Shutterstock
Coastline College, in keeping with its tagline 'Leader of Innovative Education' is taking its mascot in a direction like no other college or university. 'Fin' the college's newly designed dolphin mascot has joined forces with the Dolphin Project and the Ocean Conservation Society, to help bring awareness of life in our seas and help protect dolphins and other ocean marine life along the Orange County coastline
Coastline College students are already working with Back Bay Science Center and Moore Lab at Scripps Marine Biotechnology and Biomedical Institute to culture bacteria from sponges to search for microbes that produce compounds that show antibiotic properties as part of their major's-level coursework and in the independent studies, Work-Based Learning courses. The Back Bay Science center conducts a monthly program called Marine Life Inventory that collects monthly data on water quality, plankton, and marine organisms. The samples from the MLI are used to collaborate with the Tiny Earth Program. Tiny Earth is a network of talented students and instructors that share research, best practices, and enthusiasm for discovery in an effort to "save the seas." Both research programs help support populations of marine mammals from the back bays to the open ocean.
Coastline students participating in ecological research at the Newport Back Bay Science Center gain hands-on experience in data collection, entry, management, analysis, and build relationships with scientists' skills as they learn about biodiversity.
"The steps we take to protect and conserve our ocean will positively impact the success of the entire planet." Tanya R. Hoerer, PhD., Professor of Organismal Biology and Marine Science, Dept of Biological Sciences.
Shutterstock
Coastline College (and Fin) has also partnered with the Ocean Conservation Society, a nonprofit organization conducting long-term marine mammal research and educational projects for the protection of the oceans and marine wildlife. They study dolphins, whales, and other species in the wild and use scientific data to bring about policy changes and raise public awareness. Coastline will work with the organization in promoting awareness around how to approach dolphins at sea and promote an ongoing Instagram campaign where students can take a photo of a dolphin along our coastlines and submit it to the college and the Ocean Conservation Society for further information. They have named all the dolphins that swim along the coast.
Shutterstock
Additionally, Coastline College has partnered with The Dolphin Project, a non-profit organization, dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide. They help to rehabilitate captive dolphins for retirement and/or release. The college has adopted a dolphin named Johnny that is being rehabilitated and trained to be released back into the wild. Coastline College will be sharing ongoing videos on all their digital platforms showing the ongoing progress of the dolphin as it prepares to be released into the wild at the same time Coastline college graduates are also released into the "wild" world.
About Coastline College:
Coastline College is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. For eight consecutive years, Coastline College was selected as one of the top 150 colleges by The Aspen Institute for Community College Excellence which is considered the nation's signature recognition for America's community colleges. Coastline College guides diverse populations of students toward the attainment of associate degrees and certificates leading to career advancement, personal empowerment, and transfer. By meeting students where they are, Coastline provides innovative instruction and services designed to achieve equitable outcomes.
