Last month we took a trip to Texas A&M Galveston’s Sea Life Facility. The mission of this facility is to provide a space where students, both undergraduates and graduates, along with faculty can get hands-on experience with aquatic organisms and conduct their own research projects as well.
During Texas Master Naturalist training earlier this summer, we visited the facility and witnessed the clownfish they had successfully bred. It was amazing to see how much they had grown in a few months. They are also doing research on a species of jellyfish that respond similar to the way corals do to ocean acidification. When corals are exposed to more acidic water they get bleached, but these jellies instead of turning white turn completely transparent!
We can’t wait to come back again for another visit to the Sea Life Facility to see all the new projects! However, the next visit we hope to bring some students eager to learn all about marine science!