Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy - CMERA

🎉 Another huge milestone reached!

This week, our students caught and tagged our 3,000th ray, a southern stingray, just days after reaching our 3,000th shark tagged milestone.

These numbers represent far more than individual animals. Every catch, tag, measurement, and release contributes valuable data that helps researchers better understand population trends, movement patterns, habitat use, and the overall health of local shark and ray populations.

We’re incredibly proud of our students, staff, and interns who have helped make these milestones possible. Here’s to the next 3,000! 🦈🌊

🐢 Happy World Sea Turtle Day!

From assisting with stranded sea turtles to educating future marine biologists through our courses and hands-on rehabilitation experiences in Colombia, we’re proud to play a role in protecting these incredible animals.

Sea turtles have navigated our oceans for millions of years, but today they face countless challenges. Through research, education, and rehabilitation, we remain committed to helping ensure these species continue to thrive for generations to come!

🎉🦈 Huge news from the water!

This week, we officially reached a major research milestone: 3,000 sharks tagged!

To make the moment even more special, our 3,000th shark was a juvenile great hammerhead, an endangered species and an endangered species that has become synonymous with our work and is featured in the our logo.

As we celebrate our 15th year of shark and ray research, milestones like this are a reminder of the impact that long-term conservation and research can have. Every shark tagged helps us better understand the species that call our waters home and provides valuable data that contributes to their protection.

Thank you to all of the students, interns, researchers, and community members who have been part of this journey. Here’s to the next 3,000! 🌊

Don’t blink or your chance to join us might slip away! 🦈

We’ve been blown away by the support for our Shark Scientist Discovery Program, so we’ve opened up additional dates and time slots this summer! Our very first single day trip is this Saturday, and we still have a few spots remaining on our evening trip from 3 PM to 7 PM.

With shark activity picking up around Tampa Bay, now is the perfect time to get out on the water and experience shark research firsthand.

Spots are limited, so head to the link in our bio and reserve your place aboard our research vessel today! 🌊

Stingrays are making a big splash this summer! 🌊

Our students have recently been catching some impressively large southern stingrays, including one measuring 88 cm across! Encounters with large, mature individuals like this can provide valuable insight into the health of local populations and the ecosystems they call home.

Want to get hands on with shark and ray research? Check out the link in our bio to learn how you can join us on the water! 🦈

Some college students are getting their hands dirty doing research into some of our closest aquatic neighbors. We join them as they tag stingrays and sharks off the Pinellas County coast.

Read the full story - and see more photos - here: https://www.wusf.org/environment/2026-05-28/saving-stingrays-off-pinellas-coast-one-radio-transmitter-at-a-time