Going Deep with Marine Biology

Editor's Note: MHS students went on the road this spring, putting classroom lessons to the test in settings across New England.

MHS science students make great use of the campus and surrounding environment, studying the health of Perkins Pond and examining the flora and fauna of the School’s 80 acres. This spring, they took their work on the road!

Three classes — Hallmark Environmental Science, Hallmark Biotechnology, and the upper-level English seminar Digital Worlds, Natural Worlds — traveled to Project Oceanology in Groton, Connecticut, to study and practice marine biology.

There, immersed in the natural beauty of coastal New England, they took to the water to conduct a seal population study, squid dissection, and a bycatch reduction design challenge. Next, they visited Bluff Point State Park to conduct a salt marsh transect and an aquatic organism survey. Their work was not simply an academic exercise, Ms. Raimer notes. Their data was shared with Project Oceanology for its ongoing research.

The group’s next-to-last stop was Mystic Aquarium, for an African Penguin lesson, a marine mammal rescue services lab, and biomedical lab experience. They closed their trip with a visit to Mystic Pizza and taking in a killer sunset!

“What inspired this is the department’s belief in the importance of experiential learning,” notes Ms. Raimer. “It helps the students better understand what it’s like to be a scientist in the field.” Collaborating with Mr. Scullin, whose course delves into the relationships humans have with technology and nature, added a unique cross-curricular experience.

“Part of the experience is about taking concepts we are learning and putting them to use in the field,” Ms. Raimer adds. “We also want students to feel a connection to where we were and to connect with what we’re learning in a way that goes beyond reading about it in a textbook or simulating it in the classroom.”