The center will bring together experts from all over Southern California, from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to UC Santa Barbara. Now, everyone's getting involved. For several years, Grant has also been involving his undergraduates in his studies. He takes them to the Talbert Marsh, which serves as a living laboratory for studying the impact of urban runoff and the behavior of bacteria. One project involved measuring the flow of bacteria from the surrounding watershed, through the Talbert Marsh and into the ocean.
Field work is so important.
You have to get your hands dirty. My students have done a fantastic job in coming up with interesting, useful data. Some of their findings were even included in Grant's press conference. It's an emotional issue. There were around 50 kids in my class.