Impacts of local oceanographic processes on Adélie penguin foraging ecology

For the latest information on the project, check out the mission blog, follow the RU COOL research group on Facebook and Twitter, and view the posts on the work done in Antarctica to set up the field equipment on the Social window: ocean physics/penguin research in Antarctica Facebook page.

If you missed our special live Q&A and footage from a penguin colony, click to watch the archived versions.

Check out the Adelie penguin colony on Torgersen Island near Palmer Research Station through the United States Antarctic Program‘s webcams that auto-update every 15 seconds. Select the Torgersen Island Penguin Camera (the right tab along the bottom of the image)!

We’re in the news!

The April 17th Student Research Symposium was a HUGE success!

Liberty Science Center highlighted the event in a video summary.

The Star Ledger covered the event: Students Discover Real-World Science

myCentralNewJersey.com covered the Project CONVERGE Teacher Workshop in August: Penguins and Antarctica and climate change, oh my! Teachers CONVERGE at Rutgers with research team.

Project CONVERGE Overview

Participants worked with research scientists to learn about interdisciplinary oceanographic research taking place at the West Antarctic Peninsula in January 2015. This exciting research mission characterized the connection between ocean circulation, plankton distribution, penguin foraging behavior, and climate change.

Students learned the research mission science through a variety of activities including: classroom lessons, following mission blog posts, talking with scientists in Antarctica through Live Video Broadcasts, meeting the research scientists at a spring Student Research Symposium.

The experience exposed students to the content of the research mission and the process of science research. The program supported Next Generation Science Standards and addressed Common Core Math and English/Language Arts.

Highlights

★ Interact face-to-face with research scientists
★ Be exposed to the scientific process, critical thinking, and science communication
★ Learn about potential marine science careers
★ Increase awareness and understanding of the ocean and climate change

Details

Who? Science teachers (grades 6-9) from New Jersey and New York participated in this program.

What was involved?
– Summer Teacher Workshop (Aug 18-22, 2014, Rutgers University)
– Classroom Lessons (Fall 2014)
– Mission Blog (January 2015)
– Live Video Broadcasts from Antarctica with the scientists (January 2015)
– Student Open-Inquiry Investigations (Winter-Early Spring 2015)
– Student Research Symposium – scientist talks and student poster presentations (April 2015, Liberty Science Center)