Click here for pictures and information on the R.S. Friedman Field Station

The R.S. Friedman Field Station of Suffolk University provides a living laboratory for observing and studying marine life in a relatively pristine environment dominated by the dramatic tides of Cobscook Bay on the coast of Eastern Maine.  Our facilities provide classrooms, rustic accommodations, flow-through seawater systems and field sampling equipment that support a variety of field-oriented classes as well as student and faculty research projects in a magnificent natural setting.

Located directly on the shores of Cobscook Bay, the lower most portion of the Bay of Fundy, and adjacent to the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, the fifty+ acre facility provides ready access to a variety of wildlife interacting in a spectacular array of natural habitats including rocky and soft-bottom intertidal areas, salt marshes, bogs, rivers, lakes, ponds, fields, and forests.

The field station and its location provide abundant opportunity for students from Suffolk’s urban Boston campus to become immersed in nature. Field observations and research projects augment the understanding of important biology concepts by reinforcing classroom study with hands-on experiences. Students are provided a wonderful environment in which to contemplate their own place in the natural world and gain additional appreciation for the natural resources that enrich their lives and those of other people.

Intensive, three week courses offered by Suffolk University’s biology department at the R.S. Friedman Field Station include marine biology and laboratory, ecology and laboratory, and field botany. Each is a three-week intensive field course that combines lecture with extensive field work. In addition, directed student research projects are available to interested students. Various other institutions also use this facility in support of their own field-oriented courses and research projects.

For more information please contact the Friedman Field Station's Director Dr. Carl Merrill at cmerrill@suffolk.edu

The Field Station 2010 Staff List

• Carl L. Merrill, Ph.D., Director
• Thomas Trott, Ph.D., Research Associate
• Mateja Nenadovic, Research Associate
• Peggy Savage, Chef
• Rebecca Savage, Associate Chef
• Julie Morang, Kitchen Assistant 
• Paul Cunningham, Janitor/Dishwasher
• Dan Morang, Maintenance
• Susan Boutin, Maintenance

2010 Tentative Schedule                            

April 30- May 2
University of New England Invertebrate Zoology and Ecology
Rick Miller, David Guay

May 10 - 22
University of Maine at Orono Wildlife Survey Course
Lindsay Seward

May 26 – Aug 11
University of North Carolina
Mike McCartney (Mike departs on 7-22, Lara stays thru 8-11)

May 30
Exploritas
Jeanne Guisinger, Carl Merrill

May 31
Downeast Birding Festival
Carl Merrill

June 5 -13
University of New England
Phil Yund

July 9 - 29
Audubon Expedition Institute & Lesley University Ecological Teaching and Learning
C. Chunn, D. Sprangers, C. O’Connell

July 11 – 16
Suffolk Engineering Dept Program for teens
Craig Christensen, Carl Merrill

Aug 1 -7
Marine Science Field Experience Suffolk University
C. Gibson, C. Merrill, K. Daher, et al

Aug 15 – Sep 4
Suffolk University Ecology Program
Mateja Nenadovic and Carl Merrill

Aug 29 – Sep 4
Suffolk University Freshman Seminar in Biology
Peter Burn

TBD
Stowe (VT) High School Chemistry and Environmental Science
Don McDowell

Oct 8 -11
Suffolk University Annual Biology Department Trip
Bio. Dept. Faculty

Marine Science Field Experience Program for teenagers

Would you like to spend an unforgettable 7 days exploring intertidal zones, collecting various marine organisms, and learning about marine ecology? Would you like to participate in scientific challenges with other curious young explorers and have great fun while learning about marine ecosystems? If you answered YES to the previous two questions then you are at the right place!

We are happy to announce that the 26th annual Marine Science Field Experience (MSFE) program will be held from August 1-7, 2010 at the Friedman Field Station of Suffolk University. As in past years, we promise you lots of scientific challenge and lots of fun!!! We will be visiting diverse intertidal zones in and around Cobscook Bay (Maine) and observing and studying intertidal and shallow sub-tidal organisms in their natural habitats. During this process, we will try to answer a large number of scientific questions that relate to these and other marine ecosystems and have lots of fun getting to know each other through a number of great group activities.

MSFE is a week-long program of marine wildlife exploration that is designed for students entering grades 7-9 (ages 12-15). The program is run by Suffolk University faculty and staff from the Friedman Field Station which is located in the inner part of the Cobscook Bay in Edmunds Township, Maine. During this week we will embark on a voyage full of diverse scientific activities including marine biology, ecology, and water chemistry.  We will observe organisms such as sea stars, crabs, scallops, seals, whales, and bald eagles. We will also collect and analyze data, hike along the beautiful Maine coast, and sail along the US-Canadian border watching for whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as other pelagic sea-life and birds.

The total price for the package is $ 888. The package includes transportation (from and to Boston as well as to all field sites), home-cooked meals and snacks, lodging (comfortable wooden cabins), and all additional costs related to program activities (e.g. park fees, whale-watching tickets). Please let us know if you are interested in participating - this price will depend on the minimum of 8 registered participants.

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to let you know more about the program. Hope to see you this summer!

Contact Information:
Dr. Carl Merrill, Director
Friedman Field Station
Suffolk University
cmerrill@suffolk.edu
PLEASE INCLUDE “MSFE” IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF E-MAIL MESSAGES.  Thanks!