Sixth graders explore marine life in annual trip

OCEAN OVERVIEW: The sixth graders listen to a talk about mangroves from an instructor at Marine Lab. “I loved Marine Lab because I learned about a lot of wildlife that I had never learned that much about before,” said Luiza Algranti, one of the students on the boat. (Courtesy Natalia Zurcher)

At the end of October, sixth graders attended the annual sixth grade weeklong trip to Marine Lab. Marine Lab includes two day trips to Deering Bay and a three-day, two-night trip to Key Largo.

This trip is designed to teach students about ocean conservation through education, research, and collaboration.They also study and research features of some of South Florida’s wildlife. During this trip the students concentrate on exploring, and each part of the trip connects to a core subject.

“Through experiential learning, students will be able to put into practice what they learn in the classroom to identify the main biological and physical features of South Florida’s diverse environment, develop problem-solving skills through hands-on fieldwork and foster an appreciation for South Florida’s unique and vulnerable environment,” said science teacher and sixth grade lead Natalia Zurcher, who organizes the trip.

At Deering Bay, students experience an animal encounter, hike in natural areas, participate in a tour of the historic home on the property, and conduct a butterfly survey.

On day three, the group makes the hour drive down to Key Largo. Once they arrive,s students must complete a swim test before they get in the water. The program at Marine Lab includes lessons about seagrass, mangrove, and coral reef ecology.

LIVELY LEAVES: Sixth graders Cree Matheson and Luiza Algranti look at leaves that they found to tell them more about Florida’s wildlife. “I loved going on this trip because I was with my friends and I got to see so many cool animals,” Matheson said. (Courtesy Natalia Zurcher)

“My favorite part of this trip was seeing the reefs up close,” sixth grader Cree Matheson said.

In the Keys, students also participate in labs of various topics: fish identification, zooplankton, and invertebrate diversity. They spend most of the time in the waters getting a firsthand look at the marine ecosystem.

“The water was cold, but it was so fun to see marine life in person,” sixth grader Mia Armando said.