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Annual Open House | Exhibit Descriptions
Open House Exhibits
Example Open House exhibits from past years are listed below.
 Airboats: 4-Wheel Drive on Water
Airboats are an important way to get around in shallow water, like the Everglades. Wonder how they work? Inspect an airboat with a USGS boat captain. Read more about vessels and vessel-based marine mapping. |
 A Simple Model of Coast Erosion
What happens to the coastline when a hurricane stirs up wind and waves? See how an island erodes during a storm. Find out more about historical shoreline change. |
 Auger Drill
Geologists need core samples and they obtain them by drilling. The auger drill is a corkscrew method used to obtain cores from sand and clay deposits in the offshore shallow coastal environment. The barge provides the working platform in the shallow water. USGS scientists have used this tool to obtain cores in many locations including Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tampa Bay. Find out more about the auger drilling system. |
 Bacteria at the Beach
Did you know that bacteria are everywhere, even at the beach! Some bacteria can cause disease but others are very beneficial. As we learn more about bacteria, we are learning that they play important roles in biological and geological cycles. Find out some of the cool things bacteria do and learn how we test for them to make sure they don’t pose health risks when you swim at the beach. |
 Bathy Bottoms-Seafloor Mapping
Learn how sound travels through water and sediments and how scientists measure and use the speed of sound to make maps of the seafloor and geologic formations. Find out more at the California Seafloor Mapping Program. |
 Catch Climate Fever
Find out about climate change. Learn how the land and sea preserves clues that tell us about climate in the past. Look through a microscope to see tiny fossils, play the pollen game and make 1000 years of climate change. Lots of hands-on demonstrations and activities bring climate change to life. |
 Collecting Microbes in African Dust
A USGS microbiologist will show you how bacteria is collected from air samples around the world and cultivated so that it can be identified. Learn about agar, petri dishes and the different ways bacteria grow and the different ways we identify them. Watch the documentary: African Dust, Coral Reefs and Human Health. |
 Cool Contours
How do we represent three dimensions on a flat piece of paper? Make a real topographic map by helping scientists make measurements that will create a contour map. Get maps at the USGS Store. |
 Coral Reefs: Cities Under the Sea
Coral reefs are the rainforests of the sea. These colonies of corals build structures that provide homes to many different organisms. Yet coral reefs are in decline worldwide. Come learn about how scientists are studying coral reefs. |
 Corals: Record Keepers of the Deep
Does brain coral know more about ocean history than star coral? What’s the difference between Montastraea annularis and Diploria strigosa? Did you know that some coral species are threatened or that we can learn about past climate from coral skeletons? How do corals grow? How does ocean chemistry affect coral growth? Dive in and learn more. |
 Coral Twister
A scientific twist on a hands-on adventure. Tie yourself and your tongue up in knots as you learn fun Latin names for corals that live in a marine environment near you. Right hand Acropora! Science for the Conservation
of Coral Reefs |
 Crabs: Ecosystem Engineers of the Mangrove Forests
Crabs play a surprising role in the mangrove ecosystem. As they burrow, they create extensive tunnel networks that allow for air and water exchange within the root systems of mangrove forests. Come see crab engineering first-hand. |
CSI—Tracks in the Sand
In this amazing Whodunit, use geologic clues to answer questions about a missing bicycle. Who borrowed it and what kind of clues do we have to help solve this puzzle. |
 Deep, Dark Secrets
Hidden life in the deep Gulf of Mexico: Come learn about fantastic deep-sea corals, crabs, fish, and more that live in cold, dark waters more than one thousand feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico! Find out what the difference is between a submarine and a submersible, and how scientists use them to study these unusual habitats. Visit the USGS DISCOVRE Expedition. |
 Diatoms: One-Celled Wonders
There is a wide variety of diatoms living in our oceans. Each species is adapted to specific environmental conditions. They fashion their intricate skeleton out of silica and when they die these delicate microfossils accumulate on the ocean floor leaving behind all kinds of clues about our oceans and global climate. These one-celled wonders leave lots to ponder. Read more about Diatoms and their application to earth science. |
 Diggin' the Past:
Sediments tell stories about our world of the past. Dig through sediment cores. Learn how geologists use cores to read earth stories and reconstruct the past. Come experience the “Vibracore” and drill your way into earth history. Read about vibracoring off the R/V G.K. Gilbert. |
 Do Cows Poop in the Watershed?
What is a watershed and what do cows have to do with it? Learn about land-use, watersheds and ways human activities affect our water resources. See Science in Your Watershed. |
 Earthquake Machine:
When will an earthquake occur? How do scientists understand these ground-shaking phenomena? Did you feel it? Come make seismic waves. Learn how we use them to understand earthquakes. Visit the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. |
 Educator's Resource Table: Come see the collection of educational resources that we house in this facility. We have posters and hand-outs from the USGS, the Florida Geological Survey and other federal and state agencies. Take home ideas for lesson plans and activities. Learn about national educational USGS resources for teachers. Don’t miss the Map Giveaways! Find more resources at the USGS Science Education page. |
 Explore Earth with GeoMapApp and Virtual Ocean:
Look at the Earth in new ways using GeoMapApp and Virtual Ocean. Geologists will guide you in using these earth science visualization tools that are available on-line so you can use them on your computer at home. |
 Explore Our Online Science Resources
Learn about the amazing and diverse science topics on USGS web sites. Do you have questions about science? Our extensive web pages have answers. |
 Fish Going In-Seine
Gone fishing…Ichthyologists catch fish in order to study them. Take a turn at using a seine to catch fish. Identify the fish you catch and learn what their features tell us about where they live and what they eat. Learn about nonindigenous fish of Florida. |
 Florida Web Resources
Learn about the amazing web resources for Florida science topics. Do you have questions about science in Florida? Our web pages have answers. |
 Foraminifera Twister
A scientific twist on a hands-on adventure. Tie yourself and your tongue up in knots as you learn fun Latin names for microscopic organisms with that tell us a lot about paleoclimate. Right hand Elphidium! |
 GeoWall—See the Earth in 3D
See landscapes in 3D with GeoWall! Fly through a simulated model of the sea floor bottom of Tampa Bay, the Puerto Rico trench and other earth structures. |
 GIS—Measuring Coastal Change
What is a Geographic Information System? Track changes along a coastline to see how maps tell us about changes we may not notice over the course of our lifetime. |
 The Great Bud Burst
Many biological cycles on the earth follow cues from the sun and other signals. What are these signals? Learn to be a citizen observer and learn about some examples you can see at home. Come learn about the careful choreography of nature. |
 Gulf sturgeon
The Gulf sturgeon is an indicator species for the health of the Suwannee River yet there are many mysteries yet to be answered about this fish. Why does it make tremendous leaps out of the water? Come see a live gulf sturgeon with its armored plates and whisker-like barbells. Learn how they feed and about their curious migration cycles between fresh and saltwater environments. |
 The Hydrologic Cycle
What are the major components of the hydrologic cycle? Have you interacted with any of them today? How many kinds of water are there? What happens to a water molecule as it travels through a Watershed? Can you tell water properties just by looking? |
 Louisiana's Delta Plain: Past, Present...and Future
Louisiana's coastal landscape is dominated by deltaic sediments that have been deposited over the last 10,000 years. Learn about the delta cycle and subsidence at geologic and historic timescales. Can coastal Louisiana survive sea-level rise? |
 Map Giveaways
Maps are fascinating. Come look at assorted maps that you can take home with you. We have extras to share. See the Earth as Art. |
 Mapping Disaster
Scientists and Emergency Managers rely on mapping data to help plan and mitigate for disasters like flooding, tsunamis, hurricanes, Come see how mapping layers can be combined to show new information. |
 A Marsh is like a Sponge
A popular cartoon character helps USGS scientists give a tour of a tidal wetland. Join us for some squishy fun. Learn how marshes absorb and release water, air and nutrients. You will also learn how tidal marshes help absorb wave energy and how tidal wetlands contribute to the estuary food web. Identify animals that call the marsh their home. |
 Measuring Streamflow
Measuring streamflow helps us prepare for floods and droughts. Meet the scientists who measure our streams across the nation! See the different kinds of equipment they use. It’s available for hands-on demonstrations, questions and answers. Get real-time data for Florida streamflow. |
 Mississippi Mud
Using a core extruder, you can help slice a sediment core into equal sections and then squeeze the sections dry. Learn how water samples from the different sections are analyzed and compared to tell us about marsh history. Read more at the Atchafalaya and Mississippi River Deltas Study. |
 The National Map
Let scientists teach you about making maps, reading maps and the power of creating a map using different kinds of information. You can make your own digital map using the National Atlas. Learn about map symbols. There are map puzzles to challenge you too. |
 Our Underwater Neighborhood
Do sea creatures live in neighborhoods? Do worms, crabs and fish like the same kind of house? Habitat is another word for neighborhood in nature. Visit this exhibit and learn about the many different neighborhoods that exist underwater. |
 pH, CO2, Our Oceans and You
Carbon dioxide makes up a large part of earth’s atmosphere. When you exhale, you release carbon dioxide. There are other sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide too. Did you know that atmospheric carbon dioxide affects ocean chemistry? Learn about pH, ocean acidification, marine calcifiers, global food webs, carbon cycling and how all of it relates to human activity. |
 Picture Yourself A Scientist
Here is your opportunity to pose as a scientist in the field collecting a core sample, SCUBA diving, seining, catching turtles, climbing a climate station tower. We'll take a picture of you that you can take home and share with your friends. If you see it, you can believe it. |
 Real-Time Data –National Water Information System (NWIS)
Did you know that you can monitor our nation’s streamflow and other water resources in near real-time from your desk? You can monitor flooding events, see if river flow is suitable for a canoe trip or observe how rainfall affects your favorite fishing spot. You can even set up your computer to alert you of specific conditions. Learn how to access USGS water data online in real time and see how our rivers, lakes and wells respond to environmental events. |
 Rising Seas
Sea level has changed throughout Earth's history. When earth's climate changes, sea level does too. Learn about what causes sea level to rise and how scientists measure rates and changes in sea level. |
 Sands of the World
The world in a grain of sand. What is sand? How is it made? Look at a unique collection of tiny sand particles from Hawaii, France, Alaska, Iceland, the Bahamas and beyond. Use a microscope to see how sand deposits provide insight into understanding global geology and weathering processes. |
 Scientists Underwater
Since 70 percent of the earth is underwater, many scientists get wet at work. SCUBA diving can be an important job skill. Come see how scientists work underwater to learn more about our watery world. |
 Surf's Up
Waves are one of nature’s most powerful forces. Surfers harness wave power and so do hurricanes. Learn how waves are formed and how they can cause great changes along our coastlines. |
 Timing is Everything
How does climate change affect watersheds, wetlands and the many plants and animals that depend on these areas? Learn about phenology (the science of linked life cycles) and how studying these cycles can give us insights into climate and managing water resources. The USGS is one of many partners working to keep track of important earth cycles. |
 Tools of the Trade
Why do geologists carry rock hammers? What kind of safety gear is needed in the field? See the variety of tools scientists use to make different kind of measurements. Wear a hard hat, hip waders, tool belt or mosquito mesh. Geologists will show you examples of household products made from minerals. Did you know that some milkshakes and cosmetics have clay in them? |
 Tracking Hurricanes
Why did the hurricane cross the Gulf of Mexico? Learn about where hurricanes go, what steers them and what happens to our coastlines when they arrive. |
 Tsunami: The Wrath of Waves
Catch the big wave in action. See what causes tsunamis and how we use geologic analysis to describe this rapid destructive event. |
 Understanding Groundwater
An important water resource is the water that flows in the rocks beneath our feet. How does water get into the rocks and how does it move through them? Learn how and why we study groundwater. The USGS has a groundwater model that illustrates how water moves through earth materials. Using the model, you can see how saltwater intrusion occurs, the effects of prolonged drought on groundwater levels and how surface water contaminants can enter the groundwater system. |
 Underwater Sleuthing: A Fishy Approach to Reality TV
What goes on under the sea when we aren’t there? Learn about new underwater detective technology that let’s you be the "fly on the wall" and watch the undersea world without the local residents even knowing. |
 Volcano Quest
Volcanoes can interrupt our lives. The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland in May shut down the air space of Europe in 2010 due to the ash cloud hazard. Learn how scientists work with emergency managers and media broadcasters to make real-time decisions and announcements about public safety. Witness a real volcanic eruption and take the opportunity to gain first hand experience in making decisions for a threatening natural disaster. |
 Water Quality Sampling Vehicle
Have you ever wondered how scientists sample and test water quality? Many water quality properties are measured in the field. Others are collected in bottles and are sent to laboratories for analysis. The USGS has a vehicle equipped to do some high tech sampling in the field. Come see how scientists operate their mobile laboratory. Learn more at the Florida Water Science Center. |
 Wetlands and Watersheds - They Need Each Other!
What is a watershed? What are wetlands? How are they related? How does climate change affect watersheds, wetlands and the many plants and animals that depend on these areas? Learn about phenology (the science of linked life cycles) and how studying these cycles can give us insights into climate and managing water resources. |
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U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
