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President Bill Clinton Visits Harbor by Melanie Smith Governors Island-- On September 4th, 2014, New York Harbor School’s new school year was commenced; with help from the 42nd United States president, Bill Clinton. The former president arrived on the vessel Privateer, one of the school’s fleet, and was presented with baskets of oysters by students on Governors Island. President Clinton toured the school, listening in on different classes as students learned about oysters and the harbor. These lessons reflect the involvement of the Clinton Global Initiative in Harbor School's Billion Oyster Project, the main goal of which is to release and grow oysters successfully in the harbor so that they will filter any excess pollution in a healthy and efficient way. The Billion Oyster Project is a Clinton Global Initiative "commitment to action," which means the Clinton Foundation uses its influence promote the project in various ways. Vol. 4 No. I March 5, 2015 The Harbor Current Sanguinem cæruleum portus effundimus Late Island Final Founded 2011 Inside: The Next Contract page 4 Tall Ships America 2015: Awards & Connections page 6 At the Seaport page 5 1 A Presidential Passenger page 2 Iced In page 3 Photograph: Clinton Global Initiative Clinton Greets Students Billion Oyster Project: NSF Grant Launches Next Phase by Melanie Smith and Maya Perkins New York Harbor-- On Thursday, October 30, 2014, students, teachers, scientists, journalists and others gathered aboard the Hornblower Hybrid to launch BOP Schools, the next phase of the Billion Oyster Project. This next phase is made possible by a $5 million grant given to Pace University for the Billion Oyster Project by the National Science Foundation. The money will be used to establish and expand the oyster program to over 60 middle schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. As members of the Harbor School community know, for several years, New York Harbor School and the New York Harbor Foundation have been working on the ongoing project called the Billion Oyster Project. Continued on Page 5 Photograph: Susannah Black Students at BOP Schools Launch President Clinton’s impact on Governors Island started before his recent visit. During the last few days of his presidency, Clinton declared part of the Island a National Monument. The Island was then turned over to New York State, but because of the declaration, part of the Island is still considered Federal land. Harbor School has benefitted greatly from having the National Parks Service as neighbors on the Island, which would not have been possible without the President’s declaration. During his visit, President Clinton commented on the students’ efforts and how they are making a difference in the environment of New York Harbor. "You represent what I think is the promise of the 21st century," he said. He went on to state that in a face of global conflict, the combination of education and environmental stewardship is a prime example of what can be accomplished through teamwork, clearly shown through Harbor School’s actions. After seeing the school’s focus on trade skills and scientific training in lessons in different classes, President Clinton said the school was a pioneer in the world of education. Although planting oysters and restoring an important ecosystem for New Yorkers and the world may seem like an everyday job to students attending Continued on Page 2

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Page 1: Harbor Current, Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-5-15)

President Bill Clinton Visits Harbor

by Melanie Smith

Governors Island-- On September 4th, 2014, New York Harbor School’s new school year was commenced; with help from the 42nd United States president, Bill Clinton. The former president arrived on the vessel Privateer, one of the school’s fleet, and was presented with baskets of oysters by students on Governors Island. President Clinton toured the school, listening in on different classes as students learned about oysters and the harbor. These lessons reflect the involvement of the Clinton Global Initiative in Harbor School's Billion Oyster Project, the main goal of which is to release and grow oysters successfully in the harbor so that they will filter any excess pollution in a healthy and efficient way. The Billion Oyster Project is a Clinton Global Initiative "commitment to action," which means the Clinton Foundation uses its influence promote the project in various ways.

Vol. 4 No. I March 5, 2015 The

Harbor CurrentSanguinem cæruleum portus effundimus

Late Island Final Founded 2011

Inside: The Next Contractpage 4

Tall Ships America 2015: Awards & Connectionspage 6

At the Seaportpage 5

1

A Presidential Passengerpage 2

Iced Inpage 3

Photograph: Clinton Global InitiativeClinton Greets Students

Billion Oyster Project: NSF Grant Launches

Next Phase by Melanie Smith and Maya Perkins

New York Harbor-- On Thursday, October 30, 2014, students, teachers, scientists, journalists and others gathered aboard the Hornblower Hybrid to launch BOP Schools, the next phase of the Billion Oyster Project. This next phase is made possible by a $5 million grant given to Pace University for the Billion Oyster Project by the National Science Foundation. The money will be used to establish and expand the oyster program to over 60 middle schools throughout the five boroughs of New York City. As members of the Harbor School community know, for several years, New York Harbor School and the New York Harbor Foundation have been working on the ongoing project called the Billion Oyster Project.

Continued on Page 5

Photograph: Susannah BlackStudents at BOP Schools Launch

President Clinton’s impact on Governors Island started before his recent visit. During the last few days of his presidency, Clinton declared part of the Island a National Monument. The Island was then turned over to New York State, but because of the declaration, part of the Island is still considered Federal land. Harbor School has benefitted greatly from having the National Parks Service as neighbors on the Island, which would not have been possible without the President’s declaration. During his visit , President Clinton commented on the students’ efforts and how they are making a difference in the environment of New York Harbor. "You represent what I think is the promise of the 21st century," he said. He went on to state that in a face of global conflict, the combination of education and environmental stewardship is a prime example of what can be accomplished through teamwork, clearly shown through Harbor School’s actions. After seeing the school’s focus on trade skills and scientific training in lessons in different classes, President Clinton said the school was a pioneer in the world of education. Although planting oysters and restoring an important ecosystem for New Yorkers and the world may seem like an everyday job to students attending

Continued on Page 2

Page 2: Harbor Current, Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-5-15)

Editor-in-Chief: Melanie SmithContributing Writers and Collaborators: Hassan Barksdale, Syed Hoque, Maya Perkins, Waleska Montilla, Cullen Palicka, Alyssa Giacinto, Malachi Harewood, Melanie Smith, Tahirah Abdo, Nicole Martinez, Mauricio Gonzalez, Mike Sammarco, and Kimiko Carrington

Special thanks to Carrie Christensen, Matthew Haiken, Murray Fisher, and Sam Janis.

Adviser: Susannah BlackPrincipal: Kim Swanson

New York Harbor SchoolBattery Maritime Building10 South Street, Slip 7New York City, NY 10004

We always welcome opinions, feedback, letters to the editor, and news tips. Reach us at [email protected]

The Harbor Current is an open forum for the expression of student views. The opinions expressed herein should not be taken to represent those of the administration or faculty, or of the student body as a whole.

2A Presidential Passenger

by Syed Hoque

Starting my day as a regular high school senior, joining my peers to start the first day of school, I left with an experience I will most likely not forget for the rest of my life. As expected I was a little nervous about the whole business of meeting a former president, but the anxiousness eased away. Walking onto the Privateer (the school's buoy tender) knowing that I will be a part of picking up President Clinton isn't a normal thing for a lot of people. "What am I going to say?" is all that ran through my mind as the Privateer sat at the dock waiting for the President's arrival. Ladder ready. Flags up tight. Deck neatly stowed.

"Standby to board" was yelled across the deck, telling myself and another student to stand at

man that had one of the most powerful positions in the world not so long ago. Talking about the harbor lead to what Harbor School does. Harbor School prepares students for college and a career, I told him ,and doing this prepares students for life after high school. Some will be fully capable of joining the workforce while others will be prepared to further their education. As we slowly near Governors Island, President Clinton asks “Does every Harbor Student know how to swim?” I make him aware that not all Harbor students are able to swim and some are even afraid to do much with the water. I embarrassedly told him that I am a terrible swimmer, but I aspire to get better. It seems a little ironic that a boy like myself who’s always on boats doesn’t know how to swim really. President Clinton reassured me it was something to not be embarrassed of. With President Clinton telling me that he himself did not learn to swim till he was a little older than most, it made me feel like it was not too late to learn. I did not think I would tell a president of the United States that I am a bad swimmer. It was not something I expected to come up.

Continued on p. 7

the boarding area assisting anyone and everyone. It was time to get to work, still not knowing what to say, I assist to board secret service members, President Clinton then more secret service members. Getting underway with a former president is something not many people can say they have done. President Clinton was on a Harbor School boat. A boat that serves a special purpose, the Privateer. The Privateer is an ex-Coast Guard buoy tender. The most distinct feature is the A frame crane which students use to help in all sorts of projects, like moving oyster condos to assist with the Billion Oyster Project. President Clinton sat in the pilot house watching his surroundings, observing the boat and what it was doing. Capt. Aaron Singh calls me to take the helm. Slowly walking into the pilot house, taking the wheel, I was at ease. I was so comfortable with operating the vessel that it did not matter who the passengers were; I was doing my job to ensure their safety as I would with any other passenger. While I was in the zone on the wheel, President Clinton begins to ask questions. Not knowing who he may have been speaking to, I did not speak up until a few moments later. He was asking questions like “Which Island is that over by the Statue?” and others that were harbor specific. I knew these answers; I knew the harbor very well after working in it for the past 3 years. It was not so intimidating answering questions and speaking to a

Continued from p. 1

the Harbor School, President Clinton assured students they were changing the world and making a difference. Many students were ecstatic that their first day of school was filled with informative speeches from such an inspirational person. It is also encouraging to many at Harbor School to know that the President speaks about the School and the BOP frequently on other occasions; it seems to be a cause for which he has a particularly strong degree of enthusiasm. His words reflected this: “You can always be proud that you helped restore the eco-structure of the New York Harbor..., purifying the water, and protecting the environment for the future. You literally represent the positive side of decisions that billions of people are going to have to make. You are already helping future generations. I can only hope that all over our country, people will do the same,” he finished.

Photograph: Clinton Global InitiativePresident Clinton Addresses Students

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3

Harbor Life

On the Crewby Waleska Montilla

Wind in my hair, water splashing on my face, and the sound of the oars hitting the water. Splash… Splash… Splash... We move through the water like sharks chasing their prey. I get a calm feeling in my heart. And I just think:

"I am a New York Harbor School Rower. I am here to be the best student-athlete I can be. I will row with pride under my stern and bow, to bring honor to the colors I represent, and to excel in nautical skills bestowed upon me. Neither wind, rain, flood nor ebb will stop me from my intended goal. I am a New York Harbor School Rower!"

Our rower’s creed, something I keep close to my heart. Rowing is so important to me. I'm a coxswain, a leader, a crew member. As my rowers give me their all, I know to use my skills

to keep them on course and to not slow them down. When we're in the basin, a small enclosed or partly enclosed body of water, and we do laps around; I always know to tell my port side to ease off at corners to be able to do sharp turns. I know that I have to get them to sprint the last straight away. I feel their struggle in my hands and arms, attempting to use the rudder, which steers the boat, to keep us as straight as I can.

This incredible feeling is the reason I can't let rowing go just yet. It’s always been there for me, my whole high school career has been based on the rowing team. My academics and my behavior--all of it-- has been shaped by my coaches, my team members, and all the volunteers that help us make the rowing team possible.

I don't know where I would be without rowing. It has taught me so many skills, like leadership and how to be hardworking, and it's helped me keep my grades on track. Rowing gives me a sense of freedom and gives me a tingling feeling in

my bones that relaxes my body and my mind. If the rowing team continues after I graduate, I will certainly come back and row with my team.

On Saturday November 8th, 2014 we went to the Village Community Boathouse Race pier 40, New York City. My crew rowed until their sweat dripped down like waterfalls. We ended up taking first place in the heats (also known as laps) with our best times yet. This win made me so proud because they were such a strong crew and they were all so in sync and when the race started they put all their differences aside and just rowed. So far, this is the best boat I've had in all three years, going on four, as a member of the team.

Rowing will forever be in my heart. If I ever stop rowing I will never forget the warm feeling I got because it is a reminder that I can do anything I set my mind to. I am a New York Harbor School Rower now and always, and I couldn't be any more proud of that.

Photograph: Courtesy Waleska Montilla“Power ten!”

Iced Inby Syed Hoque

New York Harbor-- It’s been a hard winter on the Harbor: so far, during 2015, we've experienced quite a bit of ice. Not all boats and ice work well together, unless you're an icebreaker of course. And that’s a problem. New York Harbor is filled with passenger vessels, from dinner cruise boats, to tour boats, to ferries. Ferries like the New York Waterways boats and the East River Ferries, even the New York Watertaxi boats. These are small boats, comparatively: they’re not all as massive as the Staten Island Ferry. But they’re all necessary to New York’s maritime transportation system: all these boats have a service to offer to the public. And during this winter’s conditions, some of these services can’t be met. Watertaxi had to suspend their services for a day because they were completely iced into their own homeport, reports Captain Luis Melendez. Other small ferries also aren’t able to keep up with these icy conditions. The ice floes in the Hudson are too much for the boats. They cannot break these thick sheets or ice nor can they go around them. There’s just too much of it! And in this case, cutting-edge propulsion can be a disadvantage. The Waterways fleet uses jets instead of propellers. This is a disadvantage in the ice. The strainers that suck in the water get clogged with ice, where a traditional prop would bat it aside.

Photograph: Cullen PalickaIce in the East River, near SUNY Maritime

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CALLING ALL STUDENTS!

Be a Correspondent for the Harbor Current! What are you doing outside of class? A job, an internship, a project: We want to hear your stories! Write us an email or an article about your adventures, and send it to: [email protected]. The best pieces will be chosen for inclusion in the next issue!The Next Contract

by Hassan Barksdale ’07

In the last issue of the Harbor Current, Hassan Barksdale ’07 described his post-Harbor School career. Below he updates readers about his recent doings; after writing this, he did indeed make it back to NYC in time to join Billion Oyster Project director Pete Malinowski representing Harbor School at the Clinton Global Initiative 2015 Winter Meeting. The session he spoke at was entitled Help Wanted: Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce Today; given Hassan’s career path, it was a topic on which he was uniquely qualified to speak.

I am currently on the containership Maersk Hartford where I just completed a 120 day contract. The ship is on the same route as the Maersk Detroit: Algeciras, Spain; Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates; Pakistan; India; and Oman, along with ports on the East Coast of the United States.. Nothing exciting really happened on here. No pirates either, this time. We have a security team on board so we felt a lot safer anyway. I'm still at sea preparing to get off the ship because my contract is finished. We've been experiencing some heavy weather, but as of now we are still scheduled to arrive on time. Programs that are offered at Harbor School are great for the maritime industry. When I was a

student, we had classes like Marine Technology and Marine Science which taught me things that I still use. In addition, sailing on Lettie G. Howard is great hands on training. It reinforced what we learned in the classroom. It definitely helped visual and practical learners like myself. We were able to see things actually put into practice. Deck Seamanship like knot tying and tying lines to a cleat or tying the boat up at the dock are things that can be misinterpreted or misunderstood when ONLY taught in the classroom. Navigation methods are other things that should require hands on practices. Sailing on the Lettie prepared me for my first job at New York Water Taxi in 2005. The academic classes were great because our teachers were motivated and driven to teach us. Mathematics, specifically trigonometry, was not my strongest point in the beginning. My teachers encouraged and stuck with me throughout the process. I'm glad they did; trigonometry is used very often in navigation and now I have no problem with it. The internship program started my senior year at Harbor School and gave students a different outlook at the professional world. Not only did we have to do well in our internships; but the progress we made in our internship was reflected on our grades. My experiences through Harbor School made me well prepared for my journey through SUNY Maritime College and post graduation. The benefits from programs that are offered at Harbor School and others like it are well worth it on any level; whether or not that will necessarily be one’s career path.

It is the policy of the Department of Education of the City of New York to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, age, marital status, partnership status, disability, sexual orientation, gender (sex), military status, unemployment status, prior record of arrest or conviction (except as permitted by law) predisposing genetic characteristics, or status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual offenses and stalking, and to maintain an environment free of harassment on any of the above-noted grounds, including sexual harassment or retaliation. It is the policy of the New York City Department of Education to provide equal educational opportunities without regard to actual or perceived race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, disability, sexual orientation, gender (sex) or weight and to maintain an environment free of harassment on the basis of any of these grounds, including sexual harassment or retaliation.

Hassan Barksdale ’07 aboard the containership Maersk Hartford

Join Us Online

Twitter:@HarborSchool@BillionOyster@Lettie_Howard

Facebook:/NewYorkHarborSchool/billionoysterproject

www.newyorkharborschool.orgwww.vesselops.comwww.nyharbor.orgwww.harborseals.orgwww.billionoysterproject.orgnyharbor.tumblr.com

Aquaculture Program UpdateStudents in the Aquaculture CTE presented at two conferences this year: the International Conference on Shellfish Restoration, in Charleston, SC, on December 11-13, 2014 and the Northeast Aquaculture Conference & Exposition, in Portland, ME, on January 14-16, 2015. At NACE, they also led a water quality and oyster gardening workshop.

At ICSR: (L to R): Jeremy Esposito, Alyssa Giacinto, Peregrine Donaldson, Samuel Gbadamosi, Philip Brown, Angelika Koscinski, and Stephen Velez.

Senior Alyssa Giacinto describes the ICSR below:

“I felt like I was actually talking to people who understood…I liked [being able to] talk to people who were a little more advanced…they’re college professors, there were oyster hatchery people— people that did it for profit; there were also oyster restorationists… “We presented about the Billion Oyster Project— what we’re doing, what we have done, and what it’s like to be a New York Harbor student. We got a standing ovation. They were pretty positive towards us— whether it was because we’re young, because we’re students, because we impressed them, or just that they took our information seriously… to get a nice [round of] applause from a crowd like that, you’re saying to yourself, I did something well. That felt pretty good.”

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Photograph: Susannah BlackAt BOP Schools Launch: NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña; NYHS Principal Kim Swanson;

NYHS Founding Principal Nate Dudley

BOP Schools Launch-- Continued from Page 1

This project includes high school students, grades 9-12, restoring our beloved harbor by imputing bivalves into the water. These bivalves, oysters, make our waters clean and improve the water quality. Students have restored approximately 11 million oysters already, and middle schoolers have been participating as well for the last several years. Many have joined through New York Harbor Foundation’s middle school oyster gardening program. Students also also study the anatomy and basic interactions of oysters with their ecosystems. This grant will allow many more middle school students to participate, and allow more oysters to be grown.

At the Seaportby Malachi Harewood

Our city's nationally recognized Seaport Museum has been a hub for maritime education and preservation since long before the time of myself, the writer, and yourselves, the readers, and it continues to be so today. While Manhattan’s southern tip no longer serves as the location of the premier Seaport of our great nation, the Seaport Museum (abbreviated SSSM, and quite creatively nicknamed South Street) remains to preserve the maritime heritage of the area. In the museum, the New York Harbor School could not have found a better educational tool to aid in its quest for knowledge of all things marine. Harbor School students, myself included, have learned a thing or two on each of South Streets vessels, save for the infamous full rigged tall ship

Above, on the bowsprit: Malachi Harewood, Katelyn Fong, Phillip Brown, Sarah Gribbin,

Halcyon Spooner. Below, at the shrouds: MAST student, Syed

Hoque, Malachi Harewood

Wavertree. While many students were part of South Street before the we heard the glamorous siren song of the WBL internships, the program has quite drastically improved relations and work productivity for the NYHS and the SSSM. Work Based Learning, WBL, is a city wide paid internship program. It is not specific to schools with CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs, such as Harbor; rather, it was implemented with the idea to give all students the incentive to learn a skill or trade while practicing financial management. I, like many of my peers, have utilized WBL. While it may seem like an ordinary job, the internship process is quite different: rather than having one particular job you do, you are given opportunities to do several kinds of tasks, and work on different projects. While internship coordinators reinvent the atmosphere of a work site, South Street is constantly changing, a living breathing workplace. From the welders on the work barge Progress to the deck reefers on the shared schooner Lettie G. Howard, it's quite easy to find a passion for something you love.

Page 6: Harbor Current, Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-5-15)

6Tall Ships America 2015by Waleska Montilla

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-- On the weekend of February 4th-6th, Harbor School students Syed Hoque, Halcyon Spooner, Angelina Lopez, and Michael Belliard, along with alumnus Cullen Palicka, teachers Aaron Singh and Ann Fraioli, eighteen-month-old Theodore Hudson Singh, and chaperones Linda Beale and Nelson Chin, attended the 42nd Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the conference, the students gave a presentation about Harbor School and the Lettie G. Howard Sail Training Program, and had the opportunity to meet many key people in the field of sail training and tall ship sailing. The Sail Training Conference is held each year by Tall Ships America, a private non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sail training programs in North America. It describes itself as “the hub for tall ships activity, expertise, and information in North America,” and the Harbor School students who attended the conference would agree. As well as giving a very positive reception to the Harbor students’ presentation, Tall Ships America recognized Harbor School and its people in

a number of ways: at the Conference’s awards dinner, Captain Aaron Singh, Harbor School’s waterfront director and the head of its Vessel Operations program, received the Sail Trainer of the Year Award for 2014; the Lettie G. Howard Program, on which Harbor School and the South Street Seaport Museum collaborate, received the Sail Training Program of the Year Award. And senior Halcyon Spooner received an award on behalf of an internship program in which she had participated over the summer. I had a chance to speak to Syed Hoque about his experience at TSA. The aspect of the conference that interested him was learning about the organizational and program operations side of the sail training business, rather than operations aboard tall ships. He has already learned a lot about tall ship sailing through working on Lettie G. Howard; at the conference, he was interested in learning about the systems to have in place in your organization, how he could find blind spots in his future organization that might cause to it fail, and what systems you should have in place to keep the organization safe. Among many people whom he was interested to meet were Captain Jonathan Kabak, who is the director of sail training at the U.S. Merchant Marine

Academy at Kingspoint, New York; Captain Jamie Trost who is currently the co-captain on the Pride of Baltimore II and is going to be Captain of the reproduction of the 1812 gunboat schooner Porcupine in Erie, Pennsylvania; and William Sabatini, Captain on the Niagara, also based out of Erie. If Syed had to describe the benefits of TSA in one word, that word would be networking. He ended having multiple conversations with people who were presenters as well as some who weren’t. He spoke to people who had experiences in common with him and some who had very different experiences, but who had gotten somewhere in life where he would like to be. Some of these people were Captain Richard Miller and Captain Andy Chase, professors at Maine Maritime Academy; as well as Captain Trost, captain of a prestigious, historically important schooner; and Captain Sabatini, who sailed up to Maine Maritime on his own boat. In his own career, Syed wants to work his way up and become a master of a boat, any boat. He also wants to own a business which does a variety of things from sail training to tours.Asked whether he had had any adventures at the conference, Syed smiled. “I got lost finding lost kids,” he said. On a tour of the 1892 Cruiser Olympia, two children got lost, and Syed was assigned to find them. “I followed the arrows-- there were arrows on the floor. I don’t know how you can get lost.” To be fair, the cruiser is 344 feet long, with a beam of 53 feet and multiple decks. Theo also had an adventure: during the awards ceremony, says Syed, when everyone was sitting down, “we let Theo loose.” He found his way to the stage and climbed up on it. Theo also joined in the post-awards dance. “He went straight to the dance floor and everyone got a chance to dance with him. Even Cullen danced, and Cullen doesn’t dance. We let Theo dance till he slept, and he fell asleep mid-dance.” A very successful trip.

Photograph: Nelson Michael ChinSyed Hoque, lower left, with award winners Aaron Singh & Halcyon Spooner

Brig Niagara Pride of Baltimore II

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MBRP Scholars at Prestigious Science Symposium

by Mauricio González

Manhattan-- On Sunday March 1st, Nicolle Martinez and Tahirah Abdo, 12th grade Marine Biology Research scholars, competed in the premiere Regional Science Symposium , the New York City Science and Engineering Fair, held at CCNY’s Shepard Hall. After two years of determination, setbacks, and perseverance, these two students represented the Harbor School among more than 450 of New York City’s budding scientists and engineers. Among the high schools in attendance were Bronx Science, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech., Townsend Harris, and other top STEM schools from around the City.

Photograph: Clinton Global InitiativePresident Clinton in Aquaculture Class

Wondrous Beautyby Kimiko Carrington

The wondrous beauty of the seaHow inadequate my two legs seem to beYet the sea has always called for meOh how I long to beTo lounge among the coral and crabPurveying food by catch and grabLetting the sea grass tickle my toeWhile pods of whale let their horns blowA symphony of splish splashI wonder how long their watery world will lastIt would be great if it’s foreverBut two legged creatures aren’t always cleverIf only they could love and protect the seaThis wondrous beauty will always be hereFOR ME

This was the award-winning poem in the 14-18 year old author category for the Whalefish poetry competition. To learn more about this international, London-based marine conservation organization, go to www.whalefish.org.

Champions!by Coach Mike Sammarco

On Feburary 28, Harbor’s flag football team, the Sharks, beat UA Design & Construction 24-20 in the championship game of the season. Harbor kept the lead throughout the game but it was still nail-biting close. Kevin (QB) threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for 1 TD. Onasis (WR) 2 touchdowns. Malik (FS) INT. Jeremy A. (WR) 1 TD. On the last play of the game Captain Orlando Ramos (LB) tackled (literally) a running back from D&C on the goal line as time ran out. Very dramatic, indeed. Go Sharks!

Photograph: Jen PrimoschHarbor Sharks: 2015 Champions!

Tahirah Abdo

Nicolle Martinez

Abstracts

The effects of different types of concrete compositions on benthic organisms under an ecodock by Tahirah Abdo Coastal Infrastructures are increasing in abundance as more people look to live on the water. This project will be studying the effects of different types of compositions of concrete and their capability of recruiting organisms in a horizontal placement. Four sets consisting of six concrete matrices will be hung horizontally under the Ecodock located on pier 101 on Governors Island. Organism recruitment was measured using biodiversity indices. In general, the smooth side of the matrices received the most recruitment. Overall, matrix three had the best recruitment.

Marine Biology Research Program Update

Rescued from the brink: Restoration of eelgrass, Zostera Marina, to the Upper New York Bayby Nicolle Martinez

Eelgrass populations have declined since the 1930’s and has since failed to fully return, affecting bivalve, mollusk, and waterfowl populations as well as negatively impacting the fishery industry based around it (Muehlstein, 1989, making human intervention necessary. Eelgrass was planted in Pier 5, Sunset, Brooklyn by being woven into 8” burlap circles and has survived since 2012. Each trial has consisted of approximately 20 tortillas set into clusters of 3, with 10-12 blades of eelgrass woven through each one. Surviving eelgrass is currently being monitored using a quadrant to determine quadrantal percent coverage over time, which will give insight into the growth, spread, and declination of the vegetation. By assessing the percent coverage, visually interpreting the overall health of planted eelgrass, and measuring chemical and physical parameters of the water, it can be deduced that future restoration attempts in similar environments are plausible. With water quality remaining relatively cyclic through the seasons, temperature staying within or near the tolerance level of approximately 20oC, and sufficient light penetration, the Pier 5 site is suitable for the survival and spread of transplanted eelgrass. This project and its findings will serve as a baseline for methods and reference for future eelgrass restoration projects in the Upper New York Bay and areas like it.

To read their complete papers & view the research, visit harborseals.org.

Presidential Passenger-- Continued from p. 2

As the Privateer arrived at Governors Island, President Clinton was greeted by students representing the six Career and Technical Education programs the school offers. They all felt just like I had when I first knew I would be speaking to President Clinton, NERVOUS! Joining the group of students, I didn’t feel the same way anymore. I was comfortable, not nervous; not worried about stumbling on my own words. It was strange to me that talking to a President was not as nerve-wracking as it may seem. It shocked me how comfortable I got speaking to him. I admired his ability to just be able to freely talk; we talked as if he was not the President at one point. This was incredible to me; I can now say that I have had a conversation with the 42nd President of the United States of America about what I do as a student at the Harbor School and about my poor swimming skills. Now I felt like I can speak comfortably with anyone who has had a stature like himself. Speaking to President Clinton made me feel better about just speaking and I aspire to gain his ability to just be able to talk. It’s a skill I will be practicing from now on.

Page 8: Harbor Current, Volume 4, Issue 1 (3-5-15)

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

March 1 2 3Bowling G/SI FerryGreenmarkets

4 5 Bowling Green Greenmarket

Harbor35 launch

6Greenmarket @SI Ferry Terminal

7Lettie G. Howard maintenance, 9-5, SS Seaport Museum

8 9 10Bowling G/SI FerryGreenmarkets

11Harbor Foundation board meeting

12BG Greenmarket

13 SIF Greenmarket

14Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

15 16 17Bowling G/SI FerryGreenmarkets

18Harbor School Awards DinnerNew York Yacht Club

19BG Greenmarket

20 SIF Greenmarket

21“Preparing for Victory” NMHS talkseahistory.orgLettie, 9-5, SSSM

22 23 24Bowling G/SI Ferry Greenmarkets

25 26BG Greenmarket

27 SIF Greenmarket

28Sea Perch Competition

Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

29 30 31Bowling G/SI FerryGreenmarkets

April 1 2BG Greenmarket

3SIF Greenmarket

4 Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

5 6 7Bowling G/SI FerryGreenmarkets

8 9BG Greenmarket

10SIF Greenmarket

11

Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

12 13 14Bowling G/SI FerryGreenmarkets

15Dinghy practice

16BG GreenmarketFerry Safety & Tech Conference

17SIF Greenmarket Keelboat practiceFerry Safety & Tech Conference

18

Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

19 20 21Bowling G/SI FerryGreenmarkets

22Dinghy practice

23BG Greenmarket

24SIF Greenmarket Keelboat practice

25

Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

26 27 28Bowling G/SI FerryGreenmarkets

29Dinghy practice

30BG Greenmarket

May 1SIF Greenmarket Keelboat practice

2

Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

3 4 5BG/SIF Greenmarkets

6Dinghy practice

7BG Greenmarket

8SIF Greenmarket Keelboat practice

9MATE CompetitionVillanova U

Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

10 11 12BG/SIF Greenmarkets

13Dinghy practiceHarbor School’s 4th Annual Science Symposium

14BG Greenmarket

15SIF Greenmarket Keelboat practice

16

Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

17 18 19BG/SIF Greenmarkets

20Dinghy practice

21BG Greenmarket

22SIF Greenmarket Keelboat practice

23Lettie, 9-5, SSSM

8Harbor School Community Events

Boatbuilding/Maintenance/Waterfront Club Tuesday-Friday, 3:15-5:45MAST Center, Governors Island

Aquabotics ClubThursday, 3:15-5:45Ocean Engineering Lab, Governors Island