Home » Mizzen II Sea and Science Program

Mizzen II Sea and Science Program

Who: Age 8 as of start of first day
When: 6/16 – 8/15
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Cost:  $350/week

Installment plan option
We are introducing an installment plan option. When you register your child(ren) you will have a choice of paying the full tuition immediately or paying a 50% deposit with the remaining 50% automatically charged to your credit card/bank on May 1. In either case, our cancellation fee policy will apply.

Description

This full day program features hands-on experiential activities in sailing, rowing, and the marine sciences for youth age 8. Students will gain a better understanding of the principles of meteorology, the marine sciences, and safe water and boating skills.
*Prior participation in Mizzen I is NOT required.

Financial assistance available
Please note: If you plan on requesting financial assistance, the Financial Assistance Request Form MUST be submitted and approved before registering for a session.

Helpful links

 

Weekly Topics

Each topic includes weather forecasting, basic sailing and boating skills, local marine life, and responsible marine stewardship.

Week 1: June 16 – June 20

Ship to Shore: Discovering BSSC

Students will experience a sampling of BSSC’s summer 2025 on and off the water program. Students will explore tide pools, learn about what lies between the surface and the seafloor, sail, row, kayak, fish, and get wet all while having tons of fun!

Week 2: June 23 – June 27

Scopes and Boats

Students will learn about how a boat floats, build their own model boat, and gain an understanding of the types of boats used at BSSC.  Students will use scientific equipment, boats, and seamanship skills to learn how ocean data can change based on sampling techniques and location.  Students will also learn about the different types of data that can be collected in the rocky intertidal or at the beach and the best way to interpret and display that data.  Includes a field trip and/or guest speaker. (TBD)

Week 3: June 30 – July 4

Day to Day

Students will learn about clouds and the typical weather that they produce.  Students will gain a better understanding of the difference between climate and weather and human impact. We will talk about how weather influences day-to-day activity on and off the water at BSSC and make weather predictions using the clouds. In this session students will also gain a better understanding of the many ways that they are connected to the ocean through the air that they breathe, the food that they eat, and the CO2 that they create. Includes guest speaker. (TBD)

Week 4: July 7 – July 11

Top to Bottom

Students will gain a better understanding of the Arctic and Antarctic Regions and the impact that sea level rise has on communities along the waterfront.  We will discover how the tides are influenced by gravity and the position of the moon to the Earth. We will create tide charts and learn how climate change and C02 production impacts the ocean and the animals that make it their home. We will learn about estuaries and watersheds. Students will also have a chance to mark the high and low tide in the BSSC tide pools and monitor how they change each day. Includes a field trip and/or guest speaker. (TBD)

Week 5: July 14 – July 18

Singled Out

Students will study where plastic debris comes from and how marine debris makes its way into the ocean. They will develop a “trash story” for a piece of one-time-use plastic and present the story from its origin to its eventual destination near BSSC. This session seeks to answer questions such as: What are the things that we cannot see by just looking at the water? How do these things affect the animals that live there? Includes a field trip and/or guest speaker. (TBD)

Week 6: July 21 – July 25

The “Maine” Ingredient

Students will learn about the difference between micro and macro algae and explore shoreside the different types of seaweed growing in Maine waters. We will study the structure of seaweed and the characteristics of echinoderms that make it their home. Students will gain a better understanding about Maine’s growing seaweed farming industry. And we will seek to answer the question: “Why is seaweed so important”? Includes a field trip and/or guest speaker. (TBD)

Week 7: July 28 – August 1

Lost and Found

Students will explore the different technologies that are helping to remove marine debris. Students will learn about the breakdown of plastic in the marine environment, and the contents of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. We will kick our creativity into high gear and design mock-ups of equipment that could help clean up the “trash” in the ocean. And we will continue to focus our attention on intertidal clean-ups. Includes a field trip and/or guest speaker. (TBD)

Week 8: August 4 – August 8

Hook, Line, and Seeker

Students will learn from fisherman, aquaculturists, and scientists about the benefits of farming the ocean. We will gain a better understanding of sustainability and what is meant by “sustainable fishing” and “responsible ocean stewardship.” Students will explore what lies between the surface and seafloor and how we’ve come to depend on what lives there. Students will learn how scientists estimate marine populations in order to determine their need to be protected and we will investigate the rules that regulate those that make their living from the sea. Includes a field trip and/or guest speaker. (TBD)

Week 9: August 11 – August 15

Inside The Toolbox

Through conversations with shipwrights, marine engineers, marine architects, musicians, and writers, students will gain a greater understanding of Maine’s rich history of shipbuilding, marine art, storytelling, and music. During this session students will work side-by-side with a local artist exploring different types of media.  And we will learn about the difference between art forms and scientific illustrations.  Includes a field trip and/or guest speaker. (TBD)

BSSC Collaborations:
Bristol Marine at the Shipyard in Boothbay Harbor; Southport Island Marine; Bigelow Laboratories for Ocean Sciences; Nathaniel S. Wilson Sailmaker; Washburn & Doughty; Hodgdon Yachrs; Maine State Aquarium; Burnt Island Light; USCG Boothbay Harbor; Department of Marine Resources; Rozalia Project; Blue Ocean Society; Gulf of Maine Research Institute; OceansWide; Darling Marine Center; Fresh Sea Farms; Springtide Seaweed; Mook Sea Farm; Spartan Sea Farms; Focus Maine/Maine Career Compass; Down East Gallery; National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens; Lincoln County Regional Planning; Southport Central School; Boothbay Regional Elementary School; Edgecomb Eddy School; South Bristol School; Medomak Middle School; Medomak High School; Lincoln Academy; Freeport Middle School; Lisbon Middle School; Pownal Elementary School; King Middle School . . . to name a few.

The Boats
See the boats we use in our program

Boating time disclaimer:

We make every effort to provide your son and/or daughter with as much time boating on the water as possible. However, please note that safety concerns raised by local weather conditions may require us to emphasize land-based activites on some days.

Requirements:

  • Pass a swim test at the Center.
  • Parents / Guardians must present signed Registration forms, Liability Waiver, and Medical forms before participants begin the program.
  • Parents  / Guardians and students must jointly sign “Code of Conduct” before the start of the program.