During Winter Term, several of our MICDS Upper School students opted for sunnier days as they traveled to Key Largo, Florida for the Marine Biology trip. Eighteen Rams, along with Upper School Science Teachers Christine Pickett and Stephanie Matteson, spent the second week of Winter Term at the MarineLab Environmental Education Center where they explored seagrass, mangrove, and coral reef habitats. “I was interested in this trip because I want to have a career in Marine Biology or Oceanology,” shared Piper Summers ’28. “The ocean and marine life has always been a huge interest of mine and getting a close and personal experience was an amazing opportunity for me.” What fun all the students had diving their interests in marine biology and snorkeling into the Key Largo waters!
While on their trip from January 13 to 17, the group of 20 Rams conducted several labs. At MarineLab Center, students performed a sponge spicule lab, an invertebrate diversity lab, a water quality lab, and a microplastics lab. Through their hands-on research, these budding marine biologists investigated information and collected real data. Additionally, they conducted the water quality lab at several of the snorkeling sites and took microplastics and marine debris Citizen Science surveys at snorkel sites. “After learning about coral reef, seagrass bed, and mangrove forest ecosystems in classes, the numerous snorkeling field trips helped the Upper Schoolers directly experience and understand those ecosystems,” explains Dr. Pickett.
Students went to three coral reef ecosystems on snorkel trips at The Elbow, Grecian Rocks, and Christ of the Abyss. Additionally, they went to an area called Adult Swim/Kiddie Pool right off of the highway to search for and remove marine debris. They also went to two other keys, Nest Key and Rodriguez Key, to learn about marine invertebrates and fish species.
Overall, the trip made a big impact on student learning. Ms. Matteson shared, “This trip was a transformative experience, immersing students in all aspects of marine life the Florida Keys offer.” Dr. Pickett agreed. “This was an amazing experience where students got the opportunity to conduct authentic, hands-on science research about a topic they don’t have the chance to engage in while in normal STEM classrooms in Missouri.”
Students also relayed how this trip inspired them and immersed them in the world of marine biology. Piper detailed, “Our classes and lessons were hands-on activities with marine life. We learned about different fish, coral, sponge, and plankton species. We also learned about huge environmental problems in the ocean like microplastic and global warming. The experience felt like a day in the life of a real marine biologist with water testing and dissections! My favorite part of the trip was snorkeling two times a day, every day. We got to swim with the animals we learned about and see sharks, manatees, dolphins, sea turtles, and more!”
“From a very young age, I was interested in a career that involved working with animals, but I had never considered exploring the field of marine biology,” explained Zoe Dickherber ’26. “When I heard about this trip during assembly last year, it caught my attention as it seemed like a really unique experience. The trip itself provided me with a ton of knowledge surrounding marine ecosystems and organisms such as mangroves, seagrass, and a variety of fish. On the final night, we even got to design our own plankton! This trip gave me the opportunity to expand my knowledge while simultaneously creating friendships with my peers, and for that I am very grateful. For anyone interested in marine biology or just biology in general, I would highly recommend this trip!”
Water these students going to research and discover next? We can’t wait to sea what’s aboard for their futures to dive into, possibly as marine biologists!