High School Project in Canada:
A Unique Experience
We would like to offer one or two future Matura students, who are interested in marine biology, the unique opportunity to do their data acquisition during the summer vacations at the Station for Marine Research at St. Lawrence Gulf.
The goal is for you to get a taste of marine biology field work during these 4 weeks in addition to your data collection. Our weekly program is very diverse:
- Depending on the weather: one to three boat trips for data collection
- Data processing: digitizing and analysis of the collected data
- Workshops, lectures, movies with subsequent discussion
- Time for your own project
- Shore excursions
- 1 free day per week
Most of the time we also have students from Europe / North America with us, who are either doing an internship or a bachelor / master or PhD thesis. So it can happen that up to 9 people live with us on the station. As a residential community, we take turns cooking and doing other household chores. Depending on the origin of the participants, German, French and English will be spoken.
During these four weeks you will be supervised by Jackie Egger, a former biology teacher from Zurich and director of MérisCool.
If you are interested, please contact us at meriscool(at)meriscope.com or use our contact form.
Current Matura Theses
- 2024: Injuries and scars in Minke Whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the Saint Lawrence Estuary. Thomas Diethelm, Kantonsschule Stadelhofen, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2024: The relationship between whales and humans today compared with the relationship between indigenous people and whales in the past. Milo Heuberger, Kantonsschule Stadelhofen, Zurich, Switzerland
Completed Matura Theses
- 2023: Sighting Frequency of Minke Whales in Relation to the Bathymetry of the Saint Lawrence Estuary. Martha Groves, Evangelische Mittelschule Schiers, Switzerland
- 2023: Influence of Disturbances on the Behavior of the Grey Seal in the Saint Lawrence Estuary. Valentina Damur, Evangelische Mittelschule Schiers, Switzerland
- 2023: Investigation of the Behavior of Minke Whales in the Saint Lawrence Estuary as a Function of High and Low Tide. Gabriel Meier, Kantonsschule Frauenfeld, Switzerland
Gabriel received an excellent grade of 6 for his work. The Mériscope team congratulates him on this success!
- 2022: Photoidentification in marine mammals: methods and utility. Stella Liedtke, Kantonsschule Hohe Promenade, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2022: Whaling policy in relation to animal welfare and environmental protection. Leandra Wyss, Kantonsschule Hohe Promenade, Zurich, Switzerland
Leandra Wyss’ work has been selected for the cantonal exhibition «Impuls Mittelschule». The Mériscope team congratulates her on this success!
- 2020: Minke whales – growth of dorsal fin over time. Mira Wyser, Kantonsschule Schüpfheim, Switzerland
- 2020: Study of porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the St. Lawrence Estuary. Théana Dubail, Gymnase Bienne, Switzerland
Théana Dubail took part in the «Science and Youth Competition» and received the mention «very good» and the special prize «Sail and Explore» which allows her to go to the Azores for a week on a boat to observe marine mammals. The Mériscope team congratulates her on this success!
- 2019: Stress behaviour in minke whales. Alina Schoch, Evangelische Mittelschule Schiers, Switzerland
- 2019: Distribution of marine mammals in the St. Lawrence Estuary. Santiago Kuster, Kollegium Spiritus Sanctus Brig, Switzerland
