Mid-July. I’m in the middle of a billion summer camps and writing my research proposal for my dissertation. I find out that I’m moving classrooms…..Maybe… I could either suck it up and start the move now, or, wait until literally the first week of school. Uh, no. I’ll just move I guess. Five years. Five …
A week inside COASTWISE 2026 — where students built real instruments, collected real data, and asked real questions about the coastline they call home. On a Monday morning in late July, sixteen students filed into Building 25a at State College of Florida in Bradenton and sat down in front of tables scattered with small cardboard …
If you’ve spent any time looking for ocean-themed lessons online, you already know the problem. On one end, you find beautiful, cartoon-bright resources that mention sharks and coral reefs but don’t actually teach students how scientists work. On the other end, you find real science — actual research papers, tagging datasets, taxonomic keys — that …
Every summer, Oceanography Camp for Girls (OCG) brings together dozens of young women for three intensive weeks of hands-on marine science at the University of South Florida. This year I once again had the privilege of serving as a science mentor across all three weeks — seining in the field, leading lab rotations, running ecosystem …
This World Oceans Day, I had the privilege to once again join Manatee County Natural Resources for a community celebration that brought together nearly 500 people who care about our local waterways. The energy was contagious! Families, kids, curious adults, and fellow ocean advocates all gathered in one place to learn, connect, and celebrate the …
One of my favorite things about teaching marine science is watching students find their own voice when it comes to ocean advocacy. This past unit, I offered an extra credit opportunity for students to express what they’d learned through art and the results genuinely blew me away! From paintings to sculptures to digital illustrations, these …
What does it look like when a high school student steps into the shoes of a marine conservationist? This spring, my Honors Marine Science students found out — and the results were nothing short of remarkable. Every year I look for a project that pushes students beyond memorizing vocabulary and into genuine scientific thinking. This …
Read more “When Students Become Scientists: Conservation in the Classroom”
There’s something so magical about getting up in the morning and knowing you’re going to do something fun, educational, and good for the planet. This weekend the Marine Science Club and I went out to Robinson Preserve to go paddle, sight see, and clean up the mangroves! For this wonderful adventure, we went to Robinson …
Christmas time means lots of things to different people, but to us it means it’s FISHMAS! And this year we celebrated in style at the Christmas in Cortez Festival put on by our friends at the Florida Maritime Museum! Set in the heart of historic Cortez the festival was full of Christmas cheer, local agencies, …
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 …