LEWES, Del. - After a three year hiatus, the University of Delaware's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment in Lewes is offering tours again to show the public what research is being done to help the surrounding environment.
From tracking currents to studying microbes, it all plays a role in maintaining the way we live. If you like going to the beaches, eating seafood, or work on the water, what happens underneath affects you.
"Striped bass, blue crabs, those kinds of things..to better understand what they're sensing and feeling in the environment, what's changing and how to essentially take care of those populations so that they're here not only for the ecosystem services but also the economic services of recreational commercial fishing, restaurant industry, that kind of thing." said Christopher Petrone, Director of Marine Advisory Service at UD.
One of many research projects going on is seeing how hybrid striped bass grow food, "Their byproducts will create pneumonia and nitrogen that would feed plants. So you can see lettuce growing next to this pool of fish. Now supposedly it's edible but I haven't tried it yet, maybe a little vinaigrette it might be fine." said Susan Lee, a volunteer tour guide.
Trystan Steckbeck aspires to drive robotics like that at the University to learn more about sea life, "When I go to the beach in the morning I can see a ton of birds, I'll see some fish sometimes, I see horseshoe crabs a ton so that just interests me a lot - maybe I'll come here one day and be a student."
Tours of the college are available on Fridays throughout the rest of the month
for July and August they will be held on Wednesdays. Come October 1 will be 'Coast Day' where you can get a more hands on experience of the research along with other family fun activities.
