From a Professor at Stonehill College:
...this was the most interesting to students who have usually been to beaches before but have no inkling as to the community below the low water mark. A huge bonus for some was the opportunity to collect enough spider crabs, sea urchins, sea stars, and broad-clawed hermit crabs for six different individual course projects.
From a Teacher at Newton North H.S.
It was our best ever field trip. Can we do this again next year?
From a Falmouth High School teacher
Thank YOU for a fanastic trip and eventful day. The students and I had a great time and learned alot about local science and sea creatures. Amy was a great resource and helped to teach the students some essential lessons about the animals on the spot. Again, thank you for a memorable, educational and fun experience for our students.
The Trip:
Classes will go on a two hour sampling trip on the 40 foot collecting research vessel R/V Minuteman to Vineyard Sound. Our program is designed to include hands-on activities modeled from actual research operations conducted at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Center in Woods Hole.
Marine Biological Activities:
Each cruise will travel two miles offshore to a site where marine organisms are known to be abundant and richly diverse. Students will deploy an underwater video camera sled that provides a real-time feed of video from the bottom of Vineyard Sound in which we get to view a variety of species and habitats. Students also participate participate in the deployment and retrieval of a naturalist dredge to collect benthic specimens such as sea urchins, star fish, varieties of crabs and sponges, and other assorted worms, mollusks, crustaceans and echinoderms. An on-board naturalist assists in the identification of the organisms, and will provide an overview of the natural history of each.
In addition, the naturalist will describe how the organisms have been used in medical research at the institutions in Woods Hole. The students will also deploy a plankton net to collect zooplankton, copepods and larval stages of other organisms. The plankton samples can be taken back to the classroom for further study, allowing students to post their observations on our website.
Oceanographic Activities:
Students will help deploy a sub-surface oceanographic mooring equipped with a temperature and depth data logger. We will recover it using an acoustic link and download the data. This data can be taken back to school, reviewed, and posted on our website. Students may also collect water samples using a Niskin bottle and measure parameters. Other activities include lowering a secchi disk at several locations, and using a chart and GPS to track the vessel’s position.
Tours:
A behind-the-scenes tour of NOAA's Aquarium is included in every sampling trip. Additional stops can be arranged to visit the WHOI Exhibit Center or WHOI dock. We also can take a guided salt marsh tour, where we discuss the habitat, adaptations by the plants and animals, and the important role of estuaries.
Activities Based on WHOI research projects:
Through our collaborative agreement with WHOI, we present focused synopses of several research projects currently being conducted at the labs. We model our data collection activities directly from this research, often replicating the techniques used by the scientists. In our discussion of the questions, results and relevance of the research, we cover topics such as food webs, ocean circulation, ocean acidification and climate change.All of our programs are designed to include collection of data that classes can take back to the classroom, review, and post to our website.
Fast Facts
Marine Biology Field Activities:
Live feed from an Underwater Video Camera
Benthic dredge and plankton tow
Otter Trawl (fish trawl) deployment
On-board hand-held microscope
Oceanographic Field Activities:
Oceanographic mooring deployment and recovery
Secchi disk deployment
Water sample collection using Niskin bottle
YSI Sonde deployment
Plot station position using GPS and chart
Coastal Zone Activities:
Estuary exploration
Core sampling
Seine Netting
Coastal zone discussion
Capacity:
The R/V Minuteman can accomodate 22 passengers, Larger classes can be split into two groups.
Schedule:
Monday through Friday, weather permitting. We typically depart by 10 am.
Please contact us regarding Saturday trips
