Biology students continue decades of research experience in Florida Keys

"For students to really learn biology, they need to get out in the field and study the organisms where they are," said Professor of Biology Bryan Arnold. "You can have pictures all you want, but if you're there physically looking at these things, you really get to understand them."

Hitchcock Professor of Biology Lawrence Zettler has taught this course for nearly a quarter of a century, blending rigorous academic preparation with immersive, high-impact fieldwork. After weeks of building foundational knowledge on campus, students arrive in the Keys ready to engage as scientists, observing, identifying and analyzing marine life in its natural habitat.

Instead of a traditional lab, students participate in a dynamic, scavenger hunt-style experience that challenges them to identify species using field guides, critical thinking and collaboration.

"We were given a checklist of everything we might find and had to identify it using books," biology and secondary education major Karli Easley '26 said. "It was really fun getting to do that."

The approach emphasizes both independence and scientific rigor, hallmarks of an Illinois College education.

"We try to tell the students, don't rely on your phones," Arnold said. "Let's flip through the books and really figure out what these things are."

Back on shore, learning continues as students gather with faculty mentors to analyze their findings, ask questions and deepen their understanding.

"We'd bring things back, get our field guides out and sit there for hours identifying what we found," Zettler said.

For many students, the experience is not only academically enriching, but personally transformative, expanding their horizons far beyond the Hilltop. Students encountered a remarkable range of marine life, from stingrays and sea stars to sponges, conchs and sea hares. For Will Bateman '27, the experience reinforced both the excitement and future applications that come with experiential learning.

"This experience is something that I will carry with me. Being able to say I studied marine biology in the Florida Keys is incredibly valuable as a future biology teacher."

Programs like this are part of a long-standing Illinois College tradition of experiential learning, with courses rotating between marine biology in Florida and tropical ecology in destinations like Costa Rica. Together, they provide students with global perspectives and meaningful, hands-on opportunities to engage with complex scientific challenges. For students preparing to enter careers in science, education and beyond, the impact is lasting.

By connecting classroom learning with real-world experience, Illinois College continues to equip students with the knowledge, confidence and perspective to Graduate READY, prepared to lead, discover and make an impact wherever their path takes them.