Science • Education • Conservation
A healthier ocean begins with understanding.
We advance the conservation of sharks and all ocean life through cutting-edge research, education, and community engagement that empowers people to protect our blue planet.
Discover the science.
Experience the wonder.
Find your place in the work.
Experience the wonder.
Find your place in the work.
Find your way into the work
Shark Research & Conservation
Explore shark science, native-species recovery, and plastic-pollution research.
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Free Online Courses
Explore free marine science courses and the Explorer Series.
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Expeditions
Explore wildlife and ocean places through travel with a purpose.
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Get Involved
Stay connected, build a partnership, and support conservation in everyday life.
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Florida Keys field programs • Key Largo
Real questions. Hands-on science.
Understanding where sharks live, how they move, and the pressures they face helps guide conservation. Through OFI’s Florida Keys research partnerships, field research connects those questions with the next generation of scientists.
Graduate mentorship links fieldwork, data analysis, and scientific communication—building skills as well as knowledge.
From field samples to deeper insight.
FAU Lab Schools • Boca Raton
At the FAU Lab Schools, working laboratories and analytical instruments—including FTIR and mass spectrometry—support contaminants and microplastics research, hands-on training, and the next generation of shark scientists.
At the FAU Lab Schools, working laboratories and analytical instruments—including FTIR and mass spectrometry—support contaminants and microplastics research, hands-on training, and the next generation of shark scientists.
Conservation starts upstream, too.
Colorado • Front Range and headwaters
At the St. Vrain Valley Innovation Center, students use environmental DNA (eDNA) and laboratory analysis to investigate aquatic life and conservation challenges. Native fish recovery, watershed research, and field education connect Colorado communities to ocean health.
At the St. Vrain Valley Innovation Center, students use environmental DNA (eDNA) and laboratory analysis to investigate aquatic life and conservation challenges. Native fish recovery, watershed research, and field education connect Colorado communities to ocean health.
Learn • Explore • Connect
Go beyond reading about the ocean.
Learn with scientists and experience the places and wildlife that make conservation matter.
2027 Shark Field Course
March 5–9 or March 12–16, 2027
Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Ages 18+. Final arrangements and registration details are being confirmed.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Ages 18+. Final arrangements and registration details are being confirmed.
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Galápagos Expedition
2027 • Fully booked
An educational journey into remarkable wildlife and island ecology. Join the newsletter to hear about future OFI expeditions.
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Curiosity belongs to everyone.
Begin with a free course, bring marine science into a classroom, or meet an extraordinary ocean animal.
Free Online Courses
Explore sharks, marine ecology, ocean literacy, and more—at your own pace.
Explore Courses →
Free School Programs
Hands-on, NGSS-aligned, in-person workshops for grades 1–12 in Colorado and South Florida.
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Meet the Dumbo Octopus
Follow your curiosity into the deep ocean with an OFI Creature Feature.
Read Creature Feature →
Stay close to the work.
Research updates, conservation stories, learning opportunities, and expeditions—delivered through OFI’s newsletter.
Help turn understanding into action.
Your gift supports the work behind conservation: field research, sample analysis, mentorship, and science education.