FT 12

Baltimore Harbor Boat Trip: Exploring an Urban Aquatic Ecosystem

Board an authentic skipjack with a seasoned Chesapeake Bay expert for an afternoon sail around Baltimore Harbor and the Patapsco River, a tidal tributary of the Bay. Our vessel for the day, the skipjack Sigsbee, is one of a handful remaining of these historic wooden sailboats designed for oyster dredging. Sigsbee was originally built in 1901. After decades as a working boat, the Living Classrooms Foundation purchased and reconstructed the vessel to carry passengers and offer school education programs. We’ll be joined by Dr. Walter Boynton, Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and recent recipient of Maryland’s Admiral of the Chesapeake award, which recognizes lifetime achievement in regional ecosystem conservation and management. During the trip, we will tour the waters of one of the U.S. East Coast’s busiest port cities and measure ecological properties of the system by trawling for critters and measuring water quality. The aim is to introduce participants to the beautiful Chesapeake Bay and to provide a snapshot of how the urban environment interacts with an estuarine ecosystem. The trip will happen rain or shine, so come prepared for the weather! Participants should be able to walk ~1/2 mile from the convention center to the boat dock.