Mizzen I Sea and Science Program

Who: Ages 5* – 7 as of first day
When: TBA
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Cost:  TBA

* Attendance in a Pre-K program prior program start is required for five-year-old students..

Description:
This full-day program will feature shoreside and on water hands-on experiential activities in oceanography, meterology, marine science as well as sailing and rowing for youth ages 5 – 7. Students will gain an understanding of the basic principles in all that’s sea and science, both in the classroom and on the docks.

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.

COVID-19 Statement
Boothbay Sea and Science Center’s summer programs will be COVID-19 compliant. At the beginning of each session, appropriate modifications will be made as directed by Federal and the State of Maine CDC as well as those put forward by local healthcare organizations.

Because this is a fluid situation, our programming plans may change.

Helpful links

• Tips for BSSC Parents
• Frequently Asked Questions

Weekly Topics

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

These are topics from our most recent season we will be updating these for 2025. 

Week 1: 
Ship to Shore: Discovering BSSC
Students will experience a sampling of BSSC’s summer 2024 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: 
The Sea that Feeds Us
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.

Week 3: 
The Great Escape
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?

Week 4: 
Weather or Not
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.

Week 5: 
Sea and Science
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 sailing techniques 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.

Week 6: 
Getting Wise to the Rise
Students will gain a better understanding about how the tides are influenced by gravity and the position of the moon to the Earth. They will learn about the impact that sea level rise has on communities along the waterfront. 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.

Week 7: 
Sweeping the Sea
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.

Week 8: 
How We Kelp the Ocean
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”?

Week 9: 
Voices of The Sea
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.

 

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.