Free marine science instructional program returns to Wildwood Crest beach
WILDWOOD CREST – Learn all about the vast coastal environment in Wildwood Crest this summer through the borough’s free marine science program.
Crest Coastal Comb, hosted by Miss Ocean, a marine science and ocean literacy educator, is a program designed for participants to walk and talk with a local naturist and explore and learn about the intricate and interesting marine ecosystem contained on and around the beaches of Wildwood Crest.
Due to high demand from the inaugural once-per-week Crest Coastal Comb last summer, this free program designed for children and adults will be held twice per week during the summer of 2022 – each Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. from June 21 through Aug. 25. Each session will begin with a brief presentation at the Rambler Road beach, followed by short journeys to different areas of the beach to further explore the seaside environment of Wildwood Crest.
No pre-registration is necessary for any Crest Coastal Comb session.
The Crest Coastal Comb program will search for specimens of sea life brought in by the tide; identify species and their natural histories, including anatomy and physiology, habitats, predator-prey relationships, conservation status, and adaptations; discuss sea life found in the ocean off New Jersey, from tiny plankton to dolphins, sharks, and whales; examine the color of the ocean, the natural topography of the Wildwood Crest and Jersey Shore coastline; discuss how humans can affect the sand and dunes and other anthropogenic aspects of the ocean; and much more.
Miss Ocean is Danielle DeJesse, an ocean literacy educator who aims to inspire awe and ownership of the “blue heart of our planet.” A graduate of Penn State University with bachelor’s degrees in biology/marine science and psychology, DeJesse has more than 15 years of experience in marine science work and education. Her experiences include the training of dolphins, seals, sea lions, sharks, and stingrays; feeding orcas and sharks; the caring for sea otters, sea turtles, terrapins, and mangrove sea snakes; and the studies of copepods from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and blue whales in the wild.
For more information about the Crest Coastal Comb marine science program, contact the Wildwood Crest Recreation Department at (609) 523-0202.
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