Adopt-a-Boat case studies by topics:

Fishing Industry
Ecology/Biology of Marine Systems
Marine Resources Utilization
Careers

I. Fishing industry Return to Top

A. Life of a fisherman

1. Canaan Elementary School-Jeannine Brady (3rd Grade)
a. Created a video with Capt. Mattie Thomson where students asked questions about fishing.
b. Visited Mattie on Monhegan Island where Mattie demonstrated the type of work he does, e.g. measuring lobster, cuffing the claws, checking for fertile females, showing his boat equipment, fishing gear. Mattie also discussed what life is like on Monhegan Island.

2. S. Bristol Elementary-John Nichols (Gifted and Talented Program/2nd Grade)
a. Two elementary school students interviewed their boat captain, Capt. Tim Alley, about commercial fishing and produced a short article.
b. Captain Tim Alley gave an interactive presentation on shrimping to first and second graders.
c. During a second grade class visit to the Fishermen's Coop by invitation from the captain, students had the opportunity to
see a typical day's catch and went aboard their captain's boat.

3. Kimball Union Academy-Dean Goodwin (9th –12th Grade)
a. Students went on an overnight research trip on their captain's boat. Students received a survival suit drill training on deck, observed gear deployment and life on a boat.
b. Capt. Cameron McLellan visited Kimball Union Academy where students asked him questions about his work.

4. Houlton Elementary School-Lee Ann Kinens (3rd Grade)
a. Exchanged weekly emails about fishing with their boat captain, Capt. Vincent Balzono.

5. Essex Agriculture High School – Amy Cline (11th Grade)
a. Visit to Capt. Nino Randazzo’s boat. Class toured the boat and learned about his life as a fisherman.

B. Fishing Vessel Return to Top

1. Canaan Elementary School-Jeannine Brady (3rd Grade)
a. Students built a life-size replica of Mattie's boat, F/V Striker. Students labeled the parts of the boat. Students also took a tour of Mattie’s boat during an island visit.

2. S. Bristol Elementary-John Nichols (Gifted and Talented Program/2nd Grade)
a. A first and second grade class visited their boat captain who showed
them his fishing equipment and gears. Students also got a tour of his boat.

3. Kimball Union Academy-Dean Goodwin (9th-12th Grade)
a. Students went on an overnight trip on their captain's boat

4. Essex Agriculture High School – Amy Cline (11th Grade)
b. Students toured boat. Nino demonstrated how to mend a dragging
net as well as demonstrated how he uses technology to navigate his
boat (Loran, GPS, etc.).

5. Lincoln Academy-Jack Halpin (9th-12th Grade)
a. Students took a ride out on a lobster boat and learned about the gear used in the industry.

C. Economics Return to Top

1. Canaan Elementary School-Jeannine Brady (3rd Grade)
a. During an email exchange, Capt. Mattie Thomson told the class about the low lobster prices in mid-December that inspired the students to compare the cost of lobsters/pound at their local supermarket to the price Mattie is given for his lobsters. Students created a chart comparing the difference. For example, students learned that their captain gets $4.50/pound while their local store sells the lobster for $6.99/pound.

D. Fishing communities Return to Top

1. S. Bristol Elementary-John Nichols (Gifted and Talented Program/2nd Grade)
a. Students communicated with children in southern U.S. who also live in a fishing community. Students discover similarities and differences between fishing communities.

2. Canaan Elementary School-Jeannine Brady (3rd grade)
a. Students corresponded with a school on Monhegan Island where their captain is from. Students discussed differences and similarities in their lives. During a visit to Monhegan Island, students met their Monhegan Island pen pals.

II. Ecology/Biology of Marine Systems Return to Top

A. Species identification Return to Top

1. Houlton Elementary School-Lee Ann Kinens (3rd Grade)
a. Each student chose a type of fish that their captain catches. Students then researched the size, weight, and color of that fish. Students also constructed life-size models of their fish.

2. S. Bristol Elementary-John Nichols (Gifted and Talented Program/1st and 2nd Grade)
a.First and second grade class visited the Fisherman's Coop in S. Bristol by invitation of their boat captain. He showed the class several lobsters of different sizes including a female lobster with eggs. Also, the captain showed the students some bycatch including crabs, a giant star fish, a horn pout, and sea robins (sculpin).

3. Canaan Elementary School-Jeannine Brady (3rd Grade)
a. Students visited the Salt Pond Preserve where students explored the tidal pool, finding starfish, crabs, and other sea creatures.
Students also learned about the different zones of the intertidal zone and learned to recognize a variety of seaweed.

4. Essex Agriculture High School – Amy Cline (11th Grade)
a. Students maintained a recirculating aquaculture system that was used as a tool to learn about local marine finfish species (haddock) as well as fish anatomy, biology and behavior.

5. Lincoln Academy-Jack Halpin (9th-12th Grade)
a. Students chose a specific marine species to research. Gathered data on the past decades about their species' population and its specific regulations

B. Water Quality Return to Top

1. Kimball Union Academy - Dean Goodwin (11th-12th Grade)
a. Students collect samples, temperature data, etc. from their captain's boat. Possible projects include studying water quality and bottom study in Boothbay Harbor.

2. Lincoln Academy-Jack Halpin (9th-12th Grade)
a. Water samples and plankton tows were taken via a lobster boat as data for their study of plankton blooms.

C. Oceanography Return to Top

1. Lincoln Academy-Jack Halpin (9th-12th Grade)
a. Utilized Fleetlink data from www.Fleetlink.org to study thermocline, mixing layers, bathymetry and the
dynamics of the deep ocean

III. Marine Resource Utilization Return to Top

A. Fisheries Regulation/Fish Stocks Return to Top

1. Lincoln Academy-Jack Halpin (9th-12th Grade)
a. Students followed the court case about the fishing regulation that were impacting the Maine Fishing Industry.

2. Essex Agricultural High School-Amy Holt Cline (11th Grade)
a. Students visit the National Marine Fisheries to hear from those that make the regulations that their captain and other fishermen have to abide by. Also used GIS to create maps combining themes such as fishing grounds, fishing closures, whale stranding and sightings. Also attended the Gloucester Fisherman’s protest of the new fishing regulations. Video taped speeches as well as interviewed fishermen.

3. S.Bristol Elementary-Margaret Morton (7th-8th Grade)
a. Students explore state and federal laws and regulations that affect fishermen. Also, students
explore the interaction between biologists, lawmakers and the fishermen. Attended the
Maine Fishermen’s Forum annual conference.

B. Aquaculture Return to Top

1. Essex Agricultural High School-Amy Holt Cline (11th Grade)
a. Studied the impacts of aquaculture on the environment and on the fishing industry. Maintained a recirculating aquaculture system. Compared different types of aquaculture methods and equipment.

2. Lincoln Academy-Jack Halpin (9th-12th Grade)
a. Students visited a shellfish farm in Maine that cultured quahogs and oyster seed stock. The students also learned about how aquaculture in Maine is regulated.

IV. Careers Return to Top

1. Lincoln Academy-Jack Halpin (9th-12th Grade)
a. Students attended a career day sponsored by the Maine Department of Marine Resources.