My students had an amazing time first learning about the fresh and marine environments, adaptations of marine species and the environmental challenges facing intertidal species during their first visit to REEF.  Students then applied this knowledge into an inquiry project they developed with the guidance of the UCSB REEF staff.  Students gained the experience of collaborating with another scientist, going through the experimental design process and collecting data with live species.  This was such a rich experience for the students because they worked with enthusiastic and knowledgeable scientists that challenged them to develop their research further and strengthen their experiments.   I would never have the resources or time to be able to have the diversity of salt water tanks found at REEF in my classroom. The close access to the beach and lagoon also strengthen the experience of the students as they can easily compare species in a controlled environment in the REEF facility to the natural environments right outside the REEF building.  I was impressed with the support my students received in tackling this project. Scott did a tremendous job of preparing us for each of our visits as well as accommodating the unique requests and needs of my students. The REEF staff was incredibly flexible with their presentations and the needs of my students. It was clear that they truly cared about the experience my students had and that they wanted to challenge each student no matter what their prior knowledge was.  I find this authentically differentiated instruction can be rare in experiential education and I deeply appreciate that the REEF staff took the time to get to know my students and my learning objectives.  I was grateful and appreciated that the REEF staff provided my students with the materials they needed to complete their experiments, all of which are items I do not have a budget with which to purchase.   The REEF staff went above and beyond and even accommodated students who missed the original field trip and cheerfully met them on a weekend.  The dedication and passion of the REEF staff is clear.   If the mission of the REEF is to educate and ignite enthusiasm for marine biology then the REEF staff's passion and hands-on experiences certainly did just that for my students. Many of my students said this was the highlight of the year and planned to take their families to the REEF facility.