Spring 2023 Junior SeaKeepers Program Workshop 1

Overview

On Monday, February 13, 2023, The International SeaKeepers Society hosted the first Junior SeaKeepers Program workshop for Spring semester students. This was our first Junior SeaKeepers workshop aimed at personal and professional development for students since relaunching the program in January, and we were thrilled to host students and give them a crash course in using the scientific method to conduct and present quality research.

We started the workshop by discussing the purpose and origins of the scientific method, and why it is the standard for conducting scientific research. Students had the opportunity to go, in detail, through the steps of the method with examples relating to the 2020 Biscayne Bay fish kills. Fish kills like those that have happened in our Biscayne Bay are mass deaths of fish and other organisms as the combined result of increased temperatures and nutrient runoff from things like construction and terrestrial pollution. Students were also introduced to the concept of extracting information from scientific publications during our February workshop. While this will be an invaluable skill for JSK’s throughout their academic careers and as informed citizen scientists, it will also be vital for the completion of their Junior SeaKeepers research project, which they will complete by the end of their semester with us.