The waters of Tiana Bay in Hampton Bays became an outdoor classroom on July 10 as middle school and freshman campus research students from Brentwood’s summer research programs spent the day exploring marine conservation alongside scientists from Cornell Cooperative Extension. 

Wearing waders and using seining nets, students sampled marine life to learn about the estuary's biodiversity before helping restore local eelgrass beds. Along the way, they discovered how eelgrass provides critical habitat for marine species while capturing blue carbon, the atmospheric carbon stored by coastal ecosystems that helps mitigate climate change. 

The field experience gave students the opportunity to apply classroom learning in a real-world setting while contributing to an ongoing environmental restoration effort. The program was supported through a partnership with the South Shore Estuary Reserve and the Environmental Protection Agency.