Summers at Chincoteague Bay an Asset for ESU Students

Nearly 300 miles south of the classrooms and laboratories of East Stroudsburg University, junior marine science and biology major Michael Shearer was having one of his best learning experiences yet.

Observing the delicate aquatic ecosystem around him as he kayaked through a salt marsh along Virginia's eastern shore earlier this summer, Shearer was living the experience described in so many of his lectures and textbooks.

"We were looking at everything from plant life to animal life to water conditions in order to get a decent understanding of the environment as a whole and how everything interacts with and is affected by the rest of the environment," Shearer said.

Shearer's adventure was one of the many impactful field experiences ESU students have had at Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Wallops Island, Va., since the university first began its partnership with the facility nearly 60 years ago.

Students live in on-site housing at the facility during the summer months while taking courses that allow them to study marine life in its natural environment. This summer, nearly 30 ESU students participated.

Shearer, who took courses at the facility from June 7 to July 18, said the field station was the perfect opportunity to practice the skills he'd learned at ESU in real-world situations.

"I've always been more of a hands-on learner, so it was such a blessing to finally be back out in the field," said Shearer, from Lansdale, Pa.

Max Stull, a junior majoring in marine science and biology from Derby, Kans., had a similarly fulfilling experience recording data, collecting samples and getting to know fellow marine science majors from other universities.

"Working with everyone really fostered connections with both students from ESU and other university students I otherwise wouldn't interact with," said Stull, who was at the facility from June 14 to Aug. 7.

Course offerings at Chincoteague Bay Field Station span a range of topics, including Behavioral Ecology, Field Methods in Oceanography, Coastal Hazards and Sustainability, Conservation Biology, and Marine Botany, helping students figure out what interests them the most.

"I had struggled beforehand to form research questions and to understand what direction in this field I wanted to pursue," Stull said. "In these classes, I was able to explore different opportunities and discover what interested me the most."

James Hunt, Ph.D., professor and director of ESU's marine science program, is among the faculty who teach at Chincoteague Bay Field Station.

At the facility, Dr. Hunt is more than just a familiar face to ESU students. His research focuses on ecology and marine invertebrate behavior, making Chincoteague Bay an ideal backdrop for students to learn from his expertise.

"I was going into this with a basic understanding of the environments we were working in, but with all the additional information provided by Dr. Hunt, I felt like I was more than prepared to go out into the field and properly apply all the new knowledge I had gained," Shearer said.

With ESU's location in the Pocono Mountains, participation in the consortium running the facility is vital to having a successful marine science program that gives students hands-on learning, Dr. Hunt said.

"It allows students to gain experience casting nets from boats, using oceanographic instruments at sea, and collecting and analyzing field data from a variety of coastal habitats," he said. "The field station gives us access to salt marshes, sea grass beds, estuaries, mudflats, subtidal communities, oyster beds, wetlands, and more."

Dr. Hunt was joined at Chincoteague Bay Research Facility this summer by fellow ESU faculty members Tracy Whitford, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and Shixiong Hu, Ph.D., professor of geography. Alumni Lauren Huffman '24 and Jordyn Drager '25 also worked at the research facility this summer as staff members.

Learn more about the marine science and biology programs at ESU.