Aquaculture America 2024

February 18 - 21, 2024

San Antonio, Texas

COLLEGE OF THE FLORIDA KEYS AQUACULTURE SOCIETY SUBUNIT

Jessie Appelhans*

Aquaculture Lab

College of the Florida Keys  

Key West, FL 33040

Jessie.appelhans@cfk.edu

 



The College of the Florida Keys Aquaculture Society is an active USAS Student SubUnit. The society are active members of the Florida Keys community helping restore the tanks at Reef Relief and the local Lower Keys Medical Center. Members get the chance to learn how to breed marine ornamentals and learn how to frag soft corals. Members then attend local frag swaps to sell aquacultured marine ornamental fish and corals. Every year the society participates in Community Day as a fundraiser to sell raffle tickets and homemade clownfish cookies. The society also participates in Sugarloaf Middle School Marine Science Night every year. This is an opportunity for the college and society to inspire students who are interested in marine science and show them all the different opportunities down the road. Every summer, the lab hosts a summer camp for 7-11 and 12–15-year-olds. Summer camp focuses on teaching youth how to set up and maintain a saltwater fish tank with emphasis on aquaculture. The College of the Florida Keys Aquaculture Society is also a member of the Marine Aquarium Society of North America (MASNA). The society participates in Mote Ocean Fest, conferences like Aquaculture America, Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA), and the yearly all around Florida trip.