Marine Science Floating Lab
A Unique Learning Experience!
Students participate in teams as they manipulate oceanographic equipment, make observations, and gather data and specimens from the ocean waters and sea bottom of San Diego Bay.
This study-cruise program will:
- Enable students to learn about oceanography with actual observations and experiences on the bay.
- Provide an opportunity to study marine organisms in their offshore habitat.
- Increase the student's content knowledge of the marine environment.
Half-day cruises: Trip 1 leaves at 8:30 AM and Trip 2 leaves at 1:00 PM. Twilight cruises run from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM (except Fridays).
Book a Floating Lab
To schedule a Marine Science field trip, get in touch:
Watch
See the Floating Lab in Action
Floating Marine Lab · video by 976-TUNA.com LLC
Half-Day Cruise Schedule
| Time (AM / PM) | Activity |
|---|---|
| 8:30 AM / 1:00 PM | Students met by onboard instructors at the land end of the dock — introduction, description of the day's activities, and special-duty assignments. Boarding and storage of materials; group assembly in the bow for rules & regulations, plankton-net, Secchi-disc and sounding-lead instructions. |
| 9:00 AM / 1:30 PM | Boat leaves dockside (5 mph speed limit). Discussion of vessel types and the anchorage, then full-speed movement to the otter-trawl locality. Five students selected for the otter-trawl crew. |
| 9:10 AM / 1:40 PM | Class moves to the stern to observe setting of the otter trawl. Retrieval instructions, discussion of aquarium organisms, then retrieval of the trawl and movement to the biological-dredge location (snack time). |
| 10:00 AM / 2:30 PM | Setting the dredge, mud-grabber instruction, dredge retrieval and discussion of organisms found, then movement to the bait receivers. |
| 10:30 AM–12:00 PM / 3:00–4:30 PM | Tie up at the bait receivers and snack break. Student rotation through work stations: plankton net, plankton lab, Secchi disc, bird-life observation and grab sampler. Clean-up and recap of collected data; observe sea lions hauled out on the channel buoy. |
| 12:30 PM / 5:00 PM | Return to dock. Times will vary depending on weather conditions. |