Last week, I got the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Jordan Grigor, a postdoc working at the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV). He is both an educator and marine biology scientist. We cover the uncertain future of keystone species like plankton in the arctic, and discuss the unique science education program at the SSMV that helps kids learn about science and marine ecosystems.

This was my first remote recording, as the podcast was conducted on-site in the SSMV. You may notice echoes in the beginning of the podcast, but stick with it as it does not persist throughout!

Many thanks to Dr. Grigor for hosting me! The picture above doesn’t do the aquarium justice. It’s really a sight to behold and is changing all the time- a terrific experience for the lucky students at the SSMV!

The SSMV Aquarium is totally funded by donations, which pay for food, animals, and maintenance. If you are interested in supporting these efforts to teach Nashville high school kids marine biology, please visit the gofundme page here.

Some of Dr. Grigor’s work:

His ResearchGate profile, including all the papers published on zooplankton

Underdogs of the Arctic – A Video Summary of his PhD research

School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV) website

SSMV Facebook

More about the SSMV Aquarium Project:

Facebook

Twitter

SSMV Blog

Instagram

Special Instagram for Lucy, the decorator crab

Other Resources:

Svalbard Zooplankton Identification App (an Android app made by the students and I to help people learn about Arctic zooplankton species)

We also mentioned:

Drug discovery efforts to find medicines in coral reefs- Read more at Science News for Students

Chasing Coral – A marine biology documentary

Before the Flood– A climate change documentary

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change– A great resource for those looking to learn more about the science behind climate change

Check out this episode!

Check out other SFS episodes!

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