Another sun-filled and action-packed week drew to a close Friday, July 15 at the Boothbay Sea and Science Center with a visit to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay. At the Lab’s Open House, the children in the Mizzen Program looked at plankton and conducted experiments on the lab’s waterfront, explored the facility during a scavenger hunt, and conducted various hands-on experiments. The Stay’s’l group attended presentations given by Bigelow Laboratory’s researchers and scientists and learned about autonomous undersea gliders and robot lab assistants.  A very special thank you to Bigelow Laboratory for hosting such an amazing day of fun and learning!

Earlier in the week, at the Center, children in the Mizzen Program used research equipment (Secchi Disc, refractometer, Van Dorn bottle, and algae presses), learned about the effects of ocean stratification, and fished via seine nets for marine life in different areas of the Damariscotta. In the Stay’s’l Program, students began building remote-operated underwater vehicles (ROV’s) under the guidance of Boothbay Region High School science teacher and robotics team coach Emily Higgins. This project, completed this week, saw unique designs realized with the construction and operation of three ROVs.

On the waterfront, there was daily rowing in the Center’s rowboat fleet and participants explored the river aboard Turnabouts, as well as the Ideal 18 and Sonar sailboats. The week brought with it a variety of wind conditions and the sailors gained experience sailing in both light and puffy conditions.

Licensed for five traps, the week also brought the hauling of the BSSC lobster traps used by the participants to study the lobsters, crabs and marine life that make their home off the rocky shore at the Ocean Point Marina. All participants study, measure, and record, in detail, what they catch and release during this hands on/experiential learning portion of their programs.

During this second week of the Marine Technology and Marine Debris module, BSSC and the Ocean Point Marina are once again hosting the Rozalia Project for a clean ocean — a non-profit organization that works hard toward achieving its mission of protecting the ocean. Co-founder and Executive Director Rachael Miller arrived at the marina with her crew aboard the S/V American Promise on Tuesday, July 19 and is spending the remainder of this week working closely with all participants not only on collecting, sorting and recording marine debris but also brainstorming solutions that could help end this relentless problem. Miller will also be talking about her study of marine debris and efforts to protect the ocean, at the Linekin Bay Resort, this Friday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

The Boothbay Sea and Science Center still has openings in the Mizzen, Stay’s’l and Top’s’l programs with classes scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To register online, please go to www.boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org (http://www.boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org). For more information about the BSSC’s 2016 summer programs, please email info@boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org (mailto:info@boothbayseaandsciencecenter.org) or call Pauline Dion at 207-350-5357.