CFK opens 2026 VIP Series with Pacific naturalist

Tonight the College of the Florida Keys opens its 2026 VIP Series with marine scientist and CFK alumnus Dr. Jack Stein Grove, who will present Anchors & Atolls: The Life & Adventures of a 20th Century Naturalist in the Tropical Pacific. Doors at CFK’s Upper Keys Center open at 6:00 p.m. and the program begins at 7:00 p.m.; the same presentation will be offered tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. in the Tennessee Williams Theatre on the Key West Campus.

Grove returns to his alma mater after a career that took him from South America to New Guinea multiple times. He will walk audiences through highlights including the discovery of a shipwreck at Ducie Atoll in the Pitcairn Islands and the recovery of a two-ton anchor from 150 feet of water, an operation he conducted in a three-knot current with tiger sharks nearby. Each event runs 50 minutes followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer session.

Tickets are $5 at the door, and admission is free for students at CFK and Monroe County schools. The January 15 presentation will be streamed live on CFK’s Facebook page, extending access to residents who cannot attend in person because of work, caregiving responsibilities, mobility limits, or transportation barriers. For more information call CFK at 305-296-9081 or visit CFK.edu/VIP.

Beyond the spectacle of wrecks and anchors, the talk has practical local relevance. Monroe County’s economy and public health are tightly linked to the condition of our coastal waters and reefs. Coastal ecosystems support fisheries, tourism jobs, and storm-buffering mangroves and reefs; their decline can affect food security, income for fishing families, and water quality that influences community health. CFK places these conversations in reach for local students and residents through low-cost events and free admission for youth, helping build a diverse pipeline into marine and environmental careers.

The VIP Series, now in its 12th season, is sponsored by David and Annette Curry, Essential Net Solutions, and First Horizon Bank. That backing keeps programming affordable and helps bring regional and national voices to Conch Country, reinforcing CFK’s role as a civic hub for science, culture, and workforce development.

The takeaway? If you care about what happens offshore and how it connects to jobs, food, and storm resilience here at home, tonight and tomorrow are practical chances to learn and ask questions. Our two cents? Bring a young person, stream the talk if you can’t make it, and think about how local science education keeps Monroe County’s waters—and communities—healthier.