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ReportforCMOS
ProjectMaury2018CanadianParticipantAndrewYoung-Courtenay,B.CWHEREICOMEFROMI’veneverreallystrayedtoofarfromthewaterthroughoutmylife.Inmyearlyyears,IlivedalongthelakeshoreinOakvilleonlytofindmyselfasayoungteenwatchingthewavescrashontheshoresoftheAtlanticwhilelivingacrosstheharbourfromHalifax.ThroughoutmyadultlifeI’velived,lounged,loved,laughedandworkedonthewestcoastwiththemightyPacificlappingatmyfeet.Byplane,train,carandbusI’vetraveledtheinnerbitsofourcountry,butithasalwaysbeenthemarginsthathavedrawnmein;thecoastshavealwayscalledmyname.Forthepast23years,IhavebeenincrediblyfortunatetocallVancouverIslandmyhome.LivingonanislandoffthewestcoastofCanadawiththeSalishSeatotheeastandthePacificOceantothewest,onewouldbehardpressedtofindadaywheretheoceanthatsurroundsusdoesn’tmakeasignificantimpactonourlives.Thedailyweatherwelivewith,thetransportationofgoodsandpeopletoandfromourisland,theindustryandjobsweworkat,thevibrant,dynamicanduniqueIndigenousculturesandourcollectivehistoryonthisisland,thefoodweeat,theairwebreathealldependonthePacificthatsurroundsus.So,iftheoceansarethelifebloodofplanetEarthandplaysuchacentralroleinourlives,oneworkthinkthatthetopiciswellcoveredinoureducationsystem,right?Wrong.Nowletmestate,I’malsoatfaulthere.Iambothaphysicalandhumangeographyteacherforgradetwelveandelevenstudents.AlthoughIdohaveunitsoncoastalgeomorphology,climatology,meteorology,andtectonicsinmyphysicalgeographyclass,mycoverageofoceanographyismarginalatbest.Inmyhumangeographyclass,Icoverunitsondevelopment,transportation,agricultureandurbanizationandgiventhatabout40%oftheworld’spopulationliveswithin100kilometersofthecoastthedearthofcoverageIgiveoceanographyiswhollyinadequate.ThisiswhyIwasexcitedwhentheCanadianMeteorologicalandOceanographicSociety(CMOS)andtheCanadianNationalCommittee/ScientificCommitteeonOceanicResearch(CNC/SCOR)offeredaCanadianteacherthechancetoparticipateintheAmericanMeteorologicalSociety/UnitedStatesNavalAcademyProjectMauryworkshop.
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OVERVIEWThegoaloftheMauryProjectistoprovideteacherenhancementonthephysicalfoundationsofoceanographyforscienceteachers.Assuch,IwaspreparedtoabsorbasmuchinformationasIcouldoverthetwo-weekworkshopattheUSNavalAcademyinAnnapolisMarylandandabsorbIdid;mybrainisfigurativelyfull.Theco-coordinatorsDr.DavidR.Smith,retiredprofessorandformerchairmanoftheNavalAcademyoceanographydepartment,andMs.WendyAbshire,EducationDirectoroftheAmericanMeteorologicalSociety,setoutanambitiousanddetaileditineraryforthe23AmericanparticipantsandtheloneCanadian(me)tofollow.Dailyworkintheclassroomincludedlectures,theexaminationofteachingmodules,anddemonstrationsforlabworkconnectedtothetopicswecovered.CommanderWilliamSwick(USN),CommanderShawnGallaher(USN),CommanderJohnBleidorn(USN),Dr.JosephSmith,andotheresteemedfacultygavefascinatingconversationsonawiderangeoftopicsincluding:oceanwatercolumnstructure;oceanbiogeochemicalprofiles;openoceancirculationandfluiddynamics;oceanacoustics,soundspeedvariabilityanddetectingobjectsintheocean;thermohalinecirculationandglobalheattransfer;andindividualoceanoverviews.Imustadmit,beingthelonegeographerinacrowdfullofphysicsandchemistryteachers,thereweremomentsduringthelectureswhenIdidfeelabitlost,mostlywhenformulaeshowedupontheoverhead,likethesimplifiedlinearapproximationtotheequationofstateforseawaterortheformulaforthetransferofheatacrosstheoceansurface…
𝑸𝑻𝒅𝒕 = 𝑸𝑺 − 𝑸𝒃 − 𝑸𝒆 − 𝑸𝒉 𝒅𝒕 = (𝒄𝒑 ∗ 𝝆 ∗ 𝜟𝑻)𝒅𝒛𝒁
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Havingsaidthattheinstructorstookpainstoexplainthephysicsoffluiddynamicsandoceanchemistryinamannerthatthecommonlaypersoncouldunderstand,andthegeneralconceptswereeasilytransferrabletoavarietyofsubjectareas.WhatIwasinterestedindoingwasseeingconnectionsamongsttopicsinageographicperspective.Makingconnectionsbetweenopenoceancirculation,globalheattransfer,oceanbiogeochemicalprofiles,andcoastalupwellingallowsforabetterunderstandingofnaturalresourcedistributionandthecooperationandconflictthatarisesbetweencompetinginterestsforthem.ThisiswhereIspentmytimeintheclassroom,furiouslyscribblingnotesaboutteachingideasforphysicalandhumangeography.WhatIfound,isthatIlearnedagreatdealandfoundwaystoapplythatlearningtothecoresubjectIlove,whichreallywasthegoaloftheMauryProject.WealsogottocompletesomemodelteachingthroughcooperativeactivitiesandteamdemonstrationsforlabworkconnectedtothesetofMauryProjectteachingmodules.Ofcourse,adaywouldnotbe
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completewithoutthepoeticwordsofMatthewFontaineMauryfondlyespousedbyretirednavaloceanographerandinstructorextraordinaireDonMcManus.
Fig.1-AndrewYoungteachingamini-lessononpressureNotonlydidweworkonsometheoreticalphysicaloceanographyintheclassroom,wealsodidsomepracticalworkinthefieldaswell.OutintheChesapeakeBay,onthenavalresearchYardPatrolCraftYP-686,wedeployedaRosetteCTD,toanalyzetheconductivity,temperature,pressureofaverticalcolumnofseawater,alsotakingwatersamplesatdepth.TheCTDwasloweredintothebaybyahydraulicwinchatthesternoftheboatandweanalyzedthemeasurementsonacomputergraphwhiletheCTDwasstilldeployed.Wealsousedarefractometertodeterminethesalinityofourwatersamplesthatwetookatdepth.Inaddition,wedeployedaProfilingNaturalFluorometer(PNF)alongwithaSecchiDisktomeasurethedepthoftheeuphoticlayerintheChesapeake.Inaddition,weconductedacoastalanalysisatMatapeakeBeachonKentIsland.Usingabeachseine,welookedfornektonicorganisms(wedidfindafewsmallbluecrabs).Beingageographer,Iwasreallyathomewhenweusedtopographicsurveyingequipment(agradingrodalongwithalineandtransit)tocreateabeachprofiletoexaminebeachmorphology.Theseactivefieldstudiesallowedustoconnectpracticalexperiencestothein-classlecturetopicsofoceanographythatweexplored.Alongwiththeactivefieldwork,wealsomadeourwaytotheNationalAquariuminBaltimore,NOAAheadquartersinSilverSpring,andNASAGoddardSpaceFlightCenterformorelearningopportunities.
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Fig.2-AndrewYoungtrainingwithanddeployingaRosetteCTD
Fig.3-Checkingtheseineforaquaticlife
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Fig.4-AndrewYoungandMatthewSchneider(OH)collectinginshoresamples
BIGTAKEAWAYSTwobigtakeawaysfromProjectMauryformewereconnectionsandknowledge.Ialreadyhadabasicunderstandingofoceantopography,thermohalinecirculation,shallowwateroceanwaves,oceantides,andtheprocessesofcoastalgeomorphologybutthedepthofinformationpresentedtouswasamazing.Thiswas,forlackofabetterphrase,atwo-weekcrashcourseinphysicaloceanographyandwewerefullyimmersedinthesubject.InowhaveamuchmorecompleteunderstandingofoceandynamicsandthatbodeswellforthegeographyclassesIteach.ThisisalsoespeciallyimportantgiventhecurriculumrevisioningprocessthatwearecurrentlyinvolvedwithinBritishColumbia.Ineededtoknowmore,andthisopportunityprovidedmethat;mystudentswilldirectlybenefitfrommyparticipationinProjectMaury.Sotoo,however,willthoseofmycolleagueswithwhomIworkinBritishColumbia.Aprovincethatissofortunatetohavesuchanincrediblecoastlineneedsteacherswhocannurturestudentinterestintheocean.Thescientificstudyoftheoceanhasapplicationsacrossallstudiesinschool;theopportunitiesforcrossandco-curricularstudies,projectsandfieldworkarevirtuallylimitlessand,astheposterintheNOAAheadquartersstated,“AllLifeDependsontheOcean”.
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SONOWWHAT?AsagraduateoftheMauryProject,IcarrytheresponsibilitytosharewhatI’velearnedandfurthertheunderstandingofphysicaloceanographywithmycolleaguesandpeers.IhavearrangedtoconductaprofessionaldevelopmentworkshoponwinddrivenoceancirculationandcoastalupwellingforbothScienceandSocialStudiesteachersthisAugustinmyschooldistrict.IwillalsobepresentingaworkshoponwinddrivenoceancirculationandElNiñoattheBritishColumbiaSocialStudiesTeachersConferenceinOctoberthisyear.Hopefullythat’sjustthestart.IwasfortunateenoughtoattendProjectAtmospherein2000;eighteenyearslaterIstillusethemeteorologicalmaterialIlearnedthenwiththestudentsIworkwithnow.InthewordsofMatthewFontaineMurray,“Thewondersoftheseaareasmarvellousasthegloriesoftheheavens”.ItseemsprettycleartomethatthematerialIengagedwiththissummerwilltumbledownmyremainingyearsofteachingbothHumanandPhysicalGeographyandbeyond;oceanandsky.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSIameternallygratefulforthepeopleandorganizationswhoputtogetherthisopportunity.Firstandforemost,IwanttothanktheCanadianMeteorologicalandOceanographicSociety(CMOS)andtheCanadianNationalCommittee/ScientificCommitteeonOceanicResearch(CNC/SCOR)forselectingmeastheloneCanadianparticipant;supportingtheopportunitytoattendandlearnatProjectMaury.ThankyoutoCanadianGeographicEducation(CGE)andtheRoyalCanadianGeographicalSociety(RCGS)forpromotingthisopportunitytoitsmembership.IwishtothanktheAmericanMeteorologicalSociety(AMS),theUnitedStatesNavalAcademy(USNA),theCaliforniaUniversityofPennsylvania(CalU-Penn),andtheUnitedStatesNavy(USN)fornotonlymaintainingbutbeingchampionsforProjectMaury.IwishtogivethankstomyAmericanteachercolleagues/fellowparticipantsatProjectMaury,y’allweresowelcomingandIlearnedagreatdealfromyou.Lastly,IthinkIcanspeakforeveryonewho’vegonethroughProjectMaurywhenIsaythatthisprofessionalworkshopexperienceisinnosmallamounttheresultofthepassionoftwophenomenaleducators,DavidR.SmithandDonE.McManus.IwasluckyenoughtocatchbothtogetherasthiswasDon’slastyearwiththeprogramandnextyearDavidwilltakehispartingbowaswell.Building,growing,maintainingandnowtransitioningothersintothisprogramwasnosmallfeatforthesetwo.Justfromtheparticipant’sview,theamountofenergyrequiredtoorganizeandrunProjectMauryappearedtobeoverwhelming,yetthesetwodedicatededucatorstransferredtheirpassionforoceanographyinwhatseemedtobeaneffortlessmanner.Thankyou,DavidandDon,forbuildingsucharewardingprofessionaldevelopmentopportunity.
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Fig.5-2018ProjectMauryparticipantsandstaff
