Dana Hills High School - Marine Ecology Program

Marine Ecology Program

One of Dana Hills' most notable science courses is the Marine Ecology program, offered only to those in the 12th grade. The course offers a full year of Marine Science covering both the physical and biological sciences of the ocean and how they work together to form a working Ecosystem. One of the most well known traditions of the class is the annual Baja field study. In this field study, students, parents, teachers, and past alumni of the class travel down to Baja, California for a week, usually in May. The purpose of this field study is to apply what the students have learned that year in the class and see it in its natural environment, outside of a conventional laboratory setting. The Baja field study is unique only to that of Dana Hills, and essentially offered nowhere else in the United States. Originally under the direction of Philip Grignon at San Clemente High school, the program moved to Dana Hills when the school was opened in 1973 under Jim Klein. When Klein left to Idaho in 1979, the class was taught by Mike Gaskins, who was succeeded by Marv Sherrill in 1991. In 2004 Sherril retired and handed the reins to Randy Hudson, who continues to teach the class today.