Eva Bartush, the Marine Science Academy Coordinator and lead instructor, described the program’ s various species of fish( which I found to be just as curious about me staring at them in their fish aquariums) and explained how the program has grown since it’ s inception in 2018.
Ms Bartush explained that at first the program leaned towards marine biology and then has evolved to also include marine service technology.“ The students will be prepared to seek careers in the direction of marine engineering or transportation industry or marine service technology.”
She went on to describe the group’ s work with local aquatic wildlife.
“ The big round tanks are Long Island Sound Tanks,” Ms Bartush said.“ They are filled with species found right here in Long Island Sound that students and teachers collect as part of our program. We have a special eductors perrmit to keep species. We have porgies, blackfish, black sea bass, sriped bass, oysters, toad fish, green crabs and eels in those tanks.
Eva Bartush, Department Chair of Marine Sciences at Norwalk’ s Brien McMahon High School.
“ All of our tanks are maintained by the students in the Marine Science Academy,” Ms Bartush added.“ The smaller tanks are student-designed ones that are mostly freshwater species. We do have a tropical puffer fish tank and clown fish tanks and a few Long Island Sound tanks that have hermit crabs and some minnows too. Students learn about a wide variety of marine ecosystems in our program and the tanks act as mini ecosystems in the classroom.”
28 OVER THE BOW USCGAUX FIRST DISTRICT SOUTHERN REGION- WINTER 2023