TL;DR
You’ll find 22 marine biology programs below, each with all relevant details. They’re grouped by what rules you’re in or out of: free and open to students anywhere, free but only for students in one county or state, university courses you pay tuition for, research placements you pay for, free online courses, and one that works from anywhere. Most applications open between November and February, so find your group and set a reminder now. A week at a marine lab tells you whether you like this work. Horizon gives you something to show for it: a term of one-on-one work with a professor or PhD mentor, on a single research question, ending in a research paper that’s yours to submit to journals or competitions. It’s fully online, cohorts start three times a year, and where you live decides nothing.
Marine biology covers everything from coral reefs and fisheries to whales, plankton, and ocean chemistry. Most high schoolers only meet it through a documentary or one chapter of biology class.
Those programs come in wildly different shapes. Some are a week at a marine lab taking a college-level class, with one day out on a research vessel. Some put you on a boat four days out of five. Others are eight weeks in a working lab with a mentor and a paycheck. A few are completely free. Several cost more than a semester of college.
Which one is right for you usually comes down to what you’re eligible for, not which one is best. Your grade, your age, where you live, and what your family can spend will cut these 22 down to three or four pretty fast.
If you want to build up some background first, start with 8 tips on how to do biology research in high school or browse 49 research topics for high school students, which include coral bleaching and ocean cleanup.
How much do marine biology programs cost, and can you get financial aid?
The honest answer is that most of them cost a lot, and the cheap ones come with a catch.
The paid programs on this list run from about $1,699 to more than $12,000. A one-week university course sits around $2,250. A three-week credit-bearing program at a private university runs past $10,000 once you add housing. Research placements like UCSB’s Research Mentorship Program are the most expensive, because you are paying for seven weeks of housing on top of tuition.
Watch for costs not included in the headline number. UC Santa Cruz advertises tuition of $4,250, but there is also a $750 deposit, a $68 application fee, and housing between $5,250 and $7,350. The real total is closer to $12,000.
Of the 22 programs here, only three are both free to attend and open to students across the country: Hutton, SEAP and Simons. Two of those pay you.
Every other free option is locked to a place. The USF Oceanography Camp for Girls takes only Pinellas County residents. Your Shores takes Miami-Dade public school students only. If you don’t live in the right county, no amount of preparation will get you in.
That leaves most students choosing between paying tuition and looking for something that is not a summer program at all. If cost is your main barrier, it is worth reading 16 fully-funded STEM programs, 15 free university STEM summer programs, 11 free research mentorship programs, and 14 grants for high school research before you rule yourself out.
Marine biology or environmental science: which should you pick?
Marine biology is about the organisms. Fish, corals, marine mammals, plankton, the animals and plants themselves and how they live. A marine biology program puts you on a boat counting species, in a lab looking at plankton under a microscope, or on a reef surveying coral.
Environmental science is about the system. It covers water quality, pollution, climate, and how human activity changes a place. An environmental science program is more likely to have you test water chemistry, model data, or study policy.
In practice, high school programs constantly blur the line. Almost every program on this list includes water quality work, and several of the environmental ones spend most of their time on coastal ecosystems.
Pick by what you want to be doing at 10 am on a Tuesday. If the answer involves an animal, go marine. If it involves a dataset or a policy question, environmental science will give you more to work with. There are also more programs like that; they cost less and are easier to get into. Horizon has separate guides to 8 online environmental science programs and 11 free environmental science programs if you want to compare them side by side.
What you actually do in a marine biology program
On a university pre-college course, you take a college-level class for one to three weeks. There is classroom teaching, lab work, and usually a field trip or two on a research vessel. You do not design your own study. At the end you have a grade, sometimes college credit, and a much better sense of whether you like the subject.
On a research placement, you join a lab or a field team and work on their project. At UC Santa Cruz, that might mean stable isotope analysis of fish and seal tissue. At the Salish Sea School, it means four days on a boat running intertidal surveys, orca observations, and kelp monitoring. You usually present a poster at the end.
On a paid placement like Hutton or SEAP, you are assigned to a professional mentor and do whatever that lab does. The work is real, the hours are long, and you get paid.
On a free online course, you watch lectures and take quizzes. Useful for background, and it costs nothing, but nobody is going to be impressed by it on its own.
What almost none of these produce is a piece of work that is yours. You leave with a grade, a poster, or a certificate. A research paper with your name on it comes from a different kind of program. It is worth reading what you can actually do with a high school research paper before you choose.
Which group should you look at?
| If you… | Look at |
|---|---|
| Want something free and can apply from anywhere in the US | Free and open nationally |
| Live in Pinellas or Miami-Dade County, Florida, or near FIU | Free but local only |
| Can pay tuition and want a college-level course | University courses |
| Can pay and want to work on an actual research project | Paid research placements |
| Want background knowledge at no cost | Free online courses |
| Are ruled out by grade, location, or timing | A research program that works from anywhere |
If a program is closer to what you want than a course, Horizon has a separate guide to marine biology internships for high school students, plus lists of marine biology summer camps, marine science camps, and marine biology summer research programs.
Free marine biology programs you can apply to from anywhere
1. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Placements across the US, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico, usually within a 30 to 45 minute commute of your home
Cost: Free. Paid internship with a $3,000 stipend, issued as four payments of $750
Dates: Eight weeks, June to August
Application deadline: January 19 for the most recent posted cycle. No newer cycle has been posted
Eligibility: Current high school students, at least 16 by the end of the application period, resident in the US, Puerto Rico, Canada or Mexico
The American Fisheries Society runs Hutton as a paid summer internship. You are matched with a fisheries professional near your home and work 32 to 40 hours a week on that mentor’s project, which may be marine or freshwater. Accepted students also attend the Hutton Scholars Summit with travel covered.
Email the program before you plan a summer around it. Nothing newer than the 2025 cycle is posted on the site, so it is worth confirming that the next round is running.
Who is it right for? You want paid field or lab work near home, and you are willing to email the program directly to check the cycle.
2. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: Navy laboratories nationwide. The Naval Research Laboratory at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, is the strongest marine site, with work in its Ocean Sciences Division
Cost: Free. Stipend of $4,000 for first-year interns and $4,500 for returning interns
Dates: Eight weeks in summer, extendable by up to two weeks
Application deadline: Not confirmed for the coming cycle. The Office of Naval Research expects the portal to open in September 2026 for summer 2027
Eligibility: Completed at least grade 9, currently enrolled in high school, at least 16 by the start date, US citizens. Some labs require security clearance
SEAP places you in a Navy research laboratory with a working scientist. It is not a marine program as a whole, and most placements are in engineering, computing and physics. The marine route runs through specific labs, and Stennis is the one to target. Its listed subjects include marine biology and oceanography, and its Ocean Sciences Division works on open ocean, coastal and littoral processes. Keyport in Washington lists oceanography and runs underwater vehicle projects.
Check the current lab list before you choose where to apply, since the participating labs change from year to year.
Who is it right for? You are a US citizen who wants a paid, serious lab placement, and you are happy to pick a specific Navy lab rather than a marine-branded program.
3. Simons Summer Research Program
Location: Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
Cost: No tuition or fees. You pay your own travel or residential costs, estimated at $2,450 if you stay on campus. A stipend is awarded at the closing symposium, and the amount is not published
Dates: June 29 to August 7 for the 2026 cycle
Application deadline: February 5 for 2026. Applications for 2027 are posted in late November, and late applications are not considered
Eligibility: Currently in 11th grade, at least 16 by the start of the program, US citizen or permanent resident
Simons matches you with a Stony Brook faculty mentor for roughly five and a half weeks of full research work, ending in a written report and a poster symposium. Marine placements are real: the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences takes Simons students regularly, and its faculty appear in the published fellows lists year after year.
A marine lab is not guaranteed, since placement depends on mentor matching, and you name your top three preferred mentors or research areas on the application. The program describes itself as highly selective but publishes no acceptance rate. Our guide to the Simons Summer Research Program has a full walkthrough.
Who is it right for? You are a junior with strong grades who wants a genuine university research summer and can commit at least 20 hours a week.
Free marine biology programs limited to one county or state
4. Oceanography Camp for Girls, University of South Florida
Location: USF College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, Florida
Cost: Not published. No fee is stated anywhere on the program pages, and the program is donor-supported
Dates: June 8 to 26 for the 2026 cycle, running 8am to 4pm daily
Application deadline: December 15 to February 15
Eligibility: Girls who have completed eighth grade and live in Pinellas County, Florida
Three weeks of ocean science at a working marine science college, including a day at sea on a research vessel, coastal field trips, lab experiments and interviews with working scientists. It is a day camp rather than residential, so your family covers transport.
The residency rule is absolute. Applications go out through Pinellas County science teachers each spring.
Who is it right for? You live in Pinellas County, you are finishing eighth grade, and you want a serious first look at ocean science with no tuition.
5. Your Shores, Frost Museum of Science
Location: Miami, Florida, with fieldwork at Haulover Park in North Miami
Cost: Not published. No fee is stated
Dates: September 23 to May 25, Saturdays through the school year
Application deadline: Not published
Eligibility: Miami-Dade County Public Schools students in grades 9 to 12, minimum age 16. You also need to be enrolled in, or willing to join, Frost Science’s Upward Bound Math and Science program
A school-year program rather than a summer one, which makes it unusual on this list. You work on coral reef restoration, mangrove assessment and beach cleanups over a full academic year of Saturdays.
Some students complete scuba certification through a partner dive school, though not everyone in a cohort does.
Who is it right for? You are a Miami-Dade public school student who wants a long commitment during the school year rather than a single summer week.
6. Research Experience for Secondary Students, Florida Coastal Everglades LTER
Location: Florida International University, Miami, and Florida Coastal Everglades field sites
Cost: Not published
Dates: Not published. Arranged with your mentor
Application deadline: Not published. The route in is contacting the education and outreach coordinator
Eligibility: Secondary school students. The RAHSS component exists to expand access for students from underrepresented groups
You work directly with FIU scientists for 5 to 20 hours a week on coastal and estuarine research. One published student project studied red mangrove propagule establishment against salinity and water level.
This is the least structured entry on the page. There is no application portal, no deadline and no published stipend, so it takes initiative to get in. The work is coastal and estuarine rather than open ocean.
Who is it right for? You are in South Florida and comfortable emailing a research coordinator directly instead of filling in a form.
University marine biology courses you pay tuition for
7. UCSD Research Scholars, Marine Science
Location: Online for most courses, with one hybrid commuter course at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California
Cost: $1,500 to $4,900 depending on the course and tier
Dates: Vary by course. Fall 2026 runs September 21 to November 12
Application deadline: Rolling, with course-level cutoffs. The fall 2026 extended deadline was September 17
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12, minimum age 14. Tier 2 requires a completed Tier 1 course or AP Biology or AP Environmental Science. Tier 3 requires a completed Tier 2 course
A three-tier sequence with Scripps mentors. Tier 1 courses are introductory and mostly online, including Introduction to Marine Science and Marine Biodiversity: Coral Reef Ecology and Conservation. Tier 2, Investigating Human and Climate Impacts on Oceans and Biodiversity, is the research course and runs as a hybrid over 75 hours in four weeks. Tier 3 is scientific writing.
Check this before you book travel: there is no residential option at any tier. The Tier 2 course is explicitly commuter, and UCSD states that housing and transportation are not provided.
Who is it right for? You want a structured progression with a recognized ocean science institution, and you can commute or study online.
8. Shoals Marine Laboratory High School Courses
Location: Appledore Island, Maine, six miles off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Cost: Not published in a form we could verify. Check the current rates page before applying
Dates: One and two-week sessions between late June and mid August
Application deadline: Not published. Applications open on or after February 12, and registration is finalized through Cornell in mid March
Eligibility: Completed grades 10, 11 or 12, with the equivalent of a B minus or above in two year-long high school science courses
Shoals runs Cornell-credit marine courses on an island field station, which is about as close to a working marine lab as a high school student gets. Current course titles include Investigative Marine Biology Laboratory, Ecology and the Marine Environment, Marine Environmental Science, Sharks, Skates and Rays, and Marine Vertebrates of the Gulf of Maine.
Use Cornell’s course roster and rates pages for dates and fees, since those carry the current cycle.
Who is it right for? You want real college credit and you are ready for an island field station with no way to leave mid-week.
9. Brown Pre-College marine courses
Location: Providence, Rhode Island, for Research Methods in Marine Science. Online for Marine Ecology
Cost: Two-week on campus, $5,786 residential or $4,482 commuter. Two-week online, $3,364
Dates: Two-week sessions in summer. Confirm the current dates in the course catalog
Application deadline: May 15 for the 2026 cycle, with rolling decisions from January
Eligibility: Set by course prerequisites and grade level. Brown does not publish a single age range
Two separate marine courses run through Brown’s pre-college catalog. Research Methods in Marine Science is the on-campus one, with fieldwork in Narragansett Bay and coverage of the four branches of oceanography. Marine Ecology is a virtual course built around the marine ecosystems of the Florida Keys.
The online option is the cheaper route into a selective university’s summer catalog, though a virtual marine course obviously cannot put you on a boat.
Who is it right for? You want a recognizable university name on a short course, and you can choose between fieldwork in Rhode Island and a lower price online.
10. SEA Pre-College Marine Biology
Location: Sea Education Association, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Cost: Not published. SEA’s page currently reads “Coming Soon”. A $300 deposit applies to high school programs
Dates: August 4 to 21
Application deadline: Not published
Eligibility: Rising juniors, rising seniors and recent high school graduates
SEA describes this as a three-week program with more than 40 contact hours of formal instruction, based in Woods Hole alongside the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Marine Biological Laboratory. That is unusually strong company for a high school course.
Ask SEA directly about the price. The site says the cost is still to be announced, so any figure you find elsewhere is not one you can budget from. Students in Massachusetts should also look at the 15 best summer programs in Massachusetts and 15 lab opportunities in Boston, which are close enough to combine.
Who is it right for? You are a rising junior or senior who wants the most academically serious short course on this list, and you can wait for pricing.
11. Eckerd College Pre-College Marine Science
Location: Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida, on a waterfront campus
Cost: $2,250, covering sessions, transport, labs, supplies, field trips, meals and lodging
Dates: Session I June 14 to 19 and Session II June 21 to 26 for the 2026 cycle
Application deadline: Not published. Registration runs through an open online form
Eligibility: Students entering 11th or 12th grade
Six days of marine biology, marine geology and marine chemistry, including plankton tows and work with live specimens under microscopes. Check-in is Sunday afternoon and check-out is Friday afternoon, so it is a genuine residential week rather than a day program.
At $2,250 all-inclusive, this is the cheapest residential university course on the list by a clear margin. Eckerd also runs separate Sharks and Rays and Coastal Wildlife Ecology programs in the same period, so check you are booking the marine science one.
Who is it right for? You are a rising junior or senior who wants a residential marine week without a five-figure price tag.
12. University of Miami Summer Scholars, Exploration Sciences
Location: University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
Cost: $10,225.20 residential or $8,561.50 commuter for the 2026 cycle, plus a $75 application fee and a $500 enrollment deposit. The Marine Science Exploration Fee of $450 applies to residential students. 2027 pricing is not published
Dates: June 26 to July 16 for the 2027 cycle
Application deadline: Not yet posted for 2027. The 2026 cycle ran Early Action from November 14, scholarships and international to March 1, and regular to April 1
Eligibility: Current sophomores or juniors with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Requires a transcript, two recommendations and two essays of 300 to 600 words
A three-week credit-bearing program with three marine courses inside the Exploration Sciences specialty: Marine Animal Biology and Conservation, Oceanography and Marine Environments, and Tropical Marine Biology. All three are for residential students only.
This is the most expensive university course here, and it is also the most demanding application, with essays and recommendations rather than a registration form. There is no financial aid or payment plan.
Who is it right for? You are a sophomore or junior who wants college credit and a full application process, and your family can cover a five-figure summer.
13. UConn Pre-College Summer, Marine Biology and Conservation
Location: Coursework at UConn Avery Point and along the Connecticut shoreline, with residential housing at Storrs
Cost: $2,250 if paid by April 1, $2,350 after, plus a $50 non-refundable application fee
Dates: June 21 to 27 for the 2026 cycle
Application deadline: Not published. April 1 is the early-bird cutoff and June 1 is the final payment date
Eligibility: Two years of high school science and math through Algebra II, with a grade of C or higher
A one-week non-credit course with fieldwork at Avery Point and along the Connecticut coast. You spend the week on coastal ecology, species identification and water quality work, with the shoreline as the classroom.
The prerequisites are lighter than most on this list, so it suits you if you have not taken AP sciences yet.
Who is it right for? You are in the Northeast and want a low-cost coastal week without needing advanced coursework behind you.
14. Duke Pre-College, Marine Biology and Ecology
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Cost: Not published for 2027. A $500 non-refundable enrollment deposit applies before April 2, rising to $1,500 after April 1
Dates: Not published. Duke announces 2027 dates and courses in October 2026
Application deadline: Not published
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12, minimum age 14, GPA of 3.0 or higher recommended. Some courses have specific prerequisites
The Marine Biology and Ecology course covers marine ecosystems, ocean chemistry and conservation, and ends in a capstone marine ecosystem health assessment where you analyze species counts, water quality indicators or population trends.
Duke has stated it will not be running pre-college programs at the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort during summer 2027, so this is a Durham campus course rather than a coastal one. Duke’s wider catalog is covered in 15 Duke summer programs for high school students.
Who is it right for? You want a Duke course with a data-driven capstone, and you can wait until October for prices and dates.
15. NSLC Marine Biology
Location: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, with a coastal component in Beaufort, or UC Berkeley, California
Cost: $4,495 residential at both sites
Dates: Duke July 6 to 14 and July 18 to 26. Berkeley June 12 to 20 and June 24 to July 2, for the 2026 cycle
Application deadline: Rolling. NSLC continues to accept applications while space is available
Eligibility: Ages 14 to 18, with at least one year of high school completed
Nine days of workshops covering coral nurseries, marine anatomy, fish identification, marine protected areas and fisheries management, wrapped in a leadership curriculum.
This is a leadership and pre-college experience rather than a research program, and there is no independent research output at the end. Admission is rolling while space lasts, so it is not selective. That is fine if you want structured exposure and a campus experience, though it will not read as a research credential.
Who is it right for? You are 14 or 15 and want a first structured look at marine biology on a university campus.
Marine biology research placements you pay for
16. UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program
Location: UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California
Cost: $5,675 commuter or $13,274 residential for the 2026 cycle, including a $75 application fee and a $1,000 enrollment deposit. 2027 pricing is not yet published
Dates: June 14 to July 31 for the 2027 cycle, with a virtual component from June 14 to 16
Application deadline: December 15, 2026 to March 8, 2027, on a rolling basis
Eligibility: 10th or 11th grade, with outstanding 9th graders considered case by case. Minimum 3.80 weighted GPA. International students accepted with no TOEFL requirement
You are matched with a faculty or graduate mentor and spend 35 to 50 hours a week on a research project, finishing with a paper and a presentation. Marine biology is explicitly one of the listed research disciplines, alongside ecology, earth science and environmental policy.
This is one of the most demanding programs on the list in both hours and cost. Scholarship priority goes to California residents, and the aid is limited. Horizon covers the wider campus offering in 15 UCSB summer research programs.
Who is it right for? You are a sophomore or junior with a 3.8 weighted GPA who wants a full research summer and can cover the cost.
17. UC Santa Cruz Scholar Immersion Program
Location: UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California
Cost: $4,250 tuition for 2026, plus a $750 deposit and a $68 application fee. Housing runs $5,250 to $7,350, bringing published sample totals to $10,318 commuter and $12,418 residential. 2027 costs are due in December 2026
Dates: Online research week June 14 to 17, 2027, then in-person June 21 to August 6, 2027
Application deadline: February 26, 2027 at noon Pacific. The portal opens January 15, 2027
Eligibility: Ages 14 to 17 for the full duration. Some projects require 16 or older. Students who have already graduated are generally ineligible
Formerly the Science Internship Program, SIP places you on a real university research project for roughly eight weeks with faculty and PhD mentors. Need-based scholarships cover 25 to 100 percent of tuition and fees, and UCSC states aid can extend to housing.
Set your expectations on the marine side. Of 92 projects listed for 2026, one was clearly marine: a Monterey Bay food web study using forensic chemistry on fish, shark, seal, sea lion and dolphin tissue. A marine placement is possible, not likely. Horizon has a full breakdown in our UCSC Science Internship Program guide.
Who is it right for? You want a genuine university research summer and you are open to whichever project you are matched with, marine or not.
18. The Salish Sea School, Summer STaRS
Location: Anacortes, Washington, working in the San Juan Islands
Cost: $1,699. Financial assistance and payment plans available on request, with no figures published
Dates: June 22 to 26 and July 6 to 10 for the 2026 cycle, running 10am to 3pm
Application deadline: Not published. Registration runs until sessions fill
Eligibility: Ages 14 to 18. Requires basic marine ecosystem knowledge and the ability to stay focused during field observations of two to four hours
Five days, four of them on the water, running intertidal species surveys, orca acoustic and visual observations, bull kelp monitoring, marine bird counts and forage fish egg surveys. Student Training as Research Scientists is the most field-heavy week on this list per dollar spent.
Sessions cap at 14 participants and the site shows live spot counts, so places go quickly. Students in Washington should also see 15 lab opportunities in Seattle.
Who is it right for? You are in the Pacific Northwest, you want as much time on a boat as possible, and you prefer a small group to a big campus program.
Free online marine biology courses
19. Marine Biology, American Museum of Natural History
Location: Online, on Coursera
Cost: Free to audit. A shareable certificate is available to buy, and the price is not published on the course page. Financial aid is available for eligible learners
Dates: Self-paced, always open
Application deadline: None
Eligibility: Beginner level, no prior experience required
Seven hours across five modules, taught by AMNH curator John Sparks. A clean, well-reviewed survey of marine life, and the fastest way to find out whether the subject holds your attention.
AMNH also runs a separate paid Marine Biology course through its Seminars on Science program at $624, aimed at teachers. Make sure you land on the Coursera version.
Who is it right for? You are testing the subject before committing time or money.
20. The Oceans, The Open University
Location: Online, on OpenLearn
Cost: Free, with no paid tier
Dates: Self-paced, always open
Application deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all. Listed at Level 2, intermediate
Fifteen hours of study covering ocean mapping, salinity and temperature measurement, and how the oceans work as a physical system. A free statement of participation is available on completion.
Two things to know. This sits a step above beginner level, so it suits a motivated student rather than a first introduction. The content was last updated in 2019, so treat the science as solid and the currency as dated.
Who is it right for? You already have some background and want physical oceanography rather than marine life.
21. Tropical Coastal Ecosystems, University of Queensland
Location: Online, on edX
Cost: Free to audit, with a paid certificate option. The certificate price is not published on the course page
Dates: Self-paced. Listed as nine weeks at four to five hours a week
Application deadline: None
Eligibility: No prerequisites. The stated audience is students who have completed year 12 science or equivalent
Coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass systems, taught by a group of University of Queensland scientists including Ove Hoegh-Guldberg and Peter Mumby. The course experts were filmed on location at the Great Barrier Reef and at UQ’s research station on Heron Island.
Assessment is six weekly quizzes plus a final project, and you need a cumulative 50 percent to pass. That makes it the most substantial of the three free courses here, and the closest to real coursework.
Who is it right for? You want reef ecology specifically, and you will actually finish an assessed course.
What to do when none of these fit
22. Horizon Academic Research Program
Location: Fully online
Cost: $6,950 per course. Need-based financial aid for households earning under $75,000
Dates: Fall and spring trimesters run 15 weeks, summer runs 10. Labs run 12 to 16 weeks year-round
Application deadline: November 22, 2026 for the winter cohort
Eligibility: Grades 9 to 12, unweighted GPA of 3.67 or equivalent. No prior research experience needed
Horizon pairs you with a professor or PhD mentor for a full term of work on one research question. Labs include 15 one-on-one instructor sessions, 4 writing coach sessions and 4 publication specialist sessions. Seminars run 20 instructor sessions in a group of 4 to 6, with the same writing and publication support. Expect 8 to 10 hours a week and at least 100 hours in total. You finish with a research paper of around 5,000 words that is yours to submit to journals or competitions. Horizon has accepted 26 percent of 6,539 applicants to date.
What Horizon does solve is everything else on that list of barriers. It is online, so your zip code decides nothing. Cohorts start three times a year, so you are not waiting for next June. And the output is a paper rather than a poster.
Who is it right for? You want a finished piece of research with your name on it, and you are open to an environmental or life science question rather than a strictly marine one.
Frequently asked questions
When do marine biology program applications actually open and close?
| Program | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Simons Summer Research | Late November | February 5 |
| UC Santa Cruz SIP | January 15 | February 26, noon Pacific |
| UCSB Research Mentorship | December 15 | March 8 |
| USF Oceanography Camp for Girls | December 15 | February 15 |
| Shoals Marine Laboratory | On or after February 12 | Not published |
| Brown Pre-College | January | May 15 |
| Hutton | November | January 19, last posted cycle |
| SEAP | September, per the Office of Naval Research | Not published |
| Horizon | Rolling, three cohorts a year | November 22, 2026 for winter |
| NSLC, Eckerd, UConn, Duke | Varies | Rolling until full |
Yes, but the honest answer is that the options are narrower. The three free online courses above work from anywhere. SEAP and Simons place you at a specific institution, so you would need to travel or board. Beyond that, the realistic route is a research mentorship rather than a field program, and Horizon has separate lists of online research mentorship programs, free online research programs and the best online research programs globally.
No, and the difference matters when you write about it later. A camp is built around the experience: snorkeling, kayaking, boat trips and a science theme running through it. A program is built around the learning, with a syllabus, an assessment, and sometimes credit. Camps are usually cheaper and easier to get into. If a camp is what you want, Horizon has separate guides to marine biology summer camps, marine biology camps and marine science camps.
Internships put you in someone else’s lab or field site working on their project, usually with an application process closer to a job than a course. They are a separate set of opportunities with different deadlines, and Horizon covers them in marine biology internships for high school students. The aquarium and field station placements in particular do not appear on this page.
Some providers run marine trips to the Caribbean, Fiji, Belize and the Great Barrier Reef. They were left off this list on purpose. Most are adventure travel with a marine theme, they cost between $5,000 and $8,500, and several accept students as young as 12. If you want the science rather than the trip, a university course or a research placement gives you more per dollar.
A little, and less than the marketing suggests. What helps is what you can show and talk about afterwards. Horizon covers the evidence in do summer research programs actually help with college admissions.
You do not need a program at all. Plenty of students find a mentor directly, and 7 ways to find a research lab as a high school student covers the approaches that work better than cold emailing. If you have no research experience yet, 14 research programs for complete beginners is the better starting point.
It is possible, and it is more work than most students expect. Start with how to publish research in high school, then look at 15 research journals for high school students and how to turn your paper into a competition submission.
Resources
More from Horizon: getting in
How to get into a top high school research program · 7 ways to find a research lab · 14 research programs for complete beginners · The most competitive research programs · Most prestigious programs with low acceptance rates · The most competitive summer programs
More from Horizon: doing and publishing the work
8 tips on how to do biology research in high school · 49 research topics for high school students · 40 biology research topics · STEM research topics · How to publish research in high school · 15 research journals for high school students · Turn your paper into a competition submission · What can you actually do with a high school research paper · Key components of a high school research paper
Image source: University of South Florida