2026 Environmental Course Schedule
Thursday, May 14: Arrivals and Dinner
Fellows arrive. Claudia Geib will meet fellows who arrive in time for dinner in the Swope Center Dining Hall at 6:00 PM.
Friday, May 15: Orientation
Breakfast available beginning at 7:30 AM
9:00 AM: Welcome and Orientation (Private Dining Room, inside 2nd Floor Dining Hall, Swope Center)
- Introduction of fellows, course faculty, and staff
- Fellowship logistics - Overview of MBL
- Walking tour of MBL campus
11:00 AM: Marine Resources Center Tank Room Tour
12:00 PM: Lunch (Swope Dining Hall)
1:00 PM: To conference room (Starr 222) - Course overview and scientific context
3:00 PM: Coffee Break (Loeb 260 common area)
3:30 PM: To conference room (Starr 222) – Course overview and scientific context cont.
5:30 PM: To lab - Collect boots and/or waders
6:00 PM: Dinner
Saturday, May 16
8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: To Childs River and Sage Lot Pond for field work
12:00 PM: Lunch in field
1:00 PM: Field work cont.
4:00 PM: Arrive back at lab - Filter water samples; sort / dry biota samples
5:30 PM: Reception and dinner with Biomedical Fellows (Swope Private Dining Room)
8:00 PM: Data after Dark (continue sample processing)
Sunday, May 17: Day Off / Optional Film Screening
3:00 PM: Film screening with Woods Hole Film Festival – “Cosmic Coda” (Redfield Auditorium)
4:30 PM: Q&A discussion with filmmaker Mary Jane (MJ) Doherty, Associate Professor Emerita from Boston University
If you plan to attend, please register for a (free) ticket using the link and discount code that will be provided by Claudia.
Monday, May 18
7:30 AM: Breakfast (grab and go!)
7:45 AM: To Waquoit Bay (head of bay) for field work
12:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM: To conference room (Starr 222) – Solutions lecture
1:30 PM: To MASSTC for tour
4:00 PM: Arrive back at lab – Chlorophyll extractions; ammonium sample preparation
6:00 PM: Dinner
7:00 PM: Data after Dark (preparation of biota samples for stable isotope analyses)
Tuesday, May 19
8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: To lab - Measure chlorophyll concentrations; begin nutrient concentration measurements
12:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM: Science at the MBL with Anne Sylvester, Director of Research (Room TBA)
2:00 PM: Laboratory Walking Tour with Anne Sylvester
3:00 PM: Coffee Break
3:30 PM: Back to lab: finish nutrient concentration measurements
6:00 PM: Dinner
7:00 PM: Data after Dark (begin data workup, initially focusing on nutrient and chlorophyll results)
Wednesday, May 20
8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: Lab: Conference room (Starr 222): Lecture on stable isotope basics; examination of stable isotope data
12:00 PM: Lunch
12:45 PM: Specimen collecting trip on R/V Gemma. Meet in front of Marine Resources Center (MRC) no later than 12:45 PM. We will return to the dock no later than 2:30 PM.
2:30 PM: Coffee will be available for pickup in the Starr common room
3:00 PM: Conference room (Starr 222): Dissolved oxygen data visualization; work on data graphics for mini-symposium
5:30: Dinner & Panel/ Mixer with Molecular Evolution course (Swope Private Dining Room)
7:30: Data after dark
Thursday, May 21
9:00 AM: To conference Room (Starr 222) - Finalize data graphics; develop story board for mini-symposium
12:00 PM: Lunch & Learn with NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center (Swope Private Dining Room)
1:00 PM: Back to conference Room (Starr 222) - Pull together supporting content for mini-symposium
3:00 PM: Coffee break (Starr common space)
3:30 PM: Back to conference Room (Starr 222) - Continue preparations for mini-symposium
6:00 PM: Dinner
7:30: Data after Dark (Practice presentation)
Friday, May 22: Fellows Symposium and Celebratory Dinner
8:00 AM: Breakfast
9:00 AM: Conference Room (Starr 222): Finalize presentation
12:00 PM: Lunch
1:00 PM: Logan SJP fellows mini-symposium (Speck Auditorium)
4:15 PM: Class photo on Lillie steps
4:30: Mixer with WHOI Summer School in Sea Level Rise participants (Quad/weather-dependent)
6:00 PM: Cocktail hour and dinner with fellows, faculty, MBL scientists, other guests
Saturday, May 23: Final Day
9:00 AM: Research Talk with MBL Scientists (TBA)
1-2:00 PM: Research talk with MBL Director Nipam Patel (Loeb 263)
2-3:00 PM: Visit to butterfly collection with Director Patel (Lillie 103)
3:30 PM: Final coffee break!
4:00 PM: Free time
Sunday, May 24
10:00 AM: Check out of Swope and depart – Safe travels!