels the world mapping the ocean floor. His talk captivated the entire SML community with tales from the Arctic to Guam. He is on the cutting edge of marine scientific exploration -- seeing things in the deep ocean, in remote locations that very few have the opportunity to witness. He brought footage of never before seen marine life and discussed the impacts of climate change on arctic sea ice. Wow, he impressed us all! AND he shared with the audience that his undergraduate experience at SML was the start of his career path, providing the passion and skills to navigate his future. What a testimony to the power of this place to shape careers and personal passions!