The FMS teaching staff includes a team of accomplished scientists, who are active in a variety of marine science disciplines. Extensive use is made of the rich and diverse flora and fauna of Appledore Island and the surrounding waters of the Gulf of Maine. Physical oceanography of the region, including water masses and circulation patterns, and the geological origins of the Isles of Shoals, the Gulf of Maine, and the North Atlantic. A typical day includes lectures, field work, and time in the laboratory.
Lectures provide the necessary background required for carrying out work in the field.
The laboratory is equipped with a seawater system that allows students to examine and identify the living organisms collected from the field, to supplement their study in natural environments. Dredging and trawling from SML's coastal research vessel to sample the benthic environment of the surrounding waters. Sampling the water using plankton nets. Visiting whale feeding grounds. Studying seal and seabird colonies on Appledore and neighboring islands.