HAVE FUN, LEARN A LOT AT FSU COASTAL & MARINE LAB OPEN HOUSE

Few things say, “Summer is almost here!” like the incredible biennial Open House at the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Lab (FSUCML: http://www.marinelab.fsu.edu/outreach/openhouse/). This year, the distinguished research, education and outreach program overlooking St. George Sound in St. Teresa, Fla., will open its doors from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 16. The jam-packed slate of family-friendly Open House activities, presentations and exhibits will be free and open to the public. Among the offerings:

• Touch tanks with “critters” from blue crabs to cowfish
• Multiple interactive exhibits presented by FSU scientists and Florida conservation agencies
• “Mini-lectures” on Florida’s amazing sea creatures
• Raffle tickets available for purchase for a boat trip to Dog Island, including a picnic for four
  

“As always, we’re excited about Open House and the chance to really strut our stuff,” said marine ecologist Felicia Coleman (http://www.marinelab.fsu.edu/faculty/coleman.html), the lab’s director. “Think of it. Here we are, plunked down in the heart of perhaps the most biologically rich, pristine environment left in Florida with the most enthusiastic researchers you can imagine. That energy is contagious, and on April 16, we want the public to catch it. People of all ages will be able to learn more about our vibrant lab, whose studies focus on the ecology and marine environment of Northwest Florida.”

For a mere sampling of the world-class research led by scientists at the FSU Coastal and Marine Lab, visit the FSU news site at www.fsu.com (http://www.fsu.com) and check out recent stories on:

• A sweeping study of the nation’s threatened oyster reefs –– a project made more complex by the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf: http://www.fsu.com/Blogs/FSU-Takes-Action-in-the-Gulf/Oil-spill-reshapes-sweeping-new-study-of-oyster-reefs
• Research on the endangered, little-known sawfish: http://www.fsu.com/News-Archive/2010/April/FSU-marine-ecologist-wins-grant-to-study-endangered-sawfish
• A close look at the “Frank Lloyd Wright of the sea” (better known as the red grouper): http://www.fsu.com/News-Archive/2010/January/New-study-reveals-red-grouper-to-be-Frank-Lloyd-Wrights-of-the-sea
  

For additional information, contact Coleman at coleman@bio.fsu.edu or Kathy Houck at khouck@fsu.edu or (850) 697-4120. Visit the lab’s website at www.marinelab.fsu.edu (http://www.marinelab.fsu.edu). To read more about the April 16 Open House, visit the FSU news site at http://www.fsu.com/News/Have-fun-learn-a-lot-at-FSU-Coastal-and-Marine-Lab-open-house.


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