NASA Puerto Rico Project Trains Students in Marine Biology

7 Min Read
A forested green peninsula of Culebra Island juts into the blue waters of the Caribbean as a rain storm hits in the distance. The teal blue surrounding the island indicates shallow waters, home to the island's famous coral reefs.
Credits: NASA Ames/Milan Loiacono

Tainaliz Marie Rodríguez Lugo took a deep breath, adjusted her snorkel mask, and plunged into the ocean, fins first. Three weeks earlier, Rodríguez Lugo couldn't swim. Now the college student was gathering data on water quality and coral reefs for a NASA-led marine biology project in Puerto Rico, where she lives.

"There is so much life down there that I never knew about," Rodríguez Lugo said. "And it's beautiful."

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