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.
Everglades Outreach Team
FIU scientists lead an Outreach Team that provides free community programs to expand environmental literacy and participate in current science initiatives. This team also collaborates with the local arts community to engage new audiences in conversations about protecting the Everglades and offer research experiences for local school teachers and high school students.
Biscayne Bay Communities
With a campus located along Biscayne Bay, FIU has led research on bay health for decades. We work with local communities to educate on the role they play in the health of the bay through water usage, water management and irrigation practices as well as the need for improved protections at the local and state levels.
North Bay Village MOU
After the local sustainability officer saw news coverage of FIU’s efforts, North Bay Village signed an Memorandum of Understanding with FIU to assist in the development of community-based sustainability initiatives including solutions for Biscayne Bay.
Coastal Ocean Explorers
A collaboration of FIU and the ANGARI Foundation, this program offers real-world research experience to school children including full-day at-sea expeditions aboard the R/V ANGARI. Students and teachers work side-by-side with professional scientists and vessel crew to tag and collect valuable data in support of shark research and conservation.
Aquaculture Program
FIU's College of Arts, Sciences & Education introduces K-12 students to marine science concepts and activities as part of our Aquaculture Program. In addition, school children can explore the university’s aquaculture facility and the Biscayne Bay Campus through a variety of experiences including MAST@FIU high school in-class activities and field trips, lab experiences, family science nights and summer camps.
Professional Diver Education
In addition to virtual experiences for schoolchildren, the FIU Aquarius team also offers professional diver education including Fundamentals of Scientific Diving, Introduction to Saturation Diving, Diving Medical Technician training, World Extreme Emergency Medicine training, and Surface-Supplied Diving training.
Miami-Dade Environmental Education
FIU has received a grant from Miami-Dade County for Environmental Education to support an accelerated education initiative and promote stewardship among local residents and businesses. Our team in the Institute of Environment works directly with communities, linking top scientists, educators, students and municipal leaders to develop sustainable solutions.
Mangrove Forest
FIU's Biscayne Bay Campus is surrounded by mangrove forests on the north, northeast, and west, and the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve on the south and southeast. For more than a decade, FIU has led the Adopt a Mangrove initiative, planting thousands of mangroves here and throughout South Florida with schoolchildren from nearby schools and local community volunteers.
Biscayne Bay Art Exhibit
Palette Knife Artists of Miami’s largest ever exhibition was put on display at FIU’s Glenn Hubert Library at the Biscayne Bay Campus. The organization brings awareness to a planet in need through art, advancing ongoing conservation efforts to save South Florida endangered species. More than 90 pieces of art by 12 different artists with different artistic backgrounds were exhibited.
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.
Coastal Angler Science Team
FIU researchers have created a stakeholder science program called CAST to engage anglers in fisheries research. Tapping into angler knowledge and their records of catches, our scientists examine how fishing relates to freshwater management and potential effects of Everglades restoration on recreational angling. CAST is also equipping local anglers with pit tag readers, datasheets and maps to document their catches, helping our research on fish survival in varied conditions.
Sargassum Watch
FIU's Marine Macroalgae Research Lab is part of a network in the Caribbean Region dedicated to monitoring the invasions of pelagic sargassum on Caribbean beaches. This citizen science project is part of a greater international collaboration of academics and professionals studying the sargassum phenomena in the Atlantic Caribbean Region, including sargassum monitoring.
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.