For more than three decades, a high school marine sciences program has been making waves鈥攊n the middle of Iowa, a landlocked state more than 1,200 miles from the nearest ocean.
Hundreds of students have passed through the program in the Des Moines district, designed to introduce students to potential careers in aquarium science, marine biology, and related fields through its use of more than 150 different aquariums ranging in size from two to 2,400 gallons. The aquariums are home to about 150 different species鈥攃oral farms and clown fish, sting rays, octopuses, and more鈥攁ll cared for and maintained almost exclusively by students who receive college course credit and, in some cases, scuba diving certifications, for their work.
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a unique experience,鈥� said Gregory Barord, one of the program鈥檚 instructors.
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It鈥檚 a particularly noteworthy program, especially given its location, as districts grapple with growing pressure to prepare students for both college and to enter the workforce, and to provide them with meaningful experiences in the process. , saying it helps them learn about job possibilities they didn鈥檛 know about previously and informs their post-high school plans.
But such specialized programs can be tough to pull off, especially when paired with teacher shortages, most notably in specialized subjects and career-prep tracks. In fact, 28 percent of school and district leaders said in a recent EdWeek Research Center survey that marine science is a STEM specialty subject they鈥檇 like to offer but can鈥檛 because they doubt they鈥檇 be able to find teachers for it. Marine science ranked third, behind cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
The Des Moines school system found Barord by chance鈥攁 lucky connection made at a conference a decade ago. Barord was in graduate school then, and now is a well-established marine biologist by trade, who has and spends his summers conducting research throughout the Pacific Ocean.
But from August to May, he鈥檚 working with Des Moines students, hoping to usher in the next generation of marine biologists. Or, at the very least, inspire a curiosity and appreciation for the ocean and its creatures.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to get students involved in research at this age, because growing up, I hated science and I hated research,鈥� Barord said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 obviously changed and I want to show the kids that it can be fun and it can be an option for them, too.鈥�
Participating students are interested in related careers, or are simply curious
The program has come a long way over the past three decades. It started as one might imagine鈥攁 few fish tanks on a bookshelf. Now, an entire facility in the district is dedicated to the program. Instead of manually mixing salt and water in a bucket to maintain the proper levels in the tanks, all the student caretakers have to do is open a valve connected to the tanks to automatically fill the saltwater to the correct levels. On average, about 150 students annually participate in the program, which is broken up into two yearlong courses鈥攎arine biology and aquarium science.
鈥淭he students aren鈥檛 all necessarily interested in careers in the field. They might be interested in just the ocean or maybe just taking a different class,鈥� Barord said. 鈥淪o, the background, skill level, and interest ranges from nothing to, 鈥業 want to be a marine biologist for my career.鈥欌��
And sometimes those interest levels change over time.
Senior Addison Stone originally thought she wanted to study psychology in college, but her perspective has completely shifted after spending three years in the program. She became so invested that she does volunteer work for the lab in the summers and during holiday breaks, and even convinced her parents to let her have a (much smaller) fish tank at home.
Now, she wants to study marine biology in college and pursue a career in the field.
鈥淭he more time that I spent in the lab, the more time that I worked and learned everything, I just knew that I couldn鈥檛 do anything else,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not quite sure where I鈥檓 going yet with this, but I know that I want to stick within the community of marine biology.鈥�
Every day in the marine science program is full of opportunities
No two days are the same in the aquarium science program, because students are dealing with live animals who may become sick, die, or need special attention. On one summer day in late August, for example, a summer intern arrived for his four-hour shift and found two deceased fish, Barord said.
The group had noticed a parasitic outbreak in the preceding days and had to do special observations and monitoring of all the other fish in that tank to ensure it didn鈥檛 get out of hand. They also had to take special care to ensure they were washing their hands routinely and avoiding cross-contamination with other tanks as they prepared food and performed other care routines.
In situations where a fish is sick (or several), a local volunteer veterinarian comes in to do examinations and provide care, all while including students in the process.
When they鈥檙e not tending to the animals, some students also conduct research that, in some cases, are published in academic journals or elsewhere.
鈥淭o leave high school with a publication on your record is pretty rare, but a good opportunity for them,鈥� Barord said.
Vianne Stroope-West, a junior, recently completed one of those research projects. She conditioned a lionfish to move to a 鈥渢arget鈥� within the tank for feeding. The target was within a small bucket, and the goal was to make being in the bucket less stressful for the fish鈥攊mportant for when it has to be put inside one while staff clean the tank or transport it elsewhere.
鈥淔or me, my favorite things are the projects I get to work on, because that鈥檚 the kind of thing that can make a difference for the fish,鈥� Stroope-West said. 鈥淭he less stressed the lionfish is, the safer those activities are.鈥�
Students get hands-on experience on annual expeditions
Barord and his class routinely host experts in the field either in person or on Zoom for talks and mentorship sessions.
The marquee event, though, is the annual 鈥渇ield studies expedition,鈥� a weeklong trip to a location near an actual ocean鈥攍ike Texas or Florida鈥攚here students get hands-on experience with researchers and other professionals. The 30 to 40 students who go attend seminars, visit universities and labs, and work with conservation groups to care for and learn about local species.
In April, the group will travel to Fiji鈥攖he program鈥檚 first international trip.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to really explain the value of the field studies expeditions,鈥� Barord said, 鈥渂ut just getting to make those connections really means the world to these kids.鈥�
