Last week the Boothbay Sea and Science Center kicked off its Gulf of Maine Fisheries module. This two week module investigates how people use, consume, and manage the harvesting of marine creatures from the Gulf of Maine. Gaining an understanding of how and why humans affect the marine food web, activities include lobster trap hauling, fishing (catch and release), an introduction about how the Department of Marine Resources tracks and predicts population fluctuations year to year, and the proper handling and preparing of various types of fish and seafood. Students also learn about and experience the art of seining - studying small shrimp, crabs and various species of fish.

Every morning, Mizzen participants honed their knot-tying skills guided by BSSC volunteer Harry Dudley. Thank you Harry! Students also took to the water tacking and gybing across the Damarascotta River in pairs aboard the Turnabout dinghies – in larger groups aboard the Center’s Ideal 18 and Sonar keelboats. During the afternoons, the Stay’s’l students honed in on their rowing skills and worked on their sailing and navigation skills aboard the Turnabouts and keelboats.

On Thursday, Aug. 11 students visited Burnt Island aboard the Novelty. While on the island, students enjoyed a scavenger hunt and a game of “island landmark bingo” that had them exploring the island and discovering its unique features. Included was a tour of the Burnt Island lighthouse and light keeper’s house that gave them a glimpse of how the keeper and his family lived on the Island.  A very special thank you to Elaine Jones and Bill Campbell for making this trip possible.

On Friday, Aug. 12 the Stay’s’ls had the wonderful opportunity to take a tour of the Washburn & Doughty facility in East Boothbay. Students explored the campus with Bruce Washburn, learning about how the tugboat’s heavy steel pieces are positioned and welded into place. Arguably the highlight of the experience was a tour of a nearly-complete tug, the Cooper Moran, lying in the water awaiting sea trials.  Thank you Bruce!

Included among the many daily science and sea activities during this last week of the BSSC 2016 summer season, the Stay’s’l students took a day-long sailing cruise and the Mizzens visited the Maine State Aquarium. A special thank you to Cecily Walsh for her time and support in helping to make the trip to the aquarium possible. On Friday, our last day for this summer season, BSSC students and staff will enjoy a presentation by Greg Ponte who will tell us everything we need to know about fly fishing in Maine and Rebecca Hadik (former BSSC sailing instructor) will talk with us about her summer internship at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).