Jeremy Weisz, professor of biology, wasn’t sure what they’d find as he and 12 students scampered down a Newport sandbank on a drizzly afternoon to peer into tide pools. But that’s exactly the point. Exploration and discovery are the focus for Weisz’s marine ecology class during three fieldtrips to the Oregon or Washington coasts each semester. It’s a chance for students to poke around the habitats they discuss in class. “I can show them all the video and photos about marine life, but nothing’s better than getting out there to see it firsthand,” he says. “I never know what animals we’ll find; it’s just fun to go explore.”
– Timothy D. Sofranko
