Eight Niceville High School students recently returned from Japan where they presented their marine biodiversity research at a prestigious international congress, representing the school’s Natural Geography of In-Shore Areas (NaGISA) program on the global stage.

• The students attended the 2nd World Congress of Marine Stations in Shizuoka during their 11-day trip over Thanksgiving break. As representatives of the only U.S. high school affiliated with the NaGISA program, they shared their work alongside researchers from top universities worldwide.

Four students — Jocelyn Wheeler, Noah Stickler, Hannah Castor, and Sasha McCraine — conducted a poster session on November 28, demonstrating their program’s collection and analysis protocols.

• Seniors Lily Suttlemyre, Craig Falzone, Jacob Milz and sophomore Julia Milz delivered a main presentation titled “The Northwest Florida NaGISA Program as a Blueprint for Scientific Outreach,” which detailed their innovative “Sandy Beach” protocol.

“This trip offered these students the rare opportunity to present alongside counterparts from some of the world’s leading universities,” said Richard Hernandez, Teacher of the Gifted at NHS and NaGISA advisor.

The group was accompanied by Hernandez, social studies teacher Patrick Cole, and former NHS NaGISA student Savannah Mikus, now an adjunct lecturer of Japanese at the University of Florida, who served as interpreter along with her husband, Jacob Mikus, a registered nurse.

Following the congress, Niceville High School was accepted as a World Association of Marine Stations member, joining a network of over 800 marine stations globally. The school has been invited to the next World Congress in two years and asked to contribute to the Atlas of Marine Stations.

Superintendent Marcus Chambers praised the achievement: “This trip exemplifies our students’ incredible opportunities to engage in world-class learning experiences. The NaGISA team’s dedication and passion exemplify the excellence we strive for in Okaloosa County.”

The NaGISA program, meaning “where the land meets the sea” in Japanese, is an international collaboration focused on monitoring and cataloging in-shore area biodiversity. Niceville High School’s program has contributed to marine science for over 20 years.