ACTIVITIES & DEMONSTRATIONS

• Meet the Oysters of Great Bay – Learn about the role of oysters in estuaries and see how they are studied in the lab and in the field.
• Water Quality Monitoring 24/7 – Learn how scientists monitor the health of Great Bay and see real-time data from instruments monitoring the Bay and surrounding rivers.
• Underwater Grasses – Learn why eelgrass is so important to the Great Bay ecosystem and how it might be re-established. Learn more about UNH’s global monitoring program, SeagrassNet.
• Services of the Salt Marsh – Learn how salt marshes provide storm and flood protection, erosion control, and buffers for the coastline from the impacts of climate change.
• Bacterial Troublemakers – Learn how bacteria get into Great Bay waters, compare bacteria under the microscope and in Petri dishes, and learn why studying them is critical to the bay’s health.
• Horseshoe Crab Hysteria – Watch videos of horseshoe crabs as they eat their way around the mudflats of Great Bay and learn why they’re called “ecosystem engineers.”
• Seaweeds – See and touch common and invasive seaweeds from Great Bay and Gulf of Maine.

SCHEDULED TALKS

• Salt Marshes – Learn about the salt marsh with images and an overview – what it is, what it does, its importance. [Scheduled at 11:00 and 1:00]

TREKS and MORE

• Adams Point Trek – Learn the history, habitats, plants, and birds found in the Great Bay Estuary on a short but beautiful walk around historical Adams Point. [Scheduled at 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, and 2:00]
• Historic Gundalow – Tour the historic Gundalow and learn the contributions this unique sailing boat has made to the region.
• Protect Great Bay – Learn about the organizations that are working together as stewards to protect the Great Bay.

FOR ADULTS and KIDS of all ages

• Sailboat Building – See how a sailboat is built from scratch and learn about the UNH Marine Docents’ family boat building program.
• The Great Bay Watershed – What about those watersheds? Hands-on demonstration of how a creek in Candia or a street in Somersworth can impact Great Bay’s water.
• Horseshoe Crabs of Great Bay and Beyond – Touch and see live horseshoe crabs and learn their history, habits and use in research.
• Groundwater Model Demonstration – Learn how water infiltrates the ground surface, travels and spreads underground.
• Craft – Make prints with fish and paint using Gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing.
• Craft – Make horseshoe crab puppets.

ACTIVITIES & DEMONSTRATIONS

• Making Waves – See the Ocean Engineering Wave Tank (12’ by 100’ by 8’) in action to explore how ocean engineers use scale models to test designs of aquaculture enclosures, oil booms, and ocean energy buoys.
• Deep Ocean Exploration ROV – See and learn about the latest generation of deep sea remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) being outfitted at UNH before embarking on exploration missions around the world.
• Moored Ocean Observatories – See a Gulf of Maine research buoy and explore how real-time data from moored ocean observatories provide information on ocean acidification, waves, temperature, wind, and other parameters.
• Ocean Renewable Energy – Learn about cutting-edge research with offshore turbines, wave buoys, and tidal energy systems that are being developed as new renewable energy sources.
• Exploring Waves on LEGO Beaches –This ocean exhibit explores the physics of waves - what they are, how they form, and how they affect our shorelines. Explore this testing your own LEGO models.
• Ocean Acoustics – Learn how scientists explore the ocean using sound waves through a hands-on demonstration.
• OceanExploration on Land Usingthe‘VirtualConsole’ – Interact with scientists conducting oceanographic research on the R/V Okeanos Explorer from the comfort of the laboratory.
• 3D Ocean Visualization – Use 3D glasses to test the new tools used to help researchers see patterns in the ocean.

SCHEDULED TALKS

• Visualizing Whales – Find out how marine acoustics can be used to visualize whale behavior deep below the surface of the sea. [Scheduled at 11:30 and 1:30]
• Deepwater Horizon – Learn about CCOM’s role in mapping the oil spill that resulted from the explosion of the Deep Water Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Learn how researchers use acoustics to map the subsurface oil and examine some of the effects of the oil on marine organisms. [Scheduled for 11:00 and 1:00]
• Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA) – ERMA is a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) tool used by emergency responders who deal with incidents that may adversely impact the environment, including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. [Scheduled for 12:00 and 2:00] Ocean Renewable Energy from Tides and Waves – Learn what it takes to design and engineer new ocean renewable energy systems for operation in treacherous ocean conditions. [Scheduled at 1:00]
• Who Owns the Sea? – Find out how UNH scientists are helping to resolve “law of the sea” conflicts about jurisdiction over the continental shelf using underwater mapping. [Scheduled at 12:30]
• UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping – Learn about the internationally renowned center and its diverse research. [A 10-minute video will play when the presentations are not in session]
• Underwater Exploration – Deploy small underwater ROVs and HD cameras to explore the Ocean Engineering Experimental Deep Tank.
• Marine Archaeology – Learn about marine archaeology research at UNH. [Ongoing 10-minute video loop]

FOR ADULTS and KIDS of all ages

• Plate Tectonics – Here is your chance to learn what plate tectonics means for our oceans and shores in a hands-on demonstration.
• Does it Float? – Learn the basics of buoyancy with some simple hands-on experiments. [Scheduled 1:30-3:00]
• Squid, Inside and Out – Learn about squid by dissecting one! [Scheduled at 10:00 and 12:00]
• Craft – Make prints with fish and paint using Gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing. [Scheduled 1:30-2:30]

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES & DEMONSTRATIONS

• Freshwater Trout that Live in the Ocean – Learn how UNH marine biologists have developed new methods of aquaculture locally and worldwide.
• Phytoplankton rules! – Look through microscopes and explore the tiny plants that support life in the ocean. Learn what new identification techniques are being used to predict and identify harmful red tide events in the Gulf of Maine.
• All Aboard! – Find out how the UNH research vessel the R/V Gulf Challenger helps scientists collect information about the Gulf of Maine.
• Lobster Tracking – See live lobsters and videos of their secret lives and learn what UNH scientists have discovered about lobster behavior and how lobsters “think.”
• High-Tech Boats – Visit the NOAA hydrographic research vessels Coastal Surveyor and Cocheco to learn how NOAA and the UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping are developing new techniques to map our oceans.

TALKS, TREKS and MORE

• Dive in! – Find out how scientists dive in to do underwater research in the cold waters of the Gulf of Maine.
• Walk on the New UNH Research Pier and see how it supports scientific efforts in the Gulf of Maine. Don’t miss the fish pens.
• Tour a Commercial Fishing Vessel and learn more about what it means to fish for a living and what a CSF (Community Supported Fishery) is all about.
• Take a Guided Walk Around Fort Constitution and learn its history. [Tours at 12:00 and 2:00; ongoing access throughout the day]
• Tour the historic Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and check out the views from above.

FOR ADULTS and KIDS of all ages

• Play Scientist – Learn the basics of water quality analysis by using simple instruments and doing it yourself. Find out how science impacts our day-to-day lives.
• Marine Touch Tank – Touch, see, and learn about the marine life of our rocky shores and intertidal zones.
• Seaweeds – All you ever wanted to know about seaweeds—touch and smell them and learn how some are part of your everyday lives, learn where your favorites grow.
• Live Lobsters! – See, touch, and learn about lobsters and lobster traps.
• Take underwater videos with the SEAPERCH, a small remotely-operated underwater vehicle with a camera. [11:00, 12:30, and 2:00]
• Marine Mammals – How do whales stay warm in cold water? What do they eat? Learn about whales and other marine mammals in this hands-on program. [Scheduled at 10:30, 11:30 and 1:30]
• Craft – Make prints using fish and paint for Gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing.