Whaling Museum

Hi Sea Fans!

I've been freezing here in the USA, but it's been sooooo worth it!  I've snuggled up inside a whaling museum to get away from all the snow (although making snow angels and having snow ball fights is good fun after everyone's finished work!) so that I can find out more about the job of a museum staff member.

I visited Bob, who's the Science Director at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts, and he showed me around:

This museum is 111 years old and it's the most comprehensive/complete museum devoted to the global story of whales, whaling and the cultural history of the region!!!

The staff at the museum are responsible for preserving (protecting so that it lasts a long time) and cataloging (sorting, labelling and putting everything together in order) the artifacts (objects/items), creating exhibits, 

A ship cutaway model so that you can see all the details inside a real ship.

writing about the history of the area and its connection to the ocean.  They also teach students of all ages (and their teachers).  The museum not only has exhibits that you can look at, but it has a library too which can be used by interns and students from around the world...they've even had some from South Africa!!!

During my visit I've been able to see so much, one of the best things was stepping onto the world's largest ship model called the Lagoda.

It's only half the size of a real whaling ship but boy, was it huge!  I also got to see the world's largest exhibit of scrimshaw. (This is artwork created on hard parts of marine animals...like teeth).  

I got to visit some of the artifact storage, including a large harpoon collection (which haven't been used since the 1920's)

and objects that belonged to whaling families (things like dolls, fine art, furniture etc.).

I even got to sit on the skull of a 14.6m sperm whale.

How cool!

Something which you would expect at a whaling museum is skeletons.   The museum has skeletons of 4 different species which they use to teach people all about whales, whale biology and whale conservation.

Me on a Humpback vertebrae.

While I was visiting, I was also lucky enough to spend some time with students from Rochester while they were learning all about food chains and food webs.

What an awesome visit and what a different kind of marine job!  Did you ever think about working in a museum?  Well, if you'd like to know more about museum jobs, why not visit your local museum and see if they have a marine expert and have a chat to them about their job.

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Chat soon.
Cheers!
Abby
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Jet setter!

Hi Sea Fans!

It's amazing the places that I've been, the people I've met, the animals I've been able to get to know and the things that I've seen.  Thanks to everyone who has hosted me in their country and hometown, I've had a ball!!  Nope, I'm not done yet, I just want to say thanks to the folks who've been a part of my journey so far:

• Alaska Fisheries Science Centre (Kodiak Lab), USA
• Alaska Sea Life Centre, USA
• Prince William Sound Science Centre, Alaska, USA
• Two Oceans Aquarium, South Africa

• Henley Marine Discovery Centre, Australia
• Tagai State College, Australia
• Tasmania's Woodbridge Marine Discovery Centre, Australia
• Naturaliste Marine Discovery Centre, Australia (Perth)
• Queenscliff Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre, Australia

• Veracruz Aquarium, Mexico
• Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, Canada
• California Science Centre, USA
• Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, USA
• San Francisco Mobile Aquarium, USA
• Oregan Coast Aquarium, USA
• Catalina Island Field Station 
• Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, USA
• Joides Resolution/DEEP EARTH Academy (Ship)

• Wrigley Marine Science Centre, USA
• Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Gulf of Mexico
• Florida Aquarium, USA
• Pier Aquarium, USA
• Mote Marine Lab, USA 
• Whale-Net (USA and Australia)
• Antarctic Research Station

I still have so many more people to visit and countries to see so keep enjoying the ride with me, Sea Fans, it's going to be awesome!

Cheers
Abby
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Cuttlefish Batteries

Hi Sea Fans!

Visiting all these different aquariums and marine facilities makes me appreciate the animals more and more.  One little animal that I've always loved and been fascinated with is the cuttlefish.

Photo: Nick Hobgood

This little guy is not only the beautiful cousin of the octopus, a colour-changing genius and a super swimmer, but it may also be the answer to many a medical problem.  Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have made an interesting discovery: cuttlefish ink can power tiny electric devices that could be swallowed or implanted in the body!  NO WAY!!!  How cool!!!

Normal batteries can be toxic (poisonous/harmful), but because the cuttlefish batteries use the animal's ink and manganese oxide (also non-toxic), it makes these animal batteries a lot safer for us to use...especially if we have to swallow something like a battery-operated pill that will act as a camera inside our bodies to check things out!

Cuttles are super duper little creatures if you ask me!  Just another way in which Nature shows us the way…

Have a great weekend Sea Fans!

Cheers

Abby

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Marine Discovery Centre in Henley, Australia

Hi Sea Fans!

Ok, so I'm getting another post in before the end of Jan - phew!  Tim from Henley, South Australia, invited me to come and see what they get up to and boy, was my visit an adventure.

They have Port Jackson sharks (very cool),

Photo: Richard Ling

seahorses, porcupine fish, trumpeters, bream and a blue devil from their local marine waters, River Murray Cod,

Photo: Codman at en.wikipedia

silver perch and yabbies (freshwater crayfish).

I got to try out their video-microscope which the learners use to look at beach combing items like crabs, Great White Shark teeth, seadragons, sea stars and much, much more.

I also tested their new interactive models which they design and develop themselves (very cool job!),

Go to http://www.marinediscoverycentre.com.au/Marine_Discovery/models/Models.html to see more!!!

their Diving website game and I caught up with their awesome volunteers (Tim reckons they're the best in the world : )).

Thanks so much Tim, it's always so interesting seeing animals from another country.

Have a look at their website (http://www.mdca.org.au/centres/henley-beach/) if you'd like to know more (I DEFINITELY recommend checking out their interactive models on the website) or if you'd just like to play some games:  http://www.marinediscoverycentre.com.au/Marine_Discovery/games/WhoEatsWho.html

Enjoy the weekend and chat soon Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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How did I miss December???

Hi Sea Fans!

I see that I didn't even get around to one single blog in Dec...and now I'm only going to have one in Jan.  So sorry to leave you hanging guys, I've been running around quite a bit.  From the US to Australia and back AND I'm trying to organise my next few stops in the US and then where I'll be going to after that.

Let me get you up to date first:

AUSTRALIA
I visited Tim at Tagai State College where he showed me how the students have been monitoring Seagrass for the last 8 years at the same locations (places).  The monitoring is done to pick up if there is any change in the meadow (the patch of Seagrass).  The way they do it is by taking photos in a set pattern (quadrants) so that they can make sure that it's done in the same way each time.

Here I am sitting next to a photo marker next to one of the squares (quadrants) in a Seagrass meadow.

Thanks to Tim and the Tagai students, nice to do something different again.

USA
I've been to Miami Seaquarium and the University of Miami to check out their nudibranch, cobia (a type of fish) and coral research.  For some silly reason, I don't have my pics sorted yet so I'll get those posted ASAP.  Thanks for hosting me Mark!

ANTARCTICA
I've got more photos coming for this trip too.

Have a great week Sea Fans and chat soon.
Cheers
Abby
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Evidence of my Travels so far

Hi Sea Fans!

I just wanted to share this with you because I thought it's very cool.  I'm collecting badges as I travel the world from the aquariums and other facilities that I visit.  I may have trouble getting through security checks at the airport with all this metal (he he he)!

Thanks to everyone who's hosted me so far, you've all been amazing and I hope we've inspired a few up and coming marine biologists.

Have a great week Sea Fans.
Cheers
Abby
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Jellyfish Ice Cream

Hi Sea Fans!

I couldn't believe this when I read it so I thought I'd pass it on for you all to read:

Glow-in-the-dark ice cream inspired by jellyfish!  Every lick makes it glow even more.  $225 a scoop though!

Photo: Lick Me Delicious (the creators of this ice cream)

The proteins in jellyfish have been recreated and put into this icy snack.

Check out: http://www.dairyreporter.com/Ingredients/Lick-it-and-it-lights-up!-The-jellyfish-ice-cream-that-glows

Have a great week Sea Fans!
Cheers
Abby
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