One of our most popular and versatile offerings! Students will literally and figuratively get their hands wet as they investigate the living and nonliving components of Long Island Sound, while participating in our flagship environmental monitoring program aboard the R/V Envirolab. Your students will study living organisms in the stern of the boat by hauling a trawl net, doing a plankton tow, pulling a lobster pot, and (on some trips) sorting through a mud grab. In the bow of the boat, they’ll learn how to use a wide range of oceanographic equipment as they investigate physical and chemical aspects of the estuary, including temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, and CO2.

To prepare for this trip: Students should wear closed toed shoes and dress for the weather. Remember, it's typically colder and windier by the water. Dressing in layers is recommended. Life jackets will be provided.

Suggested labs: Critter bins, Lobsters and Climate Change, Squid Dissection, Plankton Exploration, Fish printing, Davy Jones Locker, Bycatch