A scientific abstract summarizes research papers in a way that helps other researchers decide whether the study would be interesting or helpful to their own work. Abstracts include a title, the author’s names and affiliations (where they work), and the main findings of the study.
Researchers also submit talk or poster abstracts when attending a scientific conference.
The Seabird Youth Network has just submitted three abstracts (below) for the Alaska Marine Science Symposium conference to be held in Anchorage, January 2014. The conference committee will now decide whether to accept these abstracts.
Poster Title: A WEB-BASED PLATFORM FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Authors: Tonia Kushin, Chris Merculief, Ann Harding, and Chris Byrd.
Abstract: The Pribilof Islands are home to two Aleut populations and an estimated two million seabirds. The Pribilof Island Seabird Youth Network aims to build local capacity for the collection of long-term seabird monitoring data on the Pribilof Islands through education and active participation in data collection. The network uses a website as a platform for sharing seabird lessons with students and the wider teaching community, and learning about seabird monitoring, research, and conservation. An online blog: (a) shares updates and results of the summer seabird camps and overall project; (b) profiles individual researchers and current research tools, and (c) covers seabird and marine conservation stories in the news. The website is designed to be inviting and user-friendly for a range of ages. The poster highlights aspects of the web that have been most useful as a teaching tool, and encourages scientists and teachers to team-mentor students.
Poster Title: THE PRIBILOF ISLAND SEABIRD YOUTH NETWORK
Authors: Marjorie Baker, Latasha Bevis, Carley Bourdukofsky, Greg Bourdukofsky, Vlad Bardukofsky, Clara Chapman, Sierra Dayton, Chauncey Demientieff, Justin Emanoff, Sasha Isaac, Leslie Jones, Trudi Kochutin, Heather Kozloff, Destiny Kushin, Maurice Lekanof, Thomas Lekanof, Courtney Lestenkof, Jaylen Lestenkof, Ezra Melovidov, Kiana Melovidov, Casper Merculief, Sonia Merculief, Ruby Oatman, Carmen Philemonof, Presten Zacharof, Jaycee Bourdukofsky, Lydia Dirks, Diamond Lestenkof, Skylar Merculieff, Maxim Zacharof, Tonia Kushin, Chris Merculief, and Ann Harding
Abstract: The Seabird Youth Network is a partnership between the Pribilof School District, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, the St. George Traditional Council, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), and the wider scientific community. The network creates exciting opportunities for youth on the Pribilof Islands to learn about seabirds and contribute to long-term seabird monitoring programs. The network is dedicated to creating opportunities for Pribilof youth in four key areas: (a) Opening doors to careers in science and natural resource management; (b) Increasing a sense of ownership and understanding of local resources; (c) Providing training in marketable multi-media skills, and (d) Providing education in seabird ecology, research and conservation. Students on both islands are learning about seabirds during the school year through a team-mentorship program between a seabird researcher and teacher of a 6-7th grade class. During this program, seabird fact sheets covering a different seabird topic each month are provided to the teacher, classroom lessons are designed around these topics, and lessons are followed up either by a monthly SKYPE question and answer session with the researcher or a guest lecture by a specialist in the given topic. A website is used as a platform for sharing seabird lesson plans, posting project updates, profiling current seabird research tools and results, and communicating stories of seabirds and marine conservation in the news. Students from both islands also attended a summer seabird camp in 2013. Camp members studied the basics of seabird biology, learned about the traditional use of seabirds on the Pribilof Islands, assisted with the collection of long-term seabird monitoring data, learnt about the AMNWR seabird monitoring program, created an educational Rat-Free mural for the harbor, and installed least auklet nest boxes.
Talk Title: THE PRIBILOF ISLAND SEABIRD YOUTH NETWORK
Authors: Marjorie Baker, Sasha Issac, Trudi Kochutin, Kiana Melovidov, Sonia Merculief, Presten Zacharof, Jaycee Bourdukofsky, Lydia Dirks, Diamond Lestenkof, Jaylen Lestenkof, Maurice Lekanof, Thomas Lekanof, Skylar Merculief, Carmen Philemonof, Tonia Kushin, Chris Merculief, Ann Harding, Robert Stormo, Mario Davies, and Rosie Robards.
Abstract: The Seabird Youth Network is a partnership between the Pribilof School District, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, the St. George Traditional Council, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), and the wider scientific community. The network creates exciting opportunities for youth on the Pribilof Islands to learn about seabirds and contribute to long-term seabird monitoring programs. The program also provides students opportunities to gain experience in a range of marketable media skills. Desktop movies are a powerful tool for capturing students’ enthusiasm for learning. The Alaska Teen Media Institute visited the Pribilof Islands twice last year, working with students on both islands to produce their own seabird documentary. The 6/7th grade class on St. Paul created the first movie. This class had spent the school year learning about seabirds through a team-mentorship program between a seabird researcher and their teacher. During this program, seabird fact sheets covering a different seabird topic each month were provided to the teacher, classroom lessons were designed around each topic, and lessons were followed up by a monthly Skype session with a seabird researcher. The movie introduces viewers to their community and what they have learnt through these Seabird Youth Network classroom sessions. Students on St. George produced the second movie during the summer seabird camp. Seabird camps were held on both Pribilof Islands in 2013, with over 40 students participating. Camp members studied the basics of seabird biology, learned about the traditional use of seabirds on the Pribilof Islands, assisted with the collection of long-term seabird monitoring data, learnt about the AMNWR seabird monitoring program, created an educational Rat-Free poster, installed least auklet nest boxes, oh, and…had fun!