Dr Arvind Singh

Probably this is the reason why students were very enthusiasƟ c during their visit to our laboratory since they could relate what they had learned to their day-to-day life. During discussions, they recognized the importance of phytoplankton, making the connecƟ on with food resources and economy of the country. From visiƟ ng our laboratory, the students defi nitely discovered more about how strongly phytoplankton is connected to their everyday life, the food they eat and the air they breathe. They also learned how we do science, the fun part and the hard work involved in it. In a few years we will know if any of these students will make their choice for Marine Sciences as a career. We believe UAlg does a great service for community opening the doors and welcoming students. This is a great plaƞ orm not only to inform students on their choices for the future, but to disseminate knowledge produced in the university to the society.

IPMA monitoring for phytoplankton toxins in coastal and estuarine areas of bivalve producƟ on in Portugal as in 30 June 2015. Learn more in hƩ ps:// www.ipma.pt/en/pescas/bivalves/

Alumni Experience in Science Outreach

Dr Arvind Singh GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Germany Wikipage: hƩ p://www.nf-pogo-alumni.org/~Arvind+Singh

My experience of Open Science Days

“Are there roads around the Sun for planets to move around it?”, very elegantly a fi ve year old girl asked me this quesƟ on when I was volunteering on a planetary science poster in the open house of Physical Research Laboratory on its diamond jubilee in 2007. I was stumped, as they say in cricket! It was not that the quesƟ on was diffi cult but I did not know how to answer this to a kindergarten student. But that was the most interesƟ ng quesƟ on of my life anyone has ever asked. That is the reason why these open houses are very exciƟ ng for researchers – one gets to hear some crazy quesƟ ons which one would never hear otherwise. One also gets opportuniƟ es to meet eminent personaliƟ es at such events. Former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam inaugurated the diamond jubilee celebraƟ on. We got a chance to hear one of the fi nest human beings, whose soul has departed recently to rest in peace.

AŌ er fi nishing my PhD in 2011, I departed for Bermuda – a remote island but I knew it beƩ er for its famous ocean Ɵ me series staƟ on – the Bermuda AtlanƟ c Time-series Study (BATS) staƟ on operated by the Bermuda InsƟ tute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). I again volunteered in open house on the Marine Science day in 2011 at BIOS. Bermudians kids were extremely happy to visit the RV AtlanƟ c Explorer and move around the BIOS campus. Our job was to rather teach the real stuff this Ɵ me – that is how to save this beauƟ ful blue planet. The experience was amazing. Then it was open house in GEOMAR, Kiel Germany in 2013, when I just started my postdoc here. This Ɵ me I did not have to do much because the only German word I knew was kindergarten. In fact, at that Ɵ me, I did not even know that kindergarten is a German word. So I was just happy to help the other volunteers on the ocean acidifi caƟ on stall. I also learnt quite a few innovaƟ ve tricks – it was easy to demonstrate ocean acidifi caƟ on by exhaling into the water and put the pH colour detector into the water. This way, not only ocean acidifi caƟ on, but who is actually responsible for this, could be taught. I feel open houses are very important. We work in the laboratories for the whole year and if we cannot give a day for people who are paying us to do Science, it is unfair. Hence one should always volunteer for such acƟ viƟ es. Governments all over the world have also recognized the importance of these events. That is the reason government is ready to spend money and trying to fund such acƟ viƟ es (and projects), which have societal relevance.

LeŌ - Planetary science poster during the open house of Physical research Laboratory on its diamond Jubilee; Middle - Open house on marine science day in BIOS; Right - Open house in GEOMAR Kiel. Kids want to make most out of these events.