Hands-On Teaching
Teaching Through Hands-On Experiences. UF/IFAS NCBS serves as a coastal and marine field laboratory to support UF classes and workshops.
UF/IFAS NCBS serves as a Research and Education Center supporting UF courses, field training, and workshops in coastal and marine science. Faculty at NCBS are often jointly appointed with departments such as Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES), School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS), and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC), enabling them to teach and train students across multiple UF units.
Located in Cedar Key, Florida, and directly on the Gulf of Mexico, NCBS offers exceptional access to coastal environments and is within 55 miles of UF’s main campus. The UF/IFAS NCBS Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory, a short boat ride away, includes the historic lighthouse, a 26-person dormitory, and fully equipped indoor and outdoor marine labs that support immersive field courses and research experiences.
These facilities support hands-on learning in marine science, coastal ecology, fisheries, estuarine systems, and the social and economic dimensions of coastal change, including climate impacts in Florida. NCBS supports courses in the Marine Science major through both the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), as well as experiential learning opportunities for the College of Veterinary Medicine, UF Health, the UF Law School, and Santa Fe College.
