MIT Sea Grant Celebrates World Oceans Day

By Bayley Connors, BURECSLocal and visiting families took to the New England Aquarium this past Sunday, June 4th, to celebrate World Oceans Day. The aquarium planned an early celebration amidst efforts to promote the awareness, sustainability, and protection of the world¡s oceans on one of its busiest days of the week. Organizations ranging from the U.S. Coast Guard to Gorton¡s Seafood participated in the event, including MIT Sea Grant.Michael Sacarny, a research engineer in MIT Sea Grant¡s AUV Lab, guided families through the process of using and learning about Sea Perch, a remotely operated underwater vehicle. While the device was featured at MIT Sea Grant¡s booth, it can be replicated in classrooms across the world to mobilize students¡ awareness towards a number of fields within engineering and marine sciences. Equipped with a camera to stream the device¡s surroundings as well as a stick to maneuver underwater objects with, the Sea Perch kept the booth busy as eager crowds continuously gathered around its tank. The excitement met by people from all age groups at events such as this emphasize the significance of outreach efforts, wherein awareness of sustainable habits for our environment is garnered alongside enthusiasm. World Oceans Day is officially celebrated on Thursday, June 8th, and will hold a unified theme of Our Oceans, Our Future.Œ To learn more of the cause and any nearby events, visit www.worldoceansday.org/.