K-12 Field-Based Learning
Register your K-12 group for immersion in field lab experiences that use sound science to explore and explain watersheds, estuarine and marine ecology, and the organisms that call the Nature Coast home.
Our Motto is Conservation through Education
You can view the K-12 price list here. The exact cost per program is dependent on the number of program participants and specific program parameters. That cost will be communicated when requesting to register for a program. To initiate the booking process, please complete a request form.
- Available 4 days per month, Monday-Friday, UF Holidays excluded
- First come, first serve
- Cost per program is dependent on the number of program participants and type of experience
- Weather and tide dependent
- Lunch not provided
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K-3 Education
Marine Food Web Activity
From phytoplankton to sharks, all organisms need energy! Students will participate in an activity that depicts the Trophic Level Pyramid and discuss how energy is transferred from producers to consumers through the food web.
Habitat Scavenger Hunt
Students will be given a list of items to find on the beach in Cedar Key. A few of these items range from shells, feathers, and animal tracks, to “something they’ve never seen before.” Students will be encouraged to discuss what species they believe these items belong to. They are also required to find a piece of human-made trash to bring back to throw away properly.
Discovery Center Tour
The Discovery Center is located on the ground floor of the NCBS facility. A public education center that houses local fish and turtle species, an array of interactive exhibits about Shellfish Aquaculture, and the importance of the Suwannee River Watershed.
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4-12 Education
NCBS Experience
The NCBS experience occurs at the UF IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station at 552 1st St., Cedar Key, FL. To customize your trip, please choose three of the field activities below (trawl NOT included for this option):
Discovery Center
The Discovery Center is located on the ground floor of the NCBS facility. A public education center that houses local fish and turtle species, an array of interactive exhibits about Shellfish Aquaculture, and the importance of the Suwannee River Watershed.
Scavenger Hunt
Ideal for grades 4-8th. Students will be given a list of items to find on the beach in Cedar Key. A few of these items range from shells, feathers, and animal tracks, to “something they’ve never seen before.” Students will be encouraged to discuss what species they believe these items belong to. They are also required to find a piece of human-made trash to bring back to throw away properly.
Seining Seagrass
Hands-on, feet wet! Students will walk to Cedar Key City Beach during this field lab to learn the importance of seagrass ecosystems. Students wade in the water along the beach using a long net to examine and identify marine organisms and discuss their structural features. The relationships among water quality, habitat, species diversity, and ecosystem health underlie this module. Proper footwear required!
Fish Dissection
Students will dissect a fish with a Biologist! Our staff will work side-by-side with the children introducing them to the biology of a fish, showing them the location of vital organs and their functions. Students will practice their skills by pulling Otoliths and discussing how to read the “Annuli” to tell the age of the fish.
Shoreline Resiliency
Ideal for grades 4-8th. In this activity, students will use a model to construct an unprotected sandy shoreline and make inferences about how it will be affected by a storm surge. Students will then construct a protected shoreline using natural items like seagrass and oysters. They will use the model to compare how different alterations can effectively combat wave action and why some solutions are better for the ecosystem than others.
Water Quality Monitoring – Beach Data Collection
Students will be given a variety of scientific equipment to collect biotic and abiotic data at the beach. Through observations and water samples we will determine and discuss parameters incluing: Turbidity, pH, Salinity, Temperature, and Dissolved Oxygen. Students will then collect an independent sample to study closer in the lab under a microscope.
NCBS Experience with Trawl
To customize your trip, please choose two of the field activities (trawl included for this option if chosen):
Trawling
During this field lab, students will collect marine animals and learn about seagrass beds. Through short trawls on the boat sampling seagrass habitat, marine specimens are collected. Students closely examine and identify representative organisms. The relationships among water quality, habitat, species diversity and ecosystem health underlie this module. Remember to study an animal’s features and you will learn how they interact with their surroundings.
Seahorse Key Experience with Trawl
The Seahorse Key experience takes place at an island adjacent to Cedar Key, FL (15-20 minutes by boat). To customize your trip, please choose two of the field activities (trawl included for this option if chosen).
