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Field Activities and Trips
UTMSI provides exciting field-based learning experiences for students throughout the year along the Gulf Coast, utilizing different UTMSI watercraft
to explore a variety of habitats. Below are just a few of the trips we organize for students:
Bay Plankton Tow:
Aboard the RV Katy, students embark on a multi-stage trip within the Aransas Shipping Channel and Aransas Bay. They witness a large plankton tow and handle
everything from fish and crabs to small squid and tiny zooplankton and phytoplankton. Aboard the Katy, resident scientists and naturalists provide students
detailed explanations of physical adaptations that marine organisms develop to thrive along the Gulf Coast, while fellows and teachers link these presentations
directly to material students are learning in the classroom. Onboard video camera-equipped microscopes provide students fascinating views of tiny animals,
plants, and body features that are not visible to the unaided eye.
Seagrass Surveys:
Seagrass habitats are some of the most productive in the entire world and provide an astounding array of organisms for students to discover.
Aboard the RV Shearwater, students gain the opportunity to don masks, snorkels, and get wet and muddy while sifting through seagrass and sediment core samples.
Not only can topics such as photosynthesis be covered, but physics (such as wave dampening) and large scale earth science topics
(such as silting and erosion prevention) can also be covered.
Marsh Seining:
Students are always amazed when they see how many animals reside in the marsh areas they pass by in cars every day.
Both water and soil samples are scrutinized and compared to illustrate the vital roles they play in water, energy, and nutrient cycling.
Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory (FAML) Tour:
The University of Texas Fisheries and Mariculture Laboratory (FAML) is a world-renowned research facility dedicated to sustainable marine
aquaculture and fisheries ecology. With over 20,000 square feet of wet laboratories containing everything from 60 pound Cobia to beautiful
tropical fish, UTMSI research scientists cover major topics concerning where our seafood comes from, and what is at stake in managing wild
and captive fish stocks.
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