SNORKELING, SUN AND SCIENCE

KEY LARGO M ARINE L AB

Sycamore teacher David Schuth wades into the waters with students at MarineLab

It is quite the undertaking: travel with nearly 50 middle schoolers on two separate trips to Florida to a marine lab. Help them study underwater life. Make sure they get enough to eat and sleep. Do it all 1,000 miles from home and for the first time in two years because of COVID.

Sycamore science teacher Brad Lowell did just that in December, 2021, leading staff and parent volunteers as they took two groups of students from 6th and 7th Grade in two separate weeks. The winter trip was a welcome break from the Indiana weather and also served as an important part of the

Sycamore curriculum. Students arrive at the coastal campus in Key Largo to learn about and explored the seagrass, mangrove, and coral reef habitats with mask, fins, and snorkel.

The MarineLab core curriculum focuses on ecology and incorporates two hands-on labs. Each snorkel trip is preceded by a discussion (either in the classroom or on the boat) about the habitat and what type of animal life the students can be on the lookout for during their snorkel. The students snorkel each habitat to observe firsthand what they learned during the discussion. “MarineLab’s curriculum aligns perfectly with Sycamore’s Oceanography and Marine Biology unit,” Lowell says, talking about the benefits of the program and trip. “In Florida, students take part in labs, field work, and snorkeling excursions and begin to better appreciate the importance of protecting our oceans and wetlands.” This trip is part of Sycamore’s commitment to ensure students learn through experience. “That is a thread that runs through all grades at Sycamore, beginning with Preschool,” says Anna Freije, Sycamore Science and Event Coordinator. “Building these opportunities into Sycamore’s curriculum, and allowing the trips each year to grow as the students grow helps our students to appreciate the value of getting out into the world and experiencing it first-hand. The MarineLab trip has the ability to stretch our students as they try out activities that may be new to them and experience environments that they may have never been in before. Sycamore’s commitment to experiential learning is one of the many things that makes this school so wonderful,” Freije says. Learning about marine animals, marine biology, mollusks, etc. made me not only enjoy the trip but I was amazed by it. Swimming through the aquamarine-colored tides knowing what type of coral it was or how these fish in the depths of saltwater stay hydrated with fresh water fascinated me. Seeing a fish’s habitat and its routine is amazing.”

LAILA GHONEIM

SYCAMORE 6TH GRADER

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7th Graders Annalisa Schuth and Riva Jain do a “rock shake” to see what they creatures they can uncover. MarineLab sits on Largo Sound in Key Largo, Florida, one hour south of Miami. Their main building houses dorm rooms and labs for the MarineLab education program, offices, restrooms, maintenance shop and gift shop. In addition, they have a cafeteria and a floating conference center containing two classrooms with internet access. MarineLab is the education arm of Marine Resources Development Foundation (MRDF), founded in 1970 in the US Virgin Islands. After years of conducting research and developing underwater research stations and the technology for living and working in the sea, MRDF’s founder Ian Koblick expanded MRDF’s activities to include education. In 1984, the MarineLab Undersea Classroom was put in the turning basin of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The first snorkeling MarineLab program was offered in 1985. In 1986, Art Mitchell, a former Palm Beach County science teacher, took over the MarineLab program and created the curriculum and the programs that built attendance over the course of five years from a few hundred to a few thousand students per year. Art retired in 2007. Education Director Sarah Egner now works to adapt to numerous regulatory changes and keep the curriculum up to date with the most current scientific research. After many years at a different facility— the Sea Camp at Key West—Lowell says they needed to explore other options. “Through no fault of their own, Sea Camp had experienced quite a bit of damage from the hammerings of several hurricanes,” he says. “Their boats were washed away, preventing any trips to the reef or sites away from the camp. Their cafeteria and primary housing facility were destroyed.” “My favorite dives while on the trip are absolutely at the reef,” Lowell says. “Weather permitting, we visit many different reef sites. Every trip to the reef is exciting. You never know what you’ll encounter: sea turtles, lion fish, barracuda, parrot fish, or even this year, a 12’ hammerhead shark. The reef is a great place for students to see first-hand the interconnectedness of species.” Several reef stops also show the negative impacts of human interaction and of a changing climate. The location provides access to both the coral reefs of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Florida Bay in Everglades National Park. Participants do not need to know how to snorkel or how to swim well prior to their visit. The staff carefully orient each student to the water and to the use of snorkeling equipment in every MarineLab program. At the lab, safety is a priority. The first thing instructors do with any student group is to administer a swim test to find the student’s comfort level in the water; there is no required time limit or stroke to swim the 100 feet. If a student appears uncomfortable at all, instructors pay special attention to that student while in the water. Non-swimming students are provided with extra buoyancy and extra supervision. MarineLab works with unsure swimmers, through patience and care, to become reasonably confident snorkelers After their “swim test,” students are shown the proper technique for fitting and using their snorkel gear. They are instructed to use the “HHH” snorkeling position: head, hips, and heels at the waterline to avoid touching the coral.

“I love spending this time with the kids away from the building, away from their homes, and away from the distractions of their electronics,” Lowell says. “I wish I could be on every boat and experience every ‘wow’ moment with them. Observing their personal growth is my favorite part of the trip. You take a boat full of kids three miles away from shore in a perfectly functioning boat and tell them to jump out not knowing what they may encounter.

Shani Momodu examines a sea urchin during an offshore lab excursion.

I enjoy seeing their curiosity and sense of adventure grow with each trip straying further and further away, and snorkeling deeper and deeper from the comfort of the boat.” In the mangroves, students get to interact with the ocean’s nursery. They find all sorts of juvenile species along with an occasional surprise visitor like a manatee or dolphin. On one of the outings, students visit Nest Key where they participate in seine net fishing. By working together they can collect a number of key indicator species. Absence of certain species might indicate a problem within the ecosystem. This is also a great activity to get a first hand look at sea horses and crabs. Venturing further inland, students get to “enjoy” the smell and feel of sulfur rich plant decay in knee-deep mud. “My favorite part was definitely Nest Key,” 6th Grader Bea Hyatt says. “From hiking on the white muddy banks to catching huge crabs and sea horses, it was by far my favorite part.” “The trip to MarineLab helped me understand more about our reading because I could actually see the things we were learning about,” 6th Grader Sawyer Jackson says. “We got to see how starfish digest their prey, how the leaves of black mangroves are salty, got to sift through the sands on Nest Key to find shells and snap pictures of the manatee in the lagoon.” “This trip really solidifies what we discuss in class,” says Lowell. “More importantly it is a great bonding experience away from home with their classmates.” •

Seventh Graders investigate their underwater finds.

WHAT DO SYCAMORE STUDENTS STUDY?

CORAL REEF

The coral reef ecology program is a part of MarineLab’s core curriculum. Corals are the key component to the Florida Keys’ marine ecosystem. Students discuss coral reef ecology with a MarineLab instructor before boarding the boats to snorkel the coral reefs off of Key Largo.

MANGROVE Mangrove forests make up the majority of the natural coastal habitat in the Florida Keys and provide a variety of ecosystem services. With an understanding of how to properly snorkel in the shallow Florida Bay waters and of what animals to be looking for, students join a MarineLab instructor to snorkel amongst the mangrove roots. The instructor collects samples of representative animals that he or she brings back to the boat for observation and discussion.

SEAGRASS The Seagrass Ecology program is a part of MarineLab’s core curriculum. Seagrass beds make up the largest benthic habitat in the waters surrounding the Florida Keys. The seagrasses provide a vital habitat and are a key component to the overall Florida Keys marine ecosystem. Knowing what to look for is key to spotting the seagrass critters. The students have a classroom discussion before snorkeling so that they can fully enjoy and appreciate the unique seagrass beds. During the snorkel, a MarineLab instructor is in the water to assist snorkelers, point out underwater life and collect seagrass and algae samples for students to see once back on the boat.