On a sunny Friday morning, Sunlake High School Junior, Matthew Madley, and his AP Environmental Science class took a trip to Pasco County’s Energy and Marine Center. Matthew and his classmates learned about the ocean and how it is effected by internal and external factors in our environment. Mainly, they practiced an activity called “animal testing,” where they put a box filled with a clam-covered rock in the ocean, and after a certain amount of time they pulled the box up and counted how many clams lived and how many died. After performing the experiment, Matthew mentioned that, “It was very interesting to see and learn about the different factors in the ocean and how they can effect the organisms living in it, as well as what the EMC does to control this.” Outside of his experiment, Matthew also enjoyed the ocean itself despite how hot it was outside and the amount of mosquitoes. He exclaimed that, “My favorite part was mainly the swimming in the ocean, and seeing animals like dolphins on the trip. It was a really fun experience!”