During Winter Term, 18 Upper Schoolers traded their typical classroom setting for the coral reefs of Florida so that they could dive into the field of Marine Biology. These two weeks of acting as marine biologists were divided into two parts.
First, students and their Upper School Science Teachers, Dr. Christine Pickett and Ms. Stephanie Matteson, started with a week in St. Louis where students worked through a variety of great activities. From shark dissections and ocean trash labs to creating name plates for the organisms in the organism case in STEM and learning about Florida ecosystems, there was so much to explore that laid the foundation for the next part of the course in Florida.
For the second week of the course, students had even more immersive, hands-on learning as they partnered with MarineLab Environmental Education Center in Key Largo, Florida. From January 12-16, they participated in some fascinating learning opportunities that brought the study of Marine Biology to life.
Students created their very own plugs for outplants to help rebuild Florida’s coral reefs. This do-it-yourself (DIY) process, also known as “microfragmentation” or “fragging,” involves cutting pieces of coral and putting them on Ceramic plugs that would be taken back to Mote Marine for eight months of growth. Once they grow more, they can be transplanted to the Coral Reef in the ocean as an outplant, which is then monitored. “Our students made the plugs and collected data in the ocean on outplants that had been planted previously,” Dr. Pickett explains. “They were determining if the plugs were growing as individuals or if they were fusing together with other outplants (what we wanted to find). We also visited a coral nursery, which consisted of coral ‘trees’ that were growing corals on ‘branches.’ This is another method of restoration.”
Simone Glasser ’29 commented on the conservation efforts. “This trip showed me firsthand the effects of human interference in our oceans, and how marine life conservationists are trying to undo the damage that we have done.” The students also participated in a citizen science project in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory where they assessed the coral successfully transplanted back onto the reef.
On Nest Key, students got the chance to use the seine fishing method, where a net with floats on the top and weights on the bottom is deployed in shallow water to catch various marine species. “We caught four baby seahorses plus other fish that were released,” details Dr. Pickett. Additionally, they had a Caribbean reef shark sighting, saw over 20 Caribbean spiny lobsters and a baby Nurse shark in the seagrass and mangrove areas of Rodriguez Key, and dove into five snorkel field trips!
“Taking students to MarineLab is always an amazing adventure because students get to experience marine biology and participate in authentic research in a place known for its beauty, unique species and ecosystems, and restoration processes,” reflects Dr. Pickett. “Students get to learn cutting-edge techniques from professionals in the field and tap into a love that they can’t experience at home in St. Louis.”
Some of the discussion topics throughout the trip included conversations around key habitats, seagrass ecology, coral reef ecology, and field identification of reef fish. They also enjoyed several labs: Cassiopeia Culturing, Invertebrate Diversity, Microplastics, Sponge Spicule, Invertebrate Behavior, and Zooplankton Identification. They even had plankton races!
This trip impacted each of the 18 students in unique ways. Simone has found a deeper comfort level with the all-things ocean. “Before this trip, I was scared of the ocean, boat rides, and the animals that live in the water. After a week at the marine lab, I was no longer afraid of sea creatures, and I was calm on the boat, even when it was a bit bumpy,” she shared. “Also, my favorite thing that I saw on the trip was a pufferfish! It wasn’t puffed up, of course, but it was so cute with its big eyes! Close seconds were a reef shark, nurse shark, sea hair, and seahorses!”