Grades: 9-12 and college Number of students: up to 15 Time: 2-3 hours Costs: $100/hour

Students become researchers on board of SERC's forty-two foot research vessel, the R/V Saxatilis. Sampling cruises begin at the Smithsonian dock and continue through the Rhode River into the Chesapeake Bay.

During the cruise, students will examine the biological, chemical and physical aspects of an estuarine system. Students will learn and use state-of-the art research equipment and methods for water quality sampling and biological sampling with nets and sediment cores.

While custom-made cruises up to college level are available, the majority of research cruises will include a selection or combination of:

• water quality sampling,
• plankton sampling,
• trawling, and
• benthic sampling.

Contact Mark Haddon to discuss your interests and the possibilities for your group.

Scheduling

Sampling cruises leave from the dock at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD (directions to SERC).

To schedule a field trip, contact Mark Haddon at SERC's Education Department for available dates or use our "request for registration" form. After we receive the form, education staff will contact you to discuss dates and the type of sampling cruise and confirm your field trip.

Costs

The cost of a Chesapeake Research Cruise is $100 per hour. The length of a research cruise depends on your research interests or sampling needs; a typical research cruise is 1-2 hours. Please pay when you arrive.