Marine Conservation of New England How can we improve our understanding of the marine environment through education, research, and conservation efforts?

Day 1

The Marine Conservation Project researched and presented on various marine animals, interviewed two sea turtle rehabilitators from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, conducted a mock sea turtle stranding, and began watching the documentary Blackfish.

Day 2

Pierce Island, NH. Beach Clean-Up with Blue Ocean Society

Alex Zheng "Today we went to Pierce Island to pick up trash. We were divided into three groups and went around the beach to recycle the trash we found on the ground. Through this activity, I realized that the trash that is harmless to us in our lives may cause harm to many animals in the ocean or in nature".

Talon Perkins "Today was a good day. We spent two hours doing a trash clean-up, which felt great to help out the community. Afterward we ate at a restaurant in downtown Portsmouth and I had a delicious burger. I’m looking forward to the rest of the week and excited for more fun in Boston!"

Day 3

The Marine Conservation Project had an unforgettable trip to Boston, where we visited the New England Aquarium for an exciting day of learning and exploration. We kicked things off by attending a seal training session, where we got to meet a trainer and see the incredible work they do with these amazing animals. Afterward, we explored the aquarium’s exhibits, and discovering marine life. To top it all off, we wrapped up the day with the breathtaking Call of the Dolphins film in IMAX 3D—an experience that left us in awe of these majestic creatures. A day filled with education, inspiration, and a deeper appreciation for marine conservation!

Day 4

Trip to the Museum of Science & Planetarium Show

Day 5

Dogfish anatomy & dissection!

Alex Zheng "One of the most surprising things about the dissection process was that it was not too difficult to cut the dogfish shark, and it was very easy to make a cut. And the internal organs were not as disgusting as I imagined, and I could easily follow the steps to cut open its belly and separate the organs. I think the more difficult part is to make the correct cuts without destroying the main part of the fish, because I can easily cut or miss some important tissues. Finally, it is also difficult to correctly compare the organs in the dissection diagram with the actual organs. When all the organs are mixed together, it is difficult for me to tell which is which. This also requires more research and practice on my part".

Oliver Jenkins "The dissection was a lot of fun, before we even did it I was looking forward to it just because I wanted to see what the inside of the shark look like. What was surprising is that they did not have that much things in their stomach, and their brain was very small, same with their heart. it was super difficult, cutting all the way through the bone, and try not to cut the main orders. But the hardest part was understanding what parts were what, like in the stomach. I had no clue what I was looking at just different things kind of nasty. but now I can say that i’ve dissected a shark before".

Armstrong Wang "Throughout the dissection today of the dogfish I learned that sharks really stinks. Also, the internal organs of sharks are majority in thin and long shape, which is different from man body. I also expected heart of the sark way bigger than what i see. What is also very surprising is that wen our group member dissected the shark, yellow liquid flowed out instead of blood, which I find very interesting".

Trey Farnsworth "The dissection was pretty fun overall. It was surprising in the sense that all the organs that are in a Dog Fish are located where they are inside of the Fish. Something that was difficult was the cutting process as Parker had to step away multiple times to take a break from the smell the Fish emitted. Other than that, the photos I was able to take allowed me to see the structure of the organs and their locations. I was also able to see the durability of the fish’s skin".

Isabella Baskins "This dissection was very different than the frog dissection I did my freshman year. This animal was much larger and it was a challenge to get the skin flap open because of how think its skin is. I learned about how to tell the difference between genders of the dogfish shark as well as how to locate its different organs. The dissection was a challenge but I learned a lot in a short amount of time".