University students looking for an exciting and hands-on summer experience need look no further than the Great Lakes. Thanks to a partnership between Niagara University, Penn State and the Ohio State’s Stone Lab, students can sail and study on a replica of the two-mast tall ship, the Brig Niagara — the original of which fought in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie against the British fleet.
For three weeks, students can board the Niagara
for an environmental science class covering Great Lakes science, history and environmental policy. Students will take water samples, send a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to a National Marine Sanctuary shipwreck, and learn about past and present policy issues like algal blooms. This is certainly a hands-on class as well, as students must actively help sail the ship.
The expedition will take students across Lake Erie, Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair, picking up and dropping off experts in marine archaeology, ecology and microbiology along the way. The Niagara summer class is open to students from any college.
For more information, visit osu.edu.
