Ocean First Education brings the sea to life through high-quality, innovative marine science education and creates lifelong students and stewards of the sea.
Time is almost out to submit your application to be a part of A Rising Tide, Season 2. A Rising Tide is a documentary series that follows a collection of deserving, landlocked Colorado students as they earn their open water scuba certification, discover just how connected we all are to the ocean, and apply everything they learned while on a marine science research trip of a lifetime!
We are currently looking for five deserving students who are passionate about marine science, conservation, and learning how to address the future challenges that face the environment.
All applications are due by midnight November 30th and the winning scholars will be announced on December 14th. Submit your application today!
TIDES is a multi-year, immersive marine science program for students ages 12 and older that combines rigorous interdisciplinary science curriculum, hands-on learning, and confidence-building scuba training to unlock students’ natural curiosity and passion for the ocean.
The first step of the program requires that students earn their open water scuba certificate; this becomes their license to explore the underwater world in subsequent years. This exploration includes participating in The Nature Conservancy’s coral restoration program in St. Croix, marine mammal research with California Ocean Alliance off the coast of California, and measuring sharks and sea turtles with lasers and GoPros throughout the Caribbean and around the world. The research options are virtually limitless. How do you want to contribute?
TIDES is ideal for any middle or high school student interested in implementing a hands-on STEM program with a marine science focus. It is also a unique opportunity for a scuba shop to train future stewards of the ocean by helping them to garner the skills and abilities necessary to explore the ocean.
At about this time last year, I returned from a trip to San Diego to visit some family and was getting the ocean blues. Something about the ocean always inspires me and I was sad to say goodbye. As soon as we returned home, I wanted to go back to the ocean, but my family wasn’t exactly planning any trips back out soon.
I kept my eyes open for opportunities. I wore a trendy t-shirt that I had bought in California, which had an ocean conservation message on it. One day, a friend of mine noticed it and told me about a scholarship she was applying for. I had about forty-eight hours to record a video, edit and submit it, which wasn’t a whole lot of time. I decided to go for it. I was so excited and the possibility seemed so big. I anxiously waited for a reply to my video submission.
Josh Johnston is a year one A Rising Tide scholar. You can read his full blog here.
How well do you know the ocean? This regular feature will help acquaint you with our blue planet.
Topic: Wrasse
Wrasse commonly display sequential hermaphroditism. What? They have the ability to change sex at some point in their life. For example, when the dominant male of an area dies, the largest/strongest female will undergo a sex change and take over the newly vacated position.
Cleaner wrasse are often found setting up cleaning stations where larger fish and other marine animals can come to have their parasites removed. The bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, is one of the most common cleaner fish on the reef.
The humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus, is the largest wrasse species and can reach 2 meters in length (6.5 feet).
The smallest members of this group are the fairy wrasses, coming in at a dainty 6.5 cm (2.6”) in length.
Cleaner wrasse were the first fish species to pass the “Mirror Test” which determines the ability of visual self-recognition.
