photo credit: King Eider, by Katlyn Taylor

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Greetings from Appledore Island!

 

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to start this newsletter with those words. As we enter the 60th season of the Shoals Marine Lab, and my second as director, I am struck by the things that haven’t changed on the island, and the things that make Shoals special.

 

Two weeks ago the staff arrived for training, and their excitement and spirit of adventure was palpable.  The team began exploring the island, asking questions about our programs and facilities, soaking up the history and mission, and immediately building the community that Shoalers treasure.  I am grateful that each year we attract such committed, hardworking, knowledgeable, and adventurous people to make the island run during the summer. 

 

Likewise, volunteer weekend is a vibrant display of the commitment, hard work, and camaraderie of Shoalers – old and new.  In two days, they complete tasks and projects that help get the island ready to welcome our students—putting mattress covers, curtains, and pillows in all the dorm rooms; setting up the classrooms, store, and labs; moving rocks to shore up structures that shift over the winter; ensuring our stairs and ramps are solid and have anti-skid surfaces; and cleaning everything.  It was hard work, but there were smiles at all that was accomplished and of seeing old friends or making new ones.  Some of our volunteers have been coming to the island for more than 50 years, working with all prior directors and most of the prior staff.  The community of Shoalers is one of the greatest assets of Appledore and the Lab.

 

While we now have cell phones and wifi, unlike the first half of the history of the Lab, we still revel in the opportunity to talk with each other, enjoy a meal without staring at devices, marvel at the work that folks complete in such a short time, stop to see a hummingbird captured by the banders, and share a sunset view.  The essence of being away is always heightened when the fog is so thick that you can’t see the mainland (Saturday of volunteer weekend).  One of the greatest legacies that our founders and all those who have contributed to the island community have provided is a unique living and learning environment that fosters connections among people.

 

When I left Appledore last September, I did not fully realize that it would be a full eight months before I would be back on the island.  It still feels like coming home, and the island has that same magic that I experienced in 1990 during my first year and last summer for my first year as executive director. Little has changed since last summer, other than the fact that most of my artwork was askew, presumably from the earthquake.  Much has changed on the island and in the world since the Lab was formed, but the magic of Appledore is alive and well, nurtured by the staff, faculty, volunteers, and supporters who make it happen year after year.

 

We are all excited to share the island, the sea, the flora and fauna, and the natural beauty of Appledore and the Isles of Shoals with this summer’s students and visitors!  Appledore is open and the Lab is prepared for a fantastic 60th season!

 

 

Last Thursday, just before volunteer weekend, we had one of those moments that has always epitomized the Appledore and SML spirit.  While working to get our saltwater system ready for classes, Zach Charewicz saw a King Eider.  Tanner Burns radioed Sara Morris, who responded that she was headed to the dock. She called the bird banding team, who immediately headed to the dock.  Since all of this was happening on the radios, and Sara seemed pretty excited, most of the staff on the island also immediately headed to the dock.  We were all able to enjoy this adult male King Eider (gorgeous- photo above) and had conversations about its plumage, where it should be, when they were occasionally seen on the island, the difference in its call and the Common Eider calls, and its courtship behavior.  We also learned that our captain, Katlyn Taylor, is an amazing photographer.  So, the tradition of people stopping to share in an unusual sighting, gathering together to learn something new, and learning more about other people on the island has already begun on Appledore this summer.

Welcome Jacob Yates, Island Engineer! Since graduating from high school in 2020, Jacob has been in the outdoor industry, working several positions that took him to Colorado, Utah, Minnesota, and now Appledore Island. He was born in Brunswick, Maine, but hasn't been back in 7 years. Jacob says he is looking forward to seeing New England as an adult, and can't wait for this exciting season with SHOALS! (pictured below top left with a California Raisin figure)

 

Conor Heaney is also an Island Engineer this summer. Conor is from Southeast Michigan and graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Engineering Physics. Before Shoals, he was a classroom/ laboratory technician for the University of Michigan Physics. When Conor is not working, he is usually knitting, biking, or getting lost on a trail. Good thing it's hard to get lost on Appledore Island! Welcome, Conor! (pictured below top right)

 

Phillip Ulbrich is our Head Chef this season. Originally from Atlanta, GA, Phillip has lived in Brooklyn, NY, for the last 13 years.  He has cooked on Hurricane Island for several summers. In addition to time in various community-based kitchens (Center for Whole Communities/Knoll Farm, Tassajara Zen Center, Shambhala Center), Phillip has a degree in Cartography, which has sent him all over the U.S….his favorite assignment was Puerto Rico. We look forward to tasting that island-inspired cuisine! (pictured below bottom left)

 

Katlyn Taylor is a Research Vessel Captain this summer at Shoals. This is her first year with the program and she is happy to get back to the North Atlantic after working in the whale watching industry out of Gloucester, MA several years ago. She is an Oregon native but travels the world as guide and captain. In her spare time she has published a book titled Wild Monterey Bay and she co-hosts The Whalenerd's Podcast. She loves spending time on the ocean and is passionate about helping others enjoy and learn from our incredible ocean ecosystem as well. Welcome, Katlyn! (pictured below bottom right)

SML and the SML Alumni and Friends Association invite all those with a connection to Shoals Marine Lab, past or present, to join us for a very special weekend. We are planning some amazing activities for all participants. Explore the island, enjoy SML educational programming, take advantage of a swim call, participate in a "fire line" to bring supplies on island, play games, enjoy the unique natural environment that only the Isles of Shoals can provide, reconnect with old friends, and meet new ones! There are three options from which to choose: a Day Trip, a 1-Night Stay, or a 2-Night Stay. For more details and registration information, click the button below!

 

The AFA’s annual summer meeting will take place on Sunday, August 24 after brunch. We welcome those of you who will be on Appledore on Sunday to please participate! 

photo credit: Jackie Webb

Without the energy and passion of our volunteers, Shoals Marine Lab simply would not be able to provide the top-notch educational opportunities we aspire to each year. This past weekend brought about 50 dedicated volunteers to Appledore, who carried, repaired, painted, planted, folded, counted, installed, built, swept, and washed. Along the way, they also shared stories of themselves and their connections with Shoals. The community-building was magical. Everyone at Shoals sends out a huge THANK YOU to all who gave of themselves this weekend. You are so appreciated! 

photo credits: top left- Katlyn Taylor, top right- Joel Gardner, top feature photo and bottom two photos- Terry Cook

For the past eleven years, Shoals Marine Lab has been Taylor Lindsay's summertime home-away-from-home, a source of constant exploration and community, and a pivotal steppingstone for her career. From her first overnight program on Appledore in 2014, she was hooked - returning almost every summer of her undergrad at UNH to participate in the Marine Immersion, Marine Mammals, and Underwater Research courses and the Intertidal Ecology SURG, followed by a summer as lab coordinator before grad school. 

Taylor says, “Cumulatively, these experiences provided me with valuable field, lab, teaching, organization, and communication skills that prepared me to jump into a PhD program.”

 

In 2019, Taylor started her PhD at the University of Rhode Island with Carlos Prada, entitled “Light, Symbiosis, and the Biology of Corals”. She focused on the effect of light on corals, leveraging SCUBA skills she acquired at SML to conduct her research. She also brought her SML knowledge of intertidal species into the classroom as a teaching assistant for Intertidal Ecology and Invertebrate Zoology. Each summer, Taylor continued to visit SML, helping in the kitchen, supporting new staff, and conducting the intertidal transect survey during Covid-19. Now, Taylor says she is thrilled to be a part of the mentor and teaching faculty for the Intertidal Ecology SURG program and Underwater Research course at SML.

 

 “SML has been integral in every step of my development as a scientist: as I decided what to study in college, as I sought skills to prepare for grad school, and even now as I begin a postdoctoral research position. This fall I’ll begin working with Randi Rotjan (former rock-talker) and Justin McAlister (former SML faculty) at Tufts University to continue researching temperate corals. If you’d like to learn more about my research or watch my defense recording, please reach out: taylor_lindsay@uri.edu!”

Each summer Shoals Marine Lab hosts Artists in Residence for two-week stints, who reside on the island, immersed in the beauty and community of Appledore. Artists blend personal creative time with art programming designed for students enrolled in SML courses. This results in a beautiful symmetry of inquisitiveness, creativity, and the process of scientific discovery. We look forward to welcoming and working with this year's AIRs. Click their names below for more information about them.

Our annual wish list is inspired by the many community members who ask what we need to have a successful season. We've already had several items donated to us by generous donors with various connections to SML - former students and a former boat captain to name a few! Here is an updated list in case you can help: 

If you are interested in making a donation designated to one of these, please reach out to Amy Fish, Dir of Community Relations, amy.fish@unh.edu.

 

Correction: In our April newsletter, we identified the Rye Driftwood Garden Club member in the photo as Amy Capasso. She is actually Lisa Cote. Apologies, and thanks again!

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