We are on an island called
Appledore Island which is a
small island, about 95 acres.
When I was a student, I thought
this was just the
greatest place.
I mean, I do still
think this is the
greatest place on earth.
So I actually chose UNH as my
undergraduate school, because
of the Shoals Marine Lab.
It's a very special place,
because this place is
primarily geared for
undergraduate education.
So this summer after my freshman
year, I came out here
and took underwater research.
So now I come back every summer
from Alaska to teach
the underwater research class.
The second day out on the float
we give them a slate and
an assignment, and they're going
and collecting data.
Every year we have the students
come up with their
own proposal.
We don't spoon feed
them anything.
We want them to go out and look
at things and make their
own observations, and then we'll
guide them in trying to
develop a question that can be
answered in a variety of ways.
It's very real, you know?
We learn basic driving safety
and ecology and then we can
just jump right in and ask
questions ourselves.
A lot of universities will offer
a diving class where
they can get certified to dive
or an advanced certification,
but very few places offer a
scientific diver course, where
they're also learning underwater
research methods,
sampling methods, data
collection methods, for the
experimental design of how you
go about answering questions
in the subtidal.
And the academic portion that
Jim and I give them of the
organisms and the ecology that
they can take forward and
apply to any system, not
just underwater.
This is a really amazing
experience.
It's really special.
I think it's extremely valuable
that we get such a
variance in our learning
experiences.
All the components, whether
they're in the classroom or in
the dive locker, on the float or
underwater, all have really
useful cross communication and
it's very different being
underwater and trying
to conduct research.
We told them on the first night,
going over the syllabus
and what they'd be graded on,
and we have an organism exam.
We're going to take you
underwater, and you're going
to have to identify 20 things.
And they said, well how
will we remember?
We come back on the float
and we write down?
And I said no, you'll have a
slate with you, and you'll
write down underwater, and
take the exam underwater.
And every year they're like,
I've never taken an exam
underwater.
I am so glad I decided to come
here, because it's given me an
opportunity to see if marine
biology is right for me.
Because I'm doing it
and living it.
I've always loved the ocean
and growing up here it's
really great to be able to take
tide pooling to the next
step, and be able to look
at the environment
in a different way.
The unique part about Appledore
Island is, first of
all, it is an island.
So students who come out here
not only get an intense
experience in academics, but
they also get an intense
social experience.
And almost 100% of the time,
students come out here with
lifelong friends, or
they leave here
with lifelong friends.
