This week’s guest is Mark Losavio, a marine biologist and science communicator who works with his university’s marine science department to help surrounding communities around Boston learn about the ocean. Mark also recently completed his Masters in marine science where he looked at how virtual reality can be used to enhance an aquarium’s tour offerings and increase visitor participation.

Mark says he has always been obsessed with and telling people about the ocean. In a sense, he has always been a science communicator. Mark got his start working in an exotic pet store so he could work in the salt water fish section where he loved teaching people how to take care of their fish. He attended the University of South Carolina and volunteered at a nearby zoo where he was a volunteer diver.

Marine Science Outreach

Mark explains there are different programs depending on the season. During warmer months, schools around Boston visit the university, get a tour of the facilities, and visit the nearby rocky intertidial zone (the area where the ocean meets the land between high and low tides). During the winter months, when it is too cold to visit, the marine department goes on tour and takes the various marine animals out to schools.

Using VR to teach Marine Science

Mark’s research looked at comparing the use of virtual reality to the traditional lecture format to teach marine science. This was an extension of research that had gone before: Previous research looked at the response of students in the US, where Mark’s research looked at the response from Chinese students.

Mark found one of the surprising aspects of his research was the interests of the Chinese students. While they didn’t learn more compared to the traditional lecture format, there seemed to be more abstract appreciation for what they learned. Mark describes the virtual reality environment as being like Google Map’s Street View. Users view a 360 degree panoramic world where they can click on embedded links or “hot spots” and pull up information on what they are looking at.

Getting into Science Communication

Mark offers some advice for people interested in science communication in a museum or a zoo. The field can be very competitive as many people want to work in those institutions, especially aquariums, and the best path is starting as a volunteer. Being a volunteer also means that when job openings become available, you know the system and have the necessary experience for the job and are thus more likely to be selected.

You can follow Mark on Twitter: @losaviom