Quarterdeck Volume 6, Number 1, May 1998

News briefs

Ocean quiz competition a success World Oceans Day Teachers, here's an oceanography course designed just for you Brooks becomes associate dean of the college

Join us in celebrating the Year of the Oceans Ken Bottom receives the 1998 Support Staff Appreciation Award Jan Gundersen wins research award Take a virtual tour of Gulf of Mexico reefs--and pick up materials for your science class on the way

Ocean quiz competition a success

Ocean knowledge was a ticket to Washington, D.C., for five students from Flour Bluff High school in Corpus Christi, Texas. Kimberly Blake, Nate Culpepper, Nicole Hagopian, Amber Nagel, and John Strealy were the regional champions of the Texas A&M Regional Tournament of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) on February 28. The students and their coach, Susan Hickman, are headed to the nation's capital April 26-27, to compete against other regional winners for the national title and a trip to the International Year of the Oceans Expo in Lisbon, Portugal. Texas A&M was proud to be a regional host of the first National Ocean Sciences Bowl. We applaud the performance of all the teams. Calallen High School (Corpus Christi) took second place, Bryan High School took third, and other participating high schools were A&M Consolidated High School (College Station), Brenham High School, Eastland High School, Incarnate Word Academy (Corpus Christi), Madisonville High School, Martin's Mill High School, Ranger High School, and Round Rock High School. NOSB sponsors are working to make the bowl an annual event. Watch our web site for information about the proposed 1999 tournament.

Hector Gamboa (left) and Erik Guerra (right) of the Calallen High School team wait to answer a quiz question in the semi-final match against Bryan High School.

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World Oceans Day

Mark your calendar! June 8, 1998, is World Oceans Day. Want to get involved in protecting our oceans? Visit www.yoto.com/oceanaction/ on the web for a list of 10 things you can do.

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Teachers, here's an oceanography course designed just for you

This summer the Department of Oceanography will offer "Survey of Oceanography" (OCNG 600) as a short course during the second summer session of 1998. This three-credit graduate course provides a broad introduction to oceanography tailored to the needs of high-school and middle-school science teachers. Course material will be tied to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and emphasizes topics that will interest your students including El Niño, fisheries, global climate change, icebergs and the Titanic, and more. You will be introduced to the real-time data available through the WWW, and you will come away with hands-on materials you can use in the classroom. The course will be taught July 8-29 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Lectures will be presented through the Trans-Texas Videoconference Network (TTVN), so you can attend class at the TTVN site nearest you. For information about site locations see the "Sites and Contacts" page on the TTVN web site. Two weekend field trips to College Station and Galveston, Texas, will provide opportunities for hands-on experience in oceanography. For more information see the course web page at or contact Robert Stewart (rstewart@ocean.tamu.edu; 409-845-2995).

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Brooks becomes associate dean of the college

In January, David A. Brooks stepped down from his position as oceanography department head to begin his new position as Exec-utive Associate Dean and Associate Dean for Research of the College of Geosciences. In his new position, Brooks will be the dean's chief of staff, coordinate strategic planning, promote college teaching, research, and service activities, and serve as one of the principal representatives of the college. "We are delighted to welcome Dr. Brooks to the dean's office team," said David Prior, dean of the College of Geosciences. "His breadth of experience at Texas A&M can be valuably applied toward serving the developing needs of the college." Brooks has served as head of the Department of Oceanography since 1994. He has been at Texas A&M since 1978 when he moved from North Carolina State University. The selection of a new oceanography department head is well underway, and the new head will likely be named before May 15, 1998.

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Join us in celebrating the Year of the Oceans

The International Year of the Oceans is a worldwide celebration of the oceans-and a great opportunity to learn about the ocean and to get involved. Once the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1998 as the International Year of the Ocean, 102 member states agreed to serve as sponsors. During the Year of the Oceans, or YOTO, participating countries aim to promote awareness of the oceans and the marine environment as resources for sustainable development. Earlier this year, President Bill Clinton encouraged citizens to join in the worldwide celebration: "I invite all Americans to take this opportunity to learn more about the ocean and its vast biodiversity and to become involved in keeping our coastal waters safe and clean." As part of the YOTO celebration, several web sites offer ocean information: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) "Year of the Ocean 1998" site has information about ocean conservation and education plus marine science news and digital movies of the ocean. For details about YOTO events across the country visit www.yoto98.noaa.gov, also sponsored by NOAA. This site includes kids' and teachers' corners, and a list of 10 things you can do for the ocean. NOAA also offers a free poster and Educator's Guide at www.yoto98.noaa.gov/foryou.htm. The Intergovernmental Oceanography Commission's site features a marine education "classroom" with organized links to marine science teaching materials and much more. | At Ocean 98, also supported by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, visitors can download an Ocean 98 screen saver (Windows 3.1 and 95) and read about expeditions and activities. Looking to go global? This site's content is offered in Spanish, French, Dutch, and English. Expo '98 is the official site for the International Year of the Ocean celebration in Lisbon, Portugal (Caution: This site relies heavily on graphics).

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Ken Bottom receives the 1998 Support Staff Appreciation Award

This year's oceanography Support Staff Appreciation Award went to Ken Bottom, the department's head marine technician. Ken has served the department ashore and at sea for more than 30 years. Nomination letters for Ken noted his extraordinary knowledge of oceanography equipment and his essential role in keeping the department's ship operations open for business: "[Ken] has earned the trust and confidence of a grateful faculty and a reputation as the person to ask in the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) community when it comes to questions regarding oceanography equipment. For our department, whose credibility rests in large measure on a sea-going capability, Ken is truly an unsung hero." "few possess his level of dedication and loyalty" "If it were not for Ken, this department simply could not operate Gyre. He not only serves quite often in the capacity of head marine technician, but to provide much needed flexibility he cross-trained as deck engineer to help ease the strain on our marine operations personnel. Even when he doesn't actually go on a particular cruise, he always goes to Galveston to help prepare, mobilize, and demobilize." -from a nomination letter by Ed Shaar, Operations Manager

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Jan Gundersen wins research award

This month the Association of Former Students named oceanography graduate student Jan Gundersen winner of the Distinguished Graduate Student Master's Research Award. Gundersen's master's research focused on temporal and spatial variation of particulate matter and chlorophyll in the Arabian Sea, and formed part of the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (Arabian Sea Process Study). Gundersen's advisors were Drs. Wilford Gardner, Mary Jo Richardson, Neil Tindale, and Vatche Tchakerian. Richardson described Gundersen's research and thesis as some of the best master's level work completed here in recent years. "Several colleagues came to his [thesis] defense and commented on the high quality of his work and his presentation," she said. Gundersen graduated with a Master of Science in Dec-ember 1998, and now works as a Research Assistant for Gardner and Richardson.

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Take a virtual tour of Gulf of Mexico reefs--and pick up materials for your science class on the way

The "Reefs of the Gulf" web site is your online headquarters for a submarine tour of precious reef environments in the Gulf of Mexico. May 5-25, students and teachers can share the experiences and discoveries of Texas A&M oceanographers as they explore the gulf aboard NR-1, the U.S. Navy's only nuclear-powered research submarine. Scientists will be mapping and studying seafloor habitats at the Mississippi/Alabama Pinnacles, hydrocarbon seeps in the northern gulf, and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. The "Reefs of the Gulf" web site provides science materials perfect for a classroom setting. Stop by for a visit and learn about topics such as light in the ocean, sea turtles, life without light, oil seeps, reef-fish food chains, chemosynthesis, and more. Plus, you'll find plenty of details about the submarine, the study sites, and the particulars of the cruise. Visit "Reefs of the Gulf" on the web.

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Last updated May 1, 1998