Girls interested in pursuing a career in marine science are exploring their options this week through a program at CSU Monterey Bay.

Girls Love Science Too, a program offered by Camp SEA Lab – SEA stands for science, education, adventure – is giving two dozen 13- to 16-year-olds a chance to learn about marine habitat science and have fun in the process.

The students are housed in residence halls at CSUMB. Their days get off to an early start with tide pool monitoring at various locations around the Monterey Peninsula. On Monday, they went out on the bay in the university’s seafloor mapping vessel, the Harold Heath, to learn about underwater habitat surveying.

Other activities include a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Moss Landing and a visit to the Institute for Applied Marine Ecology lab on campus. They will also go kayaking along the coast, and will complete a marine conservation project based on lessons learned during the week.

“It’s amazing. You go out in the morning and you really feel like you’re an actual scientist,” Ally Tomlinson, 14, of Chowchilla, told KION news. “You go and look at all the tide pools and all the different animals.” Her favorite part? Exploring the different organisms and algae.

“All of these activities are intended to educate and inspire women in STEM careers” said Amity Wood, the program manager.

This year, Camp SEA Lab partnered with an organization called Wishbone.org, which helps underserved students participate in programs such as Camp SEA Lab through crowd-source funding.

“We offered scholarships for four Wishbone students who are attending this week,” Wood said.

Learn more about Camp SEA LabThis video was made by camp participants in 2011