The Nome ANSEP Acceleration Academy students spent the day with community partners learning about the scientific processes and various community efforts behind local water testing and emergency health monitoring! On the shores of West Beach in Nome, students participated in hands-on seawater sampling where they learned how to identify both beneficial and harmful types of algae species. The students were also visited by several belugas and seals feeding nearby! Afterwards, the students went to the UAF Northwest Campus Science Lab to examine their samples under microscopes and engaged in deeper conversations about harmful algal blooms in the Bering Strait region. By exploring the history of bloom events, response strategies, partner collaborations, and the urgent need for ongoing monitoring, Nome students were able to connect classroom learning with real-world science in their own community!
Thank you to local UAF Marine Advisory Program/Alaska Sea Grant Agent, Gay Sheffield; UAF Alaska Sea Grant Community Engagement Fellow, Kellie Miller; Director of Environmental Health at Norton Sound Health Corporation, Austin Ahmasuk; Norton Sound Health Corporation Laboratory Manager, Dr. Rolando Garcia-Morales; and Norton Sound Health Corporation Environmental Health Technician, Madeline Koweluk, for guiding students through the sampling process, sharing their expertise, and demonstrating how science plays a vital role in understanding and protecting our local environment!
Quyana to our local partners for inviting the Nome ANSEP Acceleration Academy students to learn more about local seawater monitoring efforts, scientific processes, and the important science happening on the Nome shoreline! Chin’an gu nin yu! Quyanaq! Gunalchéesh! Quyanaa! Qaĝaalakux̂!
