Author: Sam Trail
Date: November 17, 2022
The FAU Marine Lab is uniquely free and open to the public, and our outreach efforts do not stop there! In the last month, students, staff, and scholars have had a seat at the outreach table for three different events: Explore FAU Day, FAU’s Sophomore Social, and Lagoonfest 2022. “Tabling events” (as these opportunities are called) at the university and beyond provides us with an even broader audience than those that walk through the doors of our Visitor’s Gallery in the Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex.
By bringing artifacts such as unique bones and specimens of the turtles that live in and around Florida’s coastline, the public has a unique window into sea turtle science. They can interact with those materials and ask our experts questions! Whether it’s viewing the spine, which is part of the inside of a turtle’s shell or modeling how to tag a shark for research with a stuffed toy shark and Velcro tag, our audience gets a unique view of our science. It is our hope that these interactions spark curiosity and inspire others to learn more.
Each event this month offered a different audience, giving us a unique opportunity to highlight various aspects of our research. At Explore FAU Day, we met potential new FAU students to show them what an undergraduate experience at FAU could offer. 
FAU’s Sophomore Social targeted current FAU students that we would like to retain and actively get involved with research opportunities. While Lagoonfest 2022 was a celebration of the Lake Worth Lagoon, our unique ecosystem between the east coast of Florida mainland and its barrier islands. Did you know that land on which A1A sits is on barrier islands for much of its lengths? That shallow water habitat that many simply call “the Intracoastal” is home to many living things.
If you are interested in having the FAU Marine Lab table one of your outreach events, send us a message on Instagram or Facebook!
