Thursday, January 29, 1998
A sea urchin hug
ENVIRONMENT: UCLA’s Ocean Discovery Center educates community
about life under the sea
By Teresa Jun
Daily Bruin Contributor
"Does it hurt?" asked 9-year-old Tiffany Adolphi as she peered
into a tank filled with various marine creatures.
"No, it doesn’t hurt," a volunteer explained. "Go on and give it
a little sea urchin hug."
With that, the fourth-grader from Marin County reached into the
tank and placed her finger on the surface of the spiny sea
urchin.
"Mom! Hey, Mom. Are you seeing this?" asked Adolphi, smiling
with interest, as the long purple spines of the marine animal
instinctively wrapped around her finger.
The interactive touch tank is just one of several exhibits and
activities at the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center (ODC).
Part of the UCLA Marine Science Center’s public education and
outreach program, the ODC educates people about the various marine
creatures, ecosystems, and environmental problems dealing with the
ocean.
The ODC, which is located on the beach level of the Santa Monica
Pier, emphasizes the connection between the ocean and every
person’s quality of life.
Opened in September 1996, the ODC was inspired by a popular
teacher training program called "Leadership in Marine Science." The
teachers involved in this summer program pushed for a similar
program geared for their K-12 classes.
"(The teachers) were so excited by the intensive marine science
programs, so they wanted to bring their students too," said Chantal
Collier, the ODC program coordinator. "(The ODC) was created in
response to their requests to have a teaching aquarium center."
Focusing on the Santa Monica Bay as a case study, the center’s
aquariums display animals and plants that can be found in the Santa
Monica Bay itself.
Usually hosting two groups of students a day, the staff and
volunteers of ODC guide students through various activities such as
discussion groups, watching films, observing animals in the tanks
and under a microscope, and beach clean-ups.
Inside the center, one wall features an El Nino Bulletin,
complete with clippings of the storm’s effects on certain marine
animals. Another wall boasts a "Pollution Solutions" mural, which
offers waste dumping alternatives to help the environment.
At a small table, a schematic diagram of a shark’s body parts
invites people over to study it. Behind this table, a large tank
full of various small sharks and bat rays draws people in.
Another large aquarium features moon jellies, which are related
to the familiar stinging jellyfish. The luminescent moon jellies
float around the tank gracefully as visitors watch.
"Most kids are seeing these things for the first time,"
explained Anita Amussen, an ODC assistant aquarist. "Some kids find
such an interest that they come back with their parents every
weekend. It’s great. You see future marine biologists being
born."
For much younger crowds, the center provides a table with
crayons, markers, and scissors so students can take home their own
artistic renditions of marine life.
What began primarily as a field trip program at the ODC very
early blossomed into a public program because of Santa Monica’s
popular location.
While there aren’t any specific programs designed for the
public, the center welcomes the public on weekends for a small
admission price.
"It’s fascinating," commented Richard Weisdorf, a UCLA alum who
visited the ODC for the third time with his daughter and 5-year-old
granddaughter.
"Each time we come, they have additional displays. The most
encouraging thing is the knowledge and attitude of the volunteers.
They really know their stuff."
But perhaps the most popular feature at the center is the pair
of touch tanks. Volunteers observed that kids often spend up to an
hour at the touch tanks, "petting" a marine animal and listening to
the interesting facts the volunteers offer. Some even get so
attached to a creature that the next time they come back, they
check back on how the same animal is doing.
"Usually, they’ll come back with a parent and show them the
animal that they like, explaining the things they learned about
that creature," said one volunteer.
With all the care and attention that goes into maintaining the
tanks of marine life and guiding student groups, the center
probably could not operate without its multiple staff members and
volunteers.
"I can’t say enough about the volunteers," Collier said. "It’s
the volunteers that make this place happen. At any given time,
there’s usually 150-200 volunteers."
Ranging from students to teachers to business professionals and
retired seniors, the volunteers participated in a nine-week
training program and agreed to a one-year commitment to working at
the center.
"Some come with some experience," Collier added. "But many come
with a simple love for the ocean and the things living in it."
The ODC, which has seen thousands of students since its
inception and is constantly booked for field trips weeks in
advance, receives support from the UCLA Marine Science department
as well as various private and corporate sponsors and educational
grants.
The UCLA Ocean Discovery Center is located on 1600 Ocean Front
Walk, on the beach level of the Santa Monica Pier. For hours and
admission prices, call (310) 393-6149.