Florida LAKEWATCH

Teaching & Educational Outreach

Teaching

The Florida LAKEWATCH program has a long history of teaching undergraduate students at the University of Florida. You can read more about our teaching efforts in this newsletter article from 2025: https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/QJdX8mMYwfZKO#from-the-lakeside-to-the-lab.

LAKEWATCH director, Dr. Lescord, teaches two concurrent courses at the University of Florida, within the School of Forests, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences and the Marine Sciences major: Introduction to Freshwater Fisheries Science, an undergraduate level course, and Fish & Limnology, a graduate level course. Students in these courses use LAKEWATCH data, information, and research to learn fundamental theories in freshwater science. In this way, volunteers are helping teach the next generation of limnologists with their data!

Our courses also provide valuable hands-on learning opportunities in the field and laboratory. More specifically, students spend 6 weeks sampling Lake Alice on the UF campus, collecting data on the fish community and water quality following LAKEWATCH procedures. The students also visit the LAKEWATCH analytical facility, where they learn to process their water samples and analyze fish tissues for mercury levels using our state-of-the-art equipment. After, they learn to responsibly manage all the data they generate in both the field and lab. In fact, many learn how to code for the first time, using common approaches necessary for modern fisheries and aquatic research. Students also get to know LAKEWATCH staff and graduate students, who are vital teaching assistants and co-instructors of these courses and enable our in-depth learning experiences throughout the semester.