Five Colleges, Inc., a consortium comprised of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith and the University of Massachusetts, will strengthen its interdisciplinary program in Coastal and Marine Sciences. The goal is to enhance the field-research portion of several courses and independent student projects by improving access to marine habitats and by removing the restrictions imposed by the lack of essential, specialized equipment. Specifically, the consortium will purchase a boat which is the laboratory from which students will conduct nearshore and open water experiments. Surveying equipment will permit students to generate accurate, on-site topographic maps of salt marsh and rocky intertidal habitats; coring equipment will enable students to visualize the dynamic processes molding the coastline, recorded in underlying peat and sediment layers. Other equipment, including trawls, gill net, plankton nets, field balance, underwater camera, light meter, and oxygen meter, will provide training in contemporary sampling methodology, and enable students to design sophisticated field experiments. Improving the Coastal and Marine Sciences Program, by taking advantage of the new teaching opportunities represented in modern, analytical field equipment, will make the program more effective in preparing students for successful professional study in marine sciences.
