Environment : Notes about your surroundings.

DEEP SEA EXPLORING: The Orange County Marine Institute in Dana Point has borrowed the research vessel Seawatch from USC for July and August, and will be taking passengers out to the deeper regions of the Continental Shelf for a new floating lab program.

Marine life found on the soft ocean bottom differs from that found in shallow water, according to Tom Moylan, the institute’s floating lab director.

Passengers and crew on the Seawatch will be joined by four instructors from the institute, all of whom hold marine science degrees. The instructors will set up stations where passengers can examine the water’s chemistry, touch sea life, view microscopic plankton and dissect fish, all collected during the excursion.

The floating lab deep-sea expeditions begin July 8, and will be held Friday evenings (5:30-8:30 p.m.) and Saturdays through Aug. 27. Each three-hour session is $18 per adult and $9 per child under 12. The trip is not recommended for children under 7. For information, call (714) 496-2274.