Christmas in Cortez Festival 2025

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, …

Bringing the Arts into the Science Classroom: Allowing students creative freedoms to build their understanding of big picture concepts in marine science

Marine science isn’t just about data charts and dissections—it’s also about expression, innovation, and using what makes you you to make a difference. That’s exactly what happens every year at the end of my marine science class, my students were challenged to bring their individual talents into the world of ocean advocacy. Through an extra …

Scientific Papers for High Schoolers 101

Let’s be honest: even adult scientists groan a little when they see a long, data-heavy research paper. So how do we get high school students not just to read scientific literature, but actually enjoy it—and better yet, write it?

Literature in Marine Science: Celebrating Literacy Week in the Marine Science Classroom

This year’s Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! encouraged educators to build literacy across subjects, and in our high school marine science classroom, we dove headfirst into one of the most iconic ocean-inspired novels of all time: Jaws by Peter Benchley. But instead of focusing on fear, we used this story as a launchpad for science, media literacy, and creative expression. …