For more than 30 years, a high school marine science program has been making waves in the landlocked middle of Iowa, more than 1,200 miles from the nearest ocean.
Hundreds of students took the program in the Des Moines area. The program is designed to introduce students to potential careers in aquarium science, marine biology, and related fields by using more than 150 different aquariums ranging in size from 2 gallons to 2,400 gallons. Masu. The aquarium is home to about 150 different species, including coral reefs, clownfish, rays, and octopuses. All of these are managed and maintained almost exclusively by students who have earned college course credit and, in some cases, scuba diving certifications. work.
“It’s definitely a unique experience,” said Gregory Barod, one of the program’s instructors.
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This is a particularly noteworthy program, especially given its location, as school districts grapple with increasing pressure to prepare students for both college and employment, and provide meaningful experiences along the way. be. Students say they want more education aimed at preparing them for potential careers, learning about job possibilities they didn’t know about and helping them plan for after high school.
However, such specialized programs can be difficult to achieve, especially when coupled with teacher shortages such as specialized subjects and career preparation tracks. In fact, a recent EdWeek Research Center survey found that 28% of school and district leaders say marine science is a STEM specialty that they would like to teach, but doubt they would be able to find teachers to do it. The answer is that it cannot be saved. Marine science ranked third after cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
The Des Moines school system stumbled upon Barod. A fortunate connection was made at a conference 10 years ago. Barlord was a graduate student at the time, but he is now an established marine biologist by trade, discovering new species of aquatic animals and spending his summers conducting research throughout the Pacific Ocean.
But from August through May, he will work with Des Moines students in hopes of ushering in the next generation of marine biologists. At the very least, it inspires curiosity and appreciation for the ocean and its creatures.
“I’ve always wanted to involve students this age in research, because growing up I hated science and research,” Baroud said. “But that’s definitely changed. We want to show kids that it can be fun and that it can be an option for them too.”
Students who participate are interested in related careers or are simply interested in
The program has come a long way over the past 30 years. As you can imagine, it started with some fish tanks on my bookshelf. An entire district facility is now dedicated to this program. Instead of manually mixing salt and water in a bucket to maintain the proper level in the tank, all the student administrator has to do is open a valve connected to the tank and automatically Just fill it with salt water to the correct level. On average, about 150 students per year participate in the program, which is divided into two year courses: Marine Biology and Aquarium Science.
“Students aren’t necessarily all interested in a career in that field. They might be interested only in the ocean, or they might just be taking other classes,” Baroud said. said. “So backgrounds, skill levels, interests range from no to ‘I want to be a marine biologist for a career.'”
And those interest levels can change over time.
Senior Addison Stone originally wanted to study psychology in college, but after three years in the program, her perspective completely changed. She became so enthusiastic that she volunteered at the lab during summers and vacations, and convinced her parents to let her have a (much smaller) aquarium at home.
She is currently studying marine biology at university and hopes to pursue a career in this field.
“The more time I spent in the lab, the more time I had to work and learn everything, and I realized I couldn’t do anything else,” Stone said. “I’m not really sure where I’m going with this yet, but I know I want to stay in the marine biology community.”
Every day in the Marine Science Program is full of opportunities.
No two days are the same in the Aquarium Science Program. This is because students will be working with live animals that may be sick, dead, or require special care. For example, one summer day in late August, a summer intern arrived for a four-hour shift and found two dead fish, Baroud said.
The group noticed the parasite infestation a few days ago and had to make special observations and monitor all the other fish in the tank to make sure it didn’t get out of hand. They also had to take special care to wash their hands regularly and avoid cross-contamination with other tanks when preparing meals and performing other daily care.
If a fish becomes sick, local volunteer veterinarians come to examine and treat the fish, with the students also participating.
When not caring for animals, some students conduct research, which in some cases may be published in academic journals.
“It’s pretty unusual for them to graduate from high school with their records in print, but it’s a good opportunity for them,” Barlord said.
Third-year student Vianne Stroup-West recently completed one of those research projects. She conditioned the lionfish to move to a “target” in the tank to get food. The goal was to be in a small bucket, and the goal was to make being in the bucket less stressful for the fish. This is important if you need to hold a bucket inside a tank while staff clean it or transport it to another location.
“My favorite part is the projects I work on because it allows me to make a difference to fish,” Stroup-West said. “The less stress a lionfish has, the safer its activities will be.”
Students gain practical experience on annual expeditions
Baroud and his class regularly invite experts in the field to give talks and teaching sessions, either in person or via Zoom.
But the highlight event is the annual “Field Studies Expedition,” a week-long trip to real ocean locations like Texas and Florida where students get hands-on experience with researchers and other professionals. pile up The 30 to 40 students attend seminars, visit universities and laboratories, and work with conservation organizations to care for and learn about local species.
In April, the group will travel to Fiji, the program’s first overseas trip.
“It’s hard to really explain the value of field research expeditions, but just being able to make those connections really means a lot to these kids,” Baroud said.
