果酱视频

Megan Ossman, Matt Bellomo, Lisa Marino and Alexandra Henaghan (left to right) conducting intertidal surveys at Pemaquid Point in Maine.

While a classroom setting equips students with plenty of fundamental skills, sometimes the best way to gain knowledge on a subject is to get out and explore it firsthand. This is exactly what Aaren Freeman, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology in the 果酱视频 offered his students during a recent trip to a marine biology lab in Maine.

Dr. Freeman鈥檚 marine biology class, consisting mostly of , left on the first Friday afternoon in September 2014 for what Dr. Freeman described as a two-day 鈥渨hirlwind tour鈥� of Maine鈥檚 coastal ecosystem.

鈥淟ong Island has an abundance of soft sediment communities,鈥� he explained, but Maine has many rocky shorelines, where different marine species thrive. This trip offered 鈥渁n opportunity for students to explore a different type of habitat.鈥�

Highlights of the trip included going out on a boat to do some plankton tows, observing and collecting samples from tide pools, and best of all, a whale watch to conclude the trip before returning to Long Island. On the whale watch, students had the opportunity to see humpback whales, fin whales and minke whales.

This trip was one of many offered by 果酱视频 that give students field experience and allow them to explore new places. Like the much-anticipated offered each spring break, the Maine excursion gave students a chance to think beyond the constraints of their own ecosystems.

鈥淧art of the liberal arts education is that students experience new and interesting things outside of what they鈥檝e previously known,鈥� Dr. Freeman said. 鈥淚 think that there鈥檚 a value to firsthand experiencing of these different communities, different habitats, different regions鈥�to be aware of the causes and consequences of these diverse ecosystems.鈥�

鈥淭his trip is only two days, but it鈥檚 not something students will forget about soon,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e get a lot of mileage out of this experience.鈥�

Assistant Professor of Biology Aaren Freeman and his class in front of the light house at Pemaquid Point lighthouse, Maine.