Article Text

A four-day journey to Key Largo, Florida, gave 45 McLean students an up-close look at marine life—and made the effects of environmental damage far more tangible.

From March 12 through 15, students in AP Environmental Science, AP Biology and Oceanography took part in hands-on activities organized through MarineLab, a Florida-based educational organization. They snorkeled around coral reefs, conducted microplastic labs and swam with manatees while studying marine biology and conservation.

Junior Elise Amde-Delattre said learning about coral species and their relationships was the highlight of the trip. Seeing coral bleaching through interactive activities, she said, offered an experience that classroom instruction alone could not provide.

MarineLab’s approach paired lessons and laboratory work with immediate opportunities to observe the same subjects in the ocean.

AP Biology teacher Julia Murdock said students could learn about a topic in a slideshow and then head outside to find it in nature. The combination helped turn concepts on a screen into visible examples in the surrounding environment.

For Amde-Delattre, the trip was also a first encounter with many marine species in real life. She said MarineLab’s engaging instruction expanded on what she had already learned.

The coastal setting and close-knit community of Key Largo offered a sharp contrast with suburban McLean. That difference helped students consider environmental conservation and climate issues from a new perspective.

Junior Celina Lee said she had long understood that environmental problems existed, but witnessing bleached coral and the condition of local animals affected her differently. The experience strengthened her desire to help address environmental challenges.