The Sandy Neck field station serves as a collaborative laboratory for undergraduate and graduate education in ecology, conservation biology, and environmental policy. Under the direction of Dr. Eric Strauss, the site has become an integral part of the curriculum for four undergraduate and two graduate biology courses at Boston College. The site serves as a data source for in-class analysis and discussion, plus a location for over 30 regularly scheduled field trips each year. In addition, Sandy Neck serves as a site for year around independent student research. For example, during the summers of 1996 and 19917, over 25 Boston College students were conducting research projects at the field station under the direction of a variety of participating faculty.
Access is facilitated by four wheel drive vehicle, boat, or on foot.
The facility is owned and operated by the Town of Barnstable and the Barnstable School Department. Long Term agreements between the Town and Boston College have forged a collaborative teaching and research program that facilitates a variety of educational programs including graduate, undergraduate and secondary school student research projects as well as science teacher training courses and field education programs. All of the various programs are focused on the long term ecological studies that are conducted on the Sandy Neck Barner Beach System. The fiels station is currently being rebuilt with funds from the Cobb Educational Trust. A brief description of the studies, and the participating faculty are provided below.