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Thursday, January 29, 1998

A sea urchin hug

ENVIRONMENT: UCLA's Ocean Discovery Center educates community about life under the sea

By Teresa Jun

Daily Bruin Contributor

"Does it hurt?" asked 9-year-old Tiffany Adolphi as she peered into a tank filled with various marine creatures.

"No, it doesn't hurt," a volunteer explained. "Go on and give it a little sea urchin hug."

With that, the fourth-grader from Marin County reached into the tank and placed her finger on the surface of the spiny sea urchin.

"Mom! Hey, Mom. Are you seeing this?" asked Adolphi, smiling with interest, as the long purple spines of the marine animal instinctively wrapped around her finger.

The interactive touch tank is just one of several exhibits and activities at the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center (ODC).

Part of the UCLA Marine Science Center's public education and outreach program, the ODC educates people about the various marine creatures, ecosystems, and environmental problems dealing with the ocean.

The ODC, which is located on the beach level of the Santa Monica Pier, emphasizes the connection between the ocean and every person's quality of life.

Opened in September 1996, the ODC was inspired by a popular teacher training program called "Leadership in Marine Science." The teachers involved in this summer program pushed for a similar program geared for their K-12 classes.

"(The teachers) were so excited by the intensive marine science programs, so they wanted to bring their students too," said Chantal Collier, the ODC program coordinator. "(The ODC) was created in response to their requests to have a teaching aquarium center."

Focusing on the Santa Monica Bay as a case study, the center's aquariums display animals and plants that can be found in the Santa Monica Bay itself.

Usually hosting two groups of students a day, the staff and volunteers of ODC guide students through various activities such as discussion groups, watching films, observing animals in the tanks and under a microscope, and beach clean-ups.

Inside the center, one wall features an El Nino Bulletin, complete with clippings of the storm's effects on certain marine animals. Another wall boasts a "Pollution Solutions" mural, which offers waste dumping alternatives to help the environment.

At a small table, a schematic diagram of a shark's body parts invites people over to study it. Behind this table, a large tank full of various small sharks and bat rays draws people in.

Another large aquarium features moon jellies, which are related to the familiar stinging jellyfish. The luminescent moon jellies float around the tank gracefully as visitors watch.

"Most kids are seeing these things for the first time," explained Anita Amussen, an ODC assistant aquarist. "Some kids find such an interest that they come back with their parents every weekend. It's great. You see future marine biologists being born."

For much younger crowds, the center provides a table with crayons, markers, and scissors so students can take home their own artistic renditions of marine life.

What began primarily as a field trip program at the ODC very early blossomed into a public program because of Santa Monica's popular location.

While there aren't any specific programs designed for the public, the center welcomes the public on weekends for a small admission price.

"It's fascinating," commented Richard Weisdorf, a UCLA alum who visited the ODC for the third time with his daughter and 5-year-old granddaughter.

"Each time we come, they have additional displays. The most encouraging thing is the knowledge and attitude of the volunteers. They really know their stuff."

But perhaps the most popular feature at the center is the pair of touch tanks. Volunteers observed that kids often spend up to an hour at the touch tanks, "petting" a marine animal and listening to the interesting facts the volunteers offer. Some even get so attached to a creature that the next time they come back, they check back on how the same animal is doing.

"Usually, they'll come back with a parent and show them the animal that they like, explaining the things they learned about that creature," said one volunteer.

With all the care and attention that goes into maintaining the tanks of marine life and guiding student groups, the center probably could not operate without its multiple staff members and volunteers.

"I can't say enough about the volunteers," Collier said. "It's the volunteers that make this place happen. At any given time, there's usually 150-200 volunteers."

Ranging from students to teachers to business professionals and retired seniors, the volunteers participated in a nine-week training program and agreed to a one-year commitment to working at the center.

"Some come with some experience," Collier added. "But many come with a simple love for the ocean and the things living in it."

The ODC, which has seen thousands of students since its inception and is constantly booked for field trips weeks in advance, receives support from the UCLA Marine Science department as well as various private and corporate sponsors and educational grants.

The UCLA Ocean Discovery Center is located on 1600 Ocean Front Walk, on the beach level of the Santa Monica Pier. For hours and admission prices, call (310) 393-6149.

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