The geology and biology departments at Middlebury jointly run a Marine Sciences program, and teach basic oceanographic and limnological courses that use Lake Champlain to demonstrate physical and biological phenomena. They are acquiring new instrumentation for installation on their research vessel, which allows for upgrading instruction in introductory and upper division courses, as well as student research projects. The equipment includes an integrated navigation system, a CTD profiling system, fish and plankton nets, an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV), sediment sampling devices, and an atmospheric monitoring system. With this new equuipment, they are able to instruct students in modern research techniques using computer assisted data acquisition and analysis. Additionally, students will be able to contribute to the data base on Lake Champlain. The college will contribute an amount equal to the award.
