Cool Projects U.S. Gulf States - Florida
Assessing Water Quality in Local Estuarine Tributaries of Pensacola Bay
Contact: Rick O’Connor
Students at the Marine Science Academy(Escambia County School District) in their second year marine science course will be measuring water quality in their local Bayou Texar. As part of their project they will download data into a GIS program producing "contour maps" and analyze them for areas of high concentrations of nutrients. These areas will be assessed by the students and if possible, suggestions for methods of reduction will be made. Students will learn how to use field and lab technology, interpret science data from such technology, and be better prepared for higher level science education courses or careers in the field.Coastal Crusaders: Conserving Native Florida
Contact: Christine Callahan
A pilot environmental education program that focuses on total ecosystem conservation to serve Anna Maria Elementary School. The school sits directly on Tampa Bay, an Outstanding Florida Water body, and is only 2 blocks from the Gulf of Mexico. The program consists of 36 hands-on lessons for grades K-5, featuring "expert days" with scientific discovery at water's edge. Planned curriculum to study and develop ecosystem habitats includes: pollinators, indigenous vegetation, watershed best practices, artificial reefs, and watercolor nature journaling. Conservation through Education at the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station
Contact: Charlene Mauro, Science Department Chair, Navarre High School
Santa Rosa County School District is starting an exciting new project where students host Ocean Awareness Festivals at the new Navarre Beach Marine Science Station. High school students enrolled in the Marine Biology & Oceanography program are passing on their knowledge to elementary school students in a fun, festival environment.Read More...
Gulf Alliance Educator Public Outreach Campaign
Contact: Bridget Washburn
Communities throughout the five Gulf of Mexico States and beyond make decisions and take actions that will ultimately affect the ecological health of the Gulf. To promote positive stewardship of this shared regional resource, the Gulf Alliance Educators work to activate local communities by increasing awareness of the Gulf of Mexico and thus the desire to enhance and protect it. Other goals of this project include partnering with the media to promote public awareness about the Gulf and collaborating with Priority Issue Teams to meet Alliance educational objectives and identify public awareness messages.Read More...
Island Adventures Pilot Project
Contact: William Payne
The Island Adventures Pilot Project is a field trip based, marine/environmental science program focusing on barrier island ecology and estuary conservation. It is designed to enhance stewardship of the coastal ecosystems along the Florida Gulf Coast. A series of outdoor field based activities and a coastal clean-up help participants' gain better understanding of the ecological and economic importance of coastal habitats, why they are significant, relevant human-induced threats and future conservation measures needed.Read More...
LIFE: Learning in Florida's Environment
Contact: Greg Ira
The LIFE program makes it a priority for Florida students to learn about their environment through personal interaction in nature. Pairing local Florida schools with the Department of Environmental Protection, the LIFE program sets up field-based environmental science programs for teachers to engage their students directly with nature. This program can be a great step in preparing students to become the world's future scientists and stewards through experiential learning.Read More...
Pilot Summer Program: Gulf of Mexico Stewardship & Conservation
Contact: Katherine Milla
Florida A&M University Center for Water and Air Quality's new program gives teachers a variety of first-hand opportunities through the use of GPS, water quality analysis techniques, field trips to coastal sites and much more. The program is for middle and high school teachers to incorporate an understanding and appreciation of Gulf coastal resource issues into their teaching curricula.Read More...
Teens teaching Tweens about the Coast
Contact: Debbi Stone
Through service learning, teens will be empowered to teach about community resiliency and climate change. The Florida Aquarium will train students, engage them in service learning, and have them develop an educational video. The purpose of this project is to promote stewardship of the Gulf region, using community resiliency as the focus, to develop environmentally literate students that actively strive for a healthy Gulf.Read More...
If you would like to submit something for posting to one of these pages, please email goma@disl.org with 'submittal' in the email title.
