Thu, 06/21/2018 - 7:00am

Engage, explore and experience ocean research at DMC this summer. Free public tours, science seminars and special events are scheduled throughout the summer. Courtesy of DMC

The University of Maine Darling Marine Center in Walpole invites community members to learn how the center helps connect people with the ocean by taking a public tour and attending upcoming science seminars.

Public tours of the DMC’s waterfront facilities and research labs begin Wednesday, June 27, and occur weekly July 11-Aug. 15. There is no tour July 4.

Led by student interns, the 90-minute walking tours begin at 10:30 a.m., and give attendees an opportunity to learn about current marine research, collaborative work with businesses and fisheries, and student projects.Walking tours are free and open to the public; pre-registration is requested at https://tinyurl.com/DMCsummertours.

The DMC’s Friday Seminars feature researchers and environmental professionals from Maine to New Zealand, and cover topics from natural history to marine conservation and citizen science. A full list of speakers and topics is on the DMC website.

The free seminars will be held Fridays at 10:30 a.m. June 29 to Aug. 17 in Brooke Hall on the lower waterfront campus. There is no seminar July 6. Please pre-register at https://tinyurl.com/DMCsummerseminars.

For more information about the tours or seminars, or to request a reasonable accommodation, please call 207-563-3146.

The community also is invited to the annual SEA Fellows Symposium on Aug. 7, at 2 p.m. SEA (Science for Economic Impact and Application) Fellows are undergraduate students collaborating with faculty and stakeholders on research projects relating to Maine’s marine economy, coastal communities and ecosystems. The symposium is an opportunity for these students to present their research and talk with the public about their work and summer experience.

Founded in 1965, the Darling Marine Center’s mission is to connect people to the ocean. The center’s researchers, staff and students work alongside fishermen, aquaculture entrepreneurs, marine industry professionals and other members of the community in Maine and around the world. More information is available at dmc.umaine.edu.