Marine Science Camp 2017 Series: 23 Years in the Making

Marine Science Camp turns 23 next summer!

Beginning in 1994, Marine Science Camp’s inaugural year had camps offered for just two weeks, had a staff of two and had a total of 28 campers enrolled. Now, Marine Science Camp is offered for 9 weeks and has 18 full-time staff for a capacity of 138 campers each week! In 2016, there were 1086 campers throughout the summer who touched marine animals, performed science experiments on our research vessel in the San Francisco Bay, and learned about the incredible habitats in our local marine ecosystems.

Left: Advanced Camp from 1996.

Right: The R/V Robert G. Brownlee, commissioned in 1998, was designed and built to MSI specifications. It replaced the Inland Seas, which MSI used starting in 1970.

The growth of Marine Science Institute’s summer programs has been extraordinary. Whether a child is a seasoned Marine Science Camp-er or a first-timer, all participants are inspired and amazed by what the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean marine ecosystems have to offer. During the week-long programs, campers entering kindergarten through 12th grade learn about habitats and touch live animals from a variety of marine ecosystems. They make friends, play games, and forge unforgettable bonds with the natural world and with other campers and staff. Some of the campers work their way through the various camps and even become volunteers when they get older, Counselors when they enter college, and Instructors when they earn their degree!

Left: Touching a bat ray that was caught in the Bay.

Right: Campers exploring life on the coast.

Left: The summer campers caught and get to touch a brown smoothhound shark.

Right: Campers dropping the mud grab line to sample the bottom of the Bay.

This blog is the beginning of a Marine Science Camp 2017 Series in which I, the Marine Camp Manager, will offer updates to curriculum and field trips, explanation of activities, outline themes and discuss special Marine Science Camp Family events. Stay tuned for more information, and check out our Marine Science Camp pages! 2017 Marine Science Camp dates will be announced in December.