Community Engagement for a Sustainable Future
At FIU, we host events and collaborate with community organizations to promote conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and other marine resources. Our goal is to inspire the next generation and the greater South Florida community to support LIFE BELOW WATER.
Life Below Water is Our Local Ecosystem
With a campus located along the Atlantic Ocean's Biscayne Bay and with the world's only underwater research lab off the coast of the Florida Keys, Life Below Water is a way of life at Florida International University. Through research, community collaboration and aquatic stewardship, we are focused on solutions for today's greatest challenges. We invite you to explore how we are educating and collaborating to ensure a more sustainable future for Life Below Water.
FIU Aquarius hosts 1 million school kids
FIU has hosted more than 1 million schoolchildren from all across the world on virtual field trips of FIU Aquarius, the world’s only underwater research laboratory. Deployed 60 feet beneath the surface of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, FIU Aquarius is a globally significant asset that provides unparalleled means to study the ocean.
CASE Education Outreach Team
FIU’s College of Arts, Sciences & Education connects lifelong learners with real university research through its Education Outreach Team. We provide a range of experiences, from at-home activities to community events, summer camps and more. We maintain collaborative partnerships with corporations and community organizations and offer volunteer service opportunities.
Did you Know?
FIU's Florida Keys and Me program offers customized, interactive field trips for community members to explore and learn more about their role in healthy aquatic ecosystems. Virtual tours are also available.
Learn about Florida Keys and Me
Citizen Science for Solutions-Centered Research
From the tropical rivers of the Amazon to the deepest depths of the ocean, FIU researchers are creating opportunities for people of all ages to participate in our research. Citizen science is one of the greatest ways we educate and collaborate with the public toward the common goal of preserving and protecting LIFE BELOW WATER. Learn more about some of our projects below.
S.A.R.A.H. Initiative
Working with the yachting community and SeaKeepers Society, FIU deploys specially designed nets off yachts and other marine vessels to conduct transect surveys for the collection of microplastics. The data is being used to map marine plastic debris and help bring an end to this environmental epidemic.
Miami Plastic Patrol
Miami Plastic Patrol is a citizen science initiative to quantify and raise awareness of microplastic pollution in the Biscayne Bay watershed. This project is creating a baseline for water quality policies to eventually manage and reduce microplastics in South Florida waterways. Partnering organizations and institutions obtain their own citizen science kit, collect and analyze water samples, and upload their data into the free, open-source EpiCollect5 app.
Did you Know?
FIU offers an International Research Experience open to university students from anywhere in the United States. Providing research and professional development opportunities in wildlife conservation and ecology, the program focuses on endangered parrots, whales and dolphins. It includes a six-week paid internship in the Small Island Developing State of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Learn more about IRES
Degree Programs
Florida International University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Marine Biology as well as many complementary degrees and certificates in environmental chemistry, biodiversity and conservation management, sustainability, environmental science, global sustainable tourism, forensic science, international relations, law, engineering and more.
Academic Offerings
With more than 120 courses offered that specifically focus on Life Below Water, FIU students have the opportunity to grow their knowledge of marine science, ecosystems, biodiversity, conservation and more. In addition, FIU's Global Learning for Global Citizenship requires every undergraduate student to take at least two global learning courses as part of their degree program. Among the classes offered, many are related to issues impacting sustainability and Life Below Water.