Photo credit: Mackenzie BergstromThis past month, Cabrillo National Monument partnered with the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research to provide a unique, hands-on learning opportunity in the Rocky Intertidal Zone. Graduate students of the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) spent the afternoon with park biologist to discover marine resource monitoring and management techniques currently occurring at Cabrillo.
The Advanced Inquiry Program is a graduate program offered through Miami University's (Oxford, OH) Project Dragonfly, who partners with the San Diego Zoo to deliver experiential learning opportunities related to conservation. This program is focused on building capacity for conservation action and community leadership through inquiry-driving hands-on learning associated with local conservation issues. This fall, Cabrillo collaborated with the San Diego Zoo and AIP's Biodiversity of Southern California class to discuss how coastal/marine ecosystems are being affected by climate change, ocean acidification and other threats. The class heard about current research from our Marine Biologist, Johnny Jones, and worked with science communicator, Alex Warneke, to practice a number of ecological survey methods to monitor biodiversity in our tide pools.
Photo credit: Mackenzie Bergstrom
Photo credit: Mackenzie Bergstrom
Through collaborations like these we are helping to protect the amazing biodiversity present here in southern California! To learn more about this unique program, please visit: http://institute. sandiegozoo.org/opportunities/ aip-masters-degree-program