Project Lemon Aid 2025

Sharks4Kids is incredibly proud to celebrate the completion of Project Lemon Aid 2025, our most impactful year yet! Across two field seasons, in May and October, more than 1,400 students, teachers, and community members joined us in the classroom, along the coastline, and out on the water to explore the hidden world of juvenile lemon sharks that call the Turks & Caicos Islands home.

This growing program is powered by strong local partnerships and a shared commitment to protecting TCI's natural heritage. We are grateful to our collaborators at the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Big Blue Collective, the Ministry of Education, and the Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre, whose support ensures this work is meaningful, inclusive, and sustainable.

Students from Clement Howell High School in the field. Credit: Kaylam Pratt ( BBC)

How It Started: A Community-Driven Journey

When Project Lemon Aid launched in 2022, our mission was simple: study juvenile lemon sharks and inspire local students through hands-on, unforgettable shark education experiences. What began as a small research and outreach effort has since grown into a nationwide program connecting thousands of students to the sharks living in their own backyard.

Over the last four years, students from Providenciales, North, Middle, and South Caicos, Grand Turk, and Salt Cay have helped tag more than 100 sharks, joined field expeditions, explored virtual reality lessons, and participated in dozens of school visits.

2025: A Year of Expansion, Innovation & Discovery

This year brought one of our most exciting milestones yet: the introduction of acoustic tagging, which allows scientists to track shark movements and habitat use in remarkable detail. Acoustic tags emit unique low-frequency “clicks” detected by underwater receivers, revealing where sharks travel, how long they stay in specific habitats, and which environments are most important for their survival.

In 2025 alone:

• Nearly 50 sharks were caught and tagged

• 14 sharks received acoustic transmitters

• Acoustic receivers were installed in key juvenile habitats

• Tagged the first adult lemon shark of the project ( PIT and acoustic tag)

Dr. Candace Fields implants an acoustic tag as Kaylam Pratt holds the lemon shark.

Credit: Jillian Morris

Jillian stitching a shark after implanting an acoustic tag

Credit: Duncan Brake

Together, these tools are helping build one of the most comprehensive long-term datasets on lemon sharks in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

As Phillip Shearer, Owner of Big Blue Collective, reflected:

“Trying to piece together the beginning of their journey through this excellent collaborative tag and release effort is extremely rewarding. With an adult female recently tagged, the Lemonaid story is about to become very, very interesting.”

Duncan Brake and Phillip Shearer ( BBC) with the first adult lemon shark tagged for the project Credit: Kaylam Pratt

Shark Science in Action: Student Field Experiences

Seven 2025 field expeditions brought 72 students, teachers, and community leaders into the heart of marine science. Participants deployed drumlines, set BRUVs, collected data, took measurements, sampled DNA, and helped tag sharks alongside our team.

For many students, these trips were transformative. One Grade 11 student, Wilensky, who first joined us in 2022, returned for his third expedition:

“Every trip out reminds me how powerful and misunderstood these animals are. Each tag is a small step toward protecting them.”

Watching returning students teach new participants remains one of the most rewarding parts of this program.

Grade 11 student Wilensky back for his third research day

"We selected the students for the Sharks4Kids activity because we believe in providing hands-on, immersive learning experiences that ignite curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of the world around us. These particular students demonstrated a remarkable blend of enthusiasm, a thirst for knowledge, and a commitment to responsible learning, making them ideal ambassadors for this exciting exploration into marine biology and conservation. We're not just teaching facts; we're cultivating future advocates for our planet.”- Mr Forbes, A. Louise Garland High School.

Students from A Louise Garland High School in the field

Credit: Ali Oudman

"The trip that I had the privilege to attend was so incredible. I thought it was really eye-opening, as even though I have never been afraid of sharks, seeing them as babies and just how small they start changed how I see them. I really learnt a lot while we were out there, even though it was only a couple of hours. It was a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to anyone, whether you are or aren't afraid of sharks, because it just shows you how incredible these animals really are."-Keegan, student, British West Indies Collegiate.

Students from British West Indies Collegiate in the field

Connecting Classrooms Across the Islands

Shark science didn’t stop at the shoreline. This year, our team delivered 41 school presentations across 11 schools, engaging 1,500 students, 80 teachers and principals. Students learned about shark biology, coastal ecosystems, conservation challenges, and how science helps protect TCI’s marine life. Following our May trip, our local team member, Arenthia Baker, joined Kaylam Pratt and Bailey Stefanie, both team members from our local partner Big Blue Collective, to visit schools on North and Middle Caicos. 

In November, Arenthia visited several schools to speak about the project and donate 500 activity packets and 100 activity books for grades 4–6.

The response from educators and leaders was overwhelmingly positive.

Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education, noted:

“It’s inspiring to see our young people so enthusiastic about protecting our natural resources.”

To support long-term learning, Sharks4Kids donated more than 1,400 educational materials, including classroom packets, posters, activity books, and coloring pages. A key highlight was the launch of the first-ever Sharks and Rays of Turks and Caicos 52-page activity book, created with Sharktopia and made possible by the Save Our Seas Foundation and Wymara Resort + Villas.

Arenthia with students receiving copies of Sharks and Rays of Turks and Caicos

Inspiring the Next Generation of Ocean Leaders

Now in its fourth year, Project Lemon Aid is more than a research program—it’s a movement built on curiosity, community, and conservation.

Sharks4Kids Founder & President Jillian Morris explained:

“By bringing shark science directly into classrooms and providing immersive field experiences, we show students that science is not only important—it’s exciting and accessible.”

Thank You to Our Partners

Project Lemon Aid 2025 would not have been possible without the generous support of our partners:

Save Our Seas Foundation • Rock the Ocean • Big Blue Collective • DECR • Fisheries • Ministry of Education • Sandals Foundation • Wymara Resort + Villas • DierenPark Amersfoort Wildlife Fund • Edward C. Gartland Youth Centre • Grace Bay Car Rentals, and the many individuals who adopted sharks this year.

Learn More

To explore the whole project or support future shark research and education in TCI, visit:

PROJECT LEMON AID