NOAA Science Camp is celebrating its 10th year of bringing middle-schoolers, NOAA scientists and camp staff together to explore marine science through fun, hands-on activities.
This year, campers will hear from the National Ocean Service’s Office of Response and Restoration (ORR) about marine debris from the 2011 Japan tsunami. ORR will discuss potential ocean paths of tsunami debris and connect this issue to other marine concepts that campers are learning about.
Through Science Camp’s Junior Leadership Program, now in its second year, participating high-school students develop camp leadership skills and gain exposure to NOAA science careers. The two-week leadership program runs concurrently with the NOAA Science Camp sessions.
Who: Youth entering seventh and eighth grades in the fall of 2012
Where: NOAA’s Sand Point Facility on Lake Washington, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle
When: Session I: July 9-13, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Session II: July 16-20, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Note: Visitors must have security clearance from NOAA. Please call Maile Sullivan in advance to make arrangements — (415) 377-8812
- In addition to learning about tsunami debris, campers will:
- Try on dive gear and simulate a dive in a hyperbaric chamber
- Learn about the challenges faced by salmon during their life cycle and how chemicals in the water affect fish behavior
- Find out what marine mammals feed on and where they go
- Analyze water samples and see how buoys sample the ocean to help predict large-scale climate events
- Learn about hazardous substances and how to respond to an oil spill
- Learn about wind and weather
The week culminates with a scientific symposium, at which the campers share the results of their small group projects with family, friends and scientific experts. Each person attending the camp leaves with increased environmental knowledge and an awareness of how NOAA science applies to their local and global communities.
NOAA Science Camp is a grassroots effort to increase environmental literacy in the
Puget Sound area and help campers gain an understanding of environmental issues in their own communities. Event sponsors are NOAA, Washington Sea Grant and the Joint
Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean.
Based at the University of Washington, Washington Sea Grant provides statewide marine research, outreach, and education services. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce.
