Jane Stevens, at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, CA - Last weekend, slimy squid. This weekend, leatherback turtles. At Camp Ocean Pines, the winter lecture series comes to successful close with turtle researcher George Shillinger.

Last weekend, Hopkins' squid researcher Bill Gilly brought Humboldt squid to Camp Ocean Pines, and folks attending the workshop had a unique opportunity for a hands-on experience!

According to a report on Sanluisobispo.com, the squid "dissected by the group weighed about 30 pounds. The teachers examined the squids' stomach contents, which included bones and other parts of fish they'd been eating." Among the fascinating aspects of squid anatomy, they learned that squid eyeballs feel like marbles.

Here are a couple of photos that Laura Dickinson took for Sanluisobispo.com. One is of Bill Gilly and the squid. The other is Eva (left), 5, and her sister Leona Moylan, 3, of San Luis Obispo, daughters of Cal Poly Bio-science Professor Nikki Adams, who brought them to the workshop.

The rest of the photos, which show teachers and their families dissecting squid, can be found here.

Chris Cameron, executive director of Camp Ocean Pines, sent this email: Had a wonderful time with Dr. Gilly at Camp Ocean Pines. The local newspaper came and took pictures of the teacher training dissection of Humboldt squid. The picture of Dr. Gilly holding up the squid with a yellow rain-jacketed assistant in the background made the cover of the local section of the Sunday Tribune newspaper!

George will be doing two public lectures: one at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1 at Cambria Vets Hall, and the other at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2., at the Avila Beach Marine Institute. He'll talk about leatherback turtles, including the Great Turtle Race, as well as sharks and elephant seals.

Camp Ocean Pines's terrific lecture series is held during January and February, and provides a unique opportunity for people to meet some of TOPP's scientists in person. Lectures are held on Friday nights in Cambria and on Saturday nights at the Avila Beach Marine Institute. As Chris Cameron notes, "at $5.00 per person, these lectures are cheaper than a movie, and much better for your mind!"