About

The Pre-College: Marine Biology program at Sea Education Association (SEA) is a two-week, shore-based, field-and-lab immersion in marine ecology and ocean science held each summer in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Designed for rising juniors, seniors, and recent high school graduates, this course integrates 40+ hours of lectures, laboratory investigations, and coastal fieldwork with visits to leading research institutions such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Marine Biological Laboratory. Students live in supervised cottages, share meals in community dining, and engage in structured evening activities, blending academic rigor with experiential learning. The cost for summer 2026 is $6,975.

Enrollment in Marine Biology requires a comprehensive application (transcript, academic reference, and short essays) followed by a mandatory interview. Selection is capacity-limited and handled on a rolling basis. The curriculum emphasizes hypothesis-driven group research: students formulate questions, gather and analyze data on coastal organisms and ecosystems, and present findings to peers, faculty, and members of the Woods Hole science community.

Daily instruction takes place at SEA’s Madden Center, supplemented by hands-on field investigations in local salt marshes, estuaries, and research reserves. The program’s embeddedness in the Woods Hole research ecosystem—a global hub of marine science—distinguishes it from standard summer camps; interactions with professional scientists and facility tours provide professional context to field training. Participants gain foundational skills in marine ecology, data collection, species identification, and scientific communication. While the program does not confer college credit, it offers genuine academic experience for students preparing for university-level marine science.