Los Angeles, CA — This week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $7,500 grant for the Cabrillo Aquarium to help fund the Young Scientists Program. The funding was made available through the Los Angeles Fish and Wildlife Commission.
The Young Scientists Program is an award-winning year-long program which teaches middle school, high school, and college-aged students the fundamentals of marine biology while training them to raise species in captivity. Later, participants design and execute their own scientific experiments which research ways to help an animal thrive in the wild. By the end of the year, participants lead tours to school groups and present the findings of their experiments at a symposium.
“I’m happy to support such a worthy cause,” said Supervisor Hahn. “Not only does the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s Young Scientists program make learning about marine biology fun, it gives students real responsibilities and a sense of purpose.”
The Executive Director of Friends of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Caroline Brady, said, “Cabrillo Marine Aquarium’s mission is to be a trusted resource that inspires exploration, respect and conservation of Southern California marine life, so this grant is a perfect fit for the important work we do in our Aquatic nursery. We are teaching young scientists to work with endangered and threatened species like the white abalone and tidewater gobies–animals that were once prevalent right here along our LA County Coastline.”
Located in San Pedro, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium introduces schoolchildren, families, and visitors from near and far to the incredible underwater world of Southern California.