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Date: 8/27 - 8/31
Days: Monday - Friday
Hours: 9:00 - 12:00
Ages: 9-14
Price: $310

SEA is proud to announce the SEA Explorers program in partnership with Romberg Tiburon Center.  This Citizen Science Sailing Program connects youths with their marine environment by engaging them with hands on skills and marine observations.

A program teaching youths ages 9-14 how to sail on the Bay, while introducing them to marine sciences with an emphasis on plankton's vital role in our oceans. Four days of full immersion sailing and a full day of samples collection and microscope observations with an on the water field trip to Angel Island and other data collection points in the bay.

The curriculum includes lessons and hands-on activities focused on:

  • Zoo- and phyto-plankton
  • Sea water density
  • Solar stills
  • Currents, Charting

Each day culminates in journaling local conditions and samples observations.

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Kids rapidly develop their sailing skill and build their confidence in the water. Each day at lunch they review marine biology topics and explored their surroundings. Not only do they master their boats, knots and sailing terms, they also have to have enough left in the tank to focus on phytoplankton, salinity, net drags, microscope observations, and detailed journaling.

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in 2011 we had the pleasure of RTC's guest scientist Joseph Spaulding share plankton studies and engage the children with a real life plankton pull on SEA's trawler Descalza. We captured and examined microscopic specimens of copepods, fish larva and diatoms. To see these incredibly diverse organisms live under the scope sparked eveyone's imagination. "Look at all these critters we are swimming with". These kids get it. Our Bay is full of important clues to the health of our marine environment. Now their curiosities have been piqued  - let the true scientific exploration begin!

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Partners

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to:

Marin Yacht Club for supporting our youth sailing programs
Romberg Tiburon Center, with special recognition to Dr. Sara Cohen and the Cohen Lab, for partnering with SEA to help us develop this very unique program.

Do not forget about the incredible RTC Discovery Day Open House in October  from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. It's a blast for kids and adults alike! Check it out.

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Photos

Plankton Quiz

  1. Do you know what the world's fastest organism is?
  2. What type of zoo plankton do whales eat that is highly rich in protein?
  3. Do you know where we get 50-80% of our oxygen?
  4. Did you know that Franciscan Chert is a sedimentary rock made of plankton (radiolarian) from an ancient sea near Mexico that got pushed up to form The Headlands 100-200 million years ago? How many years did it take for 1mm layer of rock to be created?
  5. Can you find the skeleton shrimp at the SEA docks? And, what insect are they related to? Hint: they suck your blood!

The answers coming up in next week's newsletter!

Curriculum

Science Curriculum includes:

  • Plankton Study (biology)
  • Tides/Currents (physics)
  • Saltwater (chemistry)
  • Charting (geography/math)

On the water curriculum includes:

  • Water Safety
  • Points of Sail
  • Upwind / Downwind Sailing
  • Rigging and Knots

Day 1

  • Introduction - San Pablo Bay Environment
  • Water Safety - Swim Test, Capsize Recovery
  • Biology - Introduction to Plankton
  • Logbook/Journal - Importance of recordkeeping
  • Sailing - Basics in protected waters

Day 2

  • Sailing - Tacking / Jibing
  • Physics - movement of fluids
  • Tides and currents
  • Sailing - Points of Sail
  • Journaling

Day 3

  • Sailing Points of Sail
  • Chemistry of seawater
  • Knots
  • Sailing Outer Channel
  • Journaling

Day 4

  • Sailing
  • Currents/Weather Assessment for Day 5
  • Nautical Chart overview
  • More Advanced Sailing
  • Journaling - Data Collection

Day 5 - Science Friday

  • Safety Briefing, PFD, COB, Fire, Flares, Radio
  • Currents Review by students - Tidebooks
  • Weather assessment by students - Forecast

Net Drag

  • Plankton + Measurements at 2 depths
  • Position Tracking - GPS
  • Depth sounding - sounder
  • Current Velocity - cheerios, dye
  • Turbidity - secchi dish
  • Temperature - thermometer
  • Salinity, PH

Lunch - Ayala Cove

  • Docking - teamwork, crew assignments
  • Dock Samples - Collection Jars
  • Scope Viewings - Microscope

Return

  • Journaling
  • Fish Wrap - Debrief at Fish

Staff

Staff

SEA has a minimum of 5:1 student / counselor ratio at all times
On the water activities are monitored by a US Sailing certified sailing instructor and counselors with powered safety boat for support at all times.

  • Head Counselor - Certified Sailing Instructor, CPR/First Aid
  • SEA Counselors - CPR/First Aid,  Certified Sailing Instructor
  • Educator - Vetted SEA member, Certified CPR/First Aid

Science Friday Staff

  • Skipper - USCG Master License, Certified CPR/First Aid
  • Romberg Scientist - Masters Student Marine Bio
Tags:youthcampsenvironmenteducationexplorersmarine biologysciencerombergtiburon centerrtccitizen sciencecommunity
 

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