Bringing together her love of ocean education and beach running, the Seacoast Science Center’s Development Director Nichole Rutherford, of York, Maine, is hosting a year-long video blog series that offers expert answers to common questions about coastal ecosystems. Dubbed the Ocean Runner, Nichole will appear in weekly video blogs tackling subjects from tides and pollution to marine animals and undersea research in short content bites. The videos are produced to be of interest to all ages and often enlist the help of the naturalist staff at the Seacoast Science Center and other local experts.
“As an avid runner, my favorite places to train are the beaches of New Hampshire and Southern Maine, and I’m always coming up with questions to ask my colleagues about the things I’ve seen,” explained Nichole. “I think a lot of people have the same questions about the ocean, tidal marshes and the beach, so this new blog is a way to share what I learn with a bigger audience. I am lucky to be working with knowledgeable biologists at the Seacoast Science Center who can answer most any question I pose.”
Among the first topics to be featured on the Ocean Runner blog are a closer look at the lives of hermit crabs commonly found on the New England coast, and what to do if you find an abandoned lobster trap on the beach (there are state and federal regulations). Future topics planned include deep ocean research, salt marsh ecology, seaweed overgrowth, marine mammal strandings and tide fluctuations. The Center’s goal is to address each issue in a concise yet engaging way, furthering the organization’s goal of providing ocean education for all.
