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Loop Abroad: Florida Reef Experience (Veterinary Academy) (Directory Program)

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  • Locations: Miami, United States
  • Program Terms: Summer
  • Homepage: Click to visit
  • Program Sponsor: Loop Abroad 
Program Description:
Florida Reef Experience 

Spend your summer in the warm waters of Florida as you learn about the vital importance of conserving coral reefs from the experts at The Reef Institute.
You’ll join the research team in Palm Beach County as they work on several ongoing conservation projects, doing everything from in-water monitoring to diagnosing & treating Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease.


Prepare for the future
Florida’s coral reefs are an important part of the ocean’s ecosystem and they’re disappearing. During your time at the Florida Reef Experience,you’ll contribute to the vital conservation efforts of The Reef Institute. That means you can look forward to:
  • Data collection runs to monitor coral and fish conditions and perform coral tagging
  • Time in the land-based nursery to learn about the latest innovations in coral conservation like gene banking
  • Excursions to Peanut Island, a natural habitat that promotes the growth of several healthy coral colonies
By attending the Florida Reef Experience, you can earn up to 30 research hours, which can be included alongside an application to vet school.

Program Highlights 
Data Collection
You’ll receive on-the-spot training in data collection as you perform in-water monitoring of stony and soft corals and fish populations. You’ll then analyze your data in the lab or right there on the research boat.

Peanut Island
Home to at least 20 different species of corals, the lagoon at Peanut Island is also home to eels, fish, turtles, sea horses, manatees, and even the occasional shark. You’ll spend several days here exploring, tagging coral, and identifying fish species.

Next-Gen Technology
The Reef Institute currently houses over 329 colonies of coral in their land-based nursery. You’ll go behind-the-scenes of this cutting-edge research facility to learn about the latest innovations in conservation technology.

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park
This barrier island habitat protects rare and endangered plant and animal species from the elements. You can look forward to exploring the beautiful beach and the thick mangrove forest on your hunt for diverse flora and fauna.