San Agustín College

On February 17th, 2016, the marine ecosystems workshop was held in the San Agustín College in Cabo Rojo. Here, we presented students with the mangrove forest, seagrass bed and coral reef ecosystems. During the workshop, students were shown several different types of corals, both hard and flexible, and received an explanation about their structure. We also highlighted the important roles played by mangroves and seagrasses. While presenting this last subject, students played a game designed to show them how seagrasses matter within the ecosystem. To finalize the workshop, we offered them a sand workshop in which students analyzed different types of sand, observing grain roundness, shine and size using field microscopes. This instrument fascinated the students, and they continued using it to observe sand composition and origin. After the workshop, several students remained behind to ask for more scientific explanations about the corals and taxidermized sea turtles.