Kathleen Senior placed first in Florida’s Aquaculture Career Development Event (CDE). The event was held Saturday, April 21^stat the University of Florida-College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville.

During the Aquaculture CDE competition, high school team members are given 30 minutes to develop an oral presentation around an issue related to the Aquaculture Industry, whether it’s fish species, aquatic plants, water quality parameters or even diseases and parasites. High school teams are then given five to seven minutes to present. This presentation is followed by a question and answer session lasting no longer than five minutes.

This year, 12 high school and six middle school teams from throughout Florida gathered to compete for the top spot.

A complete listing of state winners can be found at: http://www.flaffa.org/cde-results-2012-aquaculture-cde/

Below are the rankings for Polk County Public Schools students:
Team Category

High School
1. Kathleen Senior

Middle School
3. Crystal Lake Middle
6. Stambaugh Middle

Individual Category
High School
2. Breanna Langley/Kathleen Senior
4. Diogenes Abreu/ Kathleen Senior
5. Kevin Benitez/ Kathleen Senior

The purpose of the Aquaculture CDE is to stimulate student interest in the aquaculture industry, encourage aquaculture instruction in the agricultural education curriculum, and to provide recognition for those who have demonstrated skills and competencies in the area of aquaculture production and management.