High school juniors studying at Bigelow Lab

Fri, 05/20/2016 - 10:45am

Sixteen Maine high school juniors will spend the week of May 22-27 at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences learning about ocean science research. They will work side-by-side with Bigelow Laboratory scientists, go on a research cruise, conduct experiments, and learn how to analyze results as part of the 27th annual Keller BLOOM (Bigelow Laboratory Orders Of Magnitude) Program.
The five-day summer workshop provides students with a hands-on experience to learn about the biological, chemical, and geological characteristics of the local marine environment and get an idea of what a career as a scientist might be like. Bigelow Laboratory researchers Drs. Nicole Poulton and David Fields lead the program. Students apply for the program and sixteen are selected from across all the counties in Maine.
All costs for participation are covered by private donations to the Keller BLOOM Program, named in honor of the late Maureen Keller, a Bigelow Laboratory scientist, to make it open and accessible to all.
“This is our 27th year of providing an opportunity for students all across Maine to learn about the ocean that is so vital to our lives here in Maine and beyond,” explains Poulton. “We are delighted to be able to share our research work and passion for the ocean with a group of amazing students who truly enjoy science. The students take home an appreciation for how much is known and yet to be discovered in the ocean. We, as scientists, end the program with a renewed energy provided by the students’ endless curiosity and excitement about our research here and learning more about the ocean. It’s a winning combination for everyone involved.”
The 16 Maine students who will be participating in the 2016 Keller BLOOM Program are:

  • Samantha Abelson, Kennebunk High School
  • Gretchen Barbera, Yarmouth High School8
  • Brooke Carleton-Wagstaff, Wiscasset High School
  • Mallory Caron, Camden Hills Regional High School
  • Sierra Dann, Maine School of Science and Mathematics
  • Cheyenne Esposito, South Portland High School
  • Thaddeus Gunther, Mount Blue High School
  • Sophia Hanscom, Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School
  • Elijah Laird Telstar Regional High School
  • Casey Pratt, Old Town High School
  • Noah Pringle, Mount View High School
  • Theo Seidel, Lincoln Academy
  • Emma Stinson, Mt. Blue High School
  • Victoria Tibbetts, Poland Regional High School
  • Kellen True, Telstar Regional High School
  • Ben Watson, Mount Desert Island High School