EPA research vessel docks in Clayton, NY (July 2013) скачать в хорошем качестве

EPA research vessel docks in Clayton, NY (July 2013)

Teachers from all over are becoming the students in the North County this week. They're spending some time on Lake Ontario learning about the Great Lakes. YNN's Carmella Mataloni tells us what they're discovering. CLAYTON, N.Y. -- Starting in Youngstown and working their way up, 15 teachers from five different states have been on the EPA Lake Guardian research vessel since last Saturday. While on 24 hour watch rotations, the group has stopped at over a dozen research sites, taking water samples from the Great Lakes. "It's important to get the teachers out and involved so they can take it back to their classrooms. So we spend time talking about what the problems are in the Great Lakes," said Dr. Greg Boyer, a professor with the SUNY system. After they collect water samples, they use on board labs to study their samples and analyze chemistry and water quality. In Clayton Wednesday, teachers got a closer look at what types of fish, insects and algae can be found along in the lake. All the information collected will soon be used in the U.S. EPA and Environment Canada study on the health of Lake Ontario. "They are actually getting to collect real data that is then used by the EPA as part of the greater information base," said Helen Domske, New York Sea Grant Senior Extension Specialist. "I am really gaining new perspectives on our Great Lakes watershed and the role that all of us, whether we are scientists or not, play in maintaining that resource," said Italo Baldassarre, an elementary teacher in Niagara Falls, New York. Educators say participating in this type of hands on project gives them a better understanding of aquatic research. That way when they get back to their classroom, teaching it to their students will be much easier. "The education you get behind traveling is engrained. You learn so much more when it is hands on than if you read out of a book," said Tonia Henry, a middle school teacher from Minnesota. Before heading back to Youngstown, the vessel will dock at one more research stop in Oswego. If you would like to learn more about the research vessel and track its progress, visit www.nyseagrant.org/blog