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Not your usual trip to Bahamas

A biology teacher peeks into the lives of whales and dolphins.

By NICOLE HUTCHESON, Times Staff Writer
Published August 8, 2007

Gaye Burnsed, right, studies at the computer with Sarah Singer, an Earthwatch volunteer and social worker from Washington, D.C.
	[Special to the Times]

Teachers often use their summer break to catch up on family time, host a barbecue or two and maybe get away for a few days.

Gaye Burnsed tracked the habits of sperm whales and bottlenose dolphins in the Bahamas.

The 52-year-old biology teacher at St. Petersburg High School participated in the marine adventure through Earthwatch Institute, a volunteer-based organization that supports scientific research.

Each year the organization, based in Maynard, Mass., plans expeditions that pair nonscientists with trained researchers. The groups study everything from sugar cane fields in Hawaii to crocodiles in Africa. After hearing about the experience from a colleague, Burnsed submitted an application.

"Anything that we as teachers can do on our off-time that we can relate to science is a good deal," she said.

Earthwatch Institute began in the early 1970s as a nonprofit that allowed everyday folks a chance to take part in environmental research. Over the decades, the organization has expanded to more than 4,000 volunteers with offices in Japan, England and Australia.

Mostly, volunteers pay their own way, which averages about $2,900 a trip, not including airfare. This year, the organization teamed with Royal Caribbean Cruises to offer expedition fellowships to five teachers from the gulf region states. Locally, in addition to Burnsed, Janice Creneti, a science teacher at Lakewood High School, was selected as a fellow. Creneti will travel to Monterrey, Calif., to study sharks and stingrays.

The fellowships are valued at about $5,000 per teacher, said Ed Barker, director of corporate partnerships for Earthwatch.

"It's really critical that young people understand what's happening in the world, the changes taking place and what's happening in the natural environment," said Barker about the teacher fellowships.

Burnsed is the third teacher at St. Petersburg High School to take part in Earthwatch Institute, said Al Bennett, school principal.

"They come back so excited to present the material," Bennett said. "It's a re-energizer."

On June 19, Burnsed and a crew of eight began their adventure off the coast of Abaco Island, a small fishing village in the Bahamas.

The crew's mornings were spent on a boat looking for whales and dolphins. The shoals and canals in the waters are known for attracting a variety of water mammals.

In all, the team spotted five species including sperm whales, Blainville's beaked whales and bottlenose dolphins, Burnsed said. The group tracked everything from where the mammals used the bathroom to what noises they made.

The research was led by Diane Claridge and Charlotte Dunn, both marine scientist studying the genetics of water mammals and working on a conservation plan for their habitats.

Among the most remarkable observation was how similar sperm whale mothers are to humans in the way they care for their offspring, Burnsed said.

"We'd see the mother and the calf together and a young adult would come from out of nowhere," she said. "It was almost like she had called in a babysitter."

Burnsed developed a lesson plan from the experience. She'll have students graph the path she traveled and mark the location of sightings. Using bathymetric maps, they'll analyze the depth of the water where sightings occurred and attempt to correlate behaviors of the whales with the underwater conditions. She's hoping tales of her experience earn a few cool points with students, too.

"It's a strange situation with students. They pretty much think their teachers just live in the back storeroom and live to grade papers," Burnsed said. "Knowing that their teacher has actually been on a research expedition brings a lot of 'street cred' to the profession."

Nicole Hutcheson can be reached at nhutcheson@sptimes.com or 893-8828.

Fast Facts:

Nature's classroom

For more information on Earthwatch Institute, go to: www.earthwatch.org

[Last modified August 8, 2007, 01:10:17]