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Show 8 Science & Tech TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2015 SCIENCE WEEKLY Keeping up with the oceans In Jurassic Park, Jeff Goldboom’s character reminds his fellows that “life finds a way.” According to a study published on the Royal Society Open Publishing website, coral around the island of Palau are doing just that. As the oceans rise, the coral appear to be “building upward” at the same pace— not individual animals but coral living upon the calcified remains of their ancestors, in effect building larger and larger structures as each generation passes. The limiting factor for the height of these structures is the surface of the water, as coral need to remain submerged and cannot move beyond where they are anchored. However, as the sea level rises, the coral near Palau are climbing along in step. Coral reefs are an important ecological environment for a great number of crustaceans, mollusks and fish, as well as other plants and animals. A healthy coral promotes a diverse ecosystem. This can mean a great deal to island nations in terms of food, tidal breaks and overall ecological health of the island environment. The climbing coral appear to be good news. It is also worth noting Student_Half Page Ad.indd 1 that the coral seem to be resisting the pH decrease in the oceans in these locations to a great degree. The seas are rising because the temperatures are rising, which creates a new boundary issue for coral. The coral growth is limited by several factors, including available sunlight and water temperature. So as temperatures rise, the ability of coral to thrive decreases in the areas where sunlight is most plentiful. Different models of global warming predict different effects on coral. Therefore, the more rapid the warming, the more problematic for the coral. If warming is moderate or slow, the coral may adjust and continue to thrive. The oceans have risen in the past, and the coral, whose skeletal remains are used to track ocean levels much like tree rings are used to trace ancient weather, have managed to exploit the shorelines again and again. But for the people who depend on the reefs for their livelihood, a loss of much of the coral reefs would be a devastating blow. Chris Sessions @ChristopJ WWW.WSUSIGNPOST.COM Weber PREP holds closing celebratory ceremony By KELLIE PLUMHOF s&t editor | @kellieplumhof On July 22, 69 students, their family members and staff of Weber PREP gathered in the Shepherd Union Ballrooms to participate in the closing ceremony for the 8-week long summer camp. The camp covered math, logic and engineering for students going into seventh grade next year. Jennifer Iverson, whose son Garrett attended the camp, said that the best part of the evening was seeing how excited the kids were to show off what they had learned. “Programs like WSU PREP are life changing for kids,” Iverson said. “They learn just how fun learning can be, and that is priceless.” A slideshow was presented using pictures taken by Dana Dellinger, director for the Center of Technology Outreach, and then students came to the front to speak about the various components of the program, including the classes, field trips and speakers. The students also thanked those involved in the program. Garrett Iverson, son of Jennifer Iverson, had participated in PREP during the PHOTO BY SCOTT STEVENS | THE SIGNPOST Garrett Iverson, 12, looks on as he demonstrates his PREP project at Weber State University on Wednesday, July 22. summer. Garrett said that he enjoyed the logic classes, adding “It helped broaden my ideas of careers I know about and can choose from.” David Ferro, dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology, was the keynote speaker for the evening and spoke once Dana Dellinger had finished speaking to the audience. Ferro spoke about why they’d decided to run this program in the first place. Ferro said that they liked that the program wasn’t all show and was hands-on fun. “The program had homework, quizzes and some pretty difficult concepts [that students] had to work through,” Ferro said. Ferro also spoke to the audience about the importance of these skills in any walk of life and that the future depends on applying these skills toward good. Those in attendance were then directed to another room for refreshments and to see the children present. The evening was very low pressure, according to Marisa Sharpe, mother of one of the students who participated in PREP. “Families were lingering and seemed to enjoy watching the kids show what they had learned,” Sharpe said. Students who had participated in the PREP camp were given the chance to share with family and friends what they had done over the past seven weeks of camp. This included skills in problem solving, logic, math and engineering. “We want to give the students a chance to show off what they’ve learned,” said Dellinger. One student, Mia Sharpe, had her minion-themed rocket on display for the evening. Marisa Sharpe, Mia’s mother, said that her daughter had built and designed the rocket with a team during the week PREP camp taught the children about rockets. “They were very, very proud of their design,” said Marisa Sharpe. “The rocket itself didn’t work flawlessly, but it was still a great learning experience, and Mia has finished this camp with a new enthusiasm toward learning and education.” For more information about WSU PREP and how to get involved next year, visit the WSU PREP website at www.weber.edu/wsuprep. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com 8/14/14 11:26 AM |