Marine Mammal Online Experience - July 2021
Now accepting applications for July 5-9 and July 19-23 2021
Interested in learning more about marine mammal research and conservation from experts in the field? The California Ocean Alliance invites you to sign up for The Marine Mammal Online Experience (MOE)! This is a unique and engaging one-week online educational course provides students of all ages the opportunity to work directly with world experts in marine mammal science and conservation. Each day we will explore the underwater world of seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, and sea otters, and share research approaches and analytical tool that help to enable marine mammal conservation. Participants are presented with a combination of exciting lectures, data analysis labs, virtual tours, and other interactive activities. Curriculum highlights include:
o Interactive lessons from researchers at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History on the evolution of marine mammals
o Virtual tours of seal breeding colonies in California and the newly-renovated marine mammal research facilities at UC Santa Cruz
o Analyzing video data obtained from multi-sensor tags placed on whales
o Learning about the use of drone technology to study the health killer whales
o Reviewing fluke ID matching and species identification in whales and dolphins
o Introduction to the underwater acoustic world of marine mammals
o Exposure to effective marine science communication techniques and presentation design
o Panel discussions with diverse leaders in the field about how to pursue a career in marine mammal science and conservation
Participants in this online course will:
o Receive a certificate of completion signed by active researchers noting each student’s accomplishments
o Form direct links to scientists researching and conserving marine mammals around the world
Course details:
o Daily Schedule: 9:00am-12:00pm PST Monday-Friday
o 2021 Summer Sessions: July 5-9 or 19-23
o Cost: $300/student (scholarships available for qualified families)
To apply, please visit the link below to purchase registration for 1 of the 2 weeks being offered this summer. Once registered, we will follow up with an informational e-mail on details of the course, how to access content, and a detailed schedule for the week! Please do not hesitate to contact us at ccasey@caoceanalliance.org if you have any questions.
Here is YOUR opportunity to engage in this unique and exciting marine mammals course.
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to inspire the next generation of marine mammal biologists, and all you citizen scientists out there! Sign up today and see you in July!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I want to participate, but don’t think I can cover the costs of the course - is there financial support available?
A: Yes! If you want to take the course and would like to be considered for financial assistance to cover the costs of tuition, please e-mail both ccasey@caoceanalliance.org and kristin@caoceanalliance.org in one e-mail and tell us:
1) Who you are
2) Why you would like to take the course
3) Why you are requesting financial support to cover the costs of tuition
We will review your request, and if you are selected to receive a scholarship you will be provided with additional instructions on how to enroll without paying the course costs.
Q: I am interested in taking the course, but won’t be available for the entire time because of other scheduling conflicts. Will the course material be available to me outside the 9:00am-12:00pm timeframe?
Yes! We recognize that you may have a busy schedule. If you would like to take the course asynchronously, all of the lecture videos, Powerpoints, and associated materials will be available to you through our online learning platform.
Q: I am not a high school or college student, but am very interested in taking the course. Can I enroll?
Possibly! We are encouraging high school and college students to enroll first, however if by June 20th the class is not at capacity, we will open it up to all those individuals who are interested in participating in the program.