Perform an onsite study of an estuarine ecosystem.  Explore this special habitat where fresh water flowing from the land meets salt water from the sea.  At stations and in cooperative learning groups, students rotate through stations and locations performing tasks and recording data. Water quality is tested with the same types of equipment used by conservation groupsto assess the health of the bay. Tidal rates are observed and samples of substrate are taken, identified and measured.  Students profile a beach habitat, and its declination and discuss the effects of erosion, deposition, wind and wave action. They also perform quadrant studies where they observe and identify flora and fauna. Using a seine net, students conduct a survey where they collect biological specimens and study the diversity of the marine environment of Oyster Bay.