Conserving Sea Cows and Seagrass Meadows: Meet Manatee Master and Ph.D. Student Ana Arevalo Cardona
Conserving Sea Cows and Seagrass Meadows: Meet Manatee Master and Ph.D. Student Ana Arevalo Cardona
“This volunteer work confirmed that I wanted to follow a career in science, specifically in conservation,”
Arevalo Cardona.
As an undergraduate biology student at Florida Atlantic, Arevalo Cardona thrived. She landed a WLW-ECOS funded internship with Friends of Manatee Lagoon. Located in West Palm Beach and situated along the Lake Worth Lagoon estuary, the nonprofit organization aims to raise awareness about manatees, environmental education opportunities for learners of all ages and conservation efforts that inform the community about the environmental challenges manatees encounter in Florida.
“Manatee Lagoon frequently hires FAU students as part-time Manatee Masters, which allows us the flexibility to both work and support our education,” noted Arevalo Cardona. “The internship opened a lot of doors for me. I got to help with a seagrass nursery project, which connects directly with my interests and goals. I also worked on outreach events, and I saw how excited kids were about learning. That experience, along with the support from my team, made me want to stay and keep growing in this field.”
Manatee Lagoon frequently hires FAU students as part-time Manatee Masters
“I have found my passion in conservation, and through my volunteer work, I have learned that education is one of the most powerful tools we have to protect our native species and their habitat,” expressed Arevalo Cardona. “As a Manatee Master, I get to teach people about manatees, the threats they face and how we can all help protect their habitat. Manatees are an umbrella species, so protecting them also helps protect many other species in their ecosystem.”
Conserving Sea Cows and Seagrass Meadows: Meet Manatee Master and Ph.D. Student Ana Arevalo Cardona
One unique fact about manatees is that they control how they float using their lungs. Manatees can inflate each lung separately to help them stay balanced in the water.
