Florida Keys Shark Field Courses
Three summers of hands-on shark biology and marine conservation with the Florida Keys Shark Lab.
The first three summers
In 2023, Ocean First Institute launched its summer shark field courses in Key Largo. OFI offered courses again in 2024 and 2025, making the Florida Keys Shark Lab a place to learn marine field methods alongside working scientists.
Across these early seasons, the program gave students a view of the whole research process, from preparing equipment and heading out on the water to recording observations and discussing what the data can tell us.
Learning from live research
OFI uses several methods to study sharks and rays in the Keys. Baited underwater cameras record animals in their habitat. Water samples can carry traces of environmental DNA, which help identify species. When researchers handle a shark for tagging or sampling, recording the measurements carefully makes each encounter more useful to the long-term study.
In the field courses, students learned why consistent methods matter and how field observations can inform conservation decisions.