The morning sun shimmered across Tampa Bay as a small group of students leaned over the side of the research vessel Orlando’s Rose, peering into the water where strands of seagrass swayed beneath the surface.
Clipboards in hand, they waded into the grassy shallows to record measurements and identify the plants growing in lush meadows — a hands-on lesson in marine ecology that brought classroom learning to life.
On Oct. 24, the students launched from a Gandy boatyard on the 60-foot floating classroom, joined by marine scientists and volunteers to explore seagrass beds as part of the specialized education program managed by the nonprofit AMIkids…