Justin Grubb thought he had found a special place as a high school
student when he visited the marine laboratory at Bowling Green State
University."It looked cool. The students were working and getting hands-on
experience," Grubb said.Now a junior at BGSU, Grubb is one of five student
assistant lab coordinators. He spent five weeks last summer on an internship in
Costa Rica.Marine Lab Coordinator and lecturer Dr. Matt Partin points to Grubb
as an example of more than 150 students enrolled in the marine and aquatic
biology specialization program."The lab helps student retention, gives the
students a place to hang out, a place where they can belong to both the
(biology) department and to the university," Partin said. The program has
been growing quickly since the specialization degree was approved. It is the
only program of its kind in Ohio, Partin said.Dr. R. Michael McKay, Ryan
Professor of Biology and director of the marine program, said the specialization
gives students recognition for their work and makes it easier to track the
growth in the program. He said 70 students entered the program this fall.Partin
said it isn’t just biology students who take an interest in the lab. "The
treasurer of the Student Marine Biology Association is a business
major."Partin holds three degrees from BGSU and worked at an aquarium
before returning to BGSU in 1999 to oversee the marine lab."Students like
to show off their tanks to friends and family. They spend a lot of heir time
with the animals," Partin said.Many of the animals come from breeders but
the lab also collects some animals during field trips and accepts some
donations. "We only take what will do well in an aquarium," Partin
said.To help with student recruitment, Partin uses a showcase display outside
the lab featuring a digital picture frame of photos from field trips and boards
filled with business cards of alumni.Grubb started volunteering in the marine
lab as a freshman, taking care of a coral tank. He’s now responsible for four
100-gallon tanks, along with assistant coordinator duties making sure others are
taking care of their responsibilities.He has started a tank based on a Mangrove
tree system, which has a sting ray as its primary resident.In Costa Rica, Grubb
lived with a host family that spoke only Spanish. He set up a reef tank from
scratch there and showed students there how care for the tank. He also set up a
display at a Costa Rica street to educate tourists about the illegal exotic
animal market. Grubb said it is illegal to take shells from the country.
"The shells in the exhibit had been taken from tourists by customs,"
Grubb said.The trip also allowed Grubb to travel to a rain forest.Partin said
some student internships are done at BGSU but most are off campus. Some are as
close as the Toledo Zoo, while others might be as far away as South Africa.
Alumni play a key role in helping with internships.Partin said students also
help with tours of the BGSU herpatarium, the greenhouse and the marine lab,
which are given on Thursday mornings. All are located in the Life Sciences
Building. A highlight is a "touch tank" that allows visitors to handle
marine creatures. Public tours are usually conducted Thursday mornings. Groups
should make prior arrangements.McKay said young people interested in all biology
need to "take more than the minimum requirements in math and science
classes. The biggest challenge with low math skills is the amount of college
course work that will be required."He said instructors are being added to
help handle the growing enrollment and to expand areas of expertise, including
larger animals such as sea otters and dolphins.Started in 1963 by faculty member
Cynthia Stong and a group of students who put five 10-gallon tanks together with
animals from a field trip, the lab now has more than 50 tanks with more than
3,000 gallons of water."She has been a real rallying force for the program.
She has kept track of her students. It has been important to help keep older
alumni interested," Partin said. Stong received an honorary doctorate of
science education from BGSU a few years ago.A 50th anniversary event is being
planned for 2013 Homecoming
weekend.http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/biology/facilities/marine/mainpage.html