INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Florida Institute of Technology will launch its first Aquaculture and Marine Biology Summer Camp in June at the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory on the barrier island.
The 5-day camp, which will allow students to work alongside university and industry scientists and design their own marine animal experiment, is geared toward middle school children who will be entering 6th, 7th or 8th grade in the fall.
“The students will work with me and another graduate student from FIT in the mornings then meet scientists from other facilities during the afternoon,” says camp director Nancy Pham. “Campers will learn about the best management practices in working with marine organisms. Once they learn about the biology of the organism, they will then be presented with a question that will help them learn how to ‘think like a scientist’ and develop a personal research project.
“In order to collect data for their research, they will be trained to use a variety of instruments such as microscopes, dissecting kits, and water chemistry kits. A large part of our program will focus on how to statistically analyze data – which is one of the biggest challenges students will face in school science fairs.”
Field trips will take students to a seahorse farm, a shrimp farm, a coral-growing business and the University of Florida’s satellite research facility in Fort Pierce. Sea Turtle biologist Rick Kerren will come to the Vero Lab to talk about sea turtles and take the kids on a turtle walk along the beach.
“This camp will allow us to welcome budding scientists into our facility to learn firsthand what marine biologists do,” says Pham. “What sets us apart from other camps is we are committed to giving students hands-on experience in working with marine organisms by engaging them to design and analyze their own scientific experiment. We hope to open their eyes to the idea that if you love marine biology, you can turn that passion into a fruitful and rewarding career!”
FIT’s Marine Laboratory is situated on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean behind the CVS store on A1A just north of the Vero Beach/Indian River Shores border. Camp will take place from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., June 24-28. Cost is $250 per camper with a 10 percent discount for siblings. The camp fee includes transportation to and from field trips, snacks and camp T-shirt.
For more information, or to enroll, contact Camp Director Nancy Pham at Npham2010@fit.edu
