Darling Marine Center
193 Clarks Cove Road
Walpole, ME 04573

207-563-3146
207-563-3119 (fax)

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UMaine Accredited May Term & Summer Courses
May Term and summer courses incur regular UMaine tuition and fees. UMaine students can register directly through MaineStreet. Non-UMaine students, please register through the Office of Continuing and Distance Education/Summer University by calling 207-581-3143. Registration opens March 1st. Please register by by April 15 unless otherwise noted in the descriptions below.

* The Arctic Field School has a very limited registration period: March 1-10.
** Applications for the remote sensing course are due March 1.

May Term and summer courses include weekend/holiday class sessions or independent study. Students should plan to be available for course work for the duration of the course(s). Room and board are available at the DMC for all May Term classes. To register for accommodations, please download and complete this DMC Housing Request Form and return to the DMC course coordinator.

Many classes run concurrently, and students can enroll in multiple courses. Almost all permutations of courses are possible, the only two combinations that would not work are:
1.) Morphology/Histology of Invertebrates and MATLAB and
2.) Estuarine Oceanography and Archaeology of Shipwrecks.

May Term and summer courses offered at the DMC during May and June offer unique opportunities for Capstone projects. Students enrolled in these courses and in need of a Capstone project are encouraged to contact the instructor.

scallopsSMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
Functional Morphology and Histology of Marine Invertebrates

Students will explore the comparative functional morphology (internal and external anatomy) of common marine invertebrates of coastal Maine covering all of the major phyla. Specimens will be collected during field trips and dissected in the classroom to compare the reproductive, digestive, and nervous system designs from different taxonomic groups. Students will learn basic histological techniques (fixation, dehydration, embedding, staining) in order to prepare light microscope slides for a comparative study of tissues and organ systems. Animals to be studied will include sponges, jellyfish, hydroids, nemerteans, polychaete worms, sipunculans, crustaceans (lobsters, crabs, shrimp, amphipods), bivalves (oysters, scallops, mussels), echinoderms (starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers), and tunicates. 3 credits.

samplingSMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
Estuarine Oceanography

Estuaries are environments of mixing between rivers and the ocean. We will examine how river flow, tidal mixing and geomorphology affect mixing and how the mixing process affects various components of estuaries. Fieldwork in mid-coast Maine estuaries will include hydrographic surveys coupled to various sampling, field sensor, and laboratory approaches to provide views of physical, biological, chemical, and sedimentary responses to mixing patterns. Students will learn how dissolved and living and dead particles move through these environments, and how sessile organisms respond to hydrography. We will study planktonic and benthic ecosystems, with applications to processes such as aquaculture, eutrophication and contaminant dispersal. Fieldwork will involve team-oriented student projects. Course projects can be integrated with concurrent MATLAB course (descriptions below.) 3 credits.

graphSMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
MATLAB for Marine Sciences

Marine science is an increasingly technical field and Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) is the language of technical computing. Students will learn the basics of computer programming in MATLAB: pre and post processing environmental data (I/O), vectorizing code, conditional loops, and visualization. Students will learn how MATLAB interacts with external databases and other programming languages as well as how to produce scientific figures that effectively highlight and communicate their results. However, there is no better way to learn a computing language than to work on an application that interests the student. Students will work on data collected in the Estuarine Oceanography (enrollment in this course is not necessary but encouraged) as well as data collected during the course on a field trip to sample a local estuary. Students will be encouraged to work with “real” data either collected by the student on the field trip or downloaded from a field of their own interest (e.g. OBIS SEAMAP for marine mammals or CIMS for estuarine oceanography) to pre-process, analyze, and visualize their data. Advanced mathematical skills are not necessary. This course is also available by Polycom. 2 credits.

Prior to taking Dr. Brady's MATLAB course, I was using MATLAB "recipes," copying other's code, making slight adjustments, and receiving questionable "magic" output. Dr. Brody's class started at the beginning and filled in my missing MATLAB foundation. Now I know what I'm asking MATLAB to do, I can write my own code from scratch and am more confident my output is what I started out trying to get. Yes the magic of MATLAB is gone for me, but in this case, that's a very good thing! I recommend students take this course before using MATLAB if possible, as it will make everything clear from the beginning and take the pain out of the learning curve. Did I mention he sets up the course so you work with your own data? Yes! You'll get a ton of work done while learning cool MATLAB tricks! - Stacy

I think it is a really good class for grad students who already have their own data to work with. Dr. Brady is really good in helping students in achieving their matlab goals. The best thing about this course is that it is tailor made to fit the goals of every student who is enrolled in the class. - Sugandha

I would highly suggest it to any student looking to becoming more efficient in processing and visualizing their data in Matlab. - Katie

The Matlab for Marine Scientists class was a key component to my graduate career. Matlab is ubiquitous among oceanographers, and understanding how to work with and present data using this platform is critical. I strongly recommend this class for those new to Matlab, as well as those who are familiar with the program and are looking to learn new tools to help with their research. - Greg

I would recommend this course to people of all different Matlab skill levels. Professor Brady personalizes the course so that you can get the most out of it for yourself. It is a real 'learn-by-doing' type of course. - Dominic

HTY 315: Archaeology of Shipwreck Sites

The archaeological investigation of shipwreck sites around the world continues to provide information and understanding of human history as well as the natural history of shipworms, oysters, snails, trees, pollen, etc. that we find on and in a ship's hull. This is a methods course that covers the process of shipwreck archaeology, both underwater and on land. Students will study examples from many sites that offer data covering five millennia of trade and naval power around the world. At the end of the course, students will have an introductory knowledge of the process of a complete site investigation, including initial and continued research, search and survey, research design, ethics, excavation, conservation, artifact analysis, interpretation, and publication. Students will be able to evaluate data from such a project and be able to integrate to some degree shipwreck archaeology data with historical and terrestrial archaeology data. This course is also available by Polycom. 3 credits.

SMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
Polar Marine Ecology

Polar Marine Ecology is an intensive lecture course that will meet for 3-5 hours per day, with homework assignments. While in residence at the DMC, students will learn basic ecological field skills and monitor coastal Maine habitats to compare with polar data sets. This course is designed to give undergraduate and graduate students a broad and basic knowledge of polar marine processes – from plankton to marine mammals. This course is suitable for students with no prior polar ecology training and is the prerequisite for the Polar Marine Ecology Arctic Field School, listed below. 3 credits.

SMS 309/498: Techniques of Shellfish Aquaculture

Techniques in Shellfish Aquaculture is a one week course in which participants explore the theory and practice of marine bivalve aquaculture as practiced in the northeastern United States. This is an intense “hands-on” class with strong laboratory and field methods components. Topics covered include: reproductive biology, genetics, algal culture, larval rearing, shellfish pathology, site selection, water quality, ecological impacts

This five-day course meets from 8:00am - 5:00pm. Students may enrolled for two undergraduate credits (SMS 309) or one undergraduate credits (SMS 598.)

SMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
Polar Marine Ecology Arctic Field School

Polar Marine Ecology Arctic Field School is a unique offering from the University of Maine which allows students to conduct independent and directed research on the shores of Hudson Bay at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. Classes will be field based comparing flora, fauna and environment between different shore ecosystems. Spend time up close and personal (using kayaks) with the 1000’s of beluga whales that inhabit the bay in the spring, and there’s always the chance we’ll see the arctic’s top predator, the polar bear. Class time will include visits to a local Eskimo museum and talks from native elders on uses of the arctic and how the ecosystem is changing rapidly, as well as a guided tour on the tundra. Email Dr. Waller for more information and to hold your place on this educational arctic adventure. 2 credits.

CTDSMS 598: Calibration and Validation for Ocean Color Remote Sensing

The major theme of the course is calibration and validation of ocean color remote sensing. The course will provide students with a fundamental knowledge of ocean optics and optical sensor technology that will enable them to make quality measurements, be able to assess the uncertainties associated with the measurements and compare these data with remotely sensed ocean color measurements and products derived from them. The course is sponsored by NASA and the University of Maine, with the goal of preparing a new generation of oceanographers trained in the use of optics to study the oceans. Previous class content and activities at http://misclab.umeoce.maine.edu/~optics/