We like to keep our F.I.N.S. events staffed by only women, including volunteer chaperones, so if you are not a middle-school aged girl and would like to participate, find a group of 10-12 girls and come as a chaperone! We also have opportunities for individuals to join SRC shark tagging expeditions as citizen scientists, however these trips are run with either local high school classes or corporate groups: http://sharkresearch.rsmas.miami.edu/participate/citizen-science-public-expeditions. For young females interested in getting involved with F.I.N.S., find a group of 10-12 friends (aged 10-14), 3 chaperones, and sign up online (http://sharkresearch.rsmas.miami.edu/females (http://sharkresearch.rsmas.miami.edu/females-in-the-natural-sciences-f-i-n-s) to book a trip!
Otherwise, there are a number of organizations around Miami doing incredible marine conservation work, including Rescue a Reef (http://sharkresearch.rsmas.miami.edu/donate/rescue-a-reef), who provide citizen science opportunities to transplant coral, Debris Free Oceans (http://www.debrisfreeoceans.org/), who organize local beach cleanups, and Field School (http://www.getintothefield.com/), who offer week-long live-aboard expeditions centred around marine conservation. There’s so much work that needs to be done and so many opportunities to make a difference, so don’t be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get involved!
December 2016 Stories from the Sea
108 - SEVENSEAS