1

Have a w1nderful summer.

From the PrezEsther Imbagliazzo, CMA Volunteer President

VOLUNTEERS NEWSLETTER • July/August 2011

Our Annual Awards Dinner, held at Simon’s Restaurant on June 10, was a great success thanks to the hard work of our Special Events Chair Bob Bailiff. Bob, his lovely wife Shirley and equally lovely daughter Cheri make a great team. Together, they provided the table decorations and coordinated the menu. Bob, or “Bunkie” as we know

him, committed to this event for only one year. That was fifteen years ago. The Steering Committee is very grateful for the next fourteen years. We couldn’t do it without him.

Thank you to our Recognition Chair, Henry Jurgens. Henry did an outstanding job in coordinating the data needed to honor our award recipients. He also made sure that our volunteers were recognized for their years and hours of service to CMA. Henry worked hard all year to develop an accurate volunteer roster. The roster is now available in an e-mail form so it can be corrected and updated often. If you are an active volunteer and are not receiving the roster, please contact Floyd Anderson with your e-mail address. These jobs required many hours of work. I’m grateful to Henry for giving so much of his time.

What would a CMA Awards Dinner be without Larry Fukuhara and his “special awards?” Larry’s awards are

given in a lighthearted way to recognize CMA volunteers for their “special accomplishments.” Thank you Larry for providing us with many laughs over the years. Staff members Diane Alps and Floyd Anderson also deserve thanks for providing a list of volunteers and their hours.

The Awards Banquet is also the annual meeting for the Steering Committee. The only business conducted is the election of a new Steering Committee. Those elected to the 2011/2012 Committee are: President Esther Imbagliazzo, Vice President Bob Bailiff, Secretary Don Eichhorn, Recognition Chair Henry Jurgens, Newsletter Chair Sherry Ruffer, Special Events Chair Bob Bailiff, Co-Training Chairs Jane Seaburn and Bob Bailiff and Immediate Past President Mike Masinter. I’d like to give recognition to our Department Representatives: Aquatic Nursery Ela Heyn, Development Martin Ruby, Education Joe Moeller, Library Marge Stockett, Programs Nancy Cook and Rinkes Scholarship Sherry Ruffer. Staff members attending our meetings are: Mike Schaadt, Director of CMA, Floyd Anderson, Volunteer Coordinator and Lisa Steinmetz from the Gift Shop.

The Steering Committee meets on the first Monday of the month in the Multipurpose Room at 9:30am. There’s no meeting in July or September. All active volunteers are welcome.

Mission Statements 

CMACabrillo Marine Aquarium engages all visitors in education, recreation and research to promote knowledge, appreciation and conservation of the marine life of Southern California. FCMAFRIENDS of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is a non-profit corporation created to provide support and resources to Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in its mission, which is to engage all visitors in education, recreation and research to promote knowledge, appreciation and conservation of the marine life of Southern California. 

CMAVThe mission of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium Volunteers is to recruit, train and retain volunteers who will support the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and the FRIENDS OF CMA in carrying out their missions. More specifically, CMAV will:4 Recruit, train and retain docents, service

volunteers and gift shop volunteers for both onsite and offsite activities

4 Provide continuing enrichment, training and recognition for volunteers

4 Provide support, as appropriate, for Aquarium programs and activities

4 Support the functions of FRIENDS OF CMA

2

CMA Author’s MessageMike Schaadt, CMA Director

CMA Director’s Message

CMA Young Scientists Achieve Lofty Goals!Many of you know that students conduct scientific research with CMA staff mentors under the direction of Research Curator Dr. Kiersten Darrow. Most high school students use their research projects to enter year-end science fairs. This year, CMA’s young scientists received recognition for their outstanding work at local, L.A. County, California State and even the Intel International Science Fair!

At the L.A. County Science Fair in the Animal Biology category, Adrienne McColl received 1st place and Julian Kimura 2nd place. In the Animal Physiology category, Manu Vaish received 1st place and Jenna Schurr 2nd place. With this recognition the students all qualify for the California State Science Fair.

At the State Science Fair, Adrienne won 1st place, Julian won 3rd place and Manu got Honorable Mention.

At the L.A. County Fair, Adrienne and Manu were selected from hundreds of students in 39 categories to go to the Intel International Science Fair (ISF) held at the L.A. Convention Center in May. Julian had already been selected from Palos Verdes, so four of the seven

total students from the Greater Los Angeles Area selected to go to ISF did their work at CMA in the Aquatic Nursery. In addition, a fourth student named David Tang-Quan, selected for ISF, is a previous researcher from the Nursery and got his scientific career started as a middle school student working on microalgae. He is a 12th grader now and moved on to biomedical research. David met President Obama last month. When interviewed, David said that CMA was what got him interested in science. So actually, four of seven L.A. County students representing their country at the International Science Fair were grown at CMA.

There were over 1,500 participants from all over the globe at the Intel International Science Fair. Julian Kimura was awarded 4th place in zoology. Adrienne McColl was awarded 1st place in zoology and a “super first” best in category for the animal division!

One judge sent an email to Kiersten telling her, “Congratulations on jobs exceedingly well done. You must be doing many things ‘right’.” Yes, indeed, CMA is doing many things right, and the hardworking young scientists are the beneficiaries!

  1. color 2. clams; tube feet 3. drill through shell 4. proboscis; proboscis 5. porous masses; cells; Cells

Off the WallNancy Cook, Programs

Answers

The subject for this Off the Wall is dining. The answers are in the Exhibit Hall, but cheaters can find them below.1. The shell of an abalone changes _______as it eats different kinds of seaweeds.2. Highly adapted for preying on ______, the short-spined seastar stretches its ____ ____ deep into

the sand to capture buried prey.3. Several rocky shore snails, such as Murexes , can _____ _______ ______to feed upon barnacles,

mussels and snails.4. Ribbonworms are among many marine worms that capture prey with a ________ shot out rapidly

like a harpoon or lasso. The long _______ may be armed with a tiny barb or stylet to pierce the prey and inject poison.

5. Sponges are the most primitive of the multi-celled animals. They have no organs, such as a mouth or stomach, but are simply _______ _______ of _____ that continually absorb and expel water. ______ with tiny whiplike structures called flagella trap food particles that are carried inside.

In the TankLarry Kittiver, Docent

3

CMA GIFT SHOP Jean Steinmetz, Manager

SUMMER 2011 SALE, SALE, SALE!!! Come look for all the red dots on sale items in the Gift Shop. Find selected T-shirts, jewelry, scarves and sachets. Look for home décor on sale, including mini-Tiffany lamps, frames, pelican milk cans and LED ceramic conch shells.

Your patio tables can be decked with plastic shell trays, quilted placemats, aquatic napkin rings, CMA mugs and Spanish glass fish bottles. Cocktail and luncheon napkins and our plastic wine goblets will look great by your pool. Look for the San Pedro garden stepping stones. Also available on sale are CMA baby hats ,bibs and onesies. Look for selected books and journals.

The sale will run through the month of July. Most items will be marked close to 40-50% off. No FRIENDS discount can be applied on sale items. All sales are final. We’re getting ready to take inventory and make way for new inventory to arrive from the gift shows in July.

Bits & Pieces THE BOOKJohn Olguin’s biography will be available at the October Sea Fair, with a book signing by the authors. There is a presale price of $27 and a regular price of $30. Check with the Gift Shop. Exhibit HallCMA did not receive the $7 million grant from Proposition 84. However, with the help of

FCMA, the Exhibit Hall will be completely redone in three phases over about a five-year period. Beach BummerOnce again, having spent $21 million over the past seven years, Cabrillo Beach’s inner shoreline has received another F grade for water quality. We are third in the top ten “bummer beaches.” A pump is still being considered to increase water movement, and various pumps are being studied. Installation would cost several million dollars and require removal and relocation of six acres of eel grass. Would it work…?

Deep-Sea HabitatIndustrial fishing trawlers have, for decades, been raking over the North Pacific, from south of the Hawaiian Islands to the waters off Russia and Alaska – uncontrolled and unregulated. A huge trawler dragging a net 200-feet long and 40-feet wide can raze a half-acre of deep-ocean habitat in a single pass and haul upwards of two tons of dying marine life to the surface.

China, Japan, Korea, Canada, Russia and Taiwan have joined the U.S. in signing an agreement that will prohibit bottom trawling unless its impacts on vulnerable habitats are assessed and controlled. Observers will travel on each trawler to monitor its operations. (I have a friend, a college intern from Marine Mammal Care Center, spending her summer vacation as a monitor.) What might be saved? Cold-water corals up to seven-feet tall and 25-feet wide, living up to 8,000 years, forming ancient forests for fish, shellfish and sea stars; giant fields of sponges 50-feet high, stretching for up to a mile!

EDITOR’S CORNERSherry Ruffer, Editor

Notes from the LibraryMarge Stockett, Library Representative 

The Library is ordering at least twelve titles from a new Wiley-Blackwell Catalog with the theme of Aquaculture and Fisheries. The first two titles on order for the Aquatic Nursery are: “Fish Cognition and Behavior” and “Copepods in Aquaculture.” Additional titles on order are “Fish Disease,” “Fish Reproductive Biology” and “Marine Ornamental Shrimp.”

The Steering Committee contributed “Larval Fish Nutrition” to the Library in June. Within days, this book changed hands from the Library to Aquarists to Aquatic Nursery to the Exhibits department. Even at $200, a second copy is being considered.

The summer issue of “Press Kids” will be composed in the Library on July 30 and August 6. The Earth Day issue should be available now.

The Library’s catalog/database has been restored and cataloging of reprint articles and books has resumed. An online version, complete with enhancements such as color jackets, summaries and first chapters will be available soon.

4

CMA AwardsHenry Jurgens, Recognition Chair 

The following awards were presented at the June 10Awards Dinner, with 107 attendees, at Simon’s Restaurant: 2011 Volunteer of the Year: Adrienne McColl 2011 Marji Frank Award: Jan Robertson 2011 Distinguished Achievement Awards Robert Clifford Mark MihuraAlex Feldman Phil NicolayCharles Ferraro Kimberly Potter Carl Lundgren Susan Tsuji Special Congratulations Adrienne MccollAdrienne has been part of the Cabrillo family for the last six years. She started as a Summer Junior Docent and continued with the Aquatic Nursery in different programs such as Aquatic Nursery Docent, husbandry volunteer and research volunteer. She has helped CMA’s staff train summer docents in the Nursery and mentor new researchers, impressing staff with a friendly, hardworking dedication.

She distinguishes herself with devotion to CMA and practical thinking that always turns her actions into something that the Aquarium can use, like advances in aquaculture for growing red rock shrimp and baby lobsters.It was Adrienne’s work this past summer that really stands out. She experimented with a variety of diets for raising baby California lobsters in captivity, something no one hasbeen able to do with much success. Her research revealed stages of lobster development not previously recorded.

We say farewell to Adrienne this fall as she leaves us to study aquaculture and fisheries at the University of Washingtonin Seattle.

Congratulations, Adrienne.

Jan Robertson Jan is a Friday docent, and has been for an amazing 24 years! She is soft-spoken and is never negative toward other docents, students, staff or herself. If you ask her how she is, she’ll always smile and say “I’m well.” Jan has given her best every time she volunteers. She really cares about the students and the Aquarium. Her responses to questions and her thoroughness in presentation show her dedication to CMA.

She has become one of the experts of the Sandy Beach Demo and cares about the animals that call the Sandy Beach their home. Jan will always attend or participate in other volunteer events. She does all of this at the young age of 90!

Congratulations, Jan.

5

Spring Program: Busloads of Fun

More CMA Honorees and Friends

6

MARK YOUR CALENDAR  July 2 Native Garden Workday/Beach Cleanup – 8-10am 4 Holiday – Aquarium Closed 9 Family Sandcastle Building – 10am-3pm 9 Movie Screening – John M. Olguin Auditorium – “The Curse of the Black Pearl” – 5:30pm 10 Sunday Story Studio – 11:45am-12:45pm 16 Salt Marsh Open House – 2:30-4:30pm 16 Meet the Grunion – 8pm * 26 FCMA Book Club – Library – 7-9pm – Edward Ricketts’ Between Pacific Tides (session one) August 6 Native Garden Workday/Beach Cleanup – 8-10am 6 Virginia Reid Moore Marine Research Library – 6th Anniversary – 10am-4pm Join Cecily Thomas for a day of fun in the Library 6 Robotics by the Sea – 11am-3pm Watch land and underwater ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) 14 Salt Marsh Open House – 2-4pm 21 Sunday Studio Story – 1:45-2:45pm 23 FCMA Book Club – Library – 7-9pm – Edward Ricketts’ Between Pacific Tides (session two) 28 Blue Whales and More – 9am-12noon – Fee – Registration required – 310-548-7562 See blue, fin and humpback whales off Catalina Island – leave from San Pedro – bring a jacket *Meet the Grunion – Aquarium will open at 8pm. The Grunion Program begins at 9pm in the John M. Olguin Auditorium. Dress warmly and bring a blanket to sit on and a flashlight. 

Fins & Tales Editor: Sherry Ruffer • Graphics/Layout: Linda AyersPhotos: Gary Florin, Larry Kittiver

Plan Ahead:

March 2012 – Baja AdventureFor brochure and/or registration, call Larry Fukuhara – 310-548-7562 x 223

Dates With “Bunkie”Bob Bailiff, Training Co-ChairThe new docent class starts on Monday, September 26, 9am-12noon. If you know anyone who would like to be a CMA docent, have them call Floyd Anderson at 310-548-7562 x 207. Welcome Back Fall LuncheonMonday, September 26, in the courtyard at 12:30pm.