Algalita Marine Research and Education

This initiative connects LA County youth to the region’s urban coastline, where the LA River meets the Pacific, through hands-on science kits using real environmental samples, kayak-based field experiences, and a summer leadership camp. The program will reach over 16,000 students through classroom kits, bring 800 students onto the water for field science, and engage 60 youth in a Ocean Action Leadership Camp, expanding access to place-based education that inspires students to understand, protect, and reimagine the future of our urban ocean.

Algalita’s NEW River’s End STEM Education Program will provide one-day field research experiences for over 500 public middle/high school students in Los Angeles County. Taking place in Long Beach, CA at the end of the San Gabriel River, students will collect microplastics samples, test water quality, and trawl for plankton using Waterbikes. All samples collected in the field will be taken back to our research and learning center to be analyzed by the students alongside real researchers using state-of-the-art scientific equipment.