Marine Biology Programs for High School Students
Updated: 6 days ago
Updated November 2026
TL;DR
This guide covers 15 marine biology programs for high schoolers, from a year-long ocean conservation project and aquarium volunteering to a free week in a lab, online research courses, and group camps. Costs run from free (Keller BLOOM, for Maine juniors) to $4,900 (the 2026 price of UC San Diego's Tier 2 research course), and the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program pays a $3,000 stipend. If you'd like to research a marine question of your own with a PhD mentor, you can apply to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program.
If you’re thinking about studying marine biology, environmental science, or a related field in college, a high school program can help you see what the work involves. You might survey a shoreline, study plankton in a lab, help at an aquarium, or take part in an ocean conservation project. We’ve put together 15 programs to compare by cost, eligibility, deadlines, and what you’ll actually do. For more hands-on options, see our list of marine biology internships for high school students.
What do you do in a marine biology program?
Mostly you collect data, handle samples, and explain ocean life to other people. The field programs send you out to count and measure. With LiMPETS, you survey tide pool animals and Pacific mole crabs, and with the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network, you sample local water and identify tiny algae under a microscope.
The aquarium roles, like VolunTEEN, put you at an exhibit or touch pool answering questions. Lab programs such as Keller BLOOM have you running experiments on plankton, bacteria, and marine viruses (yes, marine viruses are a real research topic).
If a one-week camp sounds better than a long volunteer commitment, our list of marine biology camps for high school students has those. If the ocean is just one piece of what you’re curious about, our guide to Earth sciences summer programs for high school students covers geology and climate too.
Start here: pick a program by what you want to try
If you want | Look at |
A year-long project in your own community | |
Field science with real data | |
A paid summer internship | Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program, Coastal Studies Institute internships (some paid through research grants) |
Aquarium experience | |
A free week in a research lab | |
College-style courses that lead to research | |
A trip with your class or club | |
A paper of your own, from home |
No ocean nearby? You still have options
Yes. Several programs run online or work from wherever you live. The Lumiere Research Scholar Program is fully online. NOAA's Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador program holds its meetings online and has you lead a project in your own community. UC San Diego's Tier 1 courses meet live online.
The Phytoplankton Monitoring Network even takes freshwater sampling sites. If lakes and rivers are closer to you than a coast, our list of ecology summer programs for high school students is a good next stop.
Marine Biology Programs for High School Students
Location: Online
Cost: Varies by program type; need-based financial aid is available, and the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation offers the program at no cost to talented low-income high schoolers
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; you work 1:1 with your mentor
Program Dates: Winter Cohort starts December 7, 2026, and Winter Cohort II starts January 18, 2027; summer 2027 dates are TBA
Application Deadline: Winter Cohort: November 8, 2026 (priority) and November 22, 2026 (regular); Winter Cohort II: December 27, 2026
Eligibility: Currently enrolled high schoolers with a strong academic record
You pick a research question and build it into a paper with a PhD fellow or postdoc. The 12-week Individual Research Program has 9 sessions with your mentor and 2 with a writing coach, and it ends with a college-level academic paper. Biology and Environmental Studies are on the list of research areas, and you can also propose your own topic, so a marine question fits. Finishing any Lumiere program makes you eligible for 3 post-baccalaureate credits through UC San Diego Extended Studies.
Who is it right for? You, if you want a finished paper on a question you chose and need something that works from home.
Location: Your school or community, plus monthly virtual meetings
Cost: Not listed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: January to December each year
Application Deadline: January 3, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET (applications open November 13, 2026)
Eligibility: Ages 13 to 18; living in the U.S. or a U.S. territory
Over a year, you learn about the National Marine Sanctuary System, threats to the ocean, and NOAA careers in monthly webinars, then you lead a project or event of your own. Project ideas on the program page include a beach cleanup, an upcycling workshop, a campaign to cut single-use plastics at local restaurants and schools, tree planting, and starting a school environmental club. NOAA staff can support your project, and you earn one of four completion tiers based on meeting attendance and project progress. For more conservation-minded options, see our list of sustainability summer programs for high school students.
Who is it right for? You, if you want to lead something in your own town and can make one virtual meeting a month.
Location: Any sampling site with easy, safe, and legal access across the U.S. (marine sites need a salinity of 10 to 15 ppt or higher most of the year; freshwater sites have no salinity requirement)
Cost: No fee listed; the network provides sampling equipment, but you need access to a basic light microscope
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; you can join as an individual or with a group
Program Dates: Rolling; you sample at least once every two weeks for at least one year
Application Deadline: None listed; request training on the program page any time
Eligibility: Anyone can participate, homeschoolers included; no science experience required; you need computer access and a microscope that reaches 200x (400x is better)
Every two weeks you collect a water sample, look at it under a microscope, and identify the phytoplankton in it. After NOAA staff confirm your identifications, your data goes into a public database that helps track harmful algal blooms. Training takes 2 to 3 hours for marine sites and about 1.5 hours for freshwater sites. Collecting a sample takes 5 to 10 minutes, and identifying what's in it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours. If you don't have a microscope, the network may be able to help you find one in your community.
Who is it right for? You, if you like slow, steady fieldwork, can reach a safe water site, and can use a microscope.
4. LiMPETS
Location: Beaches and tide pools along the California coast
Cost: Free in Monterey County through the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History; other regions not listed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Set by your teacher; teacher workshops are held in September (Sandy Beach) and January (Rocky Intertidal), with the next Rocky Intertidal workshop on January 23, 2027
Application Deadline: None listed; your teacher registers the class
Eligibility: Grade 9 through college for Rocky Intertidal and grade 6 through college for Sandy Beach, through a teacher or group leader who has attended a LiMPETS workshop
LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students) is a California coastal monitoring program led through the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History and its partners. On a rocky shore, you survey 26 key invertebrate and algae species, and on a sandy beach you track the Pacific mole crab. Training takes about 1.5 hours (two class periods), then you head out on a field trip and enter your data into the LiMPETS database back in class. You can add a research poster or a community action project afterward.
Who is it right for? You, if you live in California and can ask a teacher to bring the program to your class.
Location: Shorelines around Cook Inlet, Alaska
Cost: Not listed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Two seasons each year, spring (mid-March through May) and fall (mid-August through mid-November)
Application Deadline: None listed; sign up at akbmp.org and attend a volunteer orientation
Eligibility: Volunteers who can reach a Cook Inlet monitoring site; check the sign-up page for current age rules
You watch the river mouths and streams that flow into Cook Inlet and record where the endangered belugas are and what they're doing. You're trained on standardized protocols, and NOAA Fisheries shares your observations with scientists and federal managers. Volunteers pick monitoring sessions at established sites after finishing the orientation. NOAA Fisheries has also described a teen Youth Ambassador position and a school beluga club, so teens have been part of the program.
Who is it right for? You, if you live in southcentral Alaska and want to do shore-based marine mammal monitoring.
Location: ECU Outer Banks Campus, Wanchese, NC
Cost: CSI internships are not state funded, and some are supported through research grants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Spring, summer, and fall semesters, lasting up to a semester (usually 3 to 4 months); 2027 internships TBA
Application Deadline: TBA (the Fall 2026 window is closed; CSI posts openings at least a month before each deadline)
Eligibility: Rising freshmen through rising seniors for the high school internships
You and your mentor write a work plan, then you spend up to a semester on a project. Past internship projects have included education, science journalism, photojournalism, sustainable design, ocean observing, and estuary processes and ecology. Fall 2026 listed one high school role, in Education and Outreach. Hours usually run 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, though you and your mentor set them, and you get an evaluation at the halfway point and at the end.
Who is it right for? You, if you can be in or near the Outer Banks and want a semester of coastal science or science writing.
Location: Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine
Cost: Free; chaperoned housing on campus, meals, and snacks are included
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 16 selected
Program Dates: TBA (previous cohort: May 17 to 22, 2026)
Application Deadline: Applications open in January 2027 and are due in early April 2027
Eligibility: Maine home-schooled, public, and private high school juniors curious about ocean or environmental science
For one week, you live on Bigelow's campus and work with its scientists. You start with a research cruise on the Sheepscot River estuary, then spend three days in the lab on four activities covering phytoplankton, zooplankton, pigments, nutrients, bacteria, and marine viruses. On the last day, you present your work to friends and family. You also join discussions on public policy and scientific ethics and a Marine Science Career Night.
Who is it right for? You, if you're a Maine junior who wants a free week in an ocean lab.
Location: Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA, with events at the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library
Cost: Not listed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: The 2026-27 session runs September 20, 2026 to May 23, 2027; the next session is TBA
Application Deadline: TBA (applications for 2026-27 closed August 25, 2026)
Eligibility: Ages 15 to 17; volunteers attend at least 75% of shifts
You and other teen volunteers plan science events with working scientists, for other teens. You research a scientist's work, give feedback so the talk makes sense to a teen audience, and add a hands-on activity or craft. The 2026-27 group meets Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Aquarium and plans three to five Friday evening events at the library. You also help promote events, including posts for the @aopteens Instagram account.
Who is it right for? You, if you're 15 to 17, don't mind talking about science out loud, and live near Long Beach.
Location: Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA
Cost: Not listed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Three 10-week sessions a year (fall, spring, and summer); 2027 dates TBA (previous cohorts: Summer 2026 shifts, June 13 to August 7; Fall 2026 shifts, September 26 to November 22)
Application Deadline: TBA (previous cohorts: Summer 2026 applications closed April 15; Fall 2026 closed August 5)
Eligibility: Ages 14 to 16; online application and in-person interview
You spend 60 hours over a 10-week session answering visitor questions at exhibit carts and touch pools. You apply online, interview in person, then finish an online training and one on-site training day before your first shift. Spring and fall sessions run on weekends, and summer runs seven days a week, but you're assigned one recurring day each week. After you finish, you can become a VolunTEEN Mentor or move into other Aquarium teen roles, including Teen Science Café.
Who is it right for? You, if you're 14 to 16 and want a first steady marine science volunteer shift.
Location: Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA), Sarasota, FL
Cost: Not listed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; spaces are limited
Program Dates: Spring semester runs January to May and fall semester runs September to December; spring 2027 dates are TBA
Application Deadline: TBA (previous spring deadline: January 1, 2026)
Eligibility: Current high schoolers with reliable transportation to Mote SEA
As an Aquarium Guide, you explain exhibits and Mote research to visitors and help with animal encounters. You start with an online training course and an on-site orientation, then shadow an experienced volunteer trainer on your first shift. You need at least 16 service hours each semester, with at least one 4-hour shift a month, and you schedule shifts and log hours online. Mote also runs a separate eight-week summer volunteer program (32 service hours) with its own application. If you're comparing Florida options, our list of marine biology summer programs for high school students in Florida has more.
Who is it right for? You, if you live near Sarasota, have a ride, and want service hours at a marine lab's aquarium.
Location: Live online for Tier 1; hybrid at Scripps Institution of Oceanography for Tier 2 (housing and transportation not provided)
Cost: Tier 1: $1,500 (Winter 2027) or $2,000 (Spring 2027); Tier 2: $4,900 (Summer 2026 price)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; accepted on a rolling basis until full
Program Dates: Winter 2027: February 16 to March 11; Spring 2027: March 29 to May 5; Tier 2 Summer 2027 TBA (Summer 2026: June 22 to July 24)
Application Deadline: Winter 2027: February 8, 2027; Spring 2027: March 22, 2027; Tier 2 Summer 2027 TBA
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12 and at least 14 when the course starts; Tier 2 needs a Tier 1 course, a community college biology, environmental, or marine science course, or AP Biology or AP Environmental Science
The program works like a ladder. Tier 1 is a live online course: Winter 2027 covers coral reef ecology (including setting up and maintaining a reef tank), and Spring 2027 teaches research skills and ends with a research proposal. Tier 2 is the research course, led by Scripps graduate students and marine science professionals, with field trips to San Diego tide pools and coastal habitats and projects on thermal biology or environmental DNA. Tier 3 builds scientific communication and can lead to publication in the program's research journal.
Who is it right for? You, if you're 14 or older and want a path from a first marine science course to a research project.
Location: Seattle Aquarium, Seattle, WA
Cost: Not listed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Over 140 teen volunteers from across the Puget Sound region
Program Dates: School year: January to June for new volunteers and October to June for returning ones; summer: late June to early September
Application Deadline: The Summer 2027 interest form opens in February, followed by a required online information session and an application
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12 in a high school, Running Start, GED, or homeschool program when you apply
You pick a level. Tides is the most accessible, with a monthly newsletter, digital meetups with guest speakers, and quarterly events. Currents puts you on the Aquarium floor interpreting exhibits, with classes on marine research and trips to other institutions. Breakers is for experienced Currents volunteers, who work on one project with conservation professionals. Every volunteer completes at least eight activities (three to five hours each), and accepted applicants do about 20 hours of training over five dates, two in person and three online. You're chosen through your application and an interview, and you can stay until the summer after senior year.
Who is it right for? You, if you live around Puget Sound and want to start light with Tides or go hands-on with Currents.
Location: New England Aquarium, Boston, MA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: A three-month commitment: one half day on site each week plus about two hours of virtual training
Application Deadline: Not listed; apply through the Aquarium's volunteer portal
Eligibility: Ages 16 and up
You spend one half day on site each week, either 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. You start conversations with guests of all ages, share animal biofacts, run cart activities, and help keep the interactive exhibits safe for animals and visitors. The free training covers customer service, interpretation, and animal knowledge, and you also get in-person mentoring on site.
Who is it right for? You, if you're 16 or older, live near Boston, and enjoy talking with strangers about sea animals.
Location: A local placement near your home, with a fisheries or aquatic science professional
Cost: Paid internship with a $3,000 stipend and an all-expense-paid trip to the Hutton Scholars Summit
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published
Program Dates: Eight weeks in the summer, full time; start and end dates are flexible
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: High schoolers in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico; check the program site for current grade and age rules
The American Fisheries Society matches you with a fisheries or aquatic science professional in your area for an eight-week, full-time, paid internship. You get hands-on experience in a marine or freshwater setting, with a mentor who works in the field. You keep biweekly time sheets and turn in a mid-summer report and a final report. The program says its goal is to recruit high schoolers from communities that are underrepresented in fisheries.
Who is it right for? You, if you want a paid, local summer job in fisheries or aquatic science and can work full time for eight weeks.
Location: Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, MS
Cost: The 2025 flyer listed $75 per person for a full day and $37.50 for a half day, with dissection fees extra
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Groups of 15 to 100
Program Dates: August to May; one- to five-day camps scheduled with your group
Application Deadline: None listed; groups book by calling 228.818.8095
Eligibility: Grade 4 through adult, booked as an organized group (school, scouts, church, or community group)
Your group designs a one- to five-day camp at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. Topics include shark identification and dissection, water quality testing, trawling, kayaking, coastal ornithology, marine aquaculture, and beach and barrier island ecology. The lab has a dormitory and a cafeteria for overnight stays. Because the camps are built for groups, you need a teacher or leader to book one. If you're on the Gulf Coast, our list of marine biology summer programs for high school students in Texas covers more options nearby.
Who is it right for? You, if your class, club, or troop can book it.
What do these programs cost, and how much time do they take?
Costs run from free to several thousand dollars, and many volunteer roles list no fee at all. Keller BLOOM is free and includes housing and meals, and the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program pays a stipend. UC San Diego's courses run from $1,500 for Tier 1 to $4,900 for the 2026 Tier 2 course, and the Lumiere Research Scholar Program varies by track, with need-based aid. If you're watching your budget, our list of free biology summer programs for high school students has more ideas.
Program | Cost | Ages or grades | Time commitment | Next deadline |
Varies; aid available | High school | 12-week Individual Research Program | Nov. 8 (priority) and Nov. 22, 2026 | |
Not listed | Ages 13 to 18 | Monthly virtual meetings, January to December | Jan. 3, 2027 | |
No fee listed; bring a microscope | Anyone | A sample every two weeks for at least a year | None listed | |
Free in Monterey County | Grade 6 or 9 through college | About 1.5 hours of training plus a field trip | Set by your teacher | |
Not listed | Check the sign-up page | Spring and fall seasons | None listed | |
Some paid through grants | Rising freshmen to rising seniors | Up to a semester | TBA | |
Free | Maine juniors | One week | Early April 2027 | |
Not listed | Ages 15 to 17 | Sundays, September to May | TBA | |
Not listed | Ages 14 to 16 | 60 hours over 10 weeks | TBA | |
Not listed | Current high schoolers | 16+ service hours a semester | TBA | |
$1,500 to $4,900 | Grades 9 to 12, age 14+ | About 4 to 5 weeks per course | Feb. 8 and Mar. 22, 2027 | |
Not listed | Grades 9 to 12 | 8+ activities per session | Summer interest form opens in February | |
Not listed | Ages 16 and up | Half day a week for 3 months | Not listed | |
$3,000 stipend | High school | 8 weeks, full time | TBA | |
$75 per person, full day (2025) | Grade 4 through adult groups | 1 to 5 days | Book by phone |
If you're a freshman, NOAA's Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador program (ages 13 and up) and VolunTEEN (ages 14 to 16) are two of the earliest ones you can start.
When do marine biology applications open?
The postings that are up right now fall between November and April, and the rest are TBA. Here is what each program shows today:
NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador: opens November 13, 2026, and closes January 3, 2027.
Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Winter Cohort deadlines are November 8 (priority) and November 22, 2026.
UC San Diego Marine Science: winter closes February 8, 2027, and spring closes March 22, 2027.
Keller BLOOM: opens in January and closes in early April 2027.
Seattle Aquarium Youth Ocean Advocates: the Summer 2027 interest form opens in February.
VolunTEEN and the Mote Teen Volunteer Program: 2027 dates aren't posted. Last cycle, summer VolunTEEN applications ran March 1 to April 15, and Mote's spring deadline was January 1.
If you're working backward from college deadlines, our guide on when to start a high school research program shows how to plan it.
5 Tips to Get Into a Marine Biology Program
1. Pick one question or one animal before you start writing
Keller BLOOM asks which marine invertebrate you'd want to be and why, and NOAA's Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador program asks you to lead a project about something you care about. Choose a small, specific curiosity, like why mussels cling to one rock and skip the next, and write about that. A real question reads better than a general love of the ocean.
2. Ask your recommenders early
Keller BLOOM wants two letters of recommendation, with at least one from a science teacher. Teachers get plenty of letter requests in winter, so hand yours a short list of what you did in their class.
3. Sort out rides, gear, and housing first
The Mote Teen Volunteer Program requires reliable transportation, UC San Diego's Tier 2 course doesn't provide housing or transportation, and the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network needs you to have access to a microscope. Check these before you spend a weekend on an application.
4. Start small and move up
Several programs are built like ladders. Seattle Aquarium Youth Ocean Advocates goes from Tides to Currents to Breakers, UC San Diego Marine Science runs from Tier 1 to Tier 3, and VolunTEEN leads into Teen Science Café. A first step gives you something concrete to point to when you apply to more selective programs, like the ones in our list of competitive biology programs for high school students.
5. Keep a log of what you collect
The Phytoplankton Monitoring Network and LiMPETS have you enter data online, and VolunTEEN and the Mote Teen Volunteer Program count your hours. Save your numbers, photos, and short notes as you go. They turn into essay material or a poster much more easily than memories do.
Want to research an ocean question of your own?
Most programs on this list give you a placement, a volunteer role, or a course. If you'd like to go deeper on a question you choose, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you one-on-one with a PhD fellow or postdoc. In the 12-week Individual Research Program, you meet your mentor nine times and a writing coach twice, then finish with a college-level research paper. The program is fully online and full financial aid is available. If you're curious about other topics, see our list of environmental science research opportunities for high school students.
Quick answers before you apply to a marine biology program
Do I need to have taken biology before applying?
Not for most of them. Several of the monitoring and volunteer programs train you from scratch, and one national citizen-science option says no science experience is required. The research-style courses are the exception, since one asks you to finish an intro course or take biology or AP environmental science first.
Will I handle marine animals, or mostly talk with visitors?
It depends on the program. The aquarium roles are mostly about teaching visitors at exhibits and touch pools, while the field programs have you sampling water, counting species, or watching for marine mammals from shore. Check the "what you do" part of each entry to match your interest.
Can I do these during the school year, or only in summer?
Both. Several run all school year through weekend shifts, weekly meetings, or monthly virtual calls, while a few are one-week or one-semester commitments. For help planning around your own calendar, see our guide to when to start a research program.
Will I finish with a paper, a presentation, or something else?
It varies. A few programs end with a presentation, a poster, or a completion ceremony, and many volunteer roles end with service hours and no final product. If you want a finished paper with your name on it, the Lumiere Research Scholar Program pairs you with a PhD fellow or postdoc for a fully online project that ends in a college-level research paper.