Conference connects women professionals and potential scientists

Designed to connect leading female professionals with the next generation of potential scientists, the Girls in Ocean Science Conference is now in its second year at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

This program has been extended to two days of programming.

Every day, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the girls board a boat and sail through the Santa Barbara Channel to test the water, collect and explore the marine life that inhabits it, and join a prominent female scientist. Do a hands-on experiment.

They include:

— Holly Lophis, Marine Biologist, Naturalist, Educator, Santa Barbara. Maritime Museum Board of Education and the Jean-Michel Cousteau Society for the Future of the Sea.

— Penny Owens, Director of Education and Community Outreach, Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper.

— Julie Bursek, NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, studying offshore, shallow subtidal and intertidal systems and developing floating laboratory teaching and research programs.

— Lizzie Duncan, Research Ecologist, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, working to understand and monitor reserve resources, ensuring the integrity of Channel Islands ecosystems while balancing sustainable ocean use .

— Anita Giraldo-Ospina, Postdoctoral Fellow, UCSB, studies marine ecosystems and species that live on the seafloor, including algae, seagrasses, and corals.

— Callie Leiphardt, project scientist at the Benioff Institute for Marine Science, developing science and technology-based solutions to ocean problems.

— Kelsi Rutledge, PhD Candidate at UCLA, Visiting Scholar at California Institute of Technology and Defense Science and Technology Fellow studying the shape, biomechanics and fluid dynamics of marine animals with a focus on stingrays.

Co-chairs of the conference are Lohuis and Owens.

The Steinmetz Family Foundation has made this hands-on event possible for female scientists and up to 40 junior high school students and up to 48 high school students.

At the GiOS conference, female professionals share their lives, careers and interests with attendees.

“I’ve been very fortunate that my family has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and goals of pursuing a career in marine science,” Liephardt said. “Throughout my current career journey, I have always sought opportunities to help me learn and grow as an aspiring marine scientist. It made a positive impact.

“This was extremely important to me because I wanted to be a role model who not only did what I wanted to do and showed me that it was possible, but also willingly helped mentor aspiring female scientists. because there was

Giraldo-Ospina also had a supportive family.

“My family encouraged me to get an education,” she said. “They have always respected my career choice decisions and my ambition to become a researcher, and have supported me every step of the way.

“There are many women leaders I look up to in my career, but the most influential leader by far was my Ph.D. supervisor. However, it has given me enough independence to pursue my own research and make decisions.”

Lohuis said:

“What I especially enjoy is watching people develop a desire to work hard to protect our oceans and wilderness.”

Scientists say there is evidence that people are worsening ocean health globally. The ocean occupies more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface and provides her 90 percent of living space, and is essential to all known life, the Maritime Museum News said in his release.

Scientists have come to understand and appreciate the important fact that the ocean supports all life on Earth.

According to news releases, the ocean provides life-giving oxygen, regulates the climate, supplies the world with the proteins it needs, provides a place of spiritual connection, and is the interface between living things and the physical forces of the earth. maintain a delicate balance between

Marine scientists report that the oceans are warming and that these warming oceans are having a profound impact on ocean processes and marine life. Scientists say the loss of marine biodiversity today is staggering.

Through Girls in Ocean Science, participating student scientists learn about the importance of marine ecology and the conditions that make the Santa Barbara Channel highly productive and diverse wildlife.

Email: mmcmahon@newspress.com