Katherine Lester, a Junior at County Prep High School, was selected to participate in the 2023 4-H Scientific Hands-On Applied Research Knowledge (4-H S.H.A.R.K.) Program. Katherine lived and worked aboard a real-life research vessel (R/VGarvin) with other students from April 21 to April 24, 2023, where she worked beside actual marine scientists in Florida’s Biscayne Bay. The students helped to safely capture, measure, fin clip, tag, and release live sharks.
The research vessel was featured on National Geographic and Discovery Channel’s Shark Week. Data collected by the students from the shark tagging will be used to advance research about a variety of sharks that will help scientists preserve and protect these animals in this bio-diverse habitat.