Recommended as the first program, this

walking tour allows students to examine the

mangrove, sea grass, and shallow hard
bottom habitats first-hand. The importance
and threats of each habitat is stressed
including organisms that live in each.
Strolling on the Old
Seven Mile Bridge,
students see Sombrero
Lighthouse, our closest
coral reef habitat,
which they visit on their
snorkel day. Often
students spot tarpon,
sharks, rays, and turtles
from the bridge.
Our shoreline is our lab for this flagship
program. Students explore the pools of
water left by the outgoing tide and snorkel
around our island for local invertebrates.
Each invertebrate found is taken to our
wet labs where everyone can view,
identify and gently examine each
discovery before being returned to its
original habitat.
You wont believe the variety of species your students will find during
this fun and informative activity.
Students are introduced to fish
behavior and life strategies and how
those characteristics determine
morphological features. Following,
students use their new knowledge
to identify fish species on our 50-foot
long marine ecosystems mural that
shows fish in their natural habitats.
The Pigeon Key staff firmly
believes that every group should
visit the reef during their stay.
Thats why we include a snorkel
trip to Sombrero Reef in every
group itinerary. This program is a
fun and interactive course on fish
identification and allows for a
more memorable reef snorkel.
When your group goes to the reef,
youll be surprised by how many
fish they can identify! An optional
reef fish challenge can be
included in this course where
students are quizzed on the fish
they learned.
Running 145 miles in length, the Florida
Reef Tract has been a protected
sanctuary for many years. The result is a
dynamic ecosystem with an abundance of
beautiful coral and vibrant fish.
Just five miles from Pigeon Key, this reef snorkel is included with every
education trip. Sombrero Reef is part of the Florida Reef Tract, the third
largest barrier reef in the world and the only one located in North America.

Students board a 40-foot catamaran, the Spirit, and spend several hours at
the reef, exploring the tropical watersthe perfect addition to every trip.
Discover the science behind the worlds
most feared and misunderstood fish.
This program is a student favorite,
delving into the life history of sharks
and their importance in the ocean.
Students subsequently dissect a
shark, reiterating the function and
importance of each physical feature.
The island of Pigeon Key is the single most
historically significant location in the Florida
Keys island chain. Since Henry Flaglers
original turn-of-the-century work camp, the
island has seen unbelievable changes and
uses.
Learn the fascinating story
that brought this one-of-a-kind
island treasure to where it is
today.
Plankton produce nearly 70% of
the oxygen in the atmosphere
(more than all land plants
combined), yet students tend to
know little about them.
Plankton are fascinating; from
microscopic algae to larger-than-
human-sized jellyfish, they
comprise a dizzying array of
animals and plants.
After discussing what qualifies as plankton and how they are ecologically
important, students collect plankton from our dock and around the island,
bringing the samples back to be examined under a microscope. Some
students have even found planktonic crab or seahorse in their sample.
In this program, the
staff introduces
students to the
plethora of adaptations
marine organisms have
developed to survive in
their environment.
From obvious features like fins and gills
to the more abstruse including the
protective setae of a fire worm, smoke-
screen purple ink of a sea hare, and the
sixth sense of a shark that makes it an
effective hunter.
Students use their new knowledge of adaptations to collect organisms,
exploring their traits, and create their own sea creature.
If your students already enjoy
fishing or just want to try it for the
first time, this is an invaluable
course for them. Students learn
how fisheries managers regulate
both recreationally-important and
commercially-important species and
how they too can fish responsibly.
**Note: a $5 per person surcharge applies for this course to offset the cost of
equipment repair, tackle, and bait.

Then, with rod and reel in hand,
students catch-and-release from
our dock. Notable species caught
and released include tarpon,
bonefish, permit, barracuda, even
sharks!
Students become researchers as groups test
water quality around Pigeon Key for levels
on salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen,
nitrates/phosphates, temperature, and pH.
Results are recorded in an ongoing research
collection databank.
Students answer
questions on their water
quality type and present
their findings to the class;
a great chance for
students to gain public
speaking skills while
learning about the
importance of water
quality.
Students learn and discuss the
various behaviors squid exhibit in
order to survive in their habitat
and how this relates to their
morphology. By exposing them to
the idea that different species live
in different environments and
therefore have different
morphological characteristics,
students realize how well adapted
each species is to its unique
environment.
For follow-up students dissect
squid, identifying external and
internal anatomy and why each
feature is important. For an
added bonus, advanced
students are quizzed on squid
anatomy.
A great last course that has kept
groups talking about Pigeon Key all
the way back home.
Pigeon Key as a resort island?
Students become developers,
conservationalists, and townspeople
who decide the fate of Pigeon Key in
this structured town debate.

Cassiopeia, also known as the Upside-
down Jellyfish, naturally lives with its
bell on the ocean bottom, pulsing every
few seconds.
When introduced to the lab setting,
students hypothesize and test how
these creatures will respond to various
environmental stresses, allowing
students to understand first-hand how
animals naturally adapt to their
changing environment.