The Marine Science Club has become the second science club on Goshen College soil, the first being Women in STEM. It arrived at GC in the fall semester of last year, with their inaugural event being the Halloween Bash on Oct. 31.  Following their start in October, the Marine Science Club took their first annual trip to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago on March 9, with a total group of nine members.

According to Katie Dunderman, the club’s co-founder and president, its main aim at GC is to “create a space where people could come who were just interested in marine science,” even if they couldn’t entirely commit themselves due to a busy college schedule. Dunderman is a junior marine and environmental science major, whose passion for marine biology started at a very young age. She says “Shark Week” was her childhood favorite show,  though she couldn’t watch it because her family only had four channels.

Dunderman said she begged her parents, “Please take me to Grandma’s for one week,” so she could enjoy the annual week long program.

Dunderman also spoke fondly of her childhood visiting St. Joseph, Michigan, a sandy beach town off the shore of Lake Michigan. “When my parents started having more kids, my grandparents started taking us to St. Joe’s,” said Dunderman. She also lamented the erosion that has occurred in St. Joseph since her childhood.

Dunderman’s favorite marine species is the epaulette shark, which can shut off its brain functions and crawl onto land to hunt during low tide. This species is her favorite because “they’re really pretty … they’re one of very few sharks that has earth tone coloring instead of gray coloring.”

Helping lead the Marine Science Club as vice president is Caroline Lamb, a junior environmental and marine science major from Columbus, Ohio. Lamb spoke of her unique relationship with Dunderman, since they are roommates in addition to their roles in the club. She even talked about coming up with ideas for the club at 1 a.m.

Lamb’s love for the sea started when she would spend weeklong vacations with her family at the ocean and the Great Lakes as a child, when she and her mother would go looking for jellyfish. Lamb remembered them both finding a horseshoe crab whose exoskeleton was exposed. “I was blown away, and I just thought it was so cool something so prehistoric could come out of the ocean like that,” Lamb reminisced.

Lamb’s favorite marine species is also the epaulette shark, but not for the same reason as Dunderman. Lamb favors the epaulette because, she says, “It’s like you’re seeing evolution literally happen right in front of you.”

Phil Allman, director of the J.N. Roth Marine Biology Station and associate professor of marine biology, serves as an “unofficial mentor and adviser to the club.” The station is located in the middle of the Florida Keys, about two hours south of Miami. Allman is currently on campus for the Marine Science Club’s Guest Speaker Series and joins the club for their events while he is not in Florida. Like Dunderman and Lamb, his love for marine biology also began when he was a child. “I constantly watched Jacques Cousteau documentaries about the ocean and became obsessed with how little we know of the marine world. I would routinely find myself sitting on the beach staring at the ocean while imagining what mysterious animals must live under the surface,” he said.

According to Allman, having this club on campus is important because marine science is a “program steeped in tradition and legacy. There is a clear demand for such a program.”

Allman’s favorite marine species are nudibranchs, a group of molluscs also known as sea slugs; seahorses;  and frogfish. The nudibranch is his favorite to see while diving because “they have beautiful colors and offer wonderful photography opportunities when one is lucky enough to find one.”

All are welcome to join the marine science club, regardless of major or previous knowledge. Those who are interested in being part of the club and attending events are encouraged to email Dunderman or follow the club’s Instagram page.