Catalina Island School Field Trip

Last year I started a Marine Biology club during lunch at Lincoln Middle. During our first hands - on activity, a squid dissection, I had 60 students show up. Students were engaged, passionate and craving to know more about the ocean around them. Then as luck would have it, and with an overwhelmingly supportive administration, the first Marine Biology course was born. This first class has as much curiosity and enthusiasm as their club predecessors. They are a diverse group, coming from different cultural and economic backgrounds, but with one common interest- the sea. So it is with this hope we can raise enough donations that every student can experience the ocean realm and truly become mesmerized and understand how important it is. Through the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California we will embark on our journey to Two Harbors, Catalina Island at the end of March (hopefully). Our young Marine Biologists will study bathymetry, mapping, and GPS during the crossing aboard the R/V Fury. Investigate mud flat communities, plant adaptations, and geological formations on the island. Examine kelp forest ecology while snorkeling near the Wrigley Marine Science Center. Participate in bioluminescence plankton labs, mackerel and squid dissections, and catch and release fishing. In addition to, spending the night on an anchored boat. This experiential learning adventure has the potential to inspire our future ocean stewards of the world!