Classroom Visit with Belen Jesuit MS Fishing Club

Overview

On the afternoon of December 12th, 2024, The International SeaKeepers Society led a classroom visit with twenty-five middle school students of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School’s Fishing Club in Miami, Florida. Our Community Engagement Associate, Lillian, and our Educational Outreach Associate, Jack, led an interactive discussion and presentation centered on trophic ecology with particular focus on apex predators and their roles in various marine ecosystems as well as fisheries dynamics. The students asked some great questions, and we had no problem getting a great deal of engagement in answering some tough environmental science challenges. We participated in and led a seminar where students were encouraged to share their knowledge, thoughts, and questions on why apex predators, keystone species, indicator species, and even invasive species cause increased direct and indirect effects on their ecosystems. Our students proved to be natural scientists, asking amazing questions and showing some real expertise on some advanced trophic ecology concepts, as well as taking particular interest in imagining what would happen to systems where apex predator population dynamics fluctuated. These students were all members of the school’s Fishing Club, and their enthusiasm for the material shined through, yielding an excellent back and forth discussion. Following our presentation and discussion, we split the students into two teams and participated in a shark trivia game bringing all of our knowledge together as well as competing for a reward for the winning team. Both teams tied, having only gotten one question wrong each, flexing their shark knowledge muscles! We give a huge thanks to the students and teachers of Belen Jesuit for having us as well as the engaging discussion, and we look forward to future work with them.