How are our shorelines changing overtime? How can we protect them?
Climate change, rising sea levels, and natural disasters are causing shorelines to break down – impacting our oceans, plants, animals, and communities.
Scientists are working with communities to build and test natural ways to Restore the Shore.
Students learned about a living shoreline project and research station in Cedar Key, Florida through virtual reality (VR) tours.
Students connected with with scientists working at the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS) through FREE virtual reality (VR) tours and electronic field trips (EFTs)
Who
Middle School and High School Students (grades 7-10)
What
- FREE!
- virtual reality (VR) tours
- electronic field trips (EFT) live real-time video web-casts to connect students with UF/IFAS NCBS scientists
When
- Activities took place in March and April 2021
How
- VR tours were viewed on desktop computer web browsers or smartphones via a VR viewer such as Google Cardboard
- EFTs programs were streamed through Zoom live for approximately 45 minutes in length
Additional Questions?
Contact streamingscience1@gmail.com
Research
Take a look into what Restore the Shore dove into!
Meet the Scientists
Dr. Michael Allen
Connect your students with Dr. Micheal Allen.
Dr. Allen is the Director of UF/IFAS NCBS. He is a professor of Fisheries and Aquatic Science in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida. His research has focused on population dynamics and the ecology of fishes.
In Dr. Allen’s EFT, students will learn about: NCBS, fish biology/ecology, fish populations, climate change impacts, changes in fish migration patterns, and careers in fish biology/ecology.
Dates for Allen’s EFTs: April 7th & 15th
Dr. Savanna Barry
Connect your students with Dr. Savanna Barry.
Barry is a Regional Specialized Extension Agent-based in Cedar Key, FL at the UF/IFAS NCBS. Dr. Barry’s Ph.D. is in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.
She specializes in coastal marine ecosystems, especially seagrass meadows. Her extension programs focus on sustainable coastal tourism, habitat restoration and enhancement, and coastal literacy and stewardship.
Dates for Barry’s EFTs: March 15th & April 8th
Science Standards
Streaming Science VR tours and EFTs are developed to support Florida and national science education standards. Restore the Shore is meant to support the following grades 7-10 standards:
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for Science:
GRADE 7:
SC.7.L.17.1
SC.7.L.17.2
SC.7.L.17.3
SC.7.E.6.6
GRADE 8:
SC.8.N.4
SC.8.N.4.1
SC.8.N.4.2
GRADE 9-12:
SC.912.L.17.3 SC.912.L.17.13
SC.912.L.17.4 SC.912.L.17.17
SC.912.L.17.6 SC.912.L.17.18
SC.912.L.17.8 SC.912.L.17.19
SC.912.L.17.12 SC.912.L.17.20
NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS:
| MS-ESS3-3. | Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment. | |
| MS-ESS3-4 | Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems. | |
| HS-LS2-7. | Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity. | |
| HS-LS4-6. | Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity. | |
| HS-ESS3-3. | Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among the management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity | |
| MS-ESS3-3. | Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.* | |
| MS-ESS3-4. | Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems. |
Behind the Scenes
The Restore the Shore VR tours and EFT series was funded by the Florida Sea Grant (link) and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture – Hatch Project 1020962.
Dr. Jamie Loizzo and graduate students in the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication worked with scientists in UF/IFAS NCBS to develop the program.
Graduate students included: (from left to right) Caroline Barnett, Katie Ray, and Megan Winfree.
Partners
