Marine Biology Study Making Waves
Submitted by Rachel Turetsky
Berlin Central School Communications Department
Mr. Matthew Christian’s unique Marine Biology program—one of only two in New York State—has been put on the map again.
This time the independent study program was highlighted in ChemMatters. ChemMatters is a magazine for high school students that highlights connections between chemistry and the world around them.
December’s ChemMatters magazine featured BCSD alum Jazmine Sorenson and BCSD’s Science Department Academic Co-chair Mr. Matthew Christian.
“Just ask Jazmine Sorenson, a recent high school graduate in upstate New York, who did just that over the course of her senior year. She took a unique independent studies class that gives students at Berlin High School a small taste of what marine science is like.
“I never thought I would have the opportunity to raise animals for an aquarium,” she says. “It was like a dream come true.”
– How to Raise a Jellyfish, ChemMatters Magazine
The students in Mr. Christian’s Marine Biology program learn about plumbing and carpentry in the building of their tanks to raise the marine life. Dedication to maintaining tank water levels, feeding the marine life, keeping records, and critical thinking become part of their daily routine.
BCSD recently completed construction on the new Young Aquatics Science Lab under the guidance of Mr. Christian. At the December 15, Board of Education meeting Superintendent Dr. Young was surprised with a bronze plaque naming the Aquatic Lab in his honor. The lab, which Dr. Young and Mr. Christian have worked collaboratively on in the planning, will allow for even more opportunity to engage the students at BCSD.
The Marine Biology lab has a window into the hallway that piques the interest of BCSD’s future Aquatic Science students and shares the excitement for the program throughout the school.
Read the article, How to Raise a Jellyfish in ChemMatters featuring Jazmine Sorenson and Mr. Christian:
https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/2020-2021/decem
ber-2020/how-to-raise-a-jellyfish.html