For those interested in marine life, the Marine Biology Club allows students to engage themselves in the field through hands-on experiences and monthly Zoom meetings.

John Artim, lecturer of biology and sponsor of the Marine Biology Club, said the club has students from various fields such as biology, agriculture and psychology.

“The Marine Biology Club has always, in different ways when different students have been running it, tried to facilitate people’s interests and come together and either be social and talk to other people or find a way to pursue those interests,” Artim said. “Either locally or by occasionally getting together and, say, doing a field trip to Florida over spring break.”

Christiana Knapp, a senior psychology and animal science double major from Beebe, Arkansas, is president of the Marine Biology Club. She said the club had issues with attendance and participation last school year, but hit a sweet spot this semester, reaching 45 members. 

Knapp said she became president this semester after noticing nobody was listed as president. She said Artim made her the president because “No one else has asked.”

The club president said being involved in the Marine Biology Club ties her majors and minor together and brings her closer to her career goal of conducting research with marine mammals.

Club treasurer Esther Brostrand is a senior wildlife fisheries and conservation major with a minor in marine science from Jonesboro. She said she never planned on becoming treasurer but is glad she joined. 

“I have enjoyed my time, spending time with friends as well as participating in the events we have,” Brostrand said. “I believe clubs in general are a good way to network with other people and enable them to make contacts.”

Artim said since Arkansas is a landlocked state, it can be difficult for students to explore marine science. He said this is why organizations like the Marine Biology Club need to exist so interested students can collaborate and find ways to pursue their shared interests.

The Marine Biology Club has organized several events this year. The club participated in a behind-the-scenes tour of the research facilities at the Memphis Zoo, traveled to a local fishery to practice PIT tagging fish and hosted a movie night event. 

“Part of the goal when we started was to try and offer hands-on experiences. Part of the PIT tagging is that that’s actually an activity you can put on your CV as a skill that you have,” Knapp said. “For the behind-the-scenes at the Memphis Zoo, we actually met several people, including the head woman in charge of the animal research. If you want to network it’s not a bad place to start.”

Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags allow researchers to accurately and safely track individual organisms. Scientists often use PIT tags on marine life to track movement and population growth or decline.

Knapp said another goal for the club is to keep involvement and discussion regarding marine biology alive because, while she said many students are interested in the field, the marine science minor was discontinued at Arkansas State University. Brostrand said the club is going to emphasize keeping the club alive in upcoming semesters. 

“The main thing is to keep communication alive, participation alive and see if it grows from there,” Brostrand said.

The Marine Biology Club collaborates with other clubs on campus. Knapp said the Marine Biology Club collaborated with the Wildlife Society during their movie night event. Artim said the club often intersects with other organizations Marine Biology Club members are involved and interested in.

“One of the things about Marine Biology Club is that marine studies is such a broad topic it can encompass social sciences and the humanities,” Artim said. “If folks have interests in those directions, I’d like to strongly support them because it’s intrinsic to being interested in that topic.”

Knapp said the Marine Biology Club will host an election this semester to nominate members for leadership positions within the club. Knapp said the club is looking to fill a social media manager position during their election.

Upcoming events include another movie night and a Spring River summer float trip. 

The club president said students interested in the club can email her or Artim for information on how to join. Artim can be emailed at jartim@astate.edu. Knapp said posters are also placed around the Lab Sciences West building with a QR code to join the Marine Biology Club GroupMe chat. There are no requirements or dues needed to join the club.

“I know there are a lot of students out here who are nursing students or wildlife students but there can be a lot to learn from marine sciences,” Brostrand said. “I just hope that students give stuff a try before they say ‘Oh, that’s not for me’.”

Carson Davis, special to The Herald, contributed to this report.

Categories: Life