Lee Today

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is proud to announce that it is partnering with Saint Mark’s Episcopal School in SeaLab, a first-of-its-kind teaching and experiential learning program in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

The goal is to foster awareness and solutions to sea level rise, water quality, marine habitats, hydroelectricity, and identification of microplastics, forever chemicals (PFAS) and other contaminants impacting our waterways. SeaLab is an on-campus, engineered tidal pool built on the Middle River in Fort Lauderdale that will allow students to learn and test solutions to address the global water and sustainability issues we face today.

An  invitation only celebration launch for the program has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, October 14 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and School, 1750 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. This is a great photo/video and story opportunity, showing how local universities are getting involved to inspire and interact with the next generation of scientists and researchers.

Working with faculty from NSU’s Halmos College of Arts and Sciences and Guy Harvey Oceanographic Research Center, as well as faculty from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, St. Mark’s students will engage in learning modules and STEM experiments. The program’s design provides NSU graduate students with the opportunity to use the SeaLab location for their research, working side-by-side with the school’s K-8 students.

SeaLab is a roughly 20-by-20-foot tidal pool that floods daily with the rising of tides in the Middle River waterway system located at the junction of Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, and Oakland Park, where the school is located.

“The marine life and water testing facility that we have developed will promote STEM in education, while allowing not only our students, but those from public and private schools in our community, to identify, test, and develop real-world solutions to make a difference,” said Dr. Spencer Taintor, Head of School at Saint Mark’s. “If we can frame the mind of our future leaders to embrace challenges and reimagine them as opportunities, we can come together to address the issues that will make the communities they are set to inherit a better place.”

Created and designed with the help of Brizaga, a multi-disciplinary civil and coastal engineering firm built to solve complex problems by strategically leveraging science, SeaLab will be pivotal to the next generation of men and women leaders in business and STEM careers.

The idea of the SeaLab came together when Dr. Taintor and the Brizaga team envisioned creating a space in which students could build and test their own seawalls to provide an economical solution to challenges facing South Florida waterways. What transpired was an immersive educational experience to allow the youth in our community to have a hand in moving the dial on community challenges that are key sustainability issues to saving our way of living.

The Middle River waterway is a key habitat for marine growth, manatees, and young fish stock, and was once a thriving oyster bed. This area has seen a decrease in water quality due to runoff, plastics, and general pollution. SeaLab will not only look and investigate sea level rise but also explore reestablishing oyster beds, investigating levels of microplastics and other contaminants in the waterway, and training the next generation of science educators through university partnerships.

South Florida is also a recreation hub for water-related activities, making it important that students learn how to preserve and enjoy the natural resources of their home. With that in mind, Saint Mark’s recently launched a premier sailing program to craft skills, learn seamanship, and develop an appreciation for the local waterways. Saint Mark’s alumni include Olympic athlete Anna Weis and numerous Division 1 Sailors, making the program a natural fit.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this first-ever opportunity to our students to impact the ongoing research of this community so that we all may enjoy South Florida’s waterways for many years to come,” Dr. Taintor said.

Original source can be found here.