Robert Trimble
High
School Seniors Attempt to Increase Horseshoe Crab Population
Intro:
The Simulated Horseshoe Crabitat is a Capstone
Design project that was initiated by Marine Academy seniors Robert Trimble and
Megan Synek. In this project, the two seniors are designing a habitat that will
house 50 six month-one year old Horseshoe crabs before releasing them back in
to the wild. The project will be split in to two different parts that Mr.
Trimble and Ms. Synek will complete. The physical structure of the habitat will
be designed and constructed by Ms. Synek, while Mr. Trimble will be responsible
for creating the water flow system.
The Project:
The water flow system is series of pipes and filters
that allow water to flow throughout the habitat, delivering nutrients to the
Horseshoe crabs and filtering out any unwanted detritus. The water flow system
also includes the environmental controlling devices that will be placed
throughout the tank. These devices include the air stones, which will provide
dissolved oxygen to the water, and the water chiller, which will bring the
temperature of the water in the tank down to approximately 77 degrees
Fahrenheit.
The Mentors:
The Simulated Horseshoe Crabitat has received aid
from several scientists in the Marine biology field, such as Professor David
Wiseman from the College of Charleston and Christopher Claus from the Cattus
Island County Park. These two scientists were contacted in order to obtain
details on the proper procedures one should go through to feed the Horseshoe Crabs
and have the “Crabitat” act as an accurate representation of their natural
environment.
The End Result:
At the end of this project, Mr. Trimble and Ms.
Synek intend to release their surviving Horseshoe crabs back in to the wild
once they have reached one year of age. At that point, the Horseshoe crabs will
have matured to the point where they can fend for themselves. The habitat that
the seniors will construct can be re-used for future classes and so that more
generations of Horseshoe crabs can be raised there. For those interested in
learning more about this project and the ways that they can help aid the
seniors and their juvenile Horseshoe crabs, Mr. Trimble and Ms. Synek will be
presenting their current designs and construction process in building 303 on
The Marine Academy of Science and Technology campus at 1:20 PM on January 21,
2014.
About
the Marine Academy of Science and Technology
The Marine Academy of Science and
Technology (MAST) is a co-ed four-year high school, grades 9-12; one of five
career academies administered by the Monmouth County Vocational School
District. The Marine Academy is fully accredited by the Middle States
Association of Schools and Colleges and offers small classes with close
personal attention. The Marine Academy was founded in 1981 as a part-time
program, which has since grown to become a full-time diploma-granting program.
The school’s curriculum focuses on marine sciences and marine
technology/engineering. The MAST program requires each student to participate
in the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) in lieu of Physical
Education.
MAST is located in the Fort Hancock
Historic Area at the tip of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The school campus is
located adjacent to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest working lighthouse in
the country, in thirteen newly renovated buildings, within walking distance of
several beaches. The “Blue Sea” is a 65-foot research vessel owned and operated
by the Marine Academy and berthed at the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Sandy Hook.
The vessel is used in all facets of the program.
Contact information:
Robert L. Trimble
732-275-0568
305 Mast Way
Highlands NJ, 07732
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