Open House

Welcome to Moss Landing Marine Labs!

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Michelle Marraffini

Invertebrate Zoology and Molecular Ecology

Have you ever wondered about the secret life of deep sea fishes?  Or what the inside of a whale looks like?  Have you touched one of the largest sea slugs in the world?  Well, visitors to this year’s Open House at MLML got a chance to do all of this and more!   Over the course of this two day event students, faculty, and staff opened their labs and their minds to over 2300 visitors of all ages from around the Monterey Bay area.  If you missed it come on a tour with me and walk through the labs.  At the first stop we see a large mahi mahi fish and skeletons of local and far away fish.

Fish skeleton to be viewed but not touched in the Ichthyology Lab
Mahi Mahi
Mahi Mahi on display at Open House

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Drop-In to MLML Open House: Get Your Hands Dirty

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Head to the Geological Oceanography Lab to get dirty with science!

The Geological Oceanography lab rocks, literally.  The rhodolith pictured here is made from calcium carbonate much similar to the bone in our bodies.  This alga makes beautiful sand beaches we all enjoy.  To learn more about beach formation and the different organisms and rocks that make up the sand beneath your toes, stop by the Geology lab at Moss Landing’s Open House.

http://openhouse.mlml.calstate.edu

Drop-In to MLML Open House: Hang With a Scuba Diver

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The MLML Dive Program will be present sharing information about the program here.

Be sure to check out the SCUBA diver hanging somewhere in the MLML halls at Open House this weekend.  The MLML dive program will have a booth to discuss the program and classes offered here.  We will have SCUBA gear on display, and can share many stories of diving in the beautiful waters of Monterey Bay!

MLML Open House is Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1.

Drop-In to MLML Open House: Algae are Tasty and Fun!

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Learn about algae and why we rely on it!

During Open House, you can come on down to the Phycology Lab  (from phykos, meaning seaweed) and check out different red, green and brown algae.  Learn about agar and carrageenan, which are polysaccarides or carbohydrates that come from algae.  They are in shampoo, diet shakes, soy milk, toothpaste and even ice cream!  We will most likely have some ice cream for people to see the carrageenan in the ingredients and do a taste test!

MLML Open House is Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1.

Drop-In to MLML Open House: The Fish was THIS BIG!

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photo: E. Loury

Visitors to the 2010 Open House pay their respects to a large Mahi-mahi laid out in state.  We will have some other interesting fish on ice for you to take a close look at this year.  Can you imagine making a painted print of a fish this size? Some MLML students actually gave it a try! You can make your own fishy artwork at our fish-printing station, be sure to stop by!

MLML Open House is Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1.

Drop-In to MLML Open House: Track a “Sea Lion” Through the Halls

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"Track Me!" reads the label on Tamale's collar (photo: E. Loury)

If something small, furry and tagged bumps into your leg during Open House, don’t worry – it’s probably just a student’s pet posing as a marine mammal!  These visitors below have successfully tracked down Tamale the would-be sea lion by following the beeping noises transmitted from Tamale’s tag to their receiver antenna.   Scientists in the Vertebrate Ecology Lab use this method to relocate their tagged animals in the field.  Come to our Open House to give it a try for yourself!

MLML Open House is Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1.

photo: E. Loury

Drop-In to MLML Open House: Hagfish Slimefest

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photo: E. Loury

How basic can you be and still be called a fish? With no eyes and no jaws, hagfish would certainly take the prize.  They aren’t all about minimalism, though – they actually have five hearts!  What makes these simple fish fascinating is the defense that earns them the name “slime eel.”  Come to the Icthyology Lab during Open House to watch the hagfish exude some of their slimey goodness – it sure makes for some fun photo taking!  (Marine scientist love slime…)

MLML Open House is Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1.

photo: D. Haas

Drop-In to MLML Open House: The Bottle Drop – See Niskins in Action

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photo: E. Loury

Biological Oceanography student Shana Carmichael readies a Niskin bottle to show Open House visitors how scientists use it to collect water at different depths in the ocean.  The bottles are arranged in a carousel on a CTD instrument like the one shown below (and modeled here).   Scientists lower the instrument to the depth of interest in the ocean, then send down a “messenger” weight that triggers the bottle to close at both ends.   Each bottle can be filled with water from a different layer of the ocean, allowing scientists to sample oxygen, nutrients, plankton and other water components across a range of depths.  Come to Open House to see a nifty Niskin for yourself!

MLML Open House is Saturday, April 30 & Sunday, May 1.

photo: E. Loury