A Week at Mote SEA

Taking a group of high schoolers on a field trip is always a bit of a gamble. You never quite know what’s going to land, what’s going to get eye rolls, or what’s going to spark that lightning bolt of curiosity you’ve been chasing all semester. Mote SEA? There were almost zero eye rolls. And …

From Source to Sea: Bringing Students onto the Bay

Thanks to the support of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program Mini Grant, our students had the opportunity to step beyond the classroom and into the field aboard the research vessel R.V. Hogarth. This experience transformed abstract concepts into real-world science, giving students direct exposure to the tools, techniques, and professionals working to understand and protect Tampa …

Emerson Point Collecting Trip 2025

This week we returned to one of our favorite field sites — Emerson Point Preserve — with a new group of curious student scientists, a new location (The Point!!), and several awesome stations planned! After months of in the classroom labs and activities, we were so excited to explore a real estuary and get our feet wet! This place …

Mote SEA! A Sneak Peek for Teachers

As an educator who’s passionate about bringing real-world science into the classroom, I was thrilled to attend the recent teacher preview event at the brand-new Mote Science Education Aquarium (aka Mote SEA). This impressive facility, built by the renowned marine research outfit Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, opens a fresh chapter in marine science education for Florida—and I’m …

Happy Shark Awareness Day!

Are you aware of sharks? From tiny little sharks that only grow up to 4 feet like the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo).. To the calm, lazy, nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) that lay under rock overhangs, who sit and relax, even when we dive up close… To the sharkiest looking sharks the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) …

Shark Tagging Lab 2025 Edition

Four years of running this lab at the Oceanography Camp for Girls and another three running it for the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station, this shark tagging lab just keeps getting better!

World Ocean Day 2025!

While every day is World Ocean Day when you’re neck deep in marine science education on a daily basis, it’s still an exciting day to get others to celebrate, appreciate, and protect their local waterways and ocean regions!

Earth Day Every Day in a Marine Science Classroom

At Sharky Shenanigans, we believe Earth Day isn’t just a one-day party — it’s a year-long adventure! In a high school marine science classroom, every day can be Earth Day when we mix mindfulness, action, and a little salty sea spirit. Here’s how we’re making waves for the planet — with a special shoutout to …