Using Ocean Science Research To Inspire Ownership and Action in High School Students

To help foster an understanding  of the importance and efficacy of taking meaningful action to steward our fragile coastal ecosystems, Marine Biology students at Chadwick school have contributed their research to public consideration of the Marine Life Protection Act initiative. They spoke at the Blue Ribbon Task Force meeting and two Regional Stakeholders Group meetings, attended a Science Advisory Team meeting, and created a documentary describing their research efforts in the rocky intertidal of Palos Verdes that suggested the need for protection. Local scientists  consulted on the scientific protocols that were employed in the 5-year ongoing study and helped interpret the science guidelines of the MLPA. Students currently maintain a website highlighting their research efforts and their story was featured in an LA Times article on October 22, 2009. In these ways, the Chadwick students have been empowered to use scientific inquiry effectively to answer important questions, and to advocate for the coast they will inherit.