Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2016 - (Page 36)

Besides the towering structures of mountains, uniquely shaped icebergs also set the tone for the Arctic and are also important to researchers, from climate scientists to biologists. While gliding along the still surface of the water, we passed by icebergs of so many different shapes and formations. No two were alike. Spine-shaped iceberg. Glamorous field research: photographing reindeer scat. An hour before our first excursion in Svalbard, I began preparing what I was going to bring and wear: five layers of North Face, which I regretted as soon as I started hiking on the island. After this first experience, I learned that while it is cold in the Arctic, the hiking and movement required for field research caused me to sweat, even in the chill. For my research project, I tracked the effect of climate change on migration patterns of reindeer, which meant that I would measure the amount of reindeer scat found on each landing. What I expected to see: the beautiful, remote landscape unlike any other in the world. What I did not expect to see: a rocky beach littered with colorful plastics for miles and miles. Initially, we all thought this would just be another research excursion on the coast of Svalbard, where we'd take samples for our projects or hike up the hills. Instead, my group and I stayed on the shore picking up pieces of rope, shoes, and even an ice cream container. Even if we had picked up every single visible piece of trash, we would still have been unable to rid the Arctic of plastics. Recent research has found micro-plastics embedded in Arctic sea ice, suggesting that humans impact the environment on both a miniscule and a gigantic scale. White bags filled with litter that we collected from a beach in Svalbard. Edward Sheu collecting water samples with a plankton net from his balcony. 36 imagine Even on days spent entirely at sea, some of us still had to work hard on our research projects. In order to measure changes in the salinity and acidity of ocean water-changes that can reveal how climate change is affecting our oceans-my classmate Edward lowered a plankton net with a bottle attached to the end. On some days, he captured not just sea water but also plankton, which looked like little red specks to our eyes. Mar/Apr 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2016

Big Picture
In My Own Words Senator Barbara Mikulski
Run, Ride, Sell! Funding causes that matter
Start Something! Initiatives by kids, for kids
Changing Lives, One School at a Time Making a difference for students in need
Empowered to Make a Difference The Civic Leadership Institute at CTY and CTD
Sharing the Gifts of Music The Forget-Me-Not Family Ensemble
Service, Leadership, Entrepreneurship . . . Launch! Learning the art of the startup at MIT Launch
Sharing the Rewards Building a shadowing program for my peers
Discovering the Leader Within Exploring leadership and social justice at Brown
Gap Year A time to refresh, serve, and grow
Research at the Edge of the World An Antarctic photo essay
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Off the Shelf Review of Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options Interview with entrepreneur Henry Albrecht, CEO, Limeade
One Step Ahead My college startup
Planning Ahead for College Skills and knowledge for college success
Students Review: Lehigh University
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - March/April 2016