Marine Science Day 2024

Marine Science Day 2024 was a huge success! Seven CSE PhD students and faculty advisor Professor Dinsdale travelled to the Lincoln Marine Science Centre, located on Barngarla land, to deliver a fun filled day of educational activities to the public. The event was attended by 320 members of the Port Lincoln community who learned about microbes, trophic ecology, coastal restoration, and Elasmobranch ecology. All attendees received a free activity book filled with information about marine research at Flinders University. The book also includes puzzles, colouring pages, and activities for young children to encourage their excitement and enthusiasm for marine science.

Graduate students from the Flinders Accelerator for Microbiome Exploration (FAME) Lab Emma Kerr and Ryan Hesse highlighted microbes as tiny but mighty members of marine ecosystems. Chloe Robets and Jess Henkens of the Southern Shark Ecology Group (SSEG) taught attendees about trophic ecology and shark adaptations. Ecosystem Resilience Group Laura Thomas and Brad Martin showed off some marine critters and discussed costal restoration efforts. Professor Elizabeth Dinsdale, the faculty advisor on the project, fostered interest in attending Flinders University to pursue science degrees.

This year’s event was kindly funded by an Inspiring SA Community Grant awarded to FAME Lab PhD Student Emma Kerr. The event would not have been possible without graduate student and faculty volunteers. We would also like to thank the Port Lincoln community for attending and being excited about marine science.