Colleen Hendricks of Wiscasset recently completed the spring semester of her sophomore year of high school at Coastal Studies for Girls in Freeport. Coastal Studies for Girls is a Semester School for 10th grade girls. The school features an integrated marine science and leadership curriculum based on field work and experiential place-based learning.

While at CSG, Hendricks completed a scientific research project examining bioluminescence as an indicator for local water quality. Using water samples collected from Freeport and Portland, Hendricks and her research team examined the impact of salinity and nutrients on the amount of bioluminescence produced by Pyrocystis fusiformis, a bioluminescent phytoplankton. They used a DIY arduino-based light sensor to document light emitted from the cells, and found phytoplankton bioluminescence decreased over time and was inhibited by some environmental samples.

Each student prepared a scientific paper explaining their findings. They presented their research results in a public forum held at the Freeport Community center on April 26. The title of Colleen’s presentation was: The Biolumineers: The Effects of Different Water Samples on Bioluminescence of Pyrocystis fusiformis. The other spring 2014 Coastal Studies for Girls Research Topics included: The Plastics: Microplastic Pollution in Coastal Habitats, The Maine Mudders: What is in Mud?, and The Fiery Fledglings: Anthropogenic Noise and Chickadee Calls. The girls’ science presentations were live streamed to viewers across the globe.

In addition to producing original marine research during her semester at Coastal Studies for Girls, Hendricks also completed a semester -long leadership course, earned credits in literature, history, math and foreign language and traveled with her classmates on a 10-day expedition along the Maine coast and islands.

Hendricks describes her CSG Semester with these words, "Everything is connected at CSG. For example, while writing about how power dynamics are used in colonies with the British and the Wabanaki tribes in the Pre-Contact Period in Maine in history class, we were writing an essay about it in English class. At the same time, in Leadership class, we learned about the different types of power, how they are used, and what the pro's and con's of them are. Although CSG is quite rigorous, and pushed me a lot both mentally and physically, overall, it is so worth it to take 16 weeks out of your sophomore life and go to this amazing school. I highly recommend it to any sophomore girl, even if she isn't interested in Marine Science."

Each semester, Coastal Studies for girls accepts 15 girls from across the country to live in the school’s farmhouse on the shores of Casco Bay. Together they create a community of engaged learners dedicated to observation, inquiry, connection and action.

Hendricks will return to Wiscasset High School in the fall as a junior.

To learn more about Coastal Studies for Girls, or for information on applying, visit www.coastalstudiesforgirls.org.