Abstract
Marine science education is conducted globally through various institutions and platforms. Over time, the role of zoos and aquaria has shifted from entertainment and species collection to education and conservation. The on-going Covid-19 pandemic has caused zoos and aquaria, marine science institutions, and schools to shift their education platform to virtual learning experiences. The goal of this project was to develop a virtual curriculum for Dolphins Plus, a marine mammal research and education facility in the Florida Keys. Using relevant literature and the facility’s existing curriculum, a virtual curriculum was written and targeted towards school-aged students in grades K-12. Content and activities were individually designed and tailored to smaller groups within the age range. The curriculum was field tested to sixteen age-specific groups at no cost. The lessons were presented as live lecture-style field trips, and the corresponding add-on activity was sent as a follow-up. A pre-field trip survey was administered to each group to gauge interest and expectations. Following the presentation, a post-survey was distributed to assess effectiveness and student and instructor response. These results were examined through descriptive statistics and indicated that reactions to the trial field trips were primarily positive. Feedback from initial presentation of the curriculum was used to guide edits and future direction.