Rozalia Project Intern Blog: Academics inspiring action

This Rozalia Project blog entry is from Mary Richards. Mary comes from Beverly, MA and goes to school at Middlebury College in Vermont studying Environmental Chemistry.

I grew up two blocks from the ocean in Beverly, Massachusetts, a coastal town north of Boston. Every summer, for as long as I can remember, my extended family and I have visited Provincetown, Massachusetts, the town at the outermost tip of Cape Cod, for a week at the end of August. Growing up and vacationing on the beach had always been a privilege that I took for granted, until I came to Middlebury College, a small liberal arts college located in the landlocked state of Vermont. Before being at college, I had never realized how lucky I am to have had access to the ocean throughout my life thus far. 

At Middlebury College, I have recently begun the environmental part of my environmental chemistry major. With this semester dominated by classes representing various aspects of the environmental science realm, I have read and discussed in great detail the significance of the diverse ecosystems around the world and their vulnerability as a result of human activity. I feel that these mostly theoretical discussions in my courses this past semester have inspired me to want to apply my studies to an experience where I am able to directly observe and study the health of the environment. After spending so much time around the ocean – going on walks, runs, beach trips, sea glass searches, etc. – I found the chance to explore the ocean at a deeper level with the Rozalia Project to be an exciting opportunity. 

Because human well-being is so intricately linked with the health of the ocean, an ecosystem that makes up a huge part of our environment, I look forward to conducting research in regards to the impacts of pollution on marine wildlife, and how these effects relate to the consequences we experience on land. 

Rozalia Project Intern Blog: Immersed in the Blue Ocean

Today's Rozalia Project intern blog is from Julia Siar from Provincetown, MA. Currently, Julia is studying pre-veterinary at U. Mass Amherst and wants to work with marine mammals.

I was seven when I started sailing. I don’t think I was ever as terrified as that first time I went; it was a beautiful day in the beginning of July and my brother was to take me on my first sail ever. This would be comforting for most people, to have their brother with them, but I was even more terrified because my brother loved to scare the living day lights out of me. He was successful for the most part until our sunfish capsized. As I slipped off the side of the boat I was suddenly elated. That beautiful moment when you hit the water was like a euphoric trip for me. Then every day from then I would purposefully try and capsize. I soon realized that it wasn’t the actual capsizing that I enjoyed but it was being immersed in the blue ocean. So, I went from capsizing every second I could, to just jumping off the boat in water where you can’t touch and just swimming. To then catching all the jellyfish that I could possibly put in the cockpit of my boat. No matter what my mood it made me feel a million times better. I sailed at the West End Racing Club for the majority of my life and throughout every year the water became a closer and closer of an ally to me. I never feel more at home than the moments I can be connected to the ocean. The bay is my friend, as a good friend I am going to go on this journey so that I can protect something that has been so dear to me my entire life. 

Rozalia Project Intern Blog: The ocean is not just a playmate, nor a source of economic value; she is a partner

Next up in our Rozalia Project intern blog series is Inga Aprans from Gloucester, MA. Inga graduated from Salem State where she received a B.S. in Biology with an Environmental concentration and minor in Chemistry. As the daughter of a lobsterman, she has a unique perspective on the sea.

“If you spend too much time in the water, you’ll turn into a fish”, my father said to me as I horrifically looked at my legs. I was about nine years old and hadn’t yet discovered the benefits of skin moisturizer. Continuous swimming in the ocean coupled with the strong rays of the summer sun had left my skin dry and salty; flaky patches resembling scales had begun to pop up over my sun kissed legs. I was definitely turning into a fish. 

I comforted myself by thinking that we were probably all turning into fish, not just me. My three older brothers spent just as much time in the water. Growing up on the coast in Massachusetts, our summers were idyllically spent sailing, swimming and snorkeling . The ocean was our playground. 

As the years passed, one by one my brothers forfeited their weekend ocean play for work. My father is a lobster fisherman, and  my brothers’ coming of age ceremony consisted of 3 am wake up calls and rolling seas. Slowly, this small change in family life routine extended to a change in my perception of the ocean. I began to make sense of the magnitude of my father’s frustration at the dinner table when his catch was low that day, when draggers ran over his gear, or when due to weather, he didn’t get out at all. The ocean and her resources provided for us. When these issues occurred, they directly affected our livelihood. This solipsistic starting point was what initially propelled me into pursuing a career in fisheries and marine conservation. I wanted to protect what was mine; a healthy ocean meant healthy lobsters meant food on our table and the means to uphold our loving household and lifestyle. 

Once I was old enough to work alongside my father on the boat, I marveled at his familiarity, knowledge, and respect for the ocean. His motions were fluid and strong, and always was he paying attention to the water and adjusting to its will. By returning lobsters that were too big or too small, or those that had spawned or were to spawn, he worked to ensure there would be lobsters for future days and future generations. Through watching him I discovered that

the ocean was not just a playmate, nor was she just a source of economic value; she was a partner.

However, while I attended college the Northeast ground-fishery continued to collapse and I realized that while things seemed conservationally sound within my family, this partnership was not universally honored. As I watched members of my community fight against government figures and question the validity of science, I became determined to find a way to unite all walks of life who hold the ocean close to their heart. Everyone involved ultimately has the same goal: to keep the marine ecosystem healthy. To do that, our partnership must be maintained and improved. 

To me, Rozalia Project epitomizes the unification that I strive for. The combination of scientific research, education, and hands-on work all on a sailboat cultivates the type of community that I hope for.

The concept of “protecting what you love” rings so true to me. I grew up spectacularly, I was loved, well cared for and had the most beautiful playground. The nucleus of all of those experiences, and all those that have come after, is the marine environment. In the career choices I have made, I have tried to reflect my love for this environment and my desire to protect it. Being a part of Rozalia is the next step in my journey, and I couldn’t be more excited. 

Rozalia Project Intern Blog: Is that dawn? No, it's Los Angeles

It is almost time to board American Promise for our fourth season of cleanup, research and education and we have a spectacular group of interns from all over the country and from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

This post kicks off our series of intern blog posts. It is an opportunity to, not just show off our excellent interns, but also share with you their personal stories of what motivates them to get dirty, sandy, salty and muddy to protect our ocean.

The first is from Emma Hayward who currently attends the Eugene Lang College at the New School for Liberal Arts in NYC and comes from Cape Cod...

During a forty day ocean crossing, you realize how many things you take for granted during your life on land.  Cooking a meal on a flat, stationary stove, for instance, is something people never think twice about while engaging in a terrestrial lifestyle.  Realizing how safe and simple my life on land truly was did not surprise me.  What did surprise me, is what I came to take for granted about the ocean.

Earlier that day, my father had plotting our position on our chart.  We knew we were still a few days off of San Diego, perhaps about a hundred miles out.  He took the first watch that evening, and woke me for mine at eleven.  I was still opening my eyes as I climbed up the companion-way and clipped in my harness.  My father was sitting on deck, eyes straight ahead.

“Do you see that, Emma?” he asked, not taking his eyes off whatever he was looking at.  Up ahead, very far off, was a significant glow on the horizon.  It was light unlike any I had ever seen.  Completely mystified I asked, “is it dawn?”

“No. It’s Los Angeles.” 

This was the first time it hit me that our trip was going to end soon.  For thirty plus days we had enjoyed the ocean largely to ourselves, yet here was a colossal society, just waiting for us at the end.  I was angry.  Who did this city this it was?  Ruining my last few nights of star-gazing with its filthy light pollution.  I suppose beautiful, starry skies were something I had come to take for granted.

Joining Rozalia Project became important to me that night on watch.  I sat there for hours, sailing towards the blaring L.A. lights, wishing I could turn our boat around and sail right back out to sea.  I knew then, that if only people were truly aware of the majesty of the ocean, they would change their ways and do what they could to help it.  By combining research, clean-up, and education, Rozalia Project does its part to help people better understand the environmental issues in our oceans.  I feel very honored to get to work towards this goal with Rozalia Project.  

From Beachside Trash to Holiday Treasure

A vibrantly successful Long Island Sound shoreline cleanup takes an unconventional recycling twist through the efforts of eager Greenport School fourth graders and local artist Cindy Pease Roe 

On the morning of Tuesday, November 19^th, forty fourth graders and a handful of brave chaperones leapt off of a Greenport School bus and onto a gusty seashore at Truman’s Beach in Orient, NY. Using Rozalia Project’s marine debris record sheets, the students happily battled the beachside winds as they removed over 600 pieces of unnatural materials from one of their favorite summer spots. A sopping wet pillow and three dead rats in a plastic gallon jug later, the job was far from done. 

This second annual Greenport School beach cleanup was developed by local artist Cindy Pease Roe who has made her mark on the north fork of Long Island through all mediums of her creative genius within her studio that is tucked inside historic Hanff’s Boatyard in Greenport. Most recently, though, Roe has expanded her talent by transforming her personal collection of shoreline plastics into unique art forms. That is where the kids come in. 

When the data-filled clipboards were collected, and the heaping bags of marine debris gathered, the rubbish party reconfigured at Floyd Memorial Library for color sorting. As tables erupted with blue bottle caps, a yellow yo-yo, tarnished green rope and the like, the room buzzed with imaginative angst for what was to come. The students’ field trip continued the next morning when they joined Roe once again to craft holiday wreaths with their discovered, sorted and recorded materials. Afterward, these animated decorations were on display throughout Greenport School, decking the halls but also bringing awareness to a deeper truth. 

Of the nearly 650 pieces of recorded marine debris found, the most frequently occurring material was caps, lids and bottle tops, with 119 pieces recovered. In second was rope, coming in at 77 pieces, and third was plastic bottles, totaling 45. As most of Rozalia Project’s collected data has shown, our shores and waters are battling preventable pollutants. 40 fourth graders on Long Island shared these facts with their schoolmates and community through marine trash art; how will you encourage preventative action? 

This blog post is from 2013 intern, Kaleigh Wilson, a graduate of Roger Williams University. We asked Kaleigh to join Cindy and the Greenport students last fall to represent Rozalia Project and add an element of science and data collection to the excellent pickup and artwork that was already being done. We are grateful to Kaleigh for stepping up to participate and write this great report. In addition, Newsday Magazine published some articles about this event: 

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/li-life/rozalia-project-s-founder-seeks-help-for-waters-1.6542553

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/li-life/turning-beach-junk-cleanup-into-art-projects-1.6542224

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/greenport-students-make-wreaths-from-washed-up-plastic-1.6533763

Attention ocean scientists: Rozalia Project Fellowships onboard American Promise!

 Rozalia Project Fellowships onboard American Promise operating from Downeast Maine to the Chesapeake Bay

Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean invites scientists, researchers and ocean advocates on the subjects of marine debris, ocean pollution, climate change and more to join us for expeditions in the North Atlantic May-August, 2014.

Rozalia Project conducts its science expeditions from the 60' sailing research vessel American Promise, crewed by licensed mariners, Rozalia Project staff and interns. She is capable of crossing oceans, with a maximum crew of 9 people.

This Fellowship/guest scientist program is designed to share resources, give scientists extremely low cost opportunities to conduct research, access to underwater technology and expertise, and give Rozalia Project interns exposure to high level research scientists and their methods while we all work toward a clean and healthy ocean.

Rozalia Project is making 1-3 spaces available on each of three expeditions (below) for guest scientists through this fellowship program. Guest scientists will complete their own research alongside Rozalia Project's ongoing research and be a part of the daily interaction with our web based followers. American Promise is equipped with 2 ROV's capable down to 1000ft, side scan sonar, imaging sonar, 2 neuston nets, digital microscope, and ponar sediment grab.

The expeditions are followed by over 25,000 children across North America and beyond who will interact with the expedition and its work on a daily basis through web-based and satellite communication. We ask for $150/week food/supplies stipend, otherwise the spot is without charge.

May 19 - June 14

Rozalia Project’s primary objective: Direct action campaign - saving a species critical to our north Atlantic ecosystem, coastal marine debris work

Geographic location: US Atlantic seaboard (Maine - Chesapeake Bay)

2. July 6 - July 20

Rozalia Project’s primary objective: Ocean cleanup and testing Rozalia Project’s solutions to the problem of floating and shoreline trash: low by-catch net and using unmanned aerial vehicles for documentation of shoreline and surface trash

Geographic location: Gulf of Maine

3. July 27 - August 10 

Rozalia Project’s primary objective: Marine debris cleanup on the shoreline, surface and seafloor with a focus on outlying islands off the coast of Maine

Geographic location: Gulf of Maine, Downeast Maine

For more information or to apply: Call Rachael Miller at 802-578-6120 to discuss your research or send the following as soon as possible to rachael@rozaliaproject.org

• A brief overview of your department/organization
• Details about the work you would complete while aboard American Promise
• The CV, name and contact information of the person (or people) who would join us

We have had successful partnerships with scientists from the University of Exeter and the Ocean Conservancy and look forward to using American Promise to continue to further our understanding of the problems (and solutions) facing our marine environment.

Rozalia Project's 2014 Internship Program: exceptional people wanted!

Scientists, environmentalists, engineers, communicators, changemakers, movers and shakers wanted… 

for a demanding, problem-solving, data-collecting, ocean trash removing, robot operating, action-taking, sailing, educating, inspiring, career-advancing internship.

Join Rozalia Project for one of three 2014 expeditions onboard the 60’ sailing research vessel, American Promise. 

Following are the internships we have available this season. The right people are not just science and environmental studies majors, we consider and welcome people from any background and location. Ability to sail is not a pre-requisite. Being a great team-member, problem solver and someone who understands and is enthusiastic about Rozalia Project’s mission and the internship are prerequisites. Interns will take part in every aspect of the expedition. These internships are unpaid, we ask for a $150/week contribution toward food and supplies. Minimum age 18. Must love dogs (we have 2 Newfoundlands onboard).

1. May 19 - June 14

• Primary objective: Direct action campaign - saving a species critical to our north Atlantic ecosystem
• Geographic location: US Atlantic seaboard
• Topics, skills, activities emphasized during this expedition: fishery science and management, marine ecosystems, communication, neuston tows, data analysis, long distance sailing/passage making

2.  July 6 - July 20

• Primary objective: Ocean cleanup and testing Rozalia Project’s solutions to the problem of floating and shoreline trash: low by-catch net and using unmanned aerial vehicles for documentation of shoreline and surface trash
• Geographic location: Gulf of Maine
• Topics. skills, activities emphasized during this expedition: research and development, problem solving, robotics (aerial), surface tows, data collection and analysis, communication

3. July 27 - August 10 

• Primary objective: Marine debris cleanup on the shoreline, surface and seafloor with a focus on outlying islands off the coast of Maine
• Geographic location: Gulf of Maine, Downeast Maine
• Topics. skills, activities emphasized during this expedition: data collection and analysis, robotics (aerial and subsea), shoreline marine debris cleanup, communication

How to apply: Check out the full announcement then call, email, text, Tweet or send us a video… and tell us the following:

• Why or how Rozalia Project’s mission and work excites or inspires you
• Which expedition you would like to join and why
• Include your resume/cv

If you seem like a good fit (remember, we welcome all backgrounds, fit has more to do with attitude, energy and skills we need), we will contact you for a phone interview. That will be followed by us checking your references (we need 3: a teacher, an employer and a personal reference). Lastly, we will meet over Skype for one last conversation before we make a decision.

We use rolling admissions and will inform you of our decision either during, or soon after, the Skype interview. There are 3-6 internship opportunities per expedition. Spaces will fill up quickly!

Additional information about these internships can be found on rozaliaproject.org then click Interns & Crew under the Join Us tab. To apply: call Rachael at 802-578-6120 (mobile) or email your letter, or a link to your video, to: rachael@rozaliaproject.org