High School Partnerships

Initiated by Harbor Branch with the St. Lucie County School Board in 2007, the Marine & Oceanographic Academy (MOA) is a model for partnering a marine research institute with a public school system for improving the scientific literacy of high school students and their teachers.

MOA, located at Harbor Branch, is a magnet high school program of Fort Pierce’s Westwood High School. MOA students are provided a customized integrated curriculum for enrichment in the field of marine and environmental studies. This curriculum blends all the Florida and St. Lucie County curricular requirements with the best that the Harbor Branch research and education community has to offer. The Harbor Branch component of MOA involves students participating in hands-on labs and activities at HBOI.  Click here for more information on MOA.

FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and the Indian River Land Trust are engaging a group of local high school students in scientific research to manage waterfront properties and habitats along the lagoon in Indian River County. Students will be contributing to the critical data that is necessary in addressing the health of the lagoon – one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the nation. Click here for more information.

Harbor Branch also partners with University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science to host regional National Ocean Science Bowl academic competitions that promote ocean science literacy in high schools. Click here for more information on NOSB.