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NASA’s bilingual OCEANOS project gives graduating high school seniors
and first generation undergraduate students in Puerto Rico
an opportunity to participate in NASA research.
OCEANOS stands for Ocean Community Engagement and Awareness
using NASA Earth Observations and Science for Hispanic/Latino students.
Puerto Rico hosts over 1300
square miles of coral reefs and related ecosystems,
which play a vital role in protecting the island from storms.
These habitats also provide nearly $2 billion in annual
income for the island, from reef related tourism and artisanal fisheries.
During the internship, participants work to help protect existing reefs
and help rebuild damaged habitats.
Working in the ocean classroom, students build their own sensors to measure water quality,
construct coral farm to help jumpstart new growth,
and help encourage biodiversity in the reef habitats.
The goal of the project is to instill a love of the ocean, its importance, and encourage students
to pursue a career in STEM in their future.