EarthEcho International was founded on the belief that young people have the power to change the world. You’re invited to join a conversation with EarthEcho Youth Leadership Council members as they demonstrate how they are taking action to protect the ocean. In 2020, EarthEcho launched #OceanEcho30x30, a campaign to ignite activism in ocean conservation. During this session, participants will learn why it is important to protect the ocean, how we are all connected, what they can do in their own communities, and gain access to resources that will help them to lead their own conservation efforts.

As part of the Ocean Acidification Day of Action, this virtual event focuses on the effects of ocean acidification on crustaceans. Amalia and Phil will first provide a brief overview of ocean acidification before discussing how their focal species respond to a changing environment. Phil will focus on the effects of acidification on the swimming behavior of larval stone crabs and spiny lobsters. Amalia will then discuss her work exploring the effects of acidification on the physiology and immune response in juvenile American lobsters. The speakers will then end the presentation with some suggestions for how audience members can get involved in climate action and how even small changes can make a difference.

Coral Restoration Foundation™ is the world's largest marine-conservation non-profit organization dedicated to restoring coral reefs to a healthy state, both in Florida and globally. Our core mission is to restore coral reefs, to educate others on the importance of our oceans, and to use science to further coral research and coral reef monitoring techniques. In this presentation, we will discuss the work Coral Restoration Foundation™ does to support the Florida Reef Tracts’ natural recovery processes via large-scale cultivation, out planting, and monitoring of reef-building corals whilst simultaneously engaging and empowering others in the mission to save our planet’s reefs.

Ever wondered where your #1 and #2 went after you flushed? And what exactly do we do with all those wastes? Join EarthEcho and the South Cross Bayou Advanced Water Reclamation Facility as we go behind the scenes of Pinellas County’s largest wastewater treatment facility to learn about how we recover our favorite waste, a solid #2, and make it into a safe product that can be used as a fertilizer to grow crops. With streaming footage from inside our egg-shaped digesters to our fertilizer factory, we’ll give you a firsthand look at how science, technology, and engineering allow us to protect human health and keep our waterways clean from “poo-lution!”

Learn from our Submersible Pilots and Co-Pilots as we explore topics ranging from underwater communications to piloting the sub. Each individual will discuss their unique path to Submersible Piloting and answer questions about the training process, how manned submersibles work, and wild encounters with marine life—including sharks! OceanGate, Inc. owns and operates three 5-person submersibles for site survey, scientific research, film production, and exploration travel to depths as great as 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). Find out more information at https://oceangate.com/what-we-do.html

Join Smithsonian Marine Ecosystem Exhibit marine science educator, Laura La Beur, as she shares facts about the Oculina Reef, a deep-water coral reef habitat off the coast of Florida and introduces the Oculina Ecosystem exhibit at the St. Lucie County Aquarium in Fort Pierce, Florida. A feeding of the exhibit will follow.

Sharks are iconic and misunderstood species with a long evolutionary history. There are over 500 living shark species, all with unique adaptations, that have radiated into nearly every aquatic habitat. There is tremendous diversity in species life histories, reproductive modes, habitat use, sensory biology, ecology and behavior. Sharks are under global threat from human exploitation, primarily for shark fins. Over 30% of shark species are at risk for extinction. Today, research and conservation efforts are targeting effective ways to protect endangered species. Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza will share the story of sharks rise, diversification, and fascinating adaptations. She will discuss her current research on white sharks in the North Atlantic and other aspects of her ongoing conservation projects.

What can historic dock photos reveal about fisheries? The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s new citizen science project, FISHstory, aims to find out. FISHstory (pronounced like history) trains volunteers to identify and count fish in historic dock photos From Daytona Beach, FL from the 1940s-1970s. Data collected will help fishery managers build a more complete picture of these fisheries prior to the beginning of dedicated catch monitoring programs. To gather this data, we’re using the power of the crowd through the online crowdsourcing platform, Zooniverse. The project is completely online, open to all, and includes fish identification training materials for those that aren’t fish ID experts. We need help from citizen scientists like you to unlock the data in these photos! Join EarthEcho International and the South Atlantic Fishery Management staff, Allie Iberle and Julia Byrd, to learn more about FISHstory and how you can get involved in the project!

Join EarthEcho International for a STEM-tastic conversation about agricultural engineering and postharvest science with Ratna Suthar, Postharvest Scientist and PhD Student at University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. Ratna was born and raised in New Jersey. Growing up she had a love for learning the science behind everyday things including food and medicine. She was studying chemistry as an undergrad at University of South Florida where she got involved in research on food quality and shelf life of fresh produce. According to FAO, by the year 2050 our population is going to reach 9 billion, and we will have to increase food availability to meet the demand. One way is to increase food production but another way by is reducing the amount of food loss/waste. The problem of food loss/waste has only been exacerbated due to COVID. It is imperative that we continue developing technologies to protect our food from going to waste.