High School students take a meticulous look at many microorganisms in three day field trip

17 Wareham High School students took a trip over the bridge to the Marine Biological Laboratory, a world renown research center in Falmouth that studies microbiology, marine life and more.

The students spent three days in March at the center where they took a look at the microorganisms that live in their mouths and on the beach with microbiologist Scott Chimileski.

Upon returning from the trip, three students, Will Wiksten, Samantha Bumpus and Lain Potter along with Wareham High School biology teacher Beth Giuffrida presented their experience to the School Committee Thursday, April 3.

"We went out and collected samples from the beach, sand, moss from rocks, put it under the microscope and looked for hydroorganisms," said Wiksten.

Potter added that the main research of the trip was examining the bacteria that lives inside the human mouth.

"We swabbed our own tounges and looked at what was growing," Potter said.

To examine the bacteria, Potter said the students learned how to use three different kinds of microscopes and event got to take pictures of the inside of their mouths.

"I liked seeing what was growing and it was super cool to see things we would do in a college lab," Potter said. 

An unexpected lesson of the trip was a look into all things butterflies. The students explained Marine Biological Laboratory Director Nipam Patel had thousands of butterflies on display and Samantha Bumpus said the airborne insects caught her attention more than the very little living organisms.

"I learned butterflies look different on each side of their wings," she said. "For one of them, it looks like a dead leaf and camouflages itself."

At the end of the trip, each student gave a presentation about what they had learned and in her work with microorganisms, Potter discovered just how impactful mouthwash can be.

"We found that mouthwash kills most of the bacteria in the mouth including the good bacteria," she said.

For Potter, a senior at Wareham High, she said the experience has helped her shape what she wants to study in college.

"I really loved it and I had never really worked in a lab before and I thought it was super cool," she said. "I would love two work in a lab and do some sort of research."

The students also recommended anyone interested should go on the trip in the future, even if they are not thinking of studying science in the future.

"It was very cool and I had a great time but it's not what I want to study in college," Wiksten said.

Giuffardi added that the trip was made possible by a state grant the center had received to bring high school classes in.