Marine-Protected Area Open Now for Science Cruise by Newport Landing Whale Watching

Newport Landing Whale Watching program has recently partnered with Newport Landing Sportfishing and Crystal Cove Alliance to create the Protected Area Citizen Science Cruise.

Newport Beach – June 22, 2015 /PressCable/ —

An exciting new opportunity is available for those who have an interest in whale watching with the Newport Landing Whale Watching program. They have recently partnered with Newport Landing Sportfishing and Crystal Cove Alliance to create the Protected Area Citizen Science Cruise. The Crystal Cove Marine Conservation Area is being carefully monitored by a unique team that includes Newport Landing Sportfishing, local scientists, and Start Park resource managers as well as participating students and teachers.

Crystal Cove State Park is now providing students with an amazing opportunity to be a part of this education program which will allow them to get out on the water in order to perform real scientific research and participate in monitoring activities alongside a team of specialists. Students who are able to participate will board a fishing boat that has been modified to become a research vessel, and can then become scientists in the Marine Conservation Area of Crystal Cove State Park. Marine resources can be profitable to everyone involved, which is why working together to protect and monitor them is vital to their survival.

The Crystal Cove Alliance is also offering a learning community for new teachers known as the Teacher Learning Community. This has been set up for teachers who are a part of the MPA Citizen Science Cruises so that they can apply to be a part of the program. This community made up of teachers work together to provide fundraising ideas to each other as well as lesson plans and other valuable teaching resources. Those who are interested in joining the Teacher Learning Community should call as far in advance as possible because there are a limited number of spaces made available every year.

One of the benefits to being a member of the Teacher Learning Community is that each member receives a $250 scholarship that can go toward their cruise. Other benefits include being able to access various pre-trip and post-trip lesson plans and activities that have already been developed, used, and tested by other teachers who are part of the program. There are other financial aid opportunities that also come with being a member. In exchange for these benefits, teachers are expected to be a part of a professional development day that will help prepare them for taking on a facilitator’s role during the trip. It will also help them plan lesson plans leading up to the trip and following the trip.

Interested parties can find more information about the scholarships that are available for teachers interested in joining the Teacher Learning Community by visiting Crystal Cove Alliance’s website. For those who are not interested in committing to being a part of the Teacher Learning Community, they are still welcome to schedule a field trip through the Newport Landing staff members.

The MPA Citizen Science Cruise lasts approximately three hours and will provide students from grades 7 through 12 with opportunities to explore the protected waters of the Crystal Cove State Park. There are three different monitoring projects that students may choose to be assigned to: Water Quality Investigation, Plankton Investigation, and Digital Fishing Investigation. Some activities a student may participate in during these projects include collecting water samples to check their quality, collecting and then getting a close-up view of plankton, and dropping a specialized digital camera into the expansive kelp forest which will give them a unique look at the life under the ocean’s surface. The data collected by students on these science cruises will be given to local scientists as well as resource managers who will use the data to make decisions about how they may best protect this area.

More Information About Newport Landing Whale Watching

Newport Landing Whale Watching can be found in Orange County and is just a few minutes outside of Los Angeles. They offer several whale watching trips every day which depart from Newport Beach. These whale watching tours are offered throughout the year. To find out more about Newport Landing Whale Watching and the many opportunities they offer, feel free to visit their website at: http://www.newportwhales.com/. The website can be found by key phrases Whale Watching San Diego or Whale Watching Dana Point in the search engines.

For more information about us, please visit http://newportwhales.com/

Contact Info:
Name: Newport Landing Whale Watching
Email: Jessica@NewportWhales.com
Organization: Newport Landing Whale Watching
Phone: (949)675-0551

Release ID: 85081