Last month, REEF’s Explorers Education Program had the pleasure of working with two collegiate groups in Key Largo, Florida. Each group of students spent one fun-filled week working alongside REEF staff and interns to learn about TWA (Tropical Western Atlantic) fish identification and the REEF survey method. The first group was nine students from Georgia State University, accompanied by their professor, Dr. Amy Reber. This weeklong education program has become an annual component of Georgia State's marine ecology course. The group conducted all of their field work while snorkeling, and remained dedicated even in rough ocean conditions.
The other visiting group consisted of 12 divers from Eckerd College, who opted to spend their spring break volunteering with REEF to fulfill a community service graduation requirement. These relatively new divers did a fantastic job becoming engaged in citizen science, and Eckerd College is already planning another educational REEF program for 2019.
REEF organizes custom programs for college groups, with topics including fish identification and surveying, invasive species, and marine ecology lessons. Contact us at explorers@REEF.org for more information.