Learning About Oceanography By The Shores Of Maine

By Tanjua Damon

Spending a few weeks on the coast of Maine is ideal for many during their summer vacation, especially for Newtown High School student Rachel Dapp, who was able to learn about oceanography.

Rachel participated in the Acadia Institute of Oceanography, which is a hands-on field oriented program for students ages 12 to 19. The two-week program is held at Seal Harbor on the southern end of Mount Desert Island near Bar Harbor, Maine. The Institute was established in 1975.

“It was great. It was the most fun I ever had,” Rachel said. “I’ve always liked the ocean. It’s really interesting to me.”

There are two separate programs for students to embark in learning about oceanography. The first is a basic course for students who do not have that much oceanography experience but have an interest in marine science; and the advanced session is for students who have an understanding of oceanography and would like to pursue the field in college.

While in the basic session, which Rachel participated in, students learn about the natural history approach to oceanography and are introduced to the basic marine concepts and laboratory procedures. In the advanced session students have to have completed biology or chemistry and a more analytical approach to oceanography is taken.

Both programs provide students with the opportunity to see firsthand what oceanography is all about. During the program students study composition of beaches, the zonation of tidal pools, and the chemistry of seawater. The students make their own tidal pools by collecting the specimens from the ocean waters. Students also do a survey of Somes Sounds, a natural fjord, so they can understand the distribution of life in the ocean and the relationship of temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen.

“We made our own tidal pools. That was interesting,” Rachel said. “In the lab you could study stuff. We had to go to the beaches and get algae, barnacle rocks, crabs, starfish, mussels, all the great stuff.”

A chartered boat is also used so students can examine fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Students can also check their navigation skills through exercises in charting techniques. To top off the session, students are taken on a whale watch.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn all these new things and meet new people,” Rachel said. “It’s a great place to be.”

Rachel hopes to take the advanced session next summer. She would like to pursue a career in marine science. She is a junior at Newtown High School.