SUMMER 2013
SEA CAMP AND TAG
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - GALVESTON
ADVENTURES IN MARINE BIOLOGY $850
(Ages 10-12)
June 9-15 | June 23-29 | July 7-13 | July 14-20| July 21-27| July 28-August 3
(Ages 13-14)
June 16-22
CORAL, CRABS, AND CEPHALOPODS $850
(Ages 11-12)
Aug 4-10
COASTAL ECOLOGY $915
(Ages 12-15)
June 16-22 | July 7-13 | July 14-20 | July 21-27 | July 28-August 3
FISHING CAMP $950
(Ages 13-18)
June 9-15 | June 23-29 | July 7-13
MARINE MAMMAL WORKSHOP $915
(Ages 15-18)
June 16-22 | June 23-29 | July 7-13
COASTAL CAMPING $915
(Ages 14-16)
June 23-29
OCEAN CAREERS AWARENESS $915
(Ages 15-18)
June 23-29
COASTAL PHOTOGRAPHY $915
(Ages 13-18)
June 9-15 "Color with a Touch of Creative Black & White" (Beginners)
June 16-22 Photography Tips and Special Effects (Advanced)
July 7-13 Digital Art
July 14-20 Photo - Journalism
OCEANOGRAPHY AND NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY $915
(Ages 14-18)
June 16-22 | July 14-20
SHARK CAMP $915
(Ages 10-12)
July 14-20 | July 21-27
(Ages 13-14)
June 9-15
BIOLOGY OF THE SEA TURTLE $915
(Ages 15-18)
June 9-15 | August 4-10
(Ages 13-14)
June 16-22 / July 7-13
MARINE BIOLOGY RESEARCH (TAG) $950 GRADES 8-12
June 9-15 | July 28-August 3
PRE-MED (TAG) $950 GRADES 8-12 MUST BE 16 YEARS OLD
July 14-20 / August 4-10
MARINE SCIENCE RESEARCH (TAG) $950 GRADES 8-12
June 23-29
MARINE ENGINEERING (TAG) $950 GRADES 8-12
July 21-27
VET-MED (TAG) $950 GRADES 8-12
July 21-27 | July 28-August 3
Course Descriptions
ADVENTURES IN MARINE BIOLOGY - Explore a salt marsh by seining, digging, and sieving. Learn
about the biota and food chains. Observe birds in their natural habitat. Collect live oysters and study
them with a world-renowned oyster biologist. Trawl for shrimp, fish, and crabs from the research vessel
Earl L. Milan. Tour a turtle facility and meet the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle. Attend a workshop
on whales and dolphins and examine real dolphin bones.
CORAl, CRABS, AND CEPHALOPODS - Submerge into the world of coral reefs, the most diverse and
productive communities on Earth. Learn about types of corals & reefs, their locations, inhabitants, and
how some are in danger. Additional activities include a squid dissection, research vessel trip, wetlands
center excursion, crabbing, and field trips to Moody Gardens and NRCC (National Resource Center for
Cephalopods).
COASTAL ECOLOGY - Learn about the marine ecology of the Galveston Bay area. Explore the sandy
beach, salt marsh, jetty, and bay ecosystems. Have fun bird watching, swimming, and dissecting sharks
& turtles. Experience what it is like to be a marine biologist for a day working behind the scenes of the
Aquarium at Moody Gardens. Go dolphin watching on a cruise across Galveston Bay and fish for
flounder or trout.
FISHING CAMP - Learn about the marine and estuarine environments through fishing. Catch your bait.
Experiment with lures. Tie knots. Improve your cast. Enjoy daily fishing excursions to the bay, beachfront
(pier, wade, and surf fishing) and offshore. Compare the environments in which you fished and the catch
from each location. Study the food chain through fish stomach content analyses. Visit a fish hatchery.
MARINE MAMMAL WORKSHOP - Gain a broad overview of issues facing marine mammals while
developing a greater appreciation for their biology. Study a wide range of topics relating to marine
mammals from behavior to physiology to conservation. Because of the cooperation of the Marine
Mammal Research Program at TAMUG and agencies within it, such as TMMSN, this camp offers campers
the cutting edge of marine mammal science. SERIOUS STUDENTS ONLY.
This camp does not include or promote swimming with dolphins! Wild dolphins are observed from a
distance.
COASTAL CAMPING - Learn about marine ecology while you explore the Texas coast. Travel and camp
across Texas from the northern beaches near Galveston down to beautiful Corpus Christi. Learn fish
identification by seining for fish in a salt marsh, beachfront, and seagrass habitats. Have fun dolphin
watching, trawling, and observing bird species in Laguna Madre. Visit a university research lab to learn
about ecological studies being conducted along the Texas coast.
OCEAN CAREERS AWARENESS - Combine a hands-on experience relating to careers in the marine
environment with introductions to professionals employed in a wide variety of jobs. TAMUG faculty and
facilities offer numerous opportunities to explore career options while assisting in the laboratory or in
the field. Additional meetings are arranged outside of TAMUG, such as National Marine Fisheries,
Moody Gardens, The University of Texas Medical Branch, and The Coast Guard. Schedule is based on the
interest of the campers enrolled.
COASTAL PHOTOGRAPHY - Combine science and art in your choice of four unique digital photography
camps: “Digitally Capture the Island in Black & White”, “Advanced Digital”, “Digital Art”, and
“Photojournalism”. In each camp you will take photographs at the best locations on Galveston Island,
make postcards, visit an art gallery, produce mini portfolios, and finish the week with an art exhibit of
your best images. For information on the instructor visit www.mihovil.com.
OCEANOGRAPHY & NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY - Explore seafaring through the ages as you learn of
shipwrecks, lost cargo, and the commerce of modern & ancient cultures. Expand your knowledge of the
ocean floor even further by participating in gulf and bay sediment & water sampling. Experience first
hand how geology, chemistry, and physics interact to form a variety of habitats.
SHARKS CAMP - Have you ever wanted to learn more about sharks? What about the difference between
sharks and other types of fish, or what about the truth behind shark attacks? Discover the amazing
world of sharks, rays, and more. Observe live sharks at an aquarium. Learn to identify sharks based on
their teeth and hunt for your very own shark tooth! Dissect a shark and compare it’s anatomy with that
of a bony fish.
BIOLOGY OF THE SEA TURTLE - Explore sea turtle biology and ecology on the coast of Texas. Five of the
seven species of sea turtles worldwide occur in our Gulf of Mexico. Meet and visit sea turtle biologists at
NOAA Fisheries, Texas A & M at Galveston, Padre Island National Seashore and the Houston Zoo.
Observe the feeding ecology of wild green sea turtles at Port Aransas jetties and witness a Kemp’s ridley
hatchling release on North Padre Island proximate to Corpus Christi. Gain a greater understanding of
issues concerning endangered and threatened marine species. Includes a two-night trip to the Port
Aransas - Corpus Christi area.
MARINE BIOLOGY RESEARCH (TAG) - Discover marine biology by exploring the diverse habitats of
Galveston Island. Wade in the salt marshes of Galveston Bay and learn why this is a valuable resource.
Work alongside Texas A&M University at Galveston faculty and graduate students to collect pelagic and
benthic organisms. Take a trip aboard a research vessel. Learn about endangered sea turtles and visit a
sea turtle hatchery. Learn about marine mammals of the Gulf of Mexico and help conduct a dolphin
survey. This course is designed for students seeking field experience in the marine environment.
Students will also design an original research project and presentation
PRE-MED (TAG) - This week-long session is designed to expose serious students to different aspects of
medical sciences. Gain appreciation for a pathologist’s perspective at the autopsy laboratory at the
University of Texas Medical Branch- not only is it a first-rate teaching hospital, it’s the first medical
school in Texas! Spend a day touring clinics at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, ranked the #1 cancer
hospital in the world! Discover the difference that doctors and therapists make in a child’s life at
Shriners Hospital for Children, an innovative free hospital that provides highly specialized (orthopedic
and burn) pediatric care. A very privileged tour of the Human Genome project at Baylor College of
Medicine helps students realize the impact of genetic research in finding cures for many diseases. This
camp is created for apt students with a serious passion for helping others, and a high interest in
pursuing a medical career. The camp consists of lectures and private tours of real laboratories,
treatment centers, and working clinics. Due to the sensitive nature of the some excursions (patients,
remains, and specimens), regulations require that campers be at least 16 years.
MARINE SCIENCE RESEARCH (TAG) - Marine science researchers concentrate on physical, chemical, and
geological sciences aspects of marine, estuarine, and coastal environments. A survey of recent TAMUG
marine science graduates who entered a professional career shows that many of them are currently
working in the offshore petroleum exploration and production industry. A tentative schedule for this
course includes: careers in marine science, wetlands transects, water & sediment sampling, the pros and
cons of artificial reefs, offshore petroleum exploration, remote sensing technology, density dynamics,
and environmental law. Students will also design an original research project and presentation.
MARINE ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY (TAG) -Electricity from sea waves? Marine engineers are currently
working on many projects, one of them being solutions for converting renewable energy available within
the oceans into electricity. In addition to energy conversion, this course will also focus on topics such as
power cycles, marine propulsion, maritime-related engineering, naval architecture, and
thermodynamics. Basic hands-on principles of engineering will be used for instructional purposes,
including the construction of an underwater robot. Tentative field trips include: TAMUG training ship
and simulator, Ocean Star Oil Rig Museum, and NASA.
VETERINARY MEDICINE (TAG) - Would you like to practice veterinary medicine some day? Why not get a
head start this summer? Vet-med camp is the perfect camp for you if you are interested in helping
animals. Spend a week touring large and small animal vet practices to help you decide which you like
best. Also visit laboratory animal medicine facilities, learn about zoo medicine, and explore animal
welfare facilities. Discuss your future with vets, technicians, trainers, rehabilitators, and behaviorists
who share your passion for helping our furry, fluffy, feathered friends!