Marine Science Summer Camps is a program that introduces young people to the exciting world of marine science through a unique hands-on curriculum that combines biological, physical and chemical oceanography with field, classroom, offshore, and laboratory work. Groups of students work in parallel in distinct field and lab tasks such as profiling the beach, collecting specimens for the cold water tanks in the wet lab, looking for offshore seabirds and cetaceans. Staff or visiting speakers present special lectures that provide background information for the field activities, and mini-seminars about topics in oceanography are offered daily. There are also optional morning lessons in laboratory techniques. At the heart of the AIO program is a qualified core of educators trained in the field of oceanography. These are classroom teachers, practicing scientists, and researchers. The student to instructor ratio is approximately four to one.
