CHRISTCHURCH, VA -- 14 April 2026
Students in Christchurch School's Marine Science program explore the watery depths of our planet and understand how vital the oceans are to our existence. The course provides students with an overview of the marine environment, including the origins of the oceans, the nature of the marine habitat including chemical, physical, and geological aspects, ecology of the sea zonation, marine communities, classification, and man's interrelationship with the oceans. Students learn about the processes that influence the hydrosphere, as well as the influence of the hydrosphere on the environment.
The course emphasizes the use of laboratory and field investigation to collect data on structure, function, and interactions of diverse marine organisms and ultimately explore issues involving the human impact on the marine environment. Laboratory investigations including the use of scientific inquiry, research, measurement, problem-solving, and experimental procedures are an integral part of the course.
This spring, students in the class are studying marine habitats and ecosystems, human impact on marine life, biotechnology and research, pollution and conservation, and the future of an ocean planet.
In these photos, students count, graph, and plot the density of little gray and ivory barnacles at the school's waterfront.
