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Blue Scholars Initiative Fostering ocean stewardship through Biscayne Bay connections

10/16/2026

From the salt spray to the wind in our hair….what a day with Touching Miami with Love and Overtown Farms Inc.. 🌊💨🌀🦀🐬🐡

Carribean tunicates 🧡 and Look down fish 👀we saw so much! And we even got some rain on the way home. 🌧️🌈


Ever wonder about the bearded fireworm? 🔥🪱With its bright colors and body of stinging bristles, the bearded fireworm (He...
10/15/2026

Ever wonder about the bearded fireworm? 🔥🪱
With its bright colors and body of stinging bristles, the bearded fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) looks like something straight out of a Halloween story!

Unfortunately for our local corals including the endangered Caribbean staghorn coral, the bearded fireworm is a real “monster”, feeding on the soft coral polyps. 🪸🪸

Fireworms thrive in warm waters, while rising ocean temperatures stress corals, making them more vulnerable to disease, bleaching, and these worm predators. 👻🌊

Our coral reefs are already facing so many challenges. Understanding these tiny predators—and the effects of warming oceans—helps us better protect these incredible underwater ecosystems! 💙

OceanConservation

10/09/2026

Salty stories are the best stories to tell…. 🌊🌊🌊

Ever wonder about the Caribbean reef octopus? 🐙This month we are wondering about the “spooky seas of Biscayne Bay” and l...
10/07/2026

Ever wonder about the Caribbean reef octopus? 🐙

This month we are wondering about the “spooky seas of Biscayne Bay” and looking at all the weird, wild and wonderful creatures that call our local waters home. 👀🐙🪼🪱

The Caribbean reef octopus (Octopus briareus) is a master of disguise and can change its color and appearance to blend into its surroundings—almost like an underwater costume for Halloween. 🎃

And when the sun goes down, octopuses become active on the reef while many daytime reef residents settle in for the night.
Pretty spooky. 👻
Pretty spectacular. 💙🌊

10/02/2026

LOVED our day with these magical mermaids 🧜‍♀️ from toleadwithlove 💓💓💓

From 🐡 to pollution we covered it all! Looking forward to having you gals back this Fall!

Ever wonder about saltwort?🧐🧐Meet saltwort (Batis maritima), a tough little coastal plant that thrives where many plants...
09/30/2026

Ever wonder about saltwort?🧐🧐

Meet saltwort (Batis maritima), a tough little coastal plant that thrives where many plants struggle—with salty soil and salty spray! 🌱🌱Its fleshy leaves help it hold onto water, making it perfectly adapted to life along our shoreline. 🌊💪🏻
And that makes saltwort the perfect plant to wrap up our September exploration of the foundational components of our shoreline. From sea grapes to mangroves, these plants help create the habitats that support life throughout Biscayne Bay. 💙

09/25/2026

The calendar says it’s Fall but our minds are still back in summer ☀️

Such an epic day with City of Miami Gardens! From Angelfish to surgeonfish we saw it all! Even got to hold a sea biscuit!

So grateful to Surfing's Evolution who sponsors our Biscayne Immersion Program and Biscayne National Park Inst. who have helped us get these very deserving mermaids 🧜‍♀️ out on the water! 🦀🐙🐬🐳🐡🦑🪸🏖️

Do you have a group that you would like to get out on the water? Comment below or send us a DM and we can make it happen! 🌊🐠

Ever wonder about Halimeda?? 🤔This funky-looking green algae is actually a plant-like seaweed that helps build the found...
09/23/2026

Ever wonder about Halimeda?? 🤔

This funky-looking green algae is actually a plant-like seaweed that helps build the foundation of our Bay! 🌊💚
Halimeda is made up of tiny, coin-shaped segments—that’s why it’s commonly called the “money plant”. 💰💶And here’s the really cool part: when it dies, its calcium-rich pieces can break down and become sand! 🏝️ That means this little seaweed can actually help build the seafloor.

As we wrap up September, we’re celebrating the foundation of Biscayne Bay’s ecology: PLANTS! From mangroves to seagrasses to Halimeda, plants and algae provide food, shelter, oxygen, and even help create habitat for the amazing creatures that call our Bay home. 🐠🌱

09/18/2026

What an AWESOME day on the water! 🌊🧜‍♀️

Exploring the wreck of the Mandalay and showing these mermaids the incredible beauty of ocean life. From the reef to the wreck, there’s always something new to discover beneath the surface! 💙🐠

Here’s to creating ocean lovers, one adventure at a time! 🌎🌊

Ever wonder about sea purslane?🤔🤔School is back in session and as we get acquainted with our new surroundings, we’re als...
09/16/2026

Ever wonder about sea purslane?
🤔🤔
School is back in session and as we get acquainted with our new surroundings, we’re also taking a closer look at the plants that call Biscayne Bay home! 🌱🌱

Sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum), is a small coastal plant with an amazing ability to thrive where many plants would struggle. Growing along salty shorelines, it has special adaptations that help it handle the salty conditions of its environment. 🌱🌊
🌱 What other plants do you notice growing where salt, sun, and water all meet?
Stay tuned as we continue getting to know the amazing plants that help make Biscayne Bay so special! 💙

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