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by Tiffany Rizzo
JUPITER, Fla. (CBS12) — Jupiter High School students are helping track the health of the Indian River Lagoon through a fish study that has continued for more than 30 years.

Students in the school's Environmental Research and Field Studies Academy spent Thursday collecting, identifying, and measuring juvenile fish near Jupiter Island before releasing them back into the lagoon.
The four-year academy takes students into the field about once a month to learn about marine biology firsthand. During Thursday's survey, students used a 55-foot bag seine net to collect the fish.
Biologist David Porter with the Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District said students have been collecting juvenile fish data at the site since 1994. The site itself has been studied by other groups since the 1970s.
Instructor Aaron Lichtig said the project allows students to track changes in the lagoon over time.
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"In recent years, the seagrasses have been starting to do a little bit better here, and we've noticed that the fish catch has gotten a lot greater," Lichtig said.
He said surveys five to eight years ago produced fewer fish and less species diversity, making the long-term data another way to understand changes in the lagoon's environment.
For the students, the work also gives them a chance to apply what they learn in class.
"Actually being in the environment and then seeing all the different populations and measuring and holding the fish, it was cool," 10th grader Emery Taylor said.
The Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District assists the academy during its fieldwork. Porter said students are doing the groundwork of scientific research, including recording the species, size and number of fish they collect.
Lichtig said those experiences can make lessons taught in the classroom click.
"So the first-hand experiences being out here, they really get to see the science in action," Lichtig said. "A lot of times I don't see it really connect until I have them out in the field."
Some students eventually discover a passion for the work and go on to pursue science or environmental science careers.

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