Cutting-Edge Courses

Individualized research with cutting-edge tools is the core of the Sea Change experience. You’ll work one-on-one with leading scientists to use the latest molecular, machine learning, and synthetic biology tools to answer questions about:

• Climate change
• Microbial oceanography
• Marine biogeochemistry
• Marine biotechnology
• Molecular biological oceanography
• Pelagic and benthic ecology

Transformative Education

In addition to your individualized research project, the Sea Change academic program consists of four courses that each last about four weeks and cover academic topics such as biological oceanography, the ocean environment, and biogeochemistry.

The program also includes one semester-long field course in which students participate in weekly research cruises through the Gulf of Maine and Damariscotta River estuary to collect research samples.

State-of-Art Science

Throughout the semester, you’ll spend time in the classroom, field, and laboratory to gain experience with cutting-edge oceanographic techniques – including genomic tools, remote sensing, single-cell analysis, and monoclonal culture studies.

The program includes coursework and research at the Laboratory’s state-of-the-art East Boothbay campus, where you’ll be embedded in the laboratories of senior research scientists. All Sea Change students complete an independent research project, which includes the development of a research plan, experiments, and analysis, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. During the final week of the program, you’ll present your work at a student research symposium.

The Sea Change Semester provides a transformative research experience and, for many students, their first published scientific citation.