BROWSE EDUCATOR RESOURCES

Join Smithsonian Marine Ecosystem Exhibit marine science educator, Laura La Beur, as she shares facts about the Oculina Reef, a deep-water coral reef habitat off the coast of Florida and introduces the Oculina Ecosystem exhibit at the St. Lucie County Aquarium in Fort Pierce, Florida. A feeding of the exhibit will follow.

Sharks are iconic and misunderstood species with a long evolutionary history. There are over 500 living shark species, all with unique adaptations, that have radiated into nearly every aquatic habitat. There is tremendous diversity in species life histories, reproductive modes, habitat use, sensory biology, ecology and behavior. Sharks are under global threat from human exploitation, primarily for shark fins. Over 30% of shark species are at risk for extinction. Today, research and conservation efforts are targeting effective ways to protect endangered species. Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza will share the story of sharks rise, diversification, and fascinating adaptations. She will discuss her current research on white sharks in the North Atlantic and other aspects of her ongoing conservation projects.

What can historic dock photos reveal about fisheries? The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s new citizen science project, FISHstory, aims to find out. FISHstory (pronounced like history) trains volunteers to identify and count fish in historic dock photos From Daytona Beach, FL from the 1940s-1970s. Data collected will help fishery managers build a more complete picture of these fisheries prior to the beginning of dedicated catch monitoring programs. To gather this data, we’re using the power of the crowd through the online crowdsourcing platform, Zooniverse. The project is completely online, open to all, and includes fish identification training materials for those that aren’t fish ID experts. We need help from citizen scientists like you to unlock the data in these photos! Join EarthEcho International and the South Atlantic Fishery Management staff, Allie Iberle and Julia Byrd, to learn more about FISHstory and how you can get involved in the project!

The FISHstory lesson plan will prepare students so that they can participate in the SAFMC's citizen science project, FISHstory, on the Zooniverse crowdsourcing platform. Students will learn the basics of fish morphology, anatomy, and more! 

FISHstory (pronounced like history) is a citizen science project developed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council's Citizen Science Program. This project trains volunteers to identify and count fish in historic fishing photos from Daytona Beach, FL from the 1940s-1970s. Data collected will help fisheries managers paint a clearer picture of the fishery prior to dedicated catch monitoring programs. This Field Guide will help you learn the basics of fish identification and start the project on Zooniverse.org

Protecting the health of our aquatic ecosystems and access to clean water is one of the greatest global challenges of our time. As Matt Damon said in the film Brave Blue World, “How lucky are we that we’re the ones who get to solve this?” Join Philippe Cousteau and EarthEcho International as we host a speaker panel of innovators and change-makers to engage with students across the world as we explore solutions to the global water crisis and connect youth to their local bodies of water through the EarthEcho Water Challenge. This event will be moderated by EarthEcho Water Challenge Ambassador Ivanya Johnson.

When we turn on the tap, we often don’t give much thought to where our water comes from and where it goes after we use it. A vast array of engineers, chemists, technicians, and those in the skilled trades work behind the scenes to keep our water use cycle humming along. Join us as we partner with Xylem to explore the ways in which water industry professionals solve global water issues through innovation and collaboration. This panel will be moderated by EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council member Armon Alex.

Whether we are swimming, fishing, or paddling in it, using it for our drinking water source or to grow our food, or simply walking the beach and watching the wildlife that relies on it, we all have a deep connection to the water in our community and a responsibility to protect it. Join us as we investigate water quality testing and why monitoring the health of your local waterway is important. This event will be co-hosted by a Xylem Watermark Champion and EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council member Domingo Cortinez.

Join EarthEcho International for a STEM-tastic conversation about environmental forensics and ecology with Dr. Tiara Moore, Environmental Ecologist and Postdoctoral Scholar at The Nature Conservancy in Seattle, WA. Dr. Moore is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy using soil eDNA to develop a biodiversity census of Ellsworth Forest to compare species diversity across management treatments over the past 10 years.Inside and outside of the lab, Dr. Moore hopes her research in biodiversity will translate to increasing the overall diversity in science. She dedicates her time to mentoring minority women in the lab and in afterschool programs. Founder of A WOC SPACE, Dr. Moore aspires to make a safe and inclusive workplace for all women of color (WOC) through WOCShops and individual personal trainings. To round things off Dr. Moore combines her experiences as a WOC Scientist with her upbeat personality in her Academic Standup Shows, both communicating science and the struggles of being a minority in STEM.

Join EarthEcho International for a STEM-tastic conversation about agricultural engineering and postharvest science with Ratna Suthar, Postharvest Scientist and PhD Student at University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. Ratna was born and raised in New Jersey. Growing up she had a love for learning the science behind everyday things including food and medicine. She was studying chemistry as an undergrad at University of South Florida where she got involved in research on food quality and shelf life of fresh produce. According to FAO, by the year 2050 our population is going to reach 9 billion, and we will have to increase food availability to meet the demand. One way is to increase food production but another way by is reducing the amount of food loss/waste. The problem of food loss/waste has only been exacerbated due to COVID. It is imperative that we continue developing technologies to protect our food from going to waste.