SDSU Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL) Open House

Gadgets and Gizmos: The Tools we use for Science

The open house is a yearly event designed to showcase SDSU’s marine laboratory.  This event provides educational and outreach activities related to marine science and conservation in local marine ecosystems.  Visitors have the opportunity to interact with SDSU faculty and students and learn about local research being conducted at SDSU and CMIL.

Event Details

Date: March 9^th 2014

Time: 10 am – 4 pm

Location: CMIL, 4165 Spruance Rd., San Diego CA 92101

Event Website: http://mebsa.wordpress.com/annual-cmil-open-house/

Event Schedule: Throughout the day there will be interactive exhibits, research talks given by students and faculty, games, a marine life touch tank, SCUBA gear demonstrations, raffles, and much more!

10 am                   Doors Open

11 am                    Student Presentations, 11:30 Raffle

12 pm                   Faculty Presentation, 12:30 Raffle

1 pm                     Student Presentations, 1:30 Raffle

2 pm                     Faculty Presentation, 2:30 Raffle

3 pm                     Student Presentations, 3:30 Raffle

4 pm                    Doors Close

Ever wonder what goes on inside a marine research laboratory?  Ever wonder what gadgets and gizmos scientists use to study the marine environment?  Come visit the SDSU Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL) and find out! Meet marine biologists and scientists, interact with local sea creatures, and learn about San Diego’s diverse marine ecosystems.

As a collaboration of students and faculty at SDSU we are thrilled to invite you to our third annual Open House at the SDSU Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL) to occur on March 9th 2014 from 10 am to 4 pm. This a once a year opportunity where CMIL has opened its doors to the public and is a rare chance to experience what goes on at a working marine research laboratory.

The Open House is free and geared toward students, teachers, families and people of all ages and backgrounds. Our goal is to introduce the research conducted in San Diego’s own backyard.  The theme of this year’s open house is: Gadgets and Gizmos: The Tools we use for Science. Interactive activities will showcase the tools scientists at SDSU use to answer important research questions about local marine ecosystems.  Come find out how simple tools can help scientists tackle complicated questions!  Learn how to make artificial seagrass, measure kelp forest microbes, survey kelp forests using SCUBA, and much more!

Get to know SDSU scientists by attending presentations from graduate students and faculty members held every hour. Join the fun and even get the chance to walk away with great prizes from one of our many raffles like snorkel gear, museum tickets, and kayak excursions.

More About the Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL)

CMIL is SDSU’s marine laboratory based in Point Loma. The lab features a wetlab and seawater system providing a continuous flow of water from San Diego Bay. Other facilities include outdoor tanks and boat storage, a SCUBA dive locker, a machine shop, analytical lab, temperature-controlled rooms, and a conference room. CMIL offers opportunities for students and scientists to study the local marine communities in San Diego Bay and the surrounding coastal region, focusing on both applied and basic ecology in urbanized coastal ecosystems.

Ongoing research includes:

• Population ecology and behavior of fishes in kelp forests, embayments and marshes (Dr. Todd Anderson)
• Kelp forest ecology and the effects of ocean acidification on macroalgae and sea urchins (Dr. Matt Edwards)
• Seagrass community ecology, lobster ecology and behavior (Dr. Kevin Hovel)
• Soft sediment and invertebrate ecology in estuaries (Dr. Brian Hentschel)
• Chemical ecology of invertebrates and trophic interactions (Dr. Jeremy Long)
• Characterization of marine microbial communities (Dr. Liz Dinsdale)
• Coral reef microbial interactions (Dr. Forest Rohwer)
• Conservation ecology of turtles and shorebirds (Dr. Rebecca Lewison)