The Aquatic Science Field Trip Program is offered primarily from mid-April through the first week of June and from late August through late October.
Each group taking part in the Field Trip Program participates in our 4-hour Science Cruise and Plankton/Fish Labs.
The Science Cruise takes students out onto Lake Erie aboard one of our research vessels. The 2-hour activity allows students to measure current environmental conditions, such as wind speed and direction, water depth, temperature and oxygen content, wave heights and percent sunlight. While on board the boat, students take a Secchi disk reading to determine water clarity, use plankton nets to collect algae and zooplankton, lower an Ekman dredge is to survey benthic macroinvertebrates, and pull a fish trawl to observe and collect members of Lake Erie's fish community.
The groups then take their samples into the lab for the two-hour Plankton and Fish Labs. These labs start with a limnology overview, including a discussion of the geology, chemistry, physics, and biology of aquatic ecosystems, food pyramids, and the examination of live phytoplankton and zooplankton under compound microscopes. Then fish identification techniques are introduced, using a dichotomous key to determine the identity of selected families of fish. The session ends with a fish dissection to examine internal organs, stomach contents, and parasites and/or diseases, if present.
All field experiences are aligned with Ohio’s Science Academic Content Standards.
Additional activities from the list below can be added to create 4- to 8-hour blocks spanning one or two days. See below for a full description of each activity.
Chaperones are welcome to accompany groups. However, beginning this year, chaperones will be charged a Coordination Fee, which covers meals and transportation. Large groups are typically broken into smaller groups to participate in labs, and it is suggested that each smaller group includes two chaperones.
To arrange a field trip, start by registering your group. Group leaders should suggest two or three dates, as our limited space is scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Once a date is agreed upon, a confirmation letter and request for deposit will be sent, with your even guaranteed when a deposit is received.
Field trip guests are housed at the Harborview House dormitory and, if required, Barney Cottage. For more information on our buildings visit our Explore the Island page.
Meals are prepared by Stone Laboratory staff and are typically served in the dining hall. Groups on a one-day trip receive lunch, while those on a two-day trip are served dinner on their arrival day, and breakfast and lunch on their departure day. Meals are often hot, but some circumstances may necessitate cold sack lunches. Individuals with serious food allergies or special dietary restrictions may prefer to pack their own food.
Groups are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the mainland to South Bass Island via ferry and from the ferry docks to Stone Lab’s Bayview Office via bus. Maps, directions, and transportation company contact information are available here.
From Bayview, groups are taken on Stone Lab boats to Gibraltar Island. To ensure this transportation, it is important that participants arrive on time and adhere closely to research vessel and science cruise schedules while on the island.
