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Biology pilot course lets students dive in to observe diverse species firsthand at local SeaQuest

Students were able to interact with the various underwater species during a snorkeling activity at SeaQuest. (Photos by Ross Kohl)

When studying the diversity of life found in God’s creation, time spent outside of a classroom surrounded by animals can enrich the experience and truly open one’s eyes to the intricacies of each species. This is the idea behind BIOL 125: Animal Diversity and Conservation, a pilot course launched this semester by Liberty University’s Department of Biology & Chemistry and conducted at the local SeaQuest, a zoo aquarium attraction in River Ridge Mall.

Housing animals from the land, sea, and sky from locations around the world, SeaQuest provides a wealth of opportunities for observation and interaction, according to the course’s professor, Dr. Kyle Harris.

“It’s not your traditional class, that’s for sure,” Harris said. “There are a lot of diverse critters here, so for an educator who wants to talk about animal diversity and conservation, there are so many opportunities to do that. It’s a very unique class, it’s almost like a field trip every day for a semester.”

Students create species profiles on a weekly basis, selecting a new animal in the facility and conducting research and firsthand observation.

“They’re making their own notes and observations just like a scientist would, and they go and look up information about the animals,” said Harris, who is the department’s Director of Organismal & Environmental Biology. “SeaQuest has so many different species here, so we’ll either bring a variety into the classroom or we can come out to the (exhibits) and walk around them. We do have a textbook that goes through the different animal phyla, but the students are able to come here and actually look at the animals or even touch them in some cases.”

This past week, students donned wetsuits and snorkeling masks to swim in a tank with rays, small sharks, and other marine life. Throughout the rest of the semester, students will be able to interact with other animals at SeaQuest like entering a bird enclosure and bringing a sloth and wallaby into the classroom, and more.

Senior zoo & wildlife biology student Madison Adams said she has thoroughly enjoyed the chance to interact with animals and, in the case of the tank activity, literally get hands-on with her research.

“A lot of people walk through here when they visit SeaQuest, but I don’t think they really get to sit down and watch the different species move around, so it’s really fun to stay and observe them,” Adams said. “It was fun to follow the little schools of fish around the tank and swim with them and touch the different stingrays. As a zoo and wildlife major, it’s definitely been a fun experience to be a part of something like this.”

Freshman accounting student Susanne Germeroth is taking the class to satisfy her natural science course credit.

“I’m really appreciative that we have to do a biology Gen Ed course because I love animals, so this semester I’ve just gotten the chance to study them and learn more about them, and I’ve learned so much more by being able to actually see the animals,” Germeroth said. “I was freaking out thinking about being in the tank with the rays and sharks at first, but when I got in there it was really chill because they are really safe and you’re able to touch them. I ended up wishing I could’ve stayed in longer.”

Harris said the class will remain a pilot course for the coming spring semester and it is planned to be a catalog course in Biology & Chemistry for Fall 2022.

“Since it’s a pilot course, I’m always asking the students what they like and don’t like about the class, and they really enjoy the chance to come out here to SeaQuest,” Harris said. “We had been looking for opportunities for our zoo and wildlife students locally to work with wildlife, and here we have this amazing facility now in Lynchburg. Not every student wants to hold snakes or jump in a shark tank, but there are a lot of students who this would be a special and unique experience for.”

SeaQuest opened in October 2019 as part of a major redevelopment plan at the mall. River Ridge is solely owned by Liberty University and managed by JLL.

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